People's History Kansas City

A break-in at a Kansas farmhouse unearthed a trove of artifacts from Maud Wagner, one of the country’s first known female commercial tattoo artists. Wagner was born in Emporia and ran off to join the circus until a fateful meeting pushed her to pursue carnival stardom, inked from head to toe. KCUR’s Julie Denesha and Mackenzie Martin explore Wagner’s journey and the permanent mark she left on the world.

A break-in at a Kansas farmhouse unearthed a trove of artifacts from Maud Wagner, one of the country’s first known female commercial tattoo artists. Wagner was born in Emporia and joined a sideshow act with her sister until a fateful meeting pushed her to pursue carnival stardom, inked from head to toe.

If you go to any ice cream truck or swimming pool snack bar, you’ll likely find the red, white and blue Bomb Pop. The famous treat was invented in Kansas City in 1955. But when the popsicle first came out during the Cold War, some parents didn’t like the idea of selling a frozen weapon of war to children.

On International Transgender Day of Visibility, Kansas should remember the accomplishments of Dr. Alan L. Hart, a doctor and author born in Halls Summit in the late 19th century. In 1917, he made history by becoming one of the first known trans men in the country to undergo gender affirming surgery.

The University of Missouri–Kansas City recently restored one of the last remaining murals of a nearly forgotten Spanish painter. Hear the story of Luis Quintanilla and how he ended up in Kansas City.

The late Kansas Sen. Bob Dole was a champion for disability rights. One of his biggest accomplishments was getting the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, 35 years ago this week. We'll look back on the role Kansas played in this landmark civil rights law.

Kansas City será la ciudad más pequeña de Norteamérica en ser anfitrión de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026. Pero es posible que no hubiera adoptado este deporte en absoluto, de no ser por el esfuerzo de los primeros inmigrantes que lucharon por este deporte, incluso antes de que existieran los campos de fútbol.

Jim the Wonder Dog gained fame for his alleged ability to predict the future and understand commands in multiple languages. A museum in Marshall, Missouri, dedicated to the arcane canine will host costume, trick, and look-alike contests this weekend to celebrate.

As Kansas City celebrates the Chiefs’ third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, the team name, logo, and some problematic fan customs like the “tomahawk chop” are once again being broadcast worldwide. But where did it all start, and how did the team avoid becoming the Kansas City Texans?

Popcorn wasn’t always seen as the ultimate movie snack, but one woman from Kansas City helped change that. Plus: Some Kansas schools are easing up on playground rules in hopes of improving kids’ physical and mental health.

In 1976, Kansas City, Missouri, was the unlikely host of a drama-filled Republican presidential convention that ended up defining the conservative agenda for decades to come. Incumbent President Gerald Ford found himself in a heated battle with then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan to win over delegates and obtain the party’s nomination. WFAE’s Ben Bradford tells the story of how this “shoot-out” shaped the modern GOP. (This episode comes to us from the podcast Landslide.)

The Veiled Prophet of St. Louis is an organization shrouded in mystery, an elite white secret society behind lavish parties, business developments and racist practices. As St. Louis Public Radio’s Chad Davis reports, the story of those who worked to unveil the Prophet directly laid the path to the Ferguson Uprising. (This episode comes to us from the podcast We Live Here.)