On February 2, 1931, Lake of the Ozarks began to fill after the completion of Bagnell Dam.
On this date in Missouri history
On February 1, 1913, a Grand Masquerade was held at Adolph Hall in Antonia. “First class music” was furnished by Haefners Brothers Orchestra.
January 31, 1934, is the birthday of actor James Franciscus, born in Clayton, Missouri. After graduating magna cum laude from Yale, he appeared on stage, in film, & TV.
On January 30, 2000, St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV. One of the most exciting Super Bowls ends with the Rams’ Mike Jones making a tackle as time ran out, allowing St. Louis to defeat the Tennessee Titans 23-16.
On January 29, 2014, Rand-McNally named Jefferson City, Missouri, the nation’s most beautiful small town.
January 28, 1919, is the birthdate of Theodore McMillian. In 1956, Governor Phil M. Donnelly appointed McMillian as the first African-American judge in Missouri. He had a very distinguished career as a judge and as an educator.
On January 27, 1963, plans were made for a miniature railroad in the St. Louis Zoo.
On January 26, 1924, the National Football League franchised the team farthest west of all their teams, the Kansas City Blues.
On January 25, 1955, H&R Block was founded in Kansas City by Richard and Henry Bloch. Their small tax preparation firm went on to become one of the largest accounting firms in the world.
On January 24, 1922, the patent was granted to Russell Stover for the Eskimo Pie ice cream bar. The treat helped propel growth for Stover’s company, Russell Stover Candies, which moved its headquarters to Kansas City in 1931.
On January 22, 1829, the Missouri State Library was established in Jefferson City.
On January 21, 1916, Laura Kinkead was hired as the first female police officer in St. Louis. She was given a badge but was not permitted to wear a uniform or a gun.
January 20, 1935, is the birthday of pro basketball player and Mizzou coach “Stormin’ Norman” Stewart from near Shelbyville.
On January 19, 2001, “Born to Fly” hits number one for Sara Evans. The central Missouri native hit number one for the first time with the song “Born to Fly,” which also earned Evans her first Country Music Awards win (Video of the Year.)
On January 18, 2015, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig declared St. Louis the “Best Baseball Town” in America.
On January 17, 1934, The Great Depression continued. The Monett Times reported, “So far, no one has found a family living in a turnip, but dozens of families have been living on turnips. Plain turnips cooked with a bit of meat are filling food and mighty good.”
On January 16, 1933, T.S. Eliot, the noted poet born in St. Louis, visited his hometown for the first time in 19 years.
January 15, 1844, is the birthday of guerilla fighter and outlaw Cole Younger from Lee’s Summit.
On January 14, 1932, the Cardinals signed 19-year-old Dizzy Dean to his first contract.
On January 13, 1988, the Supreme Court decided that school newspapers don’t have the same First Amendment protections as other news media. The case resulted from an offensive student newspaper that the Hazelwood faculty had censored.
January 12, 1951, is the Birthday of Cape Girardeau resident Rush Limbaugh, the number one radio personality in America.
On January 11, 1822, a bill was adopted to create the official Seal of the State of Missouri.
On January 10, 1945, Ozark Air Lines began service around Missouri. The first scheduled flights for Ozark Air Lines shuttled passengers between Springfield and St. Louis, intending to connect underserved communities in the Ozarks. Unfortunately, the first iteration of the airline was short-lived due to political and logistical issues and shuttered two years after launching.
On January 9, 1892, a fire engulfed Academic Hall on the campus of Mizzou. The massive blaze destroyed the original building on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia, leaving behind the six iconic columns as the only things standing.
On January 8, 1894, Ralston Purina is founded as the Robinson-Danforth Commission Company. William Danforth opened a small feed store near the St. Louis riverfront in 1894; the company became Ralston Purina in 1902.
On January 7, 1899, there was a masquerade ball at High Ridge.
On January 6, 1963, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom debuts. Marlin Perkins became a household name across America thanks to the popularity of his wildlife show. Perkins was born in Carthage, educated at Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, and later studied at Mizzou.
The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield was voted the number one new tourist destination in the country by USA Today’s travel experts.
On January 4, 1942, the greatest right-handed hitter was elected to the Hall of Fame. Rogers Hornsby won seven batting titles and hit over .402 in three seasons.
