History of Missouri in Timeline

Missouri, a Midwestern state in the US, is the 21st largest by land area, bordering eight other states. It's geographically diverse, featuring the Ozark Highlands in the south and the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers defining its central and eastern borders, respectively. Its population exceeds six million, making it the 19th most populous state. Major urban centers include St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia. The state capital is Jefferson City. The St. Francois Mountains, located in the Ozarks, are some of the oldest mountains in the world.

1904: Missouri supports winning presidential candidate

From 1904, Missouri had a long streak of supporting the winning presidential candidate.

1904: Summer Olympics at St. Louis

In 1904, St. Louis hosted the Summer Olympics, marking the first time the games were held in the United States.

1904: Joseph Folk elected governor

In the 1904 election, Joseph "Holy Joe" Folk was elected governor as a progressive reformer and Democrat, promoting "the Missouri Idea".

February 13, 1905: Lowest recorded temperature in Missouri

On February 13, 1905, Missouri's lowest recorded temperature of −40 °F (−40 °C) occurred at Warsaw.

1905: Establishment of normal schools

In 1905, Southwest Missouri State University and Northwest Missouri State University were established.

1915: Establishment of Missouri Western State University

In 1915, Missouri Western State University was established.

1928: Hannibal-LaGrange University moves

In 1928, Hannibal–LaGrange University moved to Hannibal, Missouri.

1937: Establishment of Missouri Southern State University

In 1937, Missouri Southern State University was established.

1944: Truman elected vice-president

In 1944, Harry S Truman was elected vice-president.

1944: Missour voted for the losing candidate

Missouri's accuracy rate for the last 29 presidential elections is now 89.66%, which is on par with that of Ohio, which has voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1896, except in 1944, 1960 and 2020.

1945: Harry S Truman becomes President

In 1945, Harry S Truman became the 33rd President of the United States.

1945: Adoption of the fourth Constitution of Missouri

In 1945, the fourth Constitution of Missouri was adopted, outlining the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government.

1947: Deadliest US tornado before Joplin

In 1947, Before the Joplin Tornado of 2011, the deadliest US tornado had occurred in 1947

July 1948: Executive Order 9981 issued

In July 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which prohibited racial segregation in the armed forces.

1953: Truman Retires

After retiring as President in 1953, Harry S Truman lived in Independence, Missouri.

July 14, 1954: Highest recorded temperature in Missouri

On July 14, 1954, Missouri's highest recorded temperature of 118 °F (48 °C) occurred at Warsaw and Union.

1956: Missouri votes against winning candidate

In 1956, Missouri voted for Adlai Stevenson, who lost the election.

1956: First interstate highway project in St. Charles

In 1956, St. Charles claims to be the site of the first interstate highway project.

1957: Last time EF5 hit Missouri before Joplin

In 1957, Before the Joplin Tornado of 2011, the last time an EF5 tornado hit Missouri was 1957

1960: Missour voted for the losing candidate

1964: Wilderness Act

In 1964, The Wilderness Act of 1964, designated wilderness areas "where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by men, where man himself is a visitor and does not remain."

1972: Death of Harry S Truman

Harry S Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, died in 1972.

1982: Blue Highways on The New York Times Bestseller list

In 1982, William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways was on The New York Times Bestseller list.

Blue Highways: A Journey into America

Check it on Amazon

1983: Blue Highways on The New York Times Bestseller list

In 1983, William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways was on The New York Times Bestseller list.

Blue Highways: A Journey into America

Check it on Amazon

1996: Bill Clinton wins the state

In 1996, Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win the state of Missouri.

2000: Missouri votes for Republican Presidential candidate

Since 2000, Missouri has consistently voted for the Republican Presidential candidate.

2000: U.S. population center location in 2000

The 2000 census found the mean population center to be in Phelps County.

2001: Number of farms in Missouri

In 2001, Missouri had 108,000 farms, which was the second-largest number in any state after Texas.

2002: Voters reaffirm low excise taxes

In 2002, Missouri voters voted to keep cigarette excise taxes low.

2004: Demographic statistics

In 2004, 6.6 percent of Missouri's population was reported as younger than 5, 25.5 percent younger than 18, and 13.5 percent 65 or older.

2004: Foreign-born population

In 2004, the population included 194,000 foreign-born people (3.4 percent of the state population).

