1. In 1875, the Kansas State Agricultural College, now known as Kansas State University, held its first classes. The college was founded through the Morrill Act of 1862, which provided land grants for states to establish agricultural and mechanical colleges.

2. On June 4, 1883, a massive tornado struck the town of Wichita, causing widespread devastation and killing 9 people. The tornado was one of the most destructive in Kansas history, with winds estimated at 260 miles per hour.

3. In 1919, Kansas became the first state to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol, three years before national prohibition was enacted. The state's ban on alcohol lasted until 1948, when it was repealed.

4. On June 4, 1924, the first airplane flight over the North Pole was completed by a team of American explorers, including Kansan Carl Ben Eielson. The flight was part of an Arctic expedition sponsored by explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson.

5. In 1944, the first B-29 bomber built at the Boeing plant in Wichita took its maiden flight. The B-29 Superfortress was a key weapon in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and helped usher in the age of strategic bombing.