1. The Missouri state flag was first adopted on December 18, 1865, after being designed by Marie Oliver, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

2. On December 18, 1935, the first Douglas DC-3 airplane landed at Lambert Field in St. Louis, revolutionizing commercial air travel with its impressive speed and range.

3. The former Governor of Missouri, Dalton McCarthy, was born on December 18, 1846 in Clarence, Missouri. He served as the 16th Governor of the state from 1901 to 1905.

4. The Missouri Tigers football team played in their first bowl game on December 18, 1948, when they defeated the University of Texas at Austin in the Gator Bowl.

5. December 18, 1861, saw the beginning of the Union occupation of Springfield, Missouri, as Federal troops seized the city during the American Civil War. This marked a significant turning point in the conflict in the state.