Memphis, Tennessee

Extracted Attributes

• Port

  Port of Memphis (fifth-busiest inland water port in U.S.)

• Airport

  Memphis International Airport (FedEx global air hub, one of world's busiest cargo airports)

• Cuisine

  Memphis-style barbecue

• Location

  Shelby County, Tennessee, United States

• NBA Team

  Memphis Grizzlies

• Nickname

  Home of the Blues & Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll

• Annual Event

  World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

• Cotton Market

  Largest spot cotton market in the world

• Founding Date

  1819

• Music Heritage

  Blues (Beale Street), Soul, Rock and Roll, Hip-hop

• Meaning of Name

  Place of Good Abode

• Hardwood Capital

  World's hardwood capital

• Largest Employer

  FedEx

• Major Industries

  Transportation, Logistics, Cotton, Hardwood

• Population (2020)

  633,104

• Cultural Landmarks

  Graceland, Sun Studio, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis Pyramid

• Geographic Feature

  Mississippi River, Chickasaw Bluffs

• State Population Rank

  2nd most populous city in Tennessee

• US Metropolitan Area Rank

  45th most populous

• Metropolitan Area Population

  1.34 million

• First Self-Service Grocery Store

  Piggly Wiggly (opened 1916)

• Largest City on Mississippi River

  Yes

Timeline

• Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto visited the area. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1541-XX-XX

• A French fort briefly existed on the site. (Source: Web Search)

  1739-XX-XX

• A Spanish fort briefly existed on the site. (Source: Web Search)

  1795-XX-XX

• The United States built Fort Adams on the site. (Source: Web Search)

  1797-XX-XX

• The Jackson Purchase opened West Tennessee for European settlement. (Source: Web Search)

  1818-XX-XX

• Modern Memphis was founded by John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1819-05-22

• Piggly Wiggly, the world's first self-service grocery store, opened in Memphis. (Source: Web Search)

  1916-XX-XX

• The first Welcome Wagon was founded in Memphis. (Source: Web Search)

  1928-XX-XX

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1968-04-04

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Tennessee, the fifth-most populous in the Southeast, and the 28th-most populous in the nation. Memphis is the largest city proper on the Mississippi River and anchors the Memphis metropolitan area that includes parts of Arkansas and Mississippi, the 45th-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. with 1.34 million residents. European exploration of the area began with Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1541. Located on the high Chickasaw Bluffs, the site offered natural protection from Mississippi River flooding and became a contested location in the colonial era. Modern Memphis was founded in 1819 by John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson. The city thrived due to its river traffic and cotton-based economy, becoming one of the largest cities in the Antebellum South. After the American Civil War, it remained a key hub for the cotton and hardwood industries. Memphis is also notable for its role in the American Civil Rights Movement; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated there in 1968, and the city is now home to the National Civil Rights Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate. Memphis is one of the nation's leading commercial centers in transportation and logistics. The largest employer is FedEx, which maintains its global air hub at Memphis International Airport, one of the world's busiest cargo airports. The Port of Memphis also hosts the fifth-busiest inland water port in the U.S. Memphis is also known for its music scene, with Beale Street central to the development of Memphis blues and a broader legacy that includes soul, rock and roll, and hip-hop. Cultural landmarks include Graceland, Sun Studio, the Memphis Pyramid, and Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The city is also famed for its Memphis-style barbecue and hosts the annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. It is home to the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and several colleges and universities, including the University of Memphis, LeMoyne–Owen College, and Rhodes College.

Web Search Results

• Memphis | Facts, Map, & Points of Interest | Britannica

  Memphis, city, seat (1819) of Shelby county, extreme southwestern Tennessee, U.S. It lies on the Chickasaw bluffs above the Mississippi River where the borders of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee meet. Memphis is Tennessee’s most populous city and is at the center of the state’s second largest metropolitan area. Aside from West Memphis, Arkansas, Memphis’s main suburbs include Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, and Millington in Tennessee and Horn Lake, Olive Branch, [...] Select Citation Style The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Memphis". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2025, Accessed 11 August 2025. Share Share to social media Facebook X External Websites Official Tourism Site of Memphis city, Tennessee, United States Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture - Memphis, Tennessee, United States CRW Flags - Flag of Memphis, Tennessee, United States Britannica Websites [...] ## History Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto visited the area in 1541. French (1739) and Spanish (1795) forts briefly existed on the site, and in 1797 the United States built Fort Adams there. Memphis was founded in 1819 on land previously inhabited by Chickasaw Indians. Andrew Jackson, later U.S. president, was one of its founders. Memphis was named for the ancient Egyptian city (meaning “Place of Good Abode”).

