Buzz
1. Mississippi is where President Theodore Roosevelt famously declined to shoot a bear during a hunting expedition, an event that led to the creation of the term “Teddy Bears.”
2. In 1963, Dr. James Hardy made medical history by conducting the world’s first human lung transplant at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
3. Many iconic figures, such as Jim Henson, Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey, William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, B.B. King, and Jimmy Buffett, have roots in Mississippi.
4. Milk holds the honor of being the official state beverage in Mississippi, a distinction shared by 20 other states.
5. As per the Mississippi Code, it is against the law to deceive a woman aged 18 or older with the false promise of marriage. Violators could face a prison sentence of up to five years.
6. Edwards, Mississippi, is home to the world's largest cactus plantation, which some argue is the only one of its kind.
7. In the Mississippi Delta, tamales are a culinary staple. These tamales are typically smaller than their Latin American counterparts, cooked by simmering rather than steaming, and often accompanied by gravy.
8. Barq's Root Beer originated in Biloxi in 1898, created by chemist Edward Adolf Barq, Sr. While Charles Hires, a Philadelphia pharmacist, is recognized for developing the first version of root beer in the 1860s—initially named "root tea"—he showcased it at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. The Hires family began selling bottled root beer commercially in 1893. Barq's, acquired by the Coca-Cola Company in 1995, has been operating without interruption since its inception.
9. The renowned National Geographic magazine is produced in Corinth, Mississippi.
10. Jackson, Mississippi, is one of only four cities globally, alongside Helsinki, Moscow, and Varna in Bulgaria, authorized to host the International Ballet Competition. In the 1970s, dance instructor Thalia Mara convinced organizers to select Jackson, where she had recently founded a dance company, as the venue. She believed it would offer competitors an authentic Middle American experience and hoped it would boost her struggling business.
11. In 1884, Phil Gilbert’s Shoe Parlor in Vicksburg, Mississippi, became the first store to sell shoes in pairs.
12. Greenwood, Mississippi, is home to Norris Bookbinding, the largest Bible restoration company in the United States.
13. Founded in 1884, Mississippi University for Women was the first public women's college in the U.S., predating only a few of the Seven Sisters institutions.
14. The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is home to an ancient biblical manuscript, believed to be the oldest book in the United States.
15. In 1935, Fred and Al Key, known as “the Flying Keys” from Meridian, Mississippi, achieved a world record by keeping their plane airborne for 653 hours and 34 minutes—equivalent to 27 days, 5 hours, and 34 minutes—through mid-air refueling.
