1. On August 10, 1821, Missouri officially became the 24th state admitted to the United States, after Congress approved its entry as a slave state under the Missouri Compromise.
2. In 1861, during the Civil War, Confederate forces led by General Sterling Price captured the city of Lexington, Missouri, in a major victory for the South.
3. On August 10, 1933, the Missouri River flood hit its peak, causing massive devastation across the state and prompting federal intervention in the form of the Public Works Administration.
4. The Gateway Arch, one of Missouri's most iconic landmarks, was completed on August 10, 1965, after several years of construction. The arch stands at 630 feet tall and is the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere.
5. Missouri native and American music legend Chuck Berry was born on August 10, 1926, in St. Louis. Berry is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of rock and roll music and is known for hits like "Johnny B. Goode" and "Maybellene."