'Mississippi' (
IPA: /
/) is a
state located in the
southern region of the
United States of America. The state takes its name from the
Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary.
Name
The name Mississippi, which means "great river," comes from either
Ojibwe, a
Native American language spoken around the river's headwaters, or some other closely related
Algonquian language (c.f. Ojibwe ''misi-ziibi'').
[1] Nicknames for Mississippi are the Magnolia State and the Hospitality State.
Geography
Mississippi is bordered on the north by the state of
Tennessee, on the east by
Alabama, on the south by
Louisiana and the
Gulf of Mexico, and on the west by
Louisiana and
Arkansas (across the
Mississippi River).
Major rivers include
Mississippi River,
Big Black River,
Pearl River,
Yazoo River,
Pascagoula River, and
Tombigbee River. Major lakes include
Ross Barnett Reservoir,
Arkabutla Lake,
Sardis Lake, and
Grenada Lake.
Mississippi State Map
The highest point in Mississippi, part of the
foothills of the
Cumberland Mountains is
Woodall Mountain. Hardly a mountain,
Woodall Mountain is only 806
feet (246 m) above sea level. The lowest point is along the shore at the Gulf of Mexico; sea level. The Mean Elevation is 300 feet (91 m) above sea level.
Most of Mississippi is part of the
East Gulf Coastal Plain, and the rest of the state is made up of a section of the
Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The East Gulf Coastal Plain is generally composed of low hills, such as the Pine Hills in the south and the North Central Hills. Somewhat higher elevations are in the
Pontotoc Ridge and the Fall Line Hills in the northeast. Yellow-brown
loess soil is in the west, and a region of fertile black earth, part of the
Black Belt, is in the northeast. The coastline, which includes large bays at
Bay Saint Louis,
Biloxi, and
Pascagoula, is separated from the Gulf of Mexico proper by the shallow
Mississippi Sound, which is partially enclosed by Petit Bois, Horn, Ship, and Cat islands. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain, known also as the
Mississippi Delta, is narrow in the south and widens north of
Vicksburg. The region has rich soil, partly made up of silt deposited by floodwaters of the
Mississippi River.
Areas under the management of the
National Park Service include:
★
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site near
Baldwyn
★
Gulf Islands National Seashore
★
Natchez National Historical Park in
Natchez
★
Natchez Trace Parkway
★
Tupelo National Battlefield in
Tupelo
★
Vicksburg National Cemetery in
Vicksburg
★
Vicksburg National Military Park also in Vicksburg
Climate
Mississippi has a warm
humid subtropical climate with long
summers and short, mild
winters. Temperatures average about 82°
F (about 28°
C) in July and about 48 °F (about 9 °C) in January. The temperature varies little across the state in summer, but in winter the region near Mississippi Sound is significantly warmer than most of the rest of the state. The recorded temperature in Mississippi has ranged from -19 °F (-28.3 °C), in 1966, at
Corinth in the northeast, to 115 °F (46.1 °C), in 1930, at
Holly Springs in the north. Yearly
precipitation generally increases from north to south. Thus,
Clarksdale, in the northwest, gets about 50
inches (about 1,270
mm) of
precipitation annually and
Biloxi, in the south, about 61 inches (about 1,550 mm). Small amounts of
snow fall in northern and central Mississippi, although snow is not unheard of around the southern part of the state.
