Today is Kansas Day. I have no idea when Iowa, Colorado, Ohio, or Minnesota Days are (or if they are even celebrated.) No one that I've ever met who wasn't a Kansan could tell me the date their state was admitted to the Union, but today a large number of my Kansan friends posted "Happy Kansas Day" or similar messages on Facebook. Pretty much anyone who has spent any significant amount of time in Kansas schools knows that today is Kansas Day.
I'm not really sure why other states don't have the same fierce loyalty or commitment to state history. I've lived in Minnesota for almost eight years, but I'm still a Kansan. I can name most of the 105 counties in Kansas and rattle off a long list of famous Kansans. I know why being a Jayhawker is more than just allegiance to a university and is far more important.
Today the state where the Civil War really began turns 150. Maybe, given the role that Kansas has played in US history, that January 29th should be the one state birthday that is really celebrated.
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