9 Shocking Things You Had No Idea Happened In Mississippi
By Daniella DiRienzo|Published October 31, 2015
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Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for more than 30 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as the Mississippi-based Parents & Kids Magazine. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.
A state filled with stories of the supernatural, witches, and the elusive chupacabra, Mississippi history has its fair share of strange and shocking events. Over the years, many of these strange happenings have become common knowledge, while others are a bit more obscure. From in-state nuclear testing to a ban on a popular children’s television show, here are 9 shocking events in the state’s past that many don’t know about.
1. In 1861, Ole Miss had to temporarily close because almost the entire student body enlisted in the Confederate Army.
Out of the 139 men that made up the student body, 135 enlisted. The men called themselves the "University Greys," which was derived from the color of their uniforms and the fact that they were students. Sadly, the University Greys were all either killed or wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.
2. Up until 2008, a Mississippi high school declined Morgan Freeman’s offer to pay for their prom.
In 1997, Morgan Freeman learned that Charleston High School was still holding racially segregated proms. This discovery prompted the famous actor to make a proposition to the school’s administrators - he would pay for the school’s prom under the condition that there was one prom for all students, regardless of race. After 11 years, the school accepted the offer, an action that prompted the filming of the documentary "Prom Night in Mississippi."
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3. The New Madrid earthquakes were so powerful that they reversed the flow of the Mississippi River.
The earthquakes, which took place between December of 1811 and March of 1812, caused a "fluvial tsunami" in the Mississippi River and, in turn, made the river run backward for several hours.
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4. In 1970, “Sesame Street” was banned from the airwaves in the entire state.
State legislators banned the show from being broadcast since they believed the integrated cast was offensive to some of the state’s residents. After the ban received national media coverage, Mississippi felt a great deal of pressure from the rest of the country, which caused the state to reverse its decision.
In October of 1964, the United States government detonated an underground nuclear device. Records indicate that residents felt three different shocks, the soil rose and moved like waves in the ocean, dogs howled, and pecans fell from pecan trees. Two years after the initial nuclear test, another was conducted in the same location.
6. Cat Island, dogs, and World War II have more in common than many think.
Located off the coast of Mississippi, Cat Island was the base for the War Dog Reception and Training Center. The center was a training facility where family dogs were sent to be trained to sniff out and attack the Japanese – an idea based on the belief that the Japanese had a distinct odor. Obviously, this experiment was a failure, but it proved that dogs could effectively assist in other ways, such as aide to sentries and advance scouts.
7. During the 1960’s, Mississippi actually employed African-American spies in an attempt to infiltrate and take down civil rights organizations.
The public relations agency, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission (MSSC), began a full-fledged spy operation in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. During the course of a decade, the MSSC spied on over 87,000 Americans, infiltrating some of the largest African-American organizations like the NAACP and CORE.
8. In attempt to keep Mississippi State University’s basketball team from playing an integrated team, Governor Ross Barnett filed an injunction to keep the Bulldogs from leaving the state.
Rather than follow the governor’s orders, the entire basketball team snuck out of Mississippi and headed straight to Michigan to take on the Loyola basketball team. The Bulldogs may have lost the game but they made a huge stride in terms of civil rights. The historic game has since been dubbed the "Game of Change."
9. Before constructing the Stennis Space Center, NASA gave residents a sample of the intolerable noise that was to come.
After installing loudspeakers that simulated the sound of a rocket, residents within a certain vicinity were given two choices – stay and tolerate the noise or accept a monetary compensation and move out of the area. The unbearably loud noise prompted all residents to accept the latter of the two options.
Surprised by any of these? Know of any other shocking facts about the state? Tell us in the comments section below!
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