In the late summer and the
fall, the state (especially the southern part) is often affected by
hurricanes moving north from the Gulf of Mexico, and occasionally impacted by major hurricanes, which can be quite devastating in coastal communities. Thunderstorms are common in Mississippi, especially in the southern part of the state. On average, Mississippi has around 27 tornadoes annually with the northern part of the state more vulnerable earlier in the year and the southern part becoming more vulnerable a little later.
| Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Mississippi Cities |
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 55/35 | 60/38 | 68/45 | 75/52 | 82/61 | 89/68 | 91/71 | 91/70 | 86/65 | 77/52 | 66/43 | 58/37 |
|---|
| Meridian | 58/35 | 63/38 | 70/44 | 77/50 | 84/60 | 90/67 | 93/70 | 93/70 | 88/64 | 78/51 | 68/43 | 60/37 |
|---|
| Tupelo | 50/30 | 56/34 | 65/41 | 74/48 | 81/58 | 88/66 | 91/70 | 91/68 | 85/62 | 75/49 | 63/40 | 54/33 |
|---|
| ''[1]'' |
Ecology
Mississippi is heavily forested, with over half of the state's acreage covered by wild trees (mostly
pine trees, but Mississippi has an abundance of other trees) (
cottonwood,
elm,
hickory,
oak,
pecan,
sweet gum, and
tupelo). Lumber is a prevalent industry in Mississippi.
History
Main articles: History of Mississippi
Mississippi was part of the Mississippian culture in the early part of the 2nd millennium AD; descendant
Native American tribes include the
Chickasaw and
Choctaw. Other tribes who inhabited the territory of Mississippi (and whose names became those of local towns) include the
Natchez, the
Yazoo, and the
Biloxi.
The first European expedition into the territory that became Mississippi was that of
Hernando de Soto, who passed through in 1540. The first settlement was
Fort Maurepas (or
Old Biloxi) at
Ocean Springs, settled by
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in April 1699. In 1716,
Natchez was founded on the Mississippi River (as ''
Fort Rosalie''); it became the dominant town and trading post of the area. After spending some time under Spanish, British, and French nominal jurisdiction, the Mississippi area was deeded to the
British after the
French and Indian War under the terms of the
Treaty of Paris (1763).
The
Mississippi Territory was
organized on
April 7,
1798, from territory ceded by
Georgia and
South Carolina; it was later twice expanded to include disputed territory claimed by both the
U.S. and
Spain. Land was purchased (generally through unequal treaties) from Native American tribes from 1800 to about 1830.
Mississippi was the 20th state admitted to the Union, on
December 10,
1817.
When
cotton was king during the 1850s, Mississippi plantation owners—especially those of the
Delta and
Black Belt regions—became increasingly wealthy due to the high fertility of the soil and the high price of cotton on the international market. The severe wealth imbalances and the necessity of large-scale slave populations to sustain such income played a heavy role in both state politics and in the support for secession.
Mississippi was the second state to secede from the Union as one of the
Confederate States of America on
January 9,
1861. During the
Civil War the Confederate States were defeated. Under the terms of
Reconstruction, Mississippi was readmitted to the Union on
February 23,
1870.
Mississippi was considered to typify the
Deep South during the era of
Jim Crow. A series of increasingly restrictive racial segregation laws enacted during the first part of the 20th century resulted in the emigration of almost half a million people, three-quarters of them black, in the 1940s. However, at the same time, Mississippi became a center of rich, quintessentially American music traditions:
gospel music,
country music,
jazz,
blues, and
rock and roll all were invented, promulgated, or heavily developed by Mississippi musicians. Mississippi was also noted for its authors in the early twentieth century, especially
William Faulkner and
Tennessee Williams.
Mississippi was a focus of the
American Civil Rights Movement. Through the actions and attitudes of many white politicians (Including the creation of the
Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission), the involvement of many Mississippians in the
White Citizens' Council movement, and the violent tactics of the
Ku Klux Klan and its sympathizers,
Mississippi gained a reputation in the 1960s as a reactionary state.[2]
The state was the last to repeal
prohibition (in 1966). It symbolically adopted the
Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, in 1995. These amendments were still in effect in Mississippi even before their ratification there.
On
August 17,
1969,
Category 5 Hurricane Camille hit the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people and causing US$1.5 billion in damage (1969 dollars). On
August 29,
2005,
Hurricane Katrina, though a
Category 3 storm upon final landfall, caused even greater destruction across the entire 90 miles of
Mississippi Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Alabama.
