Mississippi |
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| Entered the Union: Dec. 10, 1817 (20) | Capital: Jackson | |
| Origin of Name: From an Indian word meaning “Father of Waters” | ||
| State Nicknames: Magnolia State | ||
| State Motto: Virtute et armis (By valor and arms) | ||
| State Bird: Mockingbird | State Tree: Magnolia | |
| State Flower: Magnolia | State Mammal: White-tailed Deer | |
| State Waterfowl: Wood Duck | State Song: “Go, Mississippi" | |
| National Forests: 3 • State Parks: 25 | ||
| Famous for: Mississippi River Boats, pre-Civil War mansions | ||
| Famous Mississippians: Bo Diddley (guitarist), William Faulkner • John Grisham (novelists), Jim Henson (puppeteer), James Earl Jones (actor), B.B. King (blues guitarist), Brett Favre, • Steve McNair • Walter Payton • Jerry Rice (football), Elvis Presley (singer, actor), Jimmy Buffett • Jimmie Rodgers • Tammy Wynett (singers) Tennessee Williams (playwright), Oprah Winfrey (TV host) | ||
| Native Animals and Birds: Click on photos of the animals and birds on this page to find out more about them and to hear the sounds they make. | ||
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| Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto, discovered the Mississippi River in 1540. The region was later claimed by France. In 1699, a French group established the first permanent settlement near present-day Ocean Springs. Great Britain took over the area in 1763 after the French and Indian Wars, ceding it to the U.S. in 1783 after the Revolution. Spain did not relinquish its claims until 1798, and in 1810 the U.S. annexed West Florida from Spain, including what is now southern Mississippi. | |||||||||||||
| The Mississippi River is the largest in the United States and is the nation's chief waterway. Its nickname is Old Man River. | |||||||||||||
| In 1902 while on a hunting expedition in Sharkey County, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt refused to shoot an exhausted and possibly lame bear. News of this spread across the country, and a New York merchant capitalized on this publicity by creating a stuffed bear called "Teddy's Bear." | |||||||||||||
| Natchez was settled by the French in 1716 and is the oldest permanent settlement on the Mississippi River. Natchez once had 500 millionaires, more than any other city except New York City. Natchez now has more than 500 buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places. | |||||||||||||
| Nearly 60% of Mississippi is covered by forests, and more than 100 species of trees are found in the state. | |||||||||||||
| Mississippi has a larger percentage of black residents than any other state. | |||||||||||||
| Mississippi is the world's leading producer of pond-raised catfish and is the nation's a leading producer of cotton. | |||||||||||||
| The Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Biloxi to Henderson Point, is the largest and longest man-made beach in the world. | |||||||||||||
| The world's only cactus plantation is located in Edwards with more than 3,000 varieties of cacti. | |||||||||||||
| Mississippi has more tree farms than any other state. | |||||||||||||
| Mississippi has more churches per capita than any other state. | |||||||||||||
| The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of the Blues, which preceded the birth of Jazz, the only other original American art form. | |||||||||||||
| Since 1979, the only place in the U.S. to see the International Ballet Competition has been in Mississippi. | |||||||||||||
| H.A. Cole in Jackson, MS, developed the cleaning product Pine-Sol. | |||||||||||||
| The 4-H Club began in Holmes County in 1907. | |||||||||||||
| On April 25, 1866, women in Columbus decorated the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers in Friendship Cemetery. This gesture became known as Decoration Day, the beginning of what we observe as Memorial Day. | |||||||||||||
| Hat Maker John B. Stetson learned and practiced hat making in Dunn's Falls. | |||||||||||||
| The International Checkers Hall of Fame is in Petal. | |||||||||||||
| Captain Issac Ross of Lorman freed his slaves in 1834 and arranged for their passage to the west coast of Africa. They founded the country of Liberia. | |||||||||||||
| The Natchez Trace Parkway extends from Natchez to just south of Nashville, Tennessee. The Trace began as an Indian trail more than 8,000 years ago. | |||||||||||||
| In 1894, Coca-Cola was first bottled by Joseph A. Biedenharn in Vicksburg. | |||||||||||||
| Mississippi's Ethnic Roots: African 28.3%, American 14%, Irish 6.9%, English 6.1%, German 4.5% | |||||||||||||
| Religion in Mississippi: 86.7% Christian (82% Protestant, 4.7% Catholic), 10.8% No Religion, 2% Other Religions, 0.5% LDS | |||||||||||||
| Belzoni is the Catfish Capital of the World. Approximately 70 percent of the nation's farm-raised catfish comes from Mississippi. | |||||||||||||
| Peavey Electronics, in Meridian, is the world's largest manufacturer of musical amplification equipment. | |||||||||||||
At a Glance
Mississippi Quick Facts
| Entered the Union | Dec. 10, 1817 (20) |
|---|---|
| Capital | Jackson |
| Nickname | Magnolia State |
| State Bird | Mockingbird |
| State Flower | Magnolia |
| State Tree | Magnolia |
New for 2026
More Mississippi Facts & Photos
Vicksburg National Military Park, created in 1899, preserves the Civil War siege lines with more than 1,300 monuments and markers. It also displays the USS Cairo, the first ship in history sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo; the ironclad went down in 1862 and was raised from the Yazoo River in 1964.
The Mississippi Petrified Forest near Flora holds giant logs that turned to stone about 36 million years ago. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1965.
Mississippi named the prehistoric whale its state fossil in 1981. Basilosaurus, a serpent-shaped whale that could top 50 feet, swam here 40 to 34 million years ago, when a warm sea covered much of the state.
Ship Island anchors the Mississippi portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore, established in 1971. Union forces used the island as a base and prison during the Civil War, and its brick Fort Massachusetts was completed in 1866.
Emerald Mound, near Natchez, is the second-largest ceremonial mound in the United States, covering eight acres. Ancestors of the Natchez people built and used it between about 1200 and 1730.
Voices of America
In Their Own Words
Thomas Paine
"But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, he reigns above... let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God."
(1776)
Patriot
Joseph Storey
"Christianity becomes not merely an auxiliary, but a guide, to the law of nature; establishing its conclusions, removing its doubts, and evaluating its precepts."
(Harvard Law School Founder)
Supreme Court
1811-1845
Fisher Aimes
“Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book? Its morals are pure, its examples, captivating and noble. In no book is there so good English, so pure and so elegant; and by teaching all the same book, they will speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as of faith.”
Author of First Amendment
Patrick Henry
"Whether this [new government] will prove a blessing or a curse will depend upon the use our people make of the blessings which a gracious God hath bestowed on us."
Patriot
Last updated: July 2026