2004: Amendment 3 Passed

In late 2004, following the passage of Amendment 3, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) began its Smoother, Safer, Sooner road-building program.

2004: Missouri supports winning presidential candidate

Until 2004, Missouri had a long streak of supporting the winning presidential candidate.

2005: Missouri tourism statistics

In 2005, Missouri received 16,695,000 visitors to its national parks and other recreational areas totaling 101,000 acres (410 km), giving it $7.41 million in annual revenues.

2005: Traffic Deaths in Missouri

In 2005, there were 1,257 traffic deaths in Missouri.

2006: Voters reaffirm low excise taxes

In 2006, Missouri voters voted to keep cigarette excise taxes low.

2006: Traffic Deaths Decrease

In 2006, traffic deaths decreased to 1,096 from 1,257 in 2005.

December 2007: MoDOT Road-Building Program Goal

By December 2007, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) aimed to bring 2,200 miles (3,500 km) of highways up to good condition as part of its Smoother, Safer, Sooner road-building program.

October 2008: Support for statewide smoking ban

In October 2008, a statewide survey by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services found that only 27.5% of Missourians supported a statewide ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants.

2008: Adult smokers percentage

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008 Missouri had the fourth highest percentage of adult smokers among U.S. states, at 24.5%.

2008: Missouri votes for John McCain

In 2008, Missouri voted for John McCain over Barack Obama, despite Obama being elected to the Presidency.

2008: Traffic Deaths Decrease

In 2008, traffic deaths decreased to 960 from 992 in 2007.

2009: Population density

In 2009, Missouri's population density of 86.9 people per square mile was closer to the national average.

2009: Wind Capacity Increased

In 2009, Missouri's wind capacity increased from 309 MW.

2009: Historical tornado damage equivalent

In 2009, The dollar equivalent of the damages caused by the 1896 St. Louis tornado was $3.9 billion.

2009: Traffic Deaths Decrease

In 2009, traffic deaths decreased to 878 from 960 in 2008.

2010: African American population in St. Louis

As of the 2010 census, 56.6% of African Americans in Missouri lived in St. Louis or St. Louis County.

2010: Missouri population in 2010

In 2010, Missouri had a population of 5,988,927, an increase of 137,525 (2.3 percent) since the year 2000.

2010: Largest religious denominations

In 2010, the largest religious denominations in Missouri by number of adherents were the Southern Baptist Convention, the Roman Catholic Church, and the United Methodist Church.

2010: Household statistics

In 2010, there were 2,349,955 households in Missouri, with 2.45 people per household.

2010: Traffic Deaths Decrease

In 2010, traffic deaths decreased to 821 from 878 in 2009.

2010: US Census

The 2019 population estimate represents a 2.48% increase since the 2010 United States census.

2010: U.S. population center location

The U.S. census of 2010 found that the population center of the United States is in Texas County.

April 22, 2011: EF4 tornado damages Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

On April 22, 2011, an EF4 tornado damaged Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

May 22, 2011: EF-5 tornado in Joplin

On May 22, 2011, a massive EF-5 tornado killed 158 people and destroyed roughly one-third of the city of Joplin.

2011: Minority population under age 1

In 2011, 28.1% of Missouri's population younger than age 1 were minorities.

2011: Electricity Generated by Coal

In 2011, 82% of Missouri's electricity was generated by coal. 10% was generated by nuclear power, 5% by natural gas, and 1% by hydroelectric sources.

2011: Traffic Deaths in Missouri Continue to Fall

In 2011, traffic deaths in Missouri fell to 786, continuing the annual decrease since 2006.

October 24, 2012: Registered voters in Missouri

On October 24, 2012, there were 4,190,936 registered voters in Missouri, and both Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill and Democratic Governor Jay Nixon were re-elected.

2012: Electricity generation capacity

In 2012, Missouri had roughly 22,000 MW of installed electricity generation capacity.

2012: Missouri leaves Big 12 Conference

In 2012, Missouri left the Big 12 Conference, ending regular football and basketball games with the University of Kansas.

2012: Missouri votes for Mitt Romney

In 2012, Missouri voted for Mitt Romney by nearly 10% over Barack Obama.

2012: Voters reaffirm low excise taxes

In 2012, Missouri voters voted to keep cigarette excise taxes low.

