1. On January 12, 1864, Union forces under General William Tecumseh Sherman began their famous Meridian Campaign in Mississippi during the Civil War. The campaign aimed to disrupt Confederate supply lines and infrastructure in the state.

2. On January 12, 1906, the first rolling stock of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad arrived in Gulfport, Mississippi. The railroad was a major economic driver for the region and helped connect the Mississippi Gulf Coast to other parts of the country.

3. On January 12, 1963, civil rights leader Medgar Evers delivered a famous speech at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. Evers, who was the state field secretary for the NAACP, spoke about the importance of voting rights and the need for African Americans to assert their political power.

4. On January 12, 1975, the Super Bowl X MVP award was given to Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris. Harris, who was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, played college football at Penn State but had family roots in Mississippi and spent time there as a child.

5. On January 12, 2010, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency due to a winter storm that brought snow and ice to much of the state. The storm caused power outages and transportation disruptions in parts of Mississippi, including the state capital of Jackson.