1. On February 23, 1861, Missouri declared itself a neutral state in the American Civil War. This decision sparked controversies and tensions within the state, and eventually led to clashes and violence between pro-Union and pro-Confederate factions.

2. February 23, 1903, marked the birth of one of Missouri's most famous citizens, actor and comedian, William "Count" Basie. Basie grew up in Red Bank, New Jersey, but later moved to Missouri with his family and began his music career as a pianist and bandleader in Kansas City.

3. On February 23, 1915, the Missouri State Capitol building in Jefferson City caught fire and was destroyed. The cause of the fire was never determined, but it was speculated to have been caused by faulty wiring or heating systems. The building was eventually rebuilt and reopened in 1924.

4. In 1965, on February 23, Malcolm X gave a speech in St. Louis, Missouri, urging black Americans to demand their civil rights and to reject nonviolence as a means of achieving them. The speech was controversial and drew both support and opposition from different groups.

5. On February 23, 1983, NASA astronaut Tom Henricks was born in Independence, Missouri. Henricks spent over 43 days in space during four space shuttle missions and was the pilot of the 1990 Discovery mission which deployed the Hubble Space Telescope.