1. In 1955, the first graduation ceremony of the University of Kansas School of Medicine was held on August 31st. The school was established in 1905 and had long been a part of the University of Kansas, but it wasn't until 50 years later that the first medical students graduated.

2. On August 31, 1897, the Topeka Daily Capital reported that the town had recently installed electric lights on its streets, making it one of the first towns in Kansas to have electric street lighting. Prior to this, gas lamps or kerosene lanterns were used to light the streets.

3. August 31, 1865 marked the end of the Civil War in Kansas, when Confederate General Sterling Price and his men were finally forced out of the state. Price had led several raids into Kansas during the war, but was ultimately defeated by Union forces.

4. In 1986, legendary sports broadcaster Marty Brennaman called his 3,000th game as the radio voice of the Cincinnati Reds. Brennaman, a native of Salina, Kansas, got his start in broadcasting at a local radio station in the state before moving on to Cincinnati.

5. On August 31, 1925, the city of Wichita broke ground on an airport that would later become known as Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. The airport played an important role in the growth of aviation in the United States and helped establish Wichita as a major hub for the industry.