On August 30, 2007, a report by the
Census Bureau indicated that Mississippi is the poorest state in the country. The state had a median household income of $34,473
[2].
Demographics
Mississippi Population Density Map
Population
As of 2005, Mississippi has an estimated population of 2,921,088, which is an increase of 20,320, or 0.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 76,432, or 2.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 80,733 people (that is 228,849 births minus 148,116 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 10,653 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 10,578 people. Mississippi has the highest Black population of any U.S. state. It currently stands at about 37% of the population.
★ The 2000 Census reported Mississippi's population as 2,844,658
[3]. The
center of population of Mississippi is located in
Leake County, in the town of
Lena [4].
Racial makeup and ancestry
The Census Bureau considers
race and Hispanic origin to be two separate categories. These data, however, are only for non-Hispanic members of each group: non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, etc. For more information on race and the Census, see
here.
Until about 1940,
African Americans made up a majority of Mississippians. Due to the
Great Migration the state's African American population declined, but it remains the highest in the nation by percentage (not counting the District of Columbia). Recently it has begun to increase again, due mainly to a higher
birthrate than the state average. In many of Mississippi's public school districts, a majority of students are black.
[5] Blacks are a majority in the northwestern Yazoo Delta, the southwestern, and the central parts of the state.
More than 98% of the
white population of Mississippi is native-born, predominantly of
British and
Celtic descent.
According to the 2000 census, the largest ancestries are:
★
American (14.2%)
★
Irish (6.9%)
★
English (6.1%)
★
German (4.5%)
★
French (2.3%)
★
Flag of Ulster
(1.9%)
★
Italian (1.4%)
★
Scottish (1.2%)
People of
French Creole ancestry form the largest demographic group in Hancock County on the Gulf Coast. The black,
Choctaw (in Neshoba County), and
Chinese segments of the population are also almost entirely native-born.
Mississippi, like many other states, has a very low
mixed-race population. According to recent statistics, Mississippi leads the country in the growth of immigrants.
Obesity
For three years in a row over 30 percent of Mississippi's residents have been classified as obese. In the most recent (2006), 22.8 percent of its children were also classified as obese.
[3]
1. Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary
2. http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103432/The-Richest-(and-Poorest)-Places-in-the-U.S.?mod=oneclick
3. Mississippi heads list of fattest states Thomas M. Maugh
4. "Mississippi Almanac Entry" , The New York Times Travel Almanac (2004)
5. Proposed New Ordinances, Oxford, Mississippi; note section 5-23 paragraph (b), which states in part, "It shall be unlawful in the City of Oxford, Mississippi, for any owner, proprietor, manager or employee of any establishment which has a permit or privilege license authorizing the sale of light wine or beer at retail to... Sell, give or dispense or permit to be consumed any light wine or beer which has been refrigerated."
Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Mississippi's total state product in 2003 was $72 billion. Per capita personal income in 2005 was $33,569, 50
th in the nation (ranking includes the District of Columbia), but the cost of living in Mississippi is one of the lowest in the country. In contrast to one of the lowest per capita income rates in the United States, Mississippians consistently rank as one of the highest per capita in charitable contributions
Generosity Index
Mississippi's rank as one of the poorest states can be traced to the
Civil War. Before the war, Mississippi was the fifth-wealthiest state in the nation.
[4]
Slaves were then counted as valuable property and, in Mississippi, more than half the population was enslaved; in non-slave states, human capital was not included in estimates of wealth. Further, Mississippi's antebellum wealth rank should not be compared with today's GDP rank, which is an estimate of income; wealth and income are separate concepts. The war cost the state 30,000 men. Plantation owners who survived the war were virtually bankrupted by the emancipation of slaves , and Union troops left widespread destruction in their wake.
