1. In 1933, Missouri became the first state to enact a sales tax. The tax rate was initially one percent and was intended to provide revenue for the state during the Great Depression.

2. On June 16, 1967, the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis was completed. The monument stands 630 feet tall and is the tallest arch in the world. It was designed by architect Eero Saarinen and commemorates St. Louis’ role as the “Gateway to the West.”

3. In 1822, the first steamboat arrived in the city of St. Joseph, Missouri. The steamboat, called the Western Engineer, was built by the famous steamboat designer Henry M. Shreve and revolutionized transportation on the Missouri River.

4. On June 16, 1928, Missouri native Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias won the first of her two gold medals in track and field events at the Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Over the course of her career, Zaharias won 41 LPGA tournaments and was named the greatest female athlete of the first half of the 20th century by the Associated Press.

5. In 1836, the Battle of the Little Osage was fought near present-day Rich Hill, Missouri. The skirmish was part of the ongoing conflict between white settlers and Native American tribes in the Midwest. The battle resulted in several deaths on both sides and was a precursor to the much larger conflict known as the Black Hawk War.