1. On May 3, 1815, Missouri became the 24th state in the United States of America. It was the first state to be carved out of the Louisiana Purchase territory.

2. On May 3, 1861, the Missouri State Guard captured the city of St. Louis in the first battle of the Civil War in Missouri. The Confederate forces were led by General Sterling Price, while the Union troops were commanded by Captain Nathaniel Lyon.

3. On May 3, 1904, the St. Louis World's Fair opened to the public. The fair, also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase and was held in St. Louis, Missouri.

4. On May 3, 1927, navigator Charles Lindbergh arrived in St. Louis for a parade in his honor after completing the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh had flown from New York to Paris in just over 33 hours in his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis.

5. On May 3, 2007, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis celebrated its 42nd birthday. The iconic structure, which stands 630 feet tall, was designed by architect Eero Saarinen and completed in 1965. It is the tallest man-made monument in the United States.