Missouri History Today

The Missouri mule was named Missouri's official state animal.

Five people were killed by lightning in one day in St. Louis County. Four were Freshman girls at JFK High School in Manchester.

The first steamboat on the Missouri River arrived at Franklin. Most riverboats could not traverse the Missouri because of the strong current and the extreme number of submerged snags.  

The founder of St. Louis, Pierre Laclède, was going downriver to New Orleans on this date when he died.

The little town of St. Louis was attacked by 1000 British and their Indian allies. At least 21 settlers were killed. If the British had won, would the Louisiana Purchase have happened? 

The ferris wheel at the St. Louis World's Fair was tested for the first time. It stood twenty-five stories tall and could carry two thousand people

A terrible tornado destroyed a huge portion of Joplin. The worst hit was the city's main hospital. Over 7,500 homes were also hit. The death toll was over 160. In the days and week after the disaster, the community rallied together to help each other.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition (the Voyage of Discovery) spent most of the day in St. Charles as the men took their last chance to attend church. Most of them were expected to die along the way so the Captains allowed them plenty of time. They didn't push off until about 3 PM. They made three miles progress that first day and camped on an island at the mouth of the Bonhomme Creek, which is now Chesterfield.

Today astronaut Tom Akers was born in St. Louis. He grew up in Eminence and graduated from Eminence High School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1973 and 1975, respectively. Eventually Colonel Akers made four trips into space.

A great day for Kansas City! More than 53,000 people attended the grand opening of the new Electric Park. The Heim Brothers opened the amusement park near their brewery. They had operated a brewery in Manchester, Missouri but later moved to Kansas City where they operated the world's largest brewery during the pre-prohibition years.