On this date in 1954, Fort Scott, Kansas reached 120 degrees, and Pana, Illinois was 115 degrees.
Hottest temperatures at Pana have plummeted since then, now rarely getting over 100F.
More than half of the country was over 100 degrees on that date, from California to New York.
The US was about to get hit by three major hurricanes in 1954, including the last two to hit New England.
