Everyone knows all about MS's shortcomings: we're the fattest, poorest, most unedumacated state in the Union. But...
The Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Biloxi to Henderson Point, is the largest and longest man-made beach in the world. Get some Destin!
The world's only cactus plantation is located in Edwards with more than 3,000 varieties of cacti. Nothing but a bunch of pricks there!
Mississippi has more tree farms than any other state. BURN!!!
H.A. Cole in Jackson, MS, developed the cleaning product Pine-Sol. Pine-Sol is manufactured only in Pearl, MS (Jackson). Little known fact about Pine-Sol...Actually I don't know any facts about Pine-Sol.
Dr. Tichenor created Dr. Tichenor's Antiseptic in Liberty, MS (not in South Louisiana as commonly believed). Awesome! What is Dr. Tichenor's Antiseptic?!
Four cities in the world have been sanctioned by the International Theatre/Dance Committee to host the International Ballet Competition:Moscow, Russia; Varna, Bulgaria; Helsinki, Finland; and Jackson, Mississippi. Never miss it! It's glorious!
David Harrison of Columbus owns the patent on the "Soft Toilet Seat."Over one million are sold every year. And then they get old, get cracks, and pinch the everloving fire out of your buttcheeks!
The first football player on a Wheaties box was Walter Payton of Columbia, MS. Sweetness!
The Teddy Bear's name originated after a bear hunt in Mississippi with President Theodore Roosevelt. President 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." The supposedly lame bear mauled a family at a picnic later that day.
H. T. Merrill of Iuka flew the first round-trip transoceanic flight in 1928. The flight to England was made in a plane loaded with ping-pong balls. Why ping pong balls? Got to move to MS to find out!
The birthplace of Elvis in Tupelo includes: a museum, a chapel, and the two-room house in which Elvis was born. Thank you very much.
The world's oldest Holiday Inn is in Clarksdale. Trust me...you do not want to stay there...it's so OLD!
Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc., in West Point, manufactures the best snow sled in the country, the Flexible Flyer. Good thinking with all the snow we get!
Emil and Kelly Mitchell, the King and Queen of Gypsies, are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Meridian. Since 1915, people from all over the world have left gifts of fruit and juice at their grave sites. And Lolly wonders where I get all the fresh fruit and juice I bring home daily.
The 4-H Club began in Holmes County in 1907. Been around so long it's a 9-H club now.
The Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg is the largest research, testing, and development facility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Jealous?!
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. Awjeah! Good looking out ladies...love that vacay!
Shoes were first sold as pairs in 1884 at Phil Gilbert's Shoe Parlor in Vicksburg. Hold on a sec. It took civilization until 1884 to come up with this?! Seriously?! Uh, good job there Phil.
Inventor James D. Byrd of Clinton holds seven patents and developed the plastic used as a heat shield by NASA. Oh yeah? Ok, that's actually pretty cool.
The oldest field game in America is Stickball, played by the Choctaw Indians of Mississippi. Demonstrations can be seen every July at the Choctaw Indian Fair in Philadelphia, MS. 'Chatter' is encouraged.
The International Checkers Hall of Fame is in Petal (Hattiesburg). KING ME!!
Oliver Pollock was the largest individual financial contributor to the American Revolution. He invented the dollar sign ($). He is buried near Pinckneyville. I bet the person that invented the colon still gets a chuckle every time they think about it.
Liberty was the first town in the country to erect a Confederate monument, in 1871. Now it's home to Jamie Lynn Spears. Go MS!
The Pass Christian Yacht Club is the second oldest yacht club in North America, founded in 1849. Nicest shrimpin' boats in da country.
The Natchez Trace Parkway, named an "All American Road" by the federal government, extends from Natchez to just south of Nashville, Tennessee. The Trace began as an Indian trail more than 8,000 years ago. It was harder to keep it paved back then.
The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of the Blues, which preceded the birth of Jazz, the only other original American art form. 'Cause everyone knows hip-hop was 'born' in Finland.
The Vicksburg National Cemetery is the second-largest national cemetery in the country...and a totally awesome place to ride your road bike! Arlington National Cemetery is the largest. Why you always bragging Arlington!
D'Lo, MS was featured in Life Magazine for sending proportionally more men to serve in World War II than any other town of its size; 38 percent of the men who lived in D'Lo served. No, D'Lo is not J-Lo's cousin...OK, yes it is.
In 1894, Coca-Cola was first bottled by Joseph A. Biedenharn in Vicksburg. How did he catch it?
Mississippi was the first state to outlaw imprisonment of debtors. Why you ask? Can't imprison the entire state.
Belzoni is the Catfish Capital of the World. Approximately 70 percent of the nation's farm-raised catfish comes from Mississippi. Mmmm...bottom feeder meat. Yummy!
Proportionally more Mississippians were killed during the Civil War than from any other Confederate state. Most were killed in 'Operation Hide Behind The Mississippians' in 1864.
So there it is...
