Record-high temperatures draw many outside on King holiday

It was a delightful collision of circumstances: a warm, sunny day with children off from school and many employees off work because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

It was so warm, in fact, that Wichita set a record for the day. The temperature reached 73 degrees Monday afternoon, breaking the record for Jan. 19. The previous high on that date was 70 in 1904.

Theodore Roosevelt was in the White House then. The Boston Americans edged the New York Highlanders for the American League pennant, but there was no World Series because the National League champions, the New York Giants, refused to participate.

Teachers could use the gap between records as a math problem for young students. But that’s a quiz for Tuesday.

Monday was a good day to run around in the park or use the playground equipment or enjoy a round of golf.

This story was originally published January 19, 2015 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Record-high temperatures draw many outside on King holiday."