2012: Crude oil production

In fiscal 2012, oil wells in Missouri produced 120,000 barrels of crude oil.

2013: Mercatus Center rankings for alcohol and tobacco freedom

In 2013, the Mercatus Center ranked Missouri third for alcohol freedom and first for tobacco freedom.

2014: Partial decriminalization of cannabis

In 2014, Missouri partially decriminalized cannabis possession and legalized CBD oil.

2014: Protests and riots in Ferguson

In 2014, Missouri received national attention for the protests and riots that followed the shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer of Ferguson.

2014: Pew Research study on religion in Missouri

In 2014, according to a Pew Research study, 80% of Missourians identified with a religion; 77% with Christianity and its denominations, and 3% with non-Christian religions. The remaining 20% had no religion.

September 2015: Student protests at the University of Missouri

In September 2015, student protests began at the University of Missouri against the administration's response to racist incidents on campus.

2015: Megabus Discontinues Service

In 2015, Megabus discontinued service to Columbia and Kansas City.

May 2016: KC Streetcar Opens

In May 2016, the KC Streetcar opened in downtown Kansas City.

2016: Missouri's Solar Installations

As of 2016, Missouri's solar installations had reached 141 MW.

2016: Lowest cigarette excise taxes in the United States

In 2016, Missouri had the lowest cigarette excise taxes in the United States, at 17 cents per pack. In 2016 Voters reaffirmed low excise taxes.

2016: Missouri votes for Donald Trump

In 2016, Missouri voted for Donald Trump by over 18%.

April 2017: Missouri's Unemployment Rate in April

In April 2017, Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.9 percent.

June 7, 2017: NAACP warning to African-American travelers

On June 7, 2017, the NAACP issued a warning to prospective African-American travelers to Missouri.

2017: Tax Foundation rates Missouri's tax climate

In 2017, the Tax Foundation rated Missouri as having the fifth-best corporate tax index and the 15th-best overall tax climate.

August 2018: Missouri voters reject Right-to-Work Law

In August 2018, Missouri voters rejected a right-to-work law with 67% voting against it and 33% supporting it.

November 2018: Voters approve medical marijuana

In November 2018, 66% of voters approved a constitutional amendment that established a right to medical marijuana and a system for licensing, regulating, and taxing medical marijuana.

2018: Disproportionate traffic stops of black motorists

According to a 2018 report, black motorists in Missouri were 85% more likely to be pulled over in traffic stops.

2018: Immigration statistics

From 2010 to 2018, immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 50,450 people in Missouri.

2018: Monsanto acquired by Bayer AG

In 2018, Monsanto, a major biotech company based in St. Louis, was acquired by Bayer AG and became part of Bayer Corporation's Crop Science Division.

2018: Missouri Hyperloop Proposed

In 2018, a Missouri Hyperloop project was proposed to connect St. Louis, Kansas City, and Columbia to reduce travel time.

2018: USDA relocation plans to Kansas City

In 2018, the USDA announced its plans to relocate Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) to Kansas City.

July 1, 2019: Missouri Population Estimate

On July 1, 2019, the United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Missouri was 6,137,428.

2019: MLS expansion team announcement in St. Louis

In 2019, the announcement of an MLS expansion team in St. Louis is driving even more development in the downtown west area of St. Louis.

November 3, 2020: Registered voters and voting percentage

On November 3, 2020, there were 4,318,758 registered voters in Missouri, with 3,026,028 voting (70.1%).

2020: Native American population

In 2020, 30,518 Missouri residents identified as being Native American alone.

2020: Missouri votes for Donald Trump

In 2020, Missouri voted for Donald Trump by 15%.

2020: Missouri ranked 48th on Cost of Voting Index

In a 2020 study, Missouri was ranked as 48th on the Cost of Voting Index.

2020: Missour voted for the losing candidate

2022: Homeless population estimate

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 5,992 homeless people in Missouri.

2022: Kansas City metropolitan area population

As of 2022, Kansas City was the 31st-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with 2.21 million people.

January 9, 2023: Nicole Galloway departs from office

On January 9, 2023, State Auditor Nicole Galloway departed from office, leaving no Democrats holding statewide elected positions in Missouri.

2023: Missouri's Gross State Product

In 2023, Missouri's gross state product was estimated at $422 billion by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis. The per capita personal income in 2023 was $61,302.