1. Missouri's first publicly-funded fire department was established on January 19, 1840, in St. Louis. The department was staffed by eight men who worked for a monthly salary of $30 each.

2. On January 19, 1861, Missouri's secession convention met in Jefferson City to discuss the state's stance on seceding from the Union. The convention ultimately voted to remain in the Union, despite the fact that many Missourians supported the Confederacy.

3. The Missouri Historical Society was founded on January 19, 1866, in St. Louis. The society's mission was to collect and preserve artifacts, manuscripts, and other materials related to Missouri's history.

4. On January 19, 1930, the first flight from St. Louis to Chicago took off from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The flight, which was operated by American Airways, took approximately two hours and twenty minutes.

5. Janine Pease, an artist and political leader from Montana, was born in St. Louis on January 19, 1943. Pease was a member of the Crow Tribe and served as the first Native American woman elected to the Montana State Senate.