Memphis

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Memphis's place for blues music and entertainment

Entrance to the Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tenn., in the Egyptian style.

For Students

Memphis summary

Read Next

The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.

26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History

Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd

Causes of the Great Depression

President's bingo. Guess and select to correct president based on images.

Britannica’s U.S. Presidents Bingo

Discover

Scottish fold cat. A genetic mutation caused (in the original cat-1961) the ears to bend forward and down.

Shorthair Cat Breeds

Timeline and Map of the Panama Canal

Saint Lucia Day. Young girl wears Lucia crown (tinsel halo) with candles. Holds Saint Lucia Day currant laced saffron buns (lussekatter or Lucia's cats). Observed December 13 honor virgin martyr Santa Lucia (St. Lucy). Luciadagen, Christmas, Sweden

7 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World

Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics

10 Best Hockey Players of All Time

Fish. Lionfish. Lion-fish. Turkey fish. Fire-fish. Red lionfish. Pterois volitans. Venomous fin spines. Coral reefs. Underwater. Ocean. Red lionfish swims by seaweed.

10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Fish

Close-up of ostriches (Struthio camelus) necks and heads; location unknown.

6 of the World's Most Dangerous Birds

A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellin

Pablo Escobar: 8 Interesting Facts About the King of Cocaine

Memphis

Tennessee, United States

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 19, 2024 • Article History

News •

An 'embarrassing' night for Stephen Curry and the Warriors, who fall by 51 at Memphis • Dec. 19, 2024, 11:41 PM ET (AP)

Memphis' mayor pushes back against feds' calls for major reforms of city's police force • Dec. 5, 2024, 1:33 PM ET (AP)

Memphis police use excessive force and discriminate against Black people, Justice Department finds • Dec. 4, 2024, 9:27 PM ET (AP)

Desrosiers scores 3 TDs as Memphis tops No. 18 Tulane 34-24 to end the Green Wave's faint CFP hopes • Nov. 29, 2024, 1:46 AM ET (AP)

Memphis beats No. 2 UConn 99-97 in overtime to tip off Maui Invitational • Nov. 25, 2024, 6:11 PM ET (AP)

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, and Southaven in Mississippi. Area 295 square miles (764 square km). Pop. (2000) city, 690,743; Memphis MSA, 1,205,204; (2010) city 646,889; Memphis MSA 1,316,100. Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto ...(100 of 979 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.