Wichita, Kansas

1920Aviation Industry Born: Cessna, Beechcraft, and Stearman all established aircraft factories in Wichita, launching the aviation industry that earned the city its nickname 'Air Capital of the World.'.

1874Chisholm Trail Cattle Town: Wichita was the northern terminus of the Chisholm Trail, where cowboys drove millions of Texas longhorns to railheads. Wyatt Earp served as a lawman during the wild cattle town era.

2016BTK Killer Legacy: Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer who terrorized Wichita from 1974 to 1991, was finally caught in 2005 after taunting police for decades. His case reshaped criminal investigation.

1942WWII Aircraft Production: Wichita's aircraft plants produced thousands of bombers and trainers for WWII, including the B-29 Superfortress. Boeing's Wichita plant was the largest bomber factory in the nation.

1958Pizza Hut Founded: Dan and Frank Carney opened the first Pizza Hut in Wichita with a $600 loan from their mother, launching what would become the world's largest pizza chain.

1868Wichita Founded: Wichita was established as a trading post near the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers, on land previously occupied by the Wichita people.

1955Koch Industries: Koch Industries, headquartered in Wichita, grew into one of the largest privately held companies in America, making the Koch family among the wealthiest and most politically influential in the country.

1935Dust Bowl: Massive dust storms devastated Wichita and the surrounding Kansas plains during the Dust Bowl, driving thousands of farmers off their land.

2009Dr. George Tiller Assassination: Dr. George Tiller, one of the few doctors in America who performed late-term abortions, was shot and killed at his Wichita church, igniting national debate.

1891Carry Nation's Temperance Crusade: Temperance activist Carry Nation famously smashed saloons in Wichita with a hatchet, becoming a national symbol of the prohibition movement.