1. In 1864, Missouri held its state elections during the Civil War, with both Union and Confederate supporters participating. The outcome of the election helped solidify Missouri's place as a Union state.

2. In 1920, Missouri native and baseball legend Branch Rickey became manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. Rickey would go on to revolutionize baseball by developing the farm system and signing Jackie Robinson, the first African American player in the major leagues.

3. On November 2, 1948, President Harry S. Truman won a surprising upset victory in the presidential election over Republican candidate Thomas E. Dewey, calling it the "greatest upset in political history."

4. In 1983, the Kansas City Royals won their first World Series championship, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The Royals' victory brought the first professional sports championship to the state of Missouri.

5. On November 2, 1999, Missouri became the first state in the United States to pass a law banning human cloning. The law remains in effect to this day, and was upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2002.