1812 – Mishikinakawa, Little Turtle, Chief of the Miami People, died in Fort Wayne. He was one of the most important Native American leaders of his time. After he signed the Treaty of Greenville, he became an advocate for peace. He was given a military funeral and was buried in an ancestral burial ground near Spy Run in Fort Wayne.
1863 – Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his men seized riverboats to cross the Ohio River from Kentucky into Indiana. They engaged both civilian and military defenders as they fought and plundered their way through the state.
1874 – Franklin Booth was born in Carmel. Beginning as a staff artist for the Indianapolis News, he moved to New York where he became known for beautifully-detailed pen-and-ink illustrations in books and magazines. His intricate creations won him a place in the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame.
1933 – July 13 was “Indiana Day” at the Century of Progress World’s Fair in Chicago. A huge parade through the grounds included high school bands from Frankfort, Goshen, Elkhart, Hammond and other cities. Governor Paul V. McNutt led the Hoosier delegation, which included humorist George Ade, author Meredith Nicholson and artist Franklin Booth.
1948 – James Baskett died in California. Born in Indianapolis, he attended Arsenal Technical High School. His interest in acting led him to radio, theater and motion pictures. He won a special Academy Award for his performance as Uncle Remus in Walt Disney’s Song of the South. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.
1996 – The Indianapolis Indians played their first game at the new Victory Field. Governor Evan Bayh and Mayor Steve Goldsmith helped with opening ceremonies. The National Anthem was played on the harmonica by former Brooklyn Dodger Carl Erskine, a resident of Anderson.