The area is home to the John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA's largest rocket engine test facility.

They imported African slaves as laborers, and in time a Creole class of free people of color developed.

After the United States conducted Indian Removal in the 1830s, more Protestant Americans migrated into this area, but it retained French and African Catholic influences.

Located on the Gulf Coast, the county was regularly hit by hurricanes but its residents learned to handle these incidents.

In 2005, the county was the scene of the final landfall of the eye of Hurricane Katrina, and its communities and infrastructure suffered some of the most intense damage inflicted by that storm.

Homes as far inland as 10 miles (16 km) were flooded by the historic storm surge, which occurred during a full moon high tide.

A loosely knit group of hippies called the "Rainbow Family" arrived in Hancock County soon after Hurricane Katrina.

The Waveland Wal-Mart operated out of a tent for 3 months following the storm; Diamondhead Discount Drug was opened within 2 days following Katrina, although the owner's store and home were both severely damaged.