1. In 1962, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission was created, which was used as a tool to oppose and suppress the Civil Rights Movement in the state. The commission was disbanded in 1977.

2. On March 11, 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede from the United States and join the Confederacy.

3. In 1913, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law making it illegal for anyone to teach evolution theory in the state's public schools. The law was not repealed until 1966.

4. On March 11, 1902, American blues guitarist and singer, Mississippi John Hurt, was born in Teoc, Mississippi. He is considered one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.

5. In 2011, an EF5 tornado struck the city of Louisville, Mississippi, causing widespread damage and killing 10 people. The tornado was part of a severe weather outbreak that affected several states in the southeastern United States.