1. In 1861, Kansas was admitted to the Union as the 34th state. This was a significant milestone in the state's history and marked the end of a long struggle for statehood.

2. On December 21, 1868, the famous gunfighter John Wesley Hardin was arrested in Florida, where he had been on the run for several months. Hardin was ultimately convicted of murder and spent much of his life in prison.

3. In 1871, the first issue of the Atchison Daily Globe newspaper was published. This newspaper would go on to become one of the most influential and widely-read publications in the state.

4. On December 21, 1937, the notorious bank robber and outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd was killed in a shootout with FBI agents in Ohio. Floyd had become one of the most wanted fugitives in the country during the Great Depression and his death was seen as a victory for law enforcement.

5. In 2004, the city of Wichita, Kansas hosted the annual National Finals Rodeo. This event brought thousands of cowboys and rodeo enthusiasts to the city, and helped to boost the local economy.