1. On February 18, 1928, the first radio station in the state of Mississippi, WJDX, began broadcasting in Jackson. The station was owned by the Clarion-Ledger newspaper and was one of the first radio stations in the southern United States.

2. In 1954, on February 18, a small group of African American students attempted to enroll in the all-white Clarksdale High School in Mississippi. The attempted integration ultimately failed due to protests and threats of violence.

3. In 1965, on February 18, civil rights activist James Meredith began a one-man march from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi to highlight the need for voting rights for African Americans. The march was met with resistance and Meredith was shot and wounded on the second day of the walk.

4. On February 18, 1972, the Mississippi House of Representatives voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have guaranteed equal rights for women under the law. However, the amendment was not ultimately ratified by enough states to become part of the U.S. Constitution.

5. In 2006, on February 18, Mississippi native and actor Morgan Freeman won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film "Million Dollar Baby". Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee but grew up in Mississippi and has been a supporter of various causes in the state, including education and the arts.