Memphis, Tennessee
In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto walked the high ground that would become Memphis. The Chickasaw people had long called this bluff home, using its elevation to avoid flooding from the Mississippi River. European powers fought over this strategic point for decades. In 1795, Spain built Fort San Fernando De Las Barrancas on the site. Manuel Gayoso de Lemos negotiated with local Chickasaw leaders to secure consent for the fort. The Treaty of San Lorenzo in March 1797 ended Spanish control and gave the United States rights to navigate the river. Captain Isaac Guion led an American force down the Ohio River to claim the land. He arrived on the 20th of July 1797, finding the Spanish already gone. The city was officially founded less than five months after the U.S. takeover of the territory. John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson laid out Memphis on the 22nd of May 1819. They named it after the ancient capital of Egypt on the Nile River. The location offered natural protection from floods while serving as a gateway for trade.
The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 devastated Memphis with terrifying speed. Kate Bionda, owner of an Italian snack house, died of fever on the 13th of August 1878. Her death marked the first official case reported by the Board of Health on August 14. Within four days, 20,000 residents fled the city. By September, only 19,000 remained out of a population that had been 47,000 in July. More than 5,000 people were listed in the official register of deaths between July 26 and November 27. The epidemic caused financial losses of nearly $200 million and bankrupted the city. The state legislature revoked Memphis's charter and reclassified it as a Taxing District from 1879 to 1893. Nearly all upper and middle-class whites vanished during the crisis. Poorer white and Black Southerners formed the core of those who stayed behind to rebuild. The Howard Association organized nurses and doctors who worked from the Peabody Hotel. Three nuns from the Episcopal Community of St. Mary died while caring for patients. They later became known as the Martyrs of Memphis.
The Memphis sanitation strike began in early 1968 when workers demanded living wages and better working conditions. Most striking workers were African American men who faced dangerous work environments with low pay. Martin Luther King Jr. came to support their cause on the 28th of March 1968. He delivered his famous I've Been to the Mountaintop speech at Mason Temple on the 3rd of April 1968. King stayed at the Lorraine Motel in downtown Memphis. James Earl Ray assassinated him there on the 4th of April 1968. Riots erupted across the city after news of the murder spread. The governor ordered Tennessee National Guardsmen into Memphis within hours. More than 40,000 white students abandoned the public school system between 1970 and 1974 following court-ordered busing. The Lorraine Motel now houses the National Civil Rights Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate that preserves this legacy. The museum includes an annual ceremony at Mason's Temple where Freedom Awards honor civil rights leaders.
Sam Phillips opened Sun Studio in 1950 as a recording facility for local musicians. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison all made their first recordings there. These artists were discovered by Phillips during the late 1950s. Beale Street became a national historical landmark for blues music development after World War II. Electric guitars replaced acoustic sounds from the Mississippi Delta during this era. Stax Records created a classic 1960s soul sound that was grittier and horn-based compared to Motown. Booker T. and the M.G.s served as the backing band for most Stax hits. Artists like Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett recorded at the label. Big Star and Alex Chilton influenced power pop music in the 1970s. Memphis hip-hop artists including Three 6 Mafia and Juicy J brought regional rap culture to mainstream audiences in the 2000s. The city remains home to founders of American music genres including soul, rock n' roll, and gospel.
Memphis International Airport serves as FedEx's SuperHub facility and became the world's busiest cargo airport in 2021. The Port of Memphis hosts the fifth-busiest inland water port in the United States. Five major freight railroads intersect with two Interstate Highways, I-40 and I-55. This infrastructure supports commerce across transportation and shipping industries. Since the second half of the 20th century, highways have played major roles as corridors. A third interstate, I-69, is under construction while I-22 has been designated from the former High Priority Corridor X. River barges are unloaded onto trucks and trains throughout the city. Memphis was home to three Fortune 500 companies: FedEx ranked number 63, International Paper ranked number 107, and AutoZone ranked number 306. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis maintains a branch in the city. These economic engines established Memphis as a global commercial hub connecting the Mississippi Delta to national markets.
In 2023, Memphis set a homicide record with 397 homicides. New York City had a lower count of 386 despite having 8.5 million residents. Crime drove 30,000 former residents to relocate outside the city between 2017 and 2022. On the 7th of January 2023, five African American police officers brutally beat Tyre Nichols during a routine traffic stop. Nichols died three days later from his injuries. Officer body cam footage showed what police chief Cerelyn Davis called heinous actions with total lack of regard for human life. All charged officers were members of the SCORPION unit which combated violent crimes. The unit disbanded following the incident. On the 15th of September 2025, President Trump signed an order to mobilize federal law enforcement agents including FBI personnel. The Tennessee National Guard deployed to Memphis on that same date. Mayor Paul Young opposed the plan while some city council members joined him in resistance. The Memphis Safe Task Force arrived in October 2025 to address public safety concerns.
Common questions
When was Memphis founded and who laid out the city?
John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson laid out Memphis on the 22nd of May 1819. The city was officially founded less than five months after the U.S. takeover of the territory in July 1797.
What happened during the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 in Memphis?
The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 devastated Memphis with more than 5,000 people listed in the official register of deaths between July 26 and November 27. The state legislature revoked Memphis's charter and reclassified it as a Taxing District from 1879 to 1893 due to financial losses of nearly $200 million.
Where did Martin Luther King Jr. die and when did the event occur?
James Earl Ray assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel on the 4th of April 1968. The Lorraine Motel now houses the National Civil Rights Museum which preserves this legacy.
Which artists recorded their first recordings at Sun Studio in Memphis?
Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison all made their first recordings at Sun Studio opened by Sam Phillips in 1950. These artists were discovered by Phillips during the late 1950s.
When did Memphis set a homicide record and what was the count?
Memphis set a homicide record in 2023 with 397 homicides. New York City had a lower count of 386 despite having 8.5 million residents.