1. On July 20, 1964, three young civil rights workers - James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner - were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan in Neshoba County, Mississippi. The tragedy became known as the "Mississippi Burning" case and brought national attention to the struggle for civil rights in the state.

2. On July 20, 1863, the city of Vicksburg surrendered to Union forces during the American Civil War. The long siege of the city had been a strategic victory for the Union and gave them control of the Mississippi River, a vital supply route.

3. Mississippi native and civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated on June 12, 1963, but it wasn't until July 20 of that year that his killer, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith, was arrested. Beckwith was ultimately convicted of murder in 1994 after several trials and appeals.

4. On July 20, 1820, Mississippi became the 20th state admitted to the Union. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which forms its western border.

5. The Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic drive that runs from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, was officially completed on July 20, 2005. The road follows the historic Natchez Trace trail, which was used by Native Americans, traders, and pioneers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, it's a popular tourist attraction and a National Park Service site.