A decision in 1990 to legalize casino gambling along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast has led to economic gains for the state. However, an estimated $500,000 per day in tax revenue was lost following
Hurricane Katrina's severe damage to several coastal casinos in August 2005. Gambling towns in Mississippi include the Gulf Coast towns of
Bay Saint Louis,
Gulfport and
Biloxi, and the Mississippi River towns of
Tunica,
Greenville,
Vicksburg and
Natchez. Before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Mississippi was the second largest gambling state in the Union, ahead of
New Jersey and behind
Nevada.
On
October 17,
2005, Governor
Haley Barbour signed a bill into law that now allows casinos in Hancock and Harrison counties to rebuild on land (but within 800 feet of the water). The only exception is in
Harrison County, where the new law states that casinos can be built to the southern boundary of
U.S. Route 90.
Mississippi collects personal
income tax in three tax brackets, ranging from 3% to 5%. The retail
sales tax rate in Mississippi is 7%. Additional local sales taxes also are collected. For purposes of assessment for
ad valorem taxes, taxable
property is divided into five classes.
The Federal government's role in Mississippi's fiscal policies
Although Mississippi politics is influenced on people who identify themselves as fiscal conservatives with Medicaid and other programs for low-income groups are often cut or eliminated; Mississippi is highly
dependent on the federal government and on donor states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California for its fiscal well-being. In Fiscal year 2004 , Mississippi gave $11.5 Billion dollars to the Federal government but received $22.3 Billion dollars
link Amount of Money given and returned to the Federal Government by states . This means that for every $1 dollar Mississippi taxpayers give to the Federal government they get $1.71 back.
This means that Mississippi is one of the highest benefactors of the Federal Government. Critics of Mississippi politics point
out that Mississippi should take advantage of federal spending by increasing Medicaid spending for example, if Mississippi were to spend $1 on Medicaid , then federal government would give them $3.50 for every dollar spent
link Study of imbalance of payments to the Federal Government and what states do or don't do. In contrast , if New York spends $1 on Medicaid, the federal government would only give them $1. This is in part because Medicaid funding formulas are based on per capita income and not the number
of people who live in poverty. This policy has been criticized by politicians such as Senator Dianne Feinstein who's state has a large number of people living in poverty
link and has been pointed out by the General Accounting Office
link Medicaid Matching Funds Study.
Despite this, Missisippi is extremely stingy when it comes to welfare spending on social services and anti-poverty programs
link Mississippi Poor leave welfare but for what?
Thus, Mississippi along with other U.S states such as Alabama stand to lose the most if the federal taxation system is done away with or eliminated as suggested by people who identify themselves as anti-tax fiscal conservatives. This does not mean or suggest that all conservative politicians support this policy as some conservatives view this policy as harming goal of economic prosperity of a state . An example of such as New Mexico which is a high benefit state like Mississippi receiving $2 back for every $1 given to the federal government where some conservatives view this as harfmul
link Rio Grande Foundation criticism of this policy (conservative-free market-libertarian). However despite politicians rhetoric and criticism of the current federal taxation system it is only true that Mississippi stands to lose a lot if it weren't for the federal government. This also dispels the myth
that federal government robs all U.S. states of their money when in fact certain states have the most to gain. As a result Mississippi has a low tax burden although due to its high sales tax that applies to even groceries , it has been ranked closer to middle of the pack rather than in the Top 15 or so
link Mississippi tax burden. Alabama has a similar situation as Mississippi
link Alabama Tax Burden.
Transportation
Mississippi is served by seven
interstate highways:
and fourteen main
U.S. Routes:
as well as a system of
State Highways. Two further interstate highways are proposed:
Interstate 69 and
Interstate 269.
For more information, visit the
Mississippi Department of Transportation website.
Law and government
As with all other
U.S. States and the federal government, Mississippi's government is based on the
separation of legislative, executive and judicial power. Executive authority in the state rests with the Governor, currently
Haley Barbour (Republican). The
Lieutenant Governor, currently Amy Tuck (originally elected as a Democrat, she switched to the Republican Party in 2002), is elected on a separate ballot. Both the governor and lieutenant governor are elected to four-year terms of office. Unlike the federal government, but like many other U.S. States, most of the heads of major executive departments are elected by the citizens of Mississippi rather than appointed by the governor.
