The following is a timeline of the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

of Kansas City,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, United States.

19th century

* 1838 - Settlement named Town of Kansas. * 1846 - Population: 700. * 1840 - City Market active. * 1850 - June 3: Town of Kansas formally organized municipality in Jackson County. * 1853 - March 28: City of Kansas incorporated by Missouri. * 1854 -

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

* 1857 **Chamber of Commerce established. **November 9 - Union Cemetery founded by a special act of the Missouri General Assembly, as the private corporation Union Cemetery Assembly * 1860 - Population: 4,418. *1863 - August 13: The collapse of the Union Women's Prison kills four and maims several other women, which the pro-Confederate

bushwhacker Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there were large areas of contested land and few governmental resources to control these tra ...

s will cite revenge as a justification for the

Sacking of Lawrence The sacking of Lawrence occurred on May 21, 1856, when pro-slavery settlers, led by Douglas County Sheriff Samuel J. Jones, attacked and ransacked Lawrence, Kansas, a town which had been founded by anti-slavery settlers from Massachusetts w ...

. * 1864 - October 23:

Battle of Westport The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West", was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeate ...

. *1867 - March 1: First meeting of the

Kansas City Public Schools Kansas City 33 School District, operating as Kansas City Public Schools or KCPS (formerly Kansas City, Missouri School District, or KCMSD), is a school district headquartered at 2901 Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The dis ...

Board of Education. * 1869 - July 3:

Hannibal Bridge The First Hannibal Bridge was the first permanent rail crossing of the Missouri River and helped establish Kansas City, Missouri as a major city and rail center. The increased train traffic resulting from its construction also contributed to th ...

over the Missouri River opens, first railroad bridge across the river. * 1870 - Population: 32,260. * 1871 - Kansas City Bar Library Assoc. formed. * 1872 - Elmwood Cemetery established. * 1875 - Fetterman Circulating Library in business. * 1880 - Population: 55,785. * 1882 **

Kansas City Club The Kansas City Club, founded in 1882 and located in the Library District of Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, was the oldest gentlemen's club in Missouri. The club began admitting women members in 1975. Along with the River Club on nearby ...

founded. ** First electric lights used in KC; implemented by KCP&L * 1885 **

Kansas City Art Institute The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. It has approx ...

founded, later attended by

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

** First overhead electric trolleys in the US used here. * 1889 ** The city of Kansas City formed by merger of Westport and City of Kansas. **

Kansas City Public Library The Kansas City Public Library is a public system headquartered in the Central Library in Kansas City, Missouri. The system operates its Central Library and neighborhood branches located in Kansas City, Independence, and Sugar Creek. Founde ...

building opens. * 1890 - Population: 132,716. * 1892 - Court House built. * 1893 ** City Hall built. **

Kansas City Athletic Club The Kansas City Athletic Club is an athletic club and gentlemen's club in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Notable members have included President Harry S. Truman and others. Founding The club was founded in 1887 by Arthur E. Stillwell as the F ...

active. * 1895 - Kansas City School of Law founded. * 1897 - December 20:

City workhouse castle City workhouse castle (Vine Street workhouse castle, Brant Castle) is a city historical register site located at 2001 Vine Street in Kansas City, Missouri. This is within the 18th and Vine – Downtown East, Kansas City, 18th and Vine Jazz Distri ...

opened, old workhouse abandoned. * 1900 ** July 4:

1900 Democratic National Convention The 1900 Democratic National Convention was a United States presidential nominating convention that took place the week of July 4, 1900, at Convention Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. The convention nominated William Jennings Bryan for president ...

held. ** Federal Building constructed. ** Population: 163,752.

20th century

1900s-1940s

* 1903 - Automobile Club of Kansas City active. * 1904 -

Children's Mercy Hospital Children's Mercy Kansas City is a 390 bed comprehensive pediatric medical center in Kansas City, Missouri, that integrates clinical care, research and medical education to provide care for pediatric patients from birth through adulthood. The h ...

active. * 1908 - City Hospital built. * 1909 -

Kansas City Zoo The Kansas City Zoo is a zoo founded in 1909. It is located in Swope Park at 6800 Zoo Drive Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. The zoo has a Friends of the Zoo program. It is home to more than 1,300 animals and is an accredited memb ...

opens in

Swope Park Swope Park is a city park in Kansas City, Missouri. At , it is the 51st-largest municipal park in the United States, and the largest park in Kansas City. It is named in honor of Colonel Thomas H. Swope, a philanthropist who donated the land to ...

