Magnolia state: The Teddy Bear was inspired here: The iconic stuffed animal gets its name from President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. During a 1902 hunting trip near Onward, Mississippi, the President famously refused to shoot a captured, tied-up bear. The event made national news and a toy maker soon created “Teddy’s bears” The Fact File.
It is the birthplace of The Blues: This influential music genre—which later laid the foundation for rock and roll—was born in the fertile Mississippi Delta Kids World Travel Guide. You can follow the Mississippi Blues Trail across the state to explore more than 200 historical markers.
Catfish capital of the nation: More than 50% of all farm-raised catfish in America comes from the Mississippi Delta TrainTastic. The town of Belzoni even hosts the annual Catfish Festival to celebrate its booming aquaculture Only In Your State.