1) In 1956, the Kansas Turnpike opened to the public on September 9, becoming the first toll road in the state. The turnpike, also known as I-335, spans nearly 236 miles from Kansas City to the Oklahoma border.

2) On September 9, 1850, the first newspaper was published in Lawrence, Kansas. Named the Kansas Pioneer, the publication was founded by Samuel N. Wood and served as an outlet for anti-slavery views.

3) In 1861, the Battle of Dry Wood Creek took place near Fort Scott, Kansas on September 9. Confederate soldiers, under General Sterling Price, clashed with Union troops in one of the first battles of the Civil War in the western theater.

4) The Kansas State Fair, now an annual event drawing nearly 350,000 visitors, held its first fair on September 9, 1913. Originally located in Hutchinson, it was moved to its current location in 1949 in the city of Hutchinson.

5) On September 9, 1961, famed journalist and Kansan William Allen White passed away at the age of 77. White, a Pulitzer Prize winner, was known for his progressive views on politics and social issues and his advocacy for free speech and a free press.