Missouri History Today

On January 1, 2000, Missourians survived the Y2K (Year 2000) scare. Millions of anxious people around the state waited to see if electronics would shut down at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2000.

On December 31, 1997, Steve Fossett took off in a hot air balloon from Busch Stadium on this day. The trip ended a few days later in Russia, establishing a new distance record.

On December 30, 1858, Ralph Waldo Emerson was warmly welcomed on a cold night in St. Louis.  He was giving a lecture on “The Anglo-Saxon.” 

On December 29, 1901, the first Battleship Missouri was launched with a bottle of vintage Missouri wine. 

On December 28, 1982, Arthur Bryant dies at the age of 80, working at the restaurant he made famous until the end. Bryant wasn’t from Kansas City, but he certainly helped make Kansas City barbecue famous.

On December 27, 1908, A. Ross Hill was named President of the University of Missouri on this date. He was responsible for much of the university’s growth, including building the “White Campus” and expanding the Extension Division, the Graduate Program, and the College of Education.

On December 25, 1925, a string of lights at Country Club Plaza is lit, paving the way for a Christmas tradition that continues today. One of the most magical places in Missouri is Country Club Plaza in Kansas City at Christmas. The annual tradition brings thousands of people to the shopping center in the weeks leading up to the holiday. But it started small, with just a strand of lights over the doorway of the Mill Creek Building and a few random Christmas trees.

On December 24, 1872, a 20˚ below zero temperature was recorded for St. Louis.  

December 23, 1929, is the birthday of bowling legend Dick Weber. Weber moved to Florissant in 1955 when St. Louis was the epicenter of bowling competitions, and he joined the famous Budweiser bowling team. Along with Don Carter, Weber was a star in a city of sports stars in the late ’50s and early ’60s. He won Bowler of the Year honors in 1961, 1963, and 1965 while also racking up 26 Pro Bowling Association tournament titles, as bowling became a widely watched spectator sport in person and on television.

On December 22, 1945, the busiest day in the history of St. Louis Union Station. Train stations across the country were packed with soldiers returning home from World War II. On busy days, more than 100,000 travelers would make their way through Union Station, but this day was especially busy, as travelers reported lines of people at every door and hardly any floor space available for standing.