1. Mississippi became the 20th state of the United States on December 10, 1817, but it wasn't until March 19, 1819, that it officially entered the Union. On this day, Mississippi became the 10th state to secede from the Union, paving the way for the Civil War.

2. In 1895, the Mississippi legislature passed a bill making it illegal to teach evolution in public schools. The bill was signed into law by Governor John Marshall Stone on March 19th of that year. The law remained in effect until 1966 when it was finally repealed.

3. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opened its doors on March 19, 2018, in Jackson, Mississippi. The museum tells the story of the state's struggle for civil rights and features interactive exhibits, including a replica of a jail cell where civil rights workers were held.

4. On March 19, 1962, singer and musician Linda Martell was born in Leesville, South Carolina. She became the first African American female singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Martell's career was short-lived, but her trailblazing contributions to country music are still celebrated today.

5. The USS Mississippi was commissioned as a battleship on March 19, 1908. The ship, which was part of the US Navy's "Great White Fleet," went on to serve in both World War I and World War II. The USS Mississippi was decommissioned in 1956 and ultimately sold for scrap.