1. On June 20, 1861, Missouri Governor Claiborne F. Jackson signed legislation that committed Missouri to the Confederacy during the Civil War. This decision intensified the conflict in the state and set the stage for a bloody and divisive period in Missouri's history.

2. Missouri native Scott Joplin, the "King of Ragtime," was born on June 20, 1868, in Texarkana. Joplin's pioneering work in ragtime music helped establish a distinctly American sound and influenced countless musicians in the years that followed.

3. On June 20, 1953, labor leader and civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph spoke to a crowd of 10,000 people at a rally in St. Louis. Randolph was a key figure in the African-American civil rights movement and played a major role in the desegregation of the US military.

4. Missouri's first ever state fair was held on June 20, 1856, in Boonville. The event was a major success, drawing thousands of people from across the state and showcasing Missouri's agricultural and industrial products.

5. Missouri's Gateway Arch, one of the state's most iconic landmarks, was completed on June 20, 1965. The monument, which stands 630 feet tall and is made of stainless steel, celebrates the pioneering spirit of the people who settled the Western United States.