* 1910 **

Hall Brothers In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...

in business. ** Population: 248,381. * 1913 -

Cook Paint and Varnish Company Cook Paint and Varnish Company was a paint and varnish manufacturer in the Kansas City metropolitan area from 1913 until 1991. History The paint factory was established in 1913 at 21st and Broadway in Kansas City by Charles R. Cook. (1884-1949) ...

in business. * 1914 **

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and covers the 10th District of the Federal Reserve, which includes Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and portions of western Missouri and northern New Mex ...

and

Paseo YMCA The Paseo YMCA is a U.S. historic YMCA in Kansas City, Missouri. History The Paseo YMCA opened in 1914, when Julius Rosenwald encouraged Kansas Citians to raise $80,000 toward building a new YMCA. In 1920 eight independent black baseball team ...

open. **

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

rebuilt. * 1915 - Kansas City Polytechnic Institute established. * 1917 -

Rockhurst College Rockhurst University is a private school, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College, Rockhurst University is School accreditation, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It ...

opens. * 1919 - Truman and Jacobson's

haberdashery In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a retailer who sells men's clothing ...

in business. * 1920 - Population: 324,410. * 1921 -

Laugh-O-Gram Studio The Laugh-O-Gram Studio (also called Laugh-O-Gram Studios) was a short-lived film studio located on the second floor of the McConahay Building at 1127 East 31st in Kansas City, Missouri that operated from June 28, 1921 to November 20, 1923. ...

founded by

* 1922 - WPE radio begins broadcasting. * 1923 ** Fairyland Amusement Park opens at 7501 Prospect ** Laugh-O-Gram Studio files bankruptcy and closes * 1926 ** Ararat Shrine Temple and Bagdad Theatre open. ** Liberty Memorial dedicated to World War I veterans, opens * 1927 - Downtown Airport opens, dedicated by Charles Lindbergh * 1928 ** June:

1928 Republican National Convention The 1928 Republican National Convention was held at Convention Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, from June 12 to June 15, 1928. Because President Coolidge had announced unexpectedly he would not run for re-election in 1928, Commerce Secretary H ...

. ** F. W. Woolworth Building constructed. * 1931 -

Kansas City Power and Light Building The Kansas City Power and Light Building (also called the KCP&L Building and the Power and Light Building) is a landmark skyscraper located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It was constructed by Kansas City Power and Light in 1931 as a way to p ...

constructed. * 1933 - June 17: Kansas City massacre. * 1936 - Holy Land Christian Mission founded. * 1937 -

Kansas City City Hall Kansas City City Hall is the official seat of government for the city of Kansas City, Missouri. Located in downtown, it is a 29-story skyscraper with an observation deck. Completed in 1937, the building has a Beaux-Arts and Art-Deco style with ...

rebuilt. * 1945 - K.C. native Harry S Truman sworn in as President of the United States after President Franklin Roosevelt's sudden death * 1946 **

Linda Hall Library The Linda Hall Library is a privately endowed American library of science, engineering and technology located in Kansas City, Missouri, sitting "majestically on a urban arboretum." It is the "largest independently funded public library of scien ...

established. ** William E. Kemp becomes mayor. * 1948 ** Harry S Truman wins Presidential election ** First national leadership conference of the Future Homemakers of America (FHA), now Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). * 1949 ** Crest Drive-In cinema active (approximate date). **

Richard Walker Bolling Richard Walker Bolling (May 17, 1916 – April 21, 1991) was a prominent American Democratic Congressman from Kansas City, Missouri, and Missouri's 5th congressional district from 1949 to 1983. He retired after serving for four years as the cha ...

becomes

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for

Missouri's 5th congressional district Missouri's 5th congressional district has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, the former Mayor of Kansas City, since 2005. The district primarily consists of the inner ring of the Kansas ...

. **Industrial Bearings Transmission, no
IBT, Inc.
founded at 1625 Grand

1950s-1990s

* 1951 - July:

Great Flood of 1951 In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River, Missouri River, and other surrounding areas of the Central United States. Flooding occurred in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. ...