Mississippi is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd numbered years (The others are
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
New Jersey, and
Virginia). Mississippi holds elections for these offices every 4 years in the years preceding Presidential election years. Thus, the last year when Mississippi elected a Governor was 2003; the next gubernatorial election will occur in 2007, with future gubernatorial elections to take place in 2011, 2015, 2019, etc.
''(See:
List of Governors of Mississippi)''
''(See:
List of Lt. Governors of Mississippi)''
''(See:
List of State Treasurers of Mississippi)''
''(See:
List of Attorneys-General of Mississippi)''
''(See:
Mississippi general election results, 2003)''
Legislative authority resides in the
state legislature, composed of the
Senate and
House of Representatives. The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate, while the House of Representatives selects their own Speaker. The state constitution permits the legislature to establish by law the number of senators and representatives, up to a maximum of 52 senators and 122 representatives. Current state law sets the number of senators at 52 and representatives at 122. The term of office for senators and representatives is four years.
''(See:
List of state legislatures of the United States.)''
Supreme judicial authority rests with the state Supreme Court, which has statewide authority. In addition, there is a statewide Court of Appeals, as well as Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts and Justice Courts, which have more limited geographical jurisdiction. The nine judges of the Supreme Court are elected from three districts (three judges per district) by the state's citizens in non-partisan elections to eight-year staggered terms. The ten judges of the Court of Appeals are elected from five districts (two judges per district) for eight-year staggered terms. Judges for the smaller courts are elected to four-year terms by the state's citizens who live within that court's jurisdiction.
At the federal level, Mississippi's two U.S. senators are
Trent Lott (Republican) and
Thad Cochran (Republican).
As of the 2001 reapportionment, the state has four
congressmen in the U.S.
House of Representatives.
''(See:
List of United States Representatives from Mississippi)''
Mississippi has 82
counties. Citizens of Mississippi counties elect the five members of their county Board of Supervisors from single-member districts, as well as other county officials.
''(See:
List of Mississippi counties)''
Politics
Federal politics
'Presidential elections results'| Year | Republican | Democrat |
|---|
| 2004 | '59.55%' ''684,981 | 39.75% ''458,094 |
| 2000 | '57.62%' ''573,230 | 40.70% ''404,964 |
| 1996 | '49.21%' ''439,838 | 44.08% ''394,022 |
| 1992 | '49.68%' ''487,793 | 40.77% '' ''400,258 |
| 1988 | '59.89%' ''557,890 | 39.07% ''363,921 |
| 1984 | '61.85%' ''581,477 | 37.46% ''352,192 |
| 1980 | '49.42%' ''441,089 | 48.09% ''429,281 |
| 1976 | 47.68% ''366,846 | '49.56%' ''381,309 |
| 1972 | '78.20%' ''505,125 | 19.63% ''126,782 |
1968
★ | 13.52% ''88,516 | 23.02% ''150,644 |
| 1964 | '87.14%' ''356,528 | 12.86% ''52,618 |
| 1960 | 24.67% ''73,561 | '36.34%' ''108,362 |
★ State won by George Wallace
of the American Independent Party,
at 63.46%, or 415,349 votes |
Mississippi, like the rest of the
American South, long supported the
Democratic Party. The policies of
Reconstruction, which included federally appointed
Republican governors, led to considerable white Southern resentment toward the Republican Party. Following the
Compromise of 1877, federal troops enforcing the provisions of Reconstruction were pulled out of the South. Thereafter the Democratic Party regained political control of the state, using methods designed to depress black voter turnout, which was understandably Rebublican-heavy. The Mississippi state government was the first after the war to pass a law preventing black voters with a
Grandfather Clause in 1890. After it was declared unconstitutional, it was replaced by a
poll tax and
literacy tests. By 1900, the vast majority of African Americans in the state were denied the right to vote. Not until 1966, following the passage of the Federal
Voting Rights Act of 1965, would most regain the vote.
