1. In 1913, the Ford Motor Company established its first assembly plant in Missouri, located in Kansas City. This plant produced the Model T automobile and helped to transform the automobile industry in the United States.

2. On July 12, 1955, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways were established, becoming the first national park area in Missouri. The park encompasses over 80,000 acres and includes over 130 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers.

3. Missouri native Scott Joplin, known as the "King of Ragtime," was born on July 12, 1868, in Texarkana, Texas. However, he spent much of his career in Missouri, particularly in St. Louis, where he composed some of his most famous works, including "The Entertainer."

4. On July 12, 1861, during the early days of the Civil War, Union forces under General Nathaniel Lyon clashed with Confederate supporters in Springfield, Missouri. The Battle of Wilson's Creek, as it became known, was one of the first major battles of the war and resulted in a Confederate victory.

5. The first successful parachute jump was made from a hot air balloon by Andre-Jacques Garnerin on July 12, 1793. Although Garnerin was not from Missouri, the state has a strong history of aviation innovation and is home to several prominent aviation museums, such as the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City.