Auto racing
Ozarks racing fans were treated to a thrilling battle for the 1976 Missouri State Asphalt Championship. Dave Watson and Springfield's Larry Phillips traded the lead three times in the 100 lap feature before disaster struck Phillips' car.
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Celtics Play in Springfield
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Springfield basketball fans enjoyed the rare opportunity to see the defending NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, play the St. Louis Hawks in the Parkview High School gymnasium in 1963.
Racing
The Fairgrounds Speedway hosted one of the most unique races ever held at the historic speedway in 1958.
Southern 500 - A Labor Day classic
Labor Day weekend marks one of the greatest traditions in auto racing -- the running of the Southern 500 at Darlington, South Carolina. Mark Martin, a regular competitor at Springfield's Fairground Speedway, competed in this race in a bid to tie the record for the most consecutive wins in NASCAR's modern era.
Bears vs Tigers
On September 2, the University of Missouri Tigers face off against the Missouri State Bears for the first time since 1923. Adding to the intrigue, Bears coach Dave Steckel returns to Columbia for the first time since accepting the Missouri State job three years ago. MoreSpringfield Cubs
As the Chicago Cubs make their first appearance in the World Series since 1945, many area fans may not know that the Cardinals' greatest rivals once had a farm team in Springfield. More6th Missouri Cavalry
Local History and Genealogy staff recently scanned a panoramic photograph of a 6th Missouri Cavalry (U.S.) reunion held in Springfield, Mo.More
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, triggered World War I. See how the Library is documenting Missouri’s participation in the war and discover new books published for the centennial of this controversial event in European history. MoreRemembering D-Day
June 6 marks the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings at Normandy during World War II. News of the invasion reach Springfield by 5 a.m. and local residents anxiously gathered around newspapers and radios to hear the latest updates.More
Johnny Beauchamp
Johnny Beauchamp won a 200-lap race at the Springfield Fairgrounds racetrack in 1957. In 1959, he and Lee Petty raced at the first Daytona 500 to a controversial photo finish.More
Super Bowl I
Curt Merz recalls playing in Super Bowl I. Merz played for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Green Bay Packers at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1967. MoreJohn F. Kennedy in Springfield
John F. Kennedy visited Springfield in 1957. He spoke at the Democratic Party's annual Jackson Days celebration. MoreLyon's Sword
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Nathanial Lyon's sword was purchased from an antique dealer in Florida and presented to the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Park Museum by the Civil War Roundtable of Springfield in 1969. MoreEarl Scruggs
Legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs performed at the Ozark Empire Fair in August 1965. Flatt and Scruggs enjoyed tremendous commercial success, perhaps most notably when "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" was used as the theme song for "The Beverly Hillbillies." MoreFairground Racers: Part 2
How did Mark Martin, Dean Roper and Rusty Wallace, former Ozark area racers, fare in the 1983 Daytona 500? Read part 2 of Fairground Racers. More