For 116 years (from 1876 to 1992), Mississippians only elected
Democratic governors. Over the same period, the Democratic Party dominated other state and federal elections in Mississippi. However, since the 1960s the Republican Party has become competitive in statewide elections, and, in recent years, it has become dominant in the state's federal elections, winning the state's electoral votes in every election since 1980.
Jimmy Carter was the last Democrats Nominee to win narrowly the state in 1976 by only nearly 2 percentage points. Mississippi elected Republican Nominee 9 out of 11 in presidential elections since 1960.
On some social issues, Mississippi is one of the more
conservative states in the US, with religion often playing a large role in citizens' political views. Liquor laws are particularly strict and variable from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Liquor sales are frequently banned on Sunday. Many cities and counties allow no alcoholic beverage sales ("dry"), while others allow beer but not liquor, or liquor but not beer. Some allow beer sales, but only if it is not refrigerated.
[5] In 2004, 86% of voters amended the state constitution to ban any legal rights for
same sex couples — the highest level of support any such initiative has received in the United States. At the same time, Mississippi has been one of the more innovative states in the country, having been the first state to implement a sales tax and the first state to pass a
Married Women's Property Act. Also, Mississippi has more African American elected officials than any other state in the United States. Mississippi is one of only 12 states to have
decriminalized the possession of
Marijuana[6].
Major cities and towns
Fishing Boats in Biloxi
Mississippi City Population Rankings (
U.S. Census Bureau estimates as of 2005)
1.
Jackson, Mississippi (177,977)
2.
Gulfport, Mississippi (72,464)
3.
Biloxi, Mississippi (50,209)
4.
Hattiesburg, Mississippi (47,176)
5.
Meridian, Mississippi (39,968)
6.
Southaven, Mississippi (38,840)
7.
Greenville, Mississippi (38,724)
8.
Tupelo, Mississippi (35,930)
9.
Olive Branch, Mississippi (27,964)
10.
Pascagoula, Mississippi (26,932)
11.
Clinton, Mississippi (24,425)
12.
Columbus, Mississippi (21,000)
''(See:
List of cities in Mississippi)''
''(See:
List of towns and villages in Mississippi)''
''(See:
List of metropolitan areas in Mississippi)''
''(See:
List of micropolitan areas in Mississippi)''
Education
Until the
Civil War era, Mississippi had only a small number of schools and no educational institutions for blacks. The first school for blacks was established in 1862, and a system of
public education was started in 1870, but as late as the early 20th century, there were few schools in
rural areas. Blacks and whites attended separate
public schools in Mississippi until the 1960s, when they began to be integrated following a 1954
U.S. Supreme Court ruling that racially segregated public schools were
unconstitutional. In the late 1980s, the state had 954 public elementary and
secondary schools, with a total yearly enrollment of about 369,500 elementary pupils and about 132,500 secondary students. Some 45,700 students attended
private schools.
Colleges, universities and community colleges
Music History
Clarksdale, Mississippi has been historically significant in the development of the
blues, a form of music distinctively African American. More blues singers have come from the state of Mississippi, especially the
Mississippi Delta than all of the other Southern States combined. These have included:
Bo Carter,
Son House,
Robert Johnson,
Charlie Patton,
Muddy Waters,
Skip James,
Bukka White,
Tommy Johnson,
Mississippi John Hurt,
Willie Brown,
Big Joe Williams,
Willie Dixon,
Howlin Wolf,
Albert King,
John Lee Hooker,
Jimmy Reed,
Sonny Boy Williamson II,
Big Bill Broonzy,
Jimmy Rogers,
Bo Diddley,
Otis Rush,
Otis Spann, and
B.B. King.
