1829 – Judge Bethuel F. Morris of the Indiana Fifth Circuit Court handed down one of the nation’s first rulings against a slaveholder’s right to transport slaves through a free state. Indiana’s 1816 Constitution had outlawed slavery in the Hoosier State.
1854 – Teachers and advocates for public schools gathered in Indianapolis to form the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA). The first session was held on Christmas Day 1854 in the Indiana Statehouse. Rev. William Mitchel Daily of Bloomington was elected president.
1908 – Students from the Indiana School for the Blind sang Christmas carols at several Indianapolis locations. They traveled in automobiles driven by owners of the “machines” and brought holiday cheer to Methodist Hospital, the Eleanor Hospital for Sick Children, the Home for Friendless Women and the Marion County Workhouse.
1927 – The Walker Theater opened in Indianapolis. Designed by the architectural firm of Rubush and Hunter, the building had a pipe organ, ballroom and offices for the Madam C. J. Walker Cosmetics Company. A fine example of African Art Deco, the theater is on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a cultural center for the city.
1957 – Bobby Helms from Martinsville ended a highly successful year in his career with the release of “Jingle Bell Rock.” The song became an instant hit, along with “My Special Angel,” another big record for Helms in a year he also appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
1968 – Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon. Commander of the mission was Frank Borman from Gary.