1840 – William Henry Harrison launched his campaign for President at the Tippecanoe Battlefield near Lafayette. More than 30,000 supporters attended the festivities, which included bands, floats, speeches, songs, refreshments and the introduction of the slogan, “Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too.” The event set the tone and style of most future presidential campaigns.
1851 – The Indiana State Board of Agriculture was organized, with Governor Joseph Wright as president. Members began making plans for the first Indiana State Fair, which would be held in October of the following year.
1910 – Orville and Wilbur Wright visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to make plans for a six-day aerial show coming up in June. The brothers brought several of their “flying machines” to the show, and one of their pilots, Walter Brookins, set an altitude record of 4,928 feet.
1918 – Herb Shriner was born in Toledo, Ohio. As he often stated, his family “moved to Indiana as soon as they heard about it.” He grew up in Fort Wayne and became a radio and TV personality. He played the harmonica and told homespun tales of small town life in the Hoosier State. Popular nationwide, he was often compared to Will Rogers. His sons, Will and Kin, also went into show business.
1949 – WFBM went on the air as the first television station in Indiana. Broadcasting on Channel 6, the first day’s programming included live coverage of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The station continues today as WRTV.
1977 – Janet Guthrie became the first woman to drive in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. An aerospace engineer from the University of Michigan, she was also the first woman to drive in the Dayton 500. She qualified for three Indy 500 races, with a best finish of ninth in 1978.