1. In 1962, the world's first atomic-powered transport ship, the NS Savannah, made its maiden voyage from Yorktown, Virginia to Savannah, Georgia with a stop in Kansas City, Missouri. The ship was powered by a nuclear reactor and was designed to showcase the peaceful use of atomic energy.

2. On July 9, 1864, Confederate General Sterling Price led his army against Union forces in Kansas during the American Civil War. The Battle of Mine Creek, near Prescott, Kansas, was a decisive Union victory and marked the end of Price's raid into the state.

3. In 1892, the first state normal school in Kansas was founded in Emporia. Today, that institution is known as Emporia State University and is a major center for education in the state.

4. On July 9, 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the United States. Earhart took off from Los Angeles and landed in Newark, New Jersey, setting a speed record for the journey.

5. Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, was founded on July 9, 1870. Originally a trading post on the Chisholm Trail, Wichita grew rapidly into a center for cattle drives, grain storage, and manufacturing. Today, the city is a major hub for aerospace manufacturing, with companies such as Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems operating there.