1. On March 23, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state to join the Union. It was the first state to be carved out of the territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States.

2. On March 23, 1865, near the end of the Civil War, the Battle of West Point took place in Mississippi. Union forces under General James H. Wilson defeated Confederate troops commanded by General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

3. On March 23, 1933, the Mississippi Highway Patrol was established. The organization was created to enforce traffic laws and ensure public safety on the state's highways.

4. On March 23, 1961, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was formed in Jackson. The party was created by civil rights activists who were dissatisfied with the segregationist policies of the state's Democratic Party.

5. On March 23, 1992, a tornado outbreak occurred in Mississippi that resulted in six fatalities and widespread damage. The storms affected 28 counties in the state and caused an estimated $25 million in damages.