The
Mississippi Blues Trail, now being implemented, is dedicating markers for historic sites such as
Clarksdale's Riverside Hotel where
Bessie Smith died after her auto accident on
Highway 61. The Riverside Hotel is just one of many historical blues sites in Clarksdale.
The
Delta Blues Museum is located in Clarksdale and is visited by people from all over the world. Close by is
Ground Zero and Madidi, a blues club and restaurants co-owned by actor,
Morgan Freeman.
Miscellaneous topics
The state takes its name from the
Mississippi River, which flows along the western boundary. The name itself comes from either the
Ojibwe, a
Native American language spoken around the river's headwaters, or some other closely related
Algonquian language, meaning "great river." Other nicknames attached to Mississippi are the Magnolia State and the Hospitality State.
It is common for children in the United States to count "One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi" during informal
football games and
hide and seek to approximate counting by seconds.
The
Teddy Bear gets its name from a hunting trip in 1902, to Sharkey County Mississippi, by President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, when Roosevelt refused to shoot a captured bear.
In 1936
Dr. Leslie Rush, of Rush Hospital in Meridian, performed the first
bone pinning in the United States. This led to the development of the "Rush Pin" which is still in use to this day.
The first woman federal judge in the United States was
Burnita Shelton Matthews of Burnell (Hazlehurst) MS, Appointed by Harry S Truman on October 21, 1949.
The first human lung transplant was performed in 1963 by
Dr. James D. Hardy of the University of Mississippi in Jackson. In 1964, Dr. Hardy performed the first chimpanzee to human heart transplant with some success, the heart continued to beat for 90 minutes after transplant.
Former astronaut and administrator of NASA
Richard H. Truly is from Fayette. Educated in Mississippi and Georgia, Truly was in charge of reforming NASA (1989 to 1992) in the era immediately following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. He was the first former astronaut to head NASA.
The world-renowned
USA International Ballet Competition takes place in Jackson, MS
quadrennially.
State symbols
State motto: "''Virtute et Armis''" (By Valor and Arms)
State song: "''", adopted 1962
Patron saint:
Our Lady of Sorrows
State flower and
state tree:
Magnolia
State bird:
Mockingbird
State beverage:
Milk
State fish:
Largemouth Bass
State insect:
European honey bee
State water mammal:
Bottlenose Dolphin
State shell:
Oyster
State fossil: A whale fossil nicknamed "Ziggy"
State land mammals:
White-tailed Deer and
Red Fox
State waterfowl:
Wood duck
State stone:
Petrified wood
State wildflower: Coreopsis
State butterfly:
Spicebush Swallowtail
State dance:
Square Dance
Statehood Quarter was minted in 2002.
Pledge to the Flag: "I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God."
Several warships have been named
USS ''Mississippi'' in honor of this state.
