1886 – Speculators discovered natural gas in a cornfield near Kokomo, leading to a “gas boom” and the establishment of many glass manufacturing companies.
1911 – For the first time, schools in every Indiana county conducted fire prevention programs. They were directed by State School Superintendent Charles Greathouse.
1926 – The James F. D. Lanier Mansion in Madison was designated a state memorial. Lanier helped finance the state of Indiana during the Civil War.
1940 – The United States Selective Service System was activated. All males ages 21 to 35 were included. Indiana Governor M. Clifford Townsend urged all schools in the state to accommodate officials of the “draft” as they began enrolling the young men.
1948 – Sherman Minton took his seat on the United States Supreme Court. Nominated by President Harry Truman, Minton was from Floyd County and had served in the United States Senate.
1955 – Mourners crowded into the Fairmount Friends Church for the funeral of actor James Dean, who had been killed in an automobile accident in California. When he died at age 24, Dean had finished filming Giant, the third movie in which he had a starring role. He had earned high acclaim for his work in East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause.