1862     Jesse Bright, Madison, Indiana, was expelled from the United States Senate for being a Confederate sympathizer.  Before the Civil war, he had served as a state senator and lieutenant governor (under Governor James Whitcomb.)

1940     Frank Sinatra was on stage at the Lyric Theater in Indianapolis.  It was one of his first shows with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the band that launched his career in music and movies.

1943     The United States troop ship SS Dorchester was sunk in the Labrador Sea by a German U-boat.  The sinking became famous for the four Army chaplains who gave away their life jackets to save others.  Two of the chaplains had served in Indiana:  Rabbi Alexander D. Goode from Marion and John P. Washington, a Catholic priest from Fort Harrison in Indianapolis.

1950     Children crowded onto the fifth floor of the L. S. Ayres Department Store to see “Electro, the Mechanical Man.”  Made of metal, standing seven feet tall, and weighing 265 pounds, Electro could talk, understand voice commands, move his arms, and even blow up balloons.  He and his mechanical dog Sparko were built by the Westinghouse Company for an exhibit at the 1939 World’s Fair.

1992     A fire at the Indianapolis Athletic Club resulted in the deaths of two city firemen and one guest.  The cause was determined to be defective wiring in a refrigerator.  The tragedy caused the Indianapolis Fire Department to establish new procedures for high-rise fires.

2007     The Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI in Miami, defeating the Chicago Bears, 29 – 17.  The game on CBS was seen by over 93 million people, making it at the time the fifth-most watched program in TV history.  The half-time show, headlined by rock star Prince, had a peak audience of 140 million viewers.

Follow this link to subscribe to Hoosier History Highlights and to view archived editions

Follow us on Instagram: @instatehousetouroffice

Indiana Statehouse Tour Office

Indiana Department of Administration

Visitors are welcome at the Indiana Statehouse Monday through Saturday.  For more information, please contact the tour office.

(317) 233-5293
touroffice@idoa.in.gov

Indiana Quick Quiz

1.  What is the third-largest city in Indiana?

2.  Name this favorite “TV mom” born in Dale, Indiana.

3.  Name the Indiana city once known as the “band instrument capital of the world.”

Answers Below

Hoosier Quote of the Week

“We’re all put on earth for a purpose, and mine is to make people laugh.”

—Red Skelton (1913-1997)

Born in Vincennes, Indiana, Red Skelton became a world renown comedy star of stage, radio, television, and movies.

Take a “virtual tour” of the Indiana Statehouse

Answers:  1.  Evansville   2.  Florence Henderson   3.  Elkhart