1. On December 29, 1845, Texan President Anson Jones wrote an official letter to U.S. President James K. Polk requesting the annexation of Texas to the United States. This event ultimately led to the Mexican-American War, which began in 1846.

2. The St. Louis Cardinals baseball team announced on December 29, 2004, that they had acquired All-Star pitcher Mark Mulder in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. Mulder went on to help the Cardinals win the National League pennant in 2004.

3. In 1903, the state of Missouri opened the Missouri Training School for Boys in Boonville, Missouri. The institution was established to provide delinquent boys with vocational training and education. The facility closed in 1983.

4. On December 29, 1862, the Battle of Van Buren took place in Missouri during the Civil War. Union forces under the command of Brigadier General James G. Blunt defeated Confederate forces led by Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke.

5. The Missouri River Flood of 1993 caused extensive damage throughout the state, and on December 29 of that year, the town of Pacific, Missouri, was evacuated due to rising floodwaters. The flood caused an estimated $15 billion in damages and affected over 50,000 homes and businesses.