Spacecraft Blasts Off

On December 15, 1965, the Gemini 6A blasted off from Cape Kennedy in Florida. Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford were the astronauts on board the spacecraft, which had been manufactured in St. Louis at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. McDonnell had won the contract to build the space vehicles, making St. Louis ground zero for America’s human spaceflight program.


December 13, 1913 is the Birthday of Archie Moore

December 13, 1913, is the birthday of St. Louis boxer Archie Moore. He scored 131 knockouts in 27 years and held the heavyweight title from 1952 to 1962.


Rivalry of Mizzou vs Illinois

On December 10, 1980, the first Braggin’ Rights basketball game is held in St. Louis between the Mizzou Tigers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. Although the teams have a rivalry dating back to 1932, things escalated a notch when the annual matchup between the two squads moved to a neutral site midway between the two campuses.


Joseph Pulitzer Buys St. Louis Dispatch

On December 9, 1878, Joseph Pulitzer buys the St. Louis Dispatch for $2,500. Pulitzer arrived in the city penniless as a teen, and he took jobs such as waiter and reporter. After becoming disillusioned with politics, all before the age of 30, Pulitzer bought the newspaper at a sheriff’s sale, then immediately merged it with the St. Louis Post, to create the Post-Dispatch.


Albert Pujols Left the Cardinals

On December 8, 2011 Albert Pujols left St. Louis Cardinals to play for the Angles and the Dodgers. He returned to the Cardinals in 2021, where he hit his 700th homerun and won Comeback Player of the Year for the National League. 


Opening of Barnes Hospital

On December 7, 1914, Barnes Hospital opened in St. Louis and admitted 26 patients.  Later that year Children’s Hospital and the Washington University Medical School moved nearby and thus began the present medical complex.  


St. Louis Featured in a Film with George Clooney

On December 4, 2009, Up in the Air with George Clooney hits the big screen, with St. Louis as the backdrop. For several weeks, the only thing that people in St. Louis were talking about was where George Clooney was spotted that day.


Giant Snowstorm

On December 2, 2006, the central part of the state received over a foot of snow and east-central Missouri got ice on this day. A bunch of homes and businesses in St. Louis were without electricity.  


Monsanto Company was Founded

On November 29, 1901, the Monsanto Company was founded in St. Louis by John F. Queeny.  


SLU Wins Soccer Championship

On November 28, 1959, Saint Louis University wins the first-ever NCAA Divison 1 Men’s Soccer Championship. SLU Billikens soccer team won a national title against the University of Bridgeport 5-2, finishing the season 11-1.