. * 1954 ** U.S. Weather Bureau Severe Local Storms Unit relocated to Kansas City. ** Paseo Bridge opens * 1955 ** The city gains its first major professional sports team when the Philadelphia Athletics of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

relocate to Kansas City ** H. Roe Bartle becomes mayor. * 1956 - First runway opens at Kansas City Industrial Airport, now KCI * 1957 **

Kansas City Ballet The Kansas City Ballet (KCB) is an American professional ballet company based in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was founded in 1957 by Russian expatriate Tatiana Dokoudovska. The KCB presents five major performances each season to include ...

founded. ** Ruskin Heights Tornado (F-5). * 1959 - Five KC firefighters killed in gas tank explosion on Southwest Blvd. * 1963 ** The Dallas Texans of the American Football League relocate to Kansas City and become the Chiefs **

University of Missouri–Kansas City The University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) is a public research university in Kansas City, Missouri. UMKC is part of the University of Missouri System and one of only two member universities with a medical school. As of 2020, the university ...

established. ** Ilus W. Davis becomes mayor. * 1964 - Kansas City Repertory Theatre founded * 1967 ** Kansas City Chiefs win American Football League championship and play in first Super Bowl, losing to Green Bay Packers **

Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

relationship established with

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, Spain. ** Athletics relocate to Oakland at the conclusion of the season * 1968 - April:

1968 Kansas City, Missouri riot The 1968 Kansas City riot occurred in Kansas City, Missouri, in April 1968. Kansas City became one of 37 cities in the United States to be the subject of rioting after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The rioting in Kansas City did ...

. * 1969 ** Kansas City Royals baseball team formed., ** Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl IV * 1970 - Population: 507,330. * 1971 **

Crown Center Crown Center is a shopping center and neighborhood located near Downtown Kansas City, Missouri between Gillham Road and Main Street to the east and west, and between OK/E 22nd St and E 27th St to the north and south. The shopping center is ...

opens. ** Charles Wheeler becomes mayor. * 1972 ** Sister city relationship established with

Kurashiki is a historic city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a population density of 1,400 persons per ...

, Japan. ** Arrowhead Stadium opens ** NBA comes to Kansas City when the Cincinnati Royals relocate and become the Kings ** Kansas City International Airport becomes the city's primary passenger airport * 1973 ** Sister city relationship established with

Morelia Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital and lar ...

, Mexico. **

Worlds of Fun Worlds of Fun is an entertainment complex with more than 235 acres located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is the largest amusement park and water park in the Midwest. Founded by American businessmen Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman, the park opened in ...

opens. **

Kauffman Stadium Kauffman Stadium (), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). It is part of the Truman Sports Complex together with the adjacent Arrowhead ...

opens as Royals Stadium. * 1974 **

Kemper Arena The Hy-Vee Arena, previously known as Kemper Arena, is an indoor arena located in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to conversion to a youth sports and community gymnasium facility, Kemper Arena was previously a 19,500-seat professional sports arena ...

opens. **

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

comes to Kansas City with the establishment of the

Scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpack ...

as an expansion team ** Sister city relationship established with

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...

, Sierra Leone. * 1976 - World Science Fiction Convention held. * 1977 - Fairyland Amusement Park closes after extensive damage by windstorm * 1978 - Sister city relationship established with

Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of his ...

, Taiwan. * 1979 - Richard L. Berkley becomes mayor. * 1980 **

Hyatt Regency Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...

hotel opens. ** The Kansas City Royals win the American League pennant before losing in

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

to the Philadelphia Phillies * 1981 - July 17:

Hyatt Regency walkway collapse On July 17, 1981, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, suffered the structural collapse of two overhead walkways. Loaded with partygoers, the concrete and glass platforms cascaded down, crashing onto a tea dance in the lobby, killi ...

. * 1982 **

Kansas City Symphony The Kansas City Symphony (KCS) is a United States symphony orchestra based in Kansas City, Missouri. The current music director is conductor Michael Stern. The Symphony performs at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 1601 Br ...

active. ** Oceans of Fun opens * 1985 -

won by Kansas City Royals with Manager Dick Howser * 1986 - Town Pavilion hi-rise built. * 1988 ** ACT UP chapter founded. **

One Kansas City Place One Kansas City Place is the tallest building in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, bounded by 12th Street to the north, Baltimore Avenue to the west, and Main Street to the east. Built in 1988, this 18 ...

built. ** Serial killer Bob Berdella apprehended as "Kansas City Butcher" * 1989 - Sister city relationship established with

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqi ...

