Missouri History Today

Astronaut, Linda M. Godwin, was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She grew up in Jackson, Missouri and graduated from Jackson High School in 1970. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and physics from Southeast Missouri State University in 1974, and a Master of Science degree and a Doctorate in physics from the University of Missouri.

John Wise established a world distance record, traveling 809 miles from St. Louis to New York in the Atlantic, a 65,000-cubic-foot helium balloon. This was only the second balloon flight from St. Louis.

Birthday of Rose O'Neill of Branson. O'Neill was an artist and illustrator who created the kewpie doll which was popular for many decades.

The War Department ordered the primitive people at the World's Fair to wear more clothing. (Yes, the War Department. I know it doesn't make sense, but it's true.) We invited them here so we could learn about their culture, then we insisted that they dress more like us.

This is the birthday of "The Coach," Don Faurot, the namesake of Mizzou's Faurot field.

Doctor Andrew Taylor of Macon, Missouri founded the Osteopathic medicine movement on this day.

In an early attempt at networking before the days of broadcast networks President Warren G. Harding's speech from the annual national assembly of Rotary Clubs in St. Louis was sent by telephone lines from KSD radio to other stations in the U.S.

 Birthday of actor, John Goodman, who is from Affton, Missouri. His mother was a waitress at the famous Phil's Bar-B-Q in Affton.

Alberta Claire, "The Girl from Wyoming," was back in Missouri and on her way to an extended ride through the Ozarks.

The War of 1812 began. Nathan Boone and others formed military units and tension built between American Indians and European whites.