Famous Mississippians
Mississippi has produced a number of notable and famous individuals, including:
' Authors'
★ novelist
William Faulkner
★ writer and photographer
Eudora Welty
★ novelist
Richard Wright
★ novelist
John Grisham
★ novelist
Thomas Harris
★ playwright, poet, and novelist
Tennessee Williams
★ playwright and actress
Beth Henley
★ novelist Rick Bass
★ novelist
Donna Tartt
★ poet and artist J. E. Pitts
★ author
Willie Morris
★ author
Wyatt Anderson
★ journalist
Kevin Sessums
★ sweet potato queen and author
Jill Connor Brown
'Musicians/Singers'
★ Pop
Superstar Britney Spears
★ lead singer for group
Paramore Hailey Williams
★ rock-and-roll singer
Elvis Presley
★ star and comedian
David L Cook
★ singer and writer
Jimmy Buffett
★ blues musician
B.B. King
★ blues musician
Charlie Musselwhite
★ blues musician
Muddy Waters
★ blues pioneer
Robert Johnson
★ rhythm and blues singer and actress
Brandy Norwood
★ rap artist
Afroman
★ rap artist
David Banner
★ rap artist
Rich boy
★
opera singer
Leontyne Price
★ Country and Western singer
Jimmie Rodgers
★ Country and Western singer
Conway Twitty
★ Country and Western singer
Tammy Wynette
★ Country and Western singer
LeAnn Rimes
★ Country and Western singer
Charlie Pride
★ Country and Western singer
Faith Hill
★
Tom Malone of the
CBS Orchestra
★ Rhythm and blues singer
Al Wilson
★ composer William Grant Still
★ blues singer Dorothy Moore
★ rhythm and blues singer Jackie Bell
★ singer, composer, and actor
Van Dyke Parks
★ singer and composer Jim Weatherly
★ singer and composer Parker McGee
★ Rhythm and Blues singer
Mary Wilson
★ Rhythm and Blues singer
David Ruffin
★ Rhythm and Blues singer
Jimmy Ruffin
★ Rhythm and Blues singer
Prentiss Barnes
'Musical Groups/Bands'
★
Punk metal band
The Cooters
★
Alternative rock band
3 Doors Down
'Entertainers/Actors'
★
Oprah Winfrey
★ Muppets creator
Jim Henson
★ performer
Lypsinka
★ actor and producer
Morgan Freeman
★ actor and narrator
James Earl Jones
★ actress
Mary Alice
★ actress
Finn Carter
★ actress
Lacey Chabert
★ actor/playwright
Gary Grubbs
★ actor
Eddie Hodges
★ actor
Don Jeffcoat
★ actress
Diane Ladd
★ actor/playwright
John Maxwell
★ actor
Gerald McRaney
★ Miss America 1959 and actress
Mary Ann Mobley
★ actress
Carrie Nye
★ actor Contree Pipes
★ actor
Wesley Pipes
★ actress
Parker Posey
★ actor
Eric Roberts
★ actress
Sela Ward
★ actress and writer
Beah Richards
'Athletes'
★
Justin Mapp, professional soccer (football) player for the
US Men's National Team and
Chicago Fire in
Major League Soccer.
★ NFL star
Brett Favre
★ NFL star
Jerry Rice
★ NFL star
Archie Manning
★ NFL star
Walter Payton
★ NFL star
Steve McNair
★
Antonio McDyess
★
Roy Oswalt
★ wrestler and minister
Ted DiBiase
★ wrestler King Cobra
'Artists'
★
Alex Loeb
★ artist
Walter Anderson
★
George Ohr, popularly known as the "Mad Potter of Biloxi"
'Cooks'
★ Cook
Mckee Wadlington
★ Iron Chef
Cat Cora
'Political arena'
★
Wayne Dowdy
★
Evelyn Gandy
★ Governor
Haley Barbour
★ Lt. Governor
Amy Tuck
★
Rickey Cole
★ former Governor
Ronnie Musgrove
★ former Governor
Ray Mabus
★ former district attorney Gerald Chatham
[7]
''(See
List of people from Mississippi)''
See also
★
Mississippi census statistical areas
★
Mississippi Highway Patrol
★
Scouting in Mississippi
References
1. Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary
2. http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103432/The-Richest-(and-Poorest)-Places-in-the-U.S.?mod=oneclick
3. Mississippi heads list of fattest states Thomas M. Maugh
4. "Mississippi Almanac Entry" , The New York Times Travel Almanac (2004)
5. Proposed New Ordinances, Oxford, Mississippi; note section 5-23 paragraph (b), which states in part, "It shall be unlawful in the City of Oxford, Mississippi, for any owner, proprietor, manager or employee of any establishment which has a permit or privilege license authorizing the sale of light wine or beer at retail to... Sell, give or dispense or permit to be consumed any light wine or beer which has been refrigerated."
External links
★
State of Mississippi
★
Mississippi State Facts
★
General Info for The State of Mississippi
★
University Press of Mississippi
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