1. Kansas was granted statehood on January 29, 1861, just months before the outbreak of the American Civil War. However, the state had been the subject of intense political debate for years prior to this, with tensions surrounding the issue of slavery dividing the country.

2. On December 29, 1890, the last major conflict of the Indian Wars in the United States occurred at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. A detachment of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, which had famously been commanded by George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, opened fire on a group of Native American men, women, and children, killing at least 150 of them in what has been widely regarded as a massacre.

3. In 1939, a severe blizzard struck the Midwest, including parts of Kansas, killing an estimated 75 people and causing widespread damage and disruption. Known as the "Armistice Day Blizzard," it was so named because it began on November 11, which was then observed as Armistice Day, the day on which World War I had officially ended 21 years earlier.

4. On December 29, 1940, the Monnett experimental aircraft developed by Kansas native Steve Wittman set a new world speed record of 305.33 miles per hour. The aircraft was powered by a 185-horsepower engine and was designed with streamlined features that minimized drag and boosted overall speed.

5. In 1961, legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Parker, who was born in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1920, is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz, and his innovative improvisations and compositions have inspired countless musicians across genres.