1. In 1873, the first edition of the St. Louis Evening Post was published. The newspaper was later merged with the St. Louis Dispatch to become the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which is still in circulation today.
2. On August 2, 1927, the Buck O'Neil Bridge in Kansas City was dedicated. The bridge spans the Missouri River and is named after John "Buck" O'Neil, a local sports legend and member of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
3. Missouri Governor Warren E. Hearnes declared August 2, 1973, as Mark Twain Day in honor of the famous author who was born in Missouri. Twain is best known for his iconic works, including "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
4. The Ozark Music Festival, one of the largest music festivals ever held in the United States, took place in Sedalia, Missouri, from July 19-21, 1974. On August 2, Governor Hearnes declared a state of emergency due to the massive crowds and traffic congestion caused by the festival.
5. In 2014, construction began on the Gateway Arch grounds renovation project in St. Louis. The $380 million project aimed to revitalize the area surrounding the iconic Gateway Arch and included improvements to the park, museum, and riverfront. The project was completed in 2018.