1. In 1811, the first steamboat to travel up the Mississippi River, the "New Orleans," arrived in Natchez, Mississippi. This event marked the beginning of a new era in transportation and commerce in the state.

2. On July 7, 1865, the former Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his army to Union General William T. Sherman in Greensboro, North Carolina, effectively ending the Civil War in the state of Mississippi.

3. Mississippi native B.B. King was born on July 7, 1925. King became one of the most renowned blues musicians of all time, and his influence can still be heard in modern music today.

4. In 1977, Mississippi State University officially adopted the bulldog as the school's mascot. The bulldog has since become a symbol of the university and is beloved by students, alumni, and fans alike.

5. On July 7, 1998, the United States Postal Service issued a stamp honoring the great Mississippi writer and Nobel laureate, William Faulkner. Faulkner's novels, including "The Sound and the Fury," "As I Lay Dying," and "Absalom, Absalom!" continue to be studied and admired by readers and scholars around the world.