1. The Battle of Iuka was fought on September 16, 1862, during the Civil War. Confederate forces led by General Sterling Price clashed with Union troops under General William Rosecrans, resulting in a Confederate victory. This battle was part of a larger campaign for control of northern Mississippi.

2. On September 16, 1908, Tupelo, Mississippi was incorporated as a city. The town had been a center of commercial activity since the late 1800s, and its incorporation signaled its growing importance as a regional hub for agriculture and commerce.

3. Civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer was born on September 16, 1917, in Montgomery County, Mississippi. Hamer was a key figure in the Freedom Summer of 1964 and played a crucial role in organizing voter registration drives among African Americans in the state.

4. The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, a state agency set up to preserve segregation and investigate civil rights activists, was created on September 16, 1956. The commission operated until 1977, when its records were opened to the public and its activities were revealed.

5. The University of Southern Mississippi was founded on September 16, 1910, as Mississippi Normal College. Originally a teacher training school, it has since expanded to offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as business, nursing, and education.