1. In 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was signed into law, which established the territories of Kansas and Nebraska in the United States. The act also repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which prohibited slavery in the northern territories.

2. In 1867, the first train arrived in Dodge City, Kansas, which was an important stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The construction of the rail line boosted the region's economy and allowed for the transportation of goods and people.

3. In 1873, the University of Kansas was founded in Lawrence, Kansas. Today it is a world-renowned institution with over 28,000 students and a prominent research program.

4. In 1958, the National championship game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Manhattan Jaspers was held in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. The Jayhawks won their second national championship that year with a score of 75-53.

5. In 1997, the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson opened a new exhibit featuring space artifacts from the Soviet Union. The exhibit, which was the first of its kind in the United States, included items from the Russian Mir space station, as well as a replica of the Sputnik satellite.