1. On September 2, 1864, a Confederate guerrilla, William Quantrill, led a raid on the town of Centralia, Missouri, killing over 100 Union soldiers. The incident is known as the Centralia Massacre.

2. The Missouri State Fair, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, typically begins on the second Thursday in August and runs for 11 days, ending on the first Sunday in September. Therefore, September 2 often falls during the Missouri State Fair.

3. In 1940, the City of St. Louis hosted the National Air Races, a week-long event that featured air shows, races, and other aviation-related activities. The event attracted some of the biggest names in aviation, including Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes.

4. Missouri is known for its spectacular fall foliage, and September marks the beginning of the leaf-peeping season. As the temperatures start to cool, the leaves on Missouri's trees begin to turn into a kaleidoscope of colors, making it an ideal time for outdoor enthusiasts to explore the state's parks and hiking trails.

5. On September 2, 1961, the world's first successful robotic heart surgery was performed at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The surgery, which involved the use of a device called the "Larson-Miller Heart," enabled doctors to repair a defect in a patient's heart without having to open the chest cavity.