1902 — President Theodore Roosevelt was taken to an Indianapolis hospital for treatment of a leg wound received days earlier in a carriage accident. He had addressed audiences in Logansport, Tipton, Kokomo and Noblesville. After speaking at Tomlinson Hall and the Columbia Club in Indianapolis, he was admitted to St. Vincent Hospital where doctors performed surgery on his leg. Later the same day, he canceled the remainder of his tour and started back to the White House.
1929 — Dedication ceremonies were held for the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, one of the most impressive examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United States. The magnificent structure of Indiana limestone includes stained glass windows, carved woodwork, patterned ceilings and a 54-bell carillon.
1942 — A U. S. Army Air Corps bomber plane crashed into a field near Greencastle. All three occupants were killed, including Lieutenant Tom G. Murphy, a former student at DePauw. Witnesses reported that an engine exploded in mid-air. Two machine guns were hurled clear of the wreckage.
1955 — Vice President Richard Nixon was in Wabash to meet participants in the National Plowing Contest. Later he flew to Indianapolis where he joined his wife Pat and spoke to an audience at the Columbia Club.
1972 — An armed robber kidnapped the postmaster in Mooreland, stealing $23,000 in cash and money orders. Postmaster Ralph Manifold was left tied to a tree in Delaware County. Uninjured, he freed himself and contacted police. Five days later, a man was arrested in New Albany and charged with the crime.
1997 — Comedian Red Skelton died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 84. As a boy, he entertained audiences in his hometown of Vincennes. He became a legendary star of vaudeville, radio, movies and television. The Red Skelton Museum in Vincennes provides visitors with his life story and many samples of his humor.