, China. * 1990 - Population: 435,146. * 1991 **

Kansas City Stockyards The Kansas City Stockyards in the West Bottoms west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri flourished from 1871 until closing in 1991. Jay B. Dillingham was the President of the stockyards from 1948 to its closing in 1991. History The stockyards ...

close. ** Emanuel Cleaver becomes mayor. ** Firefighters' Memorial Fountain dedicated at 31st & Broadway ** Sister city relationship established with Guadalajara, Mexico. * 1993 ** Sister city relationships established with

Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

, Germany and Port Harcourt, Nigeria. ** Great Flood of 1993 * 1994 -

Bartle Hall Convention Center The Kansas City Convention Center, originally Bartle Hall Convention Center or Bartle Hall, is a major convention center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was named for Harold Roe Bartle, a prominent, two-term mayor of Kansas City in t ...

opens. * 1995 - Sister city relationship established with

Arusha Arusha City is a Tanzanian city and the regional capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Council (2012 census). Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern bran ...

, Tanzania. * 1997 ** City website goes online (approximate date). ** Sister city relationship established with San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico. * 1998 - Sister city relationship established with

Ramla Ramla or Ramle ( he, רַמְלָה, ''Ramlā''; ar, الرملة, ''ar-Ramleh'') is a city in the Central District of Israel. Today, Ramle is one of Israel's mixed cities, with both a significant Jewish and Arab populations. The city was f ...

, Israel. * 1999 -

Kay Barnes Kay Waldo Barnes (born March 30, 1938) is a former American politician and two-term Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, and the first woman to be elected to the office. She was the Democratic nominee for map of the United States House of Representat ...

becomes mayor. * 2000 - Population: 441,545.

21st century

* 2001 - Regional Kansas City SmartPort economic development group established. * 2004 - Sister city relationship established with

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

, France. * 2005 ** Penn Valley skatepark opens. ** Emanuel Cleaver becomes

for

. * 2007 **

Sprint Center T-Mobile Center (formerly Sprint Center) is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District. It has effectively become ...

(arena) opens. ** Irish Museum and Cultural Center active. **

Mark Funkhouser Mark Funkhouser (born October 4, 1949) is an American academic, author, and former politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, serving one four-year term from May 1, 2007, until May 2, 2011. Prior to serving as the city's m ...

becomes mayor. * 2010 ** Population: 459,787. ** Paseo Bridge closed, demolished ** Christopher S. Bond Bridge opens, replacing Paseo Bridge * 2011 **

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, at 16th and Broadway, near the Power & Light District, the T-Mobile Center and the Crossroads Arts District. Its construction was a m ...

opens. **

Sly James Sylvester "Sly" James, Jr. (born December 9, 1951) is an American politician who served as the 54th mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 2011 to 2019. James has lived in Kansas City's Union Hill neighborhood. As mayor, he was known for wearing bo ...

becomes mayor. ** Population: 463,202; metro 2,052,676. * 2012 ** Google Fiber service begins. ** Kansas City Startup Village established. * 2014 - Liberty Memorial designated National World War I Monument. * 2015 -

won by Kansas City Royals * 2019 -

Quinton Lucas Quinton Donald Lucas (born August 19, 1984) is an American politician serving as the 55th mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. He was elected in 2019. He is affiliated with the Democratic party and is the city's third African-American mayor. Before hi ...

elected mayor *2020 -

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

win

Super Bowl LIV Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conferenc ...

*2021 - Chiefs lose Super Bowl LV *2023 - Chiefs win

Super Bowl LVII Super Bowl LVII is the upcoming championship game of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 NFL season. The game is scheduled to be played on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will be the fourth Super B ...

References

Bibliography

19th century publications

Business directory
1866 * *

20th century publications

* * * * * * *

21st century publications

* * * * * *

External links

*
Items related to Kansas City, Mo.
various dates (via

Digital Public Library of America The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a US project aimed at providing public access to digital holdings in order to create a large-scale public digital library. It officially launched on April 18, 2013, after two and a half years of dev ...

) {{Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas city Years in Missouri

19th century

20th century

1900s-1940s

1950s-1990s

21st century

See also

References

Bibliography

19th century publications

20th century publications

21st century publications

External links