1. On June 8, 1861, the Missouri State Guard under the command of General Sterling Price captured the city of Tipton in Moniteau County during the American Civil War. This was one of several skirmishes in which the State Guard fought against Unionist forces in Missouri.

2. In 1966, the city of Joplin was struck by a powerful tornado on June 8. The tornado was rated as an F5, the highest rating on the Fujita scale, and caused extensive damage and many fatalities.

3. On June 8, 1918, Missouri native and World War I hero Sergeant Alvin C. York led an attack on a German machine gun nest in the Argonne Forest in France. York's actions resulted in the capture of 132 German soldiers and earned him the Medal of Honor.

4. The first St. Louis Cardinals home game at Busch Stadium III was played on June 8, 2006. The Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 10-0 in front of a crowd of over 43,000 fans.

5. The Missouri state legislature established the University of Missouri on June 8, 1839. The university was the first publicly-funded institution of higher education west of the Mississippi River and has since become one of the largest and most respected universities in the United States.