• An informative introduction to Memphis, Tennessee - YouTube

  settlement because the Bluffs provided protection from flooding along the Mississippi the city of Memphis was founded by Andrew Jackson James Winchester and John Overton in 1819 and was named after the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis just as ancient Memphis thrived along the Nile River the new Memphis became a major Trade Center especially for cotton along the Mississippi growing into one of the largest cities in the South today Memphis has a population of around 620,000 making it the 29th [...] Memphis Tennessee is truly a fascinating City it's a city that is mentioned in more songs than any other city in the country which is indicative of its Rich cultural history in this series I briefly cover a city's history population Skyline as well as a few things that make the city unique now let's meet [Applause] Memphis I always like to start by exploring how a city wound up being where it is today Memphis is located on the Chickasaw Bluffs along the Mississippi River the area was ideal for [...] was previously the recording home of Blues Legends and has Isaac Hay's gold trimmed Cadillac there's also the Memphis Music Hall of Fame which celebrates memphis's long list of musicians that have claimed the city as home the most famous of these musicians is without question the king of rock and roll himself Elvis Presley the legendary Sun Studio is where Elvis recorded his first record Another major Elvis related landmark in Memphis is Elvis's Mansion graceand it's the second most visited

• Memphis Attractions & Activities

  With more than 60 unique attractions across the city, you'll find plenty of things to do in Memphis, Tennessee, whether you're looking for relaxation, excitement or classic memory-making. In South Memphis, Elvis Presley's Graceland and Stax Museum of American Soul Music should be at the top of your bucket list. Downtown, don't miss the National Civil Rights Museum and other landmarks that tell of Memphis' powerful place in civil rights history, plus exciting activity around the Mississippi

• A Brief History of Memphis

  Following the Jackson Purchase in 1818, West Tennessee was opened for settlement by Europeans and on May 22, 1819 the city was founded by a group of investors that included John Overton and James Winchester. With an economy largely supported by the cotton industry, early Memphis relied heavily on the labor of slaves for its success, and continued this model for its economy until after the Civil War. [...] Memphis has always been a city for innovators and groundbreakers- those among us who refuse to accept the status quo, instead pulling us all into change. This is our greatest legacy and a birthright we continue to embrace today. In the city where the first modern supermarket was created, ideas and innovation now ship goods globally in moments; where music found its soul now a new beat is being born; and where a King of civil rights fell now a National Civil Rights Museum prominently stands. [...] Find a Job Live in Memphis Start a Business Share Stay In The Know On All Things Memphis Sign up for the latest in Memphis music, food & drink, news, sports, arts & more. Explore More Articles Food Music Arts News Memphians Food Jan. 7th, 2025 5 Steak Houses in Memphis, Tennessee a Cut Above the… Dec. 18th, 2024 5 Restaurants to Try for the Best Wings in Memphis,… Dec. 13th, 2024 Six of Our Favorite Restaurants on Summer Ave in Memphis,… Oct. 18th, 2024

• Memphis Fun Facts

  The Piggly Wiggly, the world's first self-service grocery store, opened in Memphis in 1916. Memphis is the site of the first Welcome Wagon, founded here in 1928. Cleo Wrap of Memphis is the world's largest manufacturer of Christmas wrapping paper producing two billion feet of gift-wrap each year. Memphis is the hardwood capital of the world. Memphis is the largest spot cotton market in the world, with nearly half of the U.S. cotton crop going through Memphis. [...] Home of W.C. Handy, the "Father of the Blues," and Robert Church, the South's first black millionaire. W.C. Handy was told by George Gershwin, "Your work is the grandfather of mine." Home to the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and Major League Baseball's (AAA) Memphis Redbirds. Pork barbecue capital of the world, thanks to Memphis in May's Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and more than 100 barbecue specialty restaurants. [...] The name Memphis means Established and Beautiful. Known worldwide as the "Home of the Blues & Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll - not to mention gospel, jazz, R&B, rap and soul. Close to 20 percent of the earliest inductees (24 of the 97) in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame have come from within a 100-mile radius of Memphis. Dream Destinations: 100 of the World's Best Vacations by Life Books ranks Memphis amongst the likes of The Vatican, Montezuma, Costa Rica, and Beijing, China.

• Instance Of

  Q105543609