1935 – A 22-foot, 40-ton statue of St. Nicholas was unveiled at Santa Claus, Ind. The Lafayette Journal & Courier reported that “a thousand persons braved the cold weather and slippery pavements to come to the little village for the ceremony.” The statue still stands tall in the festive community.
1947 – Country music star Janie Fricke was born in South Whitley. Twice named “Female Vocalist of the Year,” she has sold 14 million records.
1948 – Over 1,400 children packed the Rotunda of the Indiana Statehouse for a Christmas party sponsored by state employees and the Salvation Army. Santa Claus and Governor Ralph Gates handed out toys of all kinds. The top gift was a three-foot doll donated by actress Shirley Temple.
1958 – Some Came Running was released to theaters across the country. Based on the novel by James Jones, the movie was filmed in Madison, Ind. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine, and other stars lived in the city during the production. Famed MGM director Vincente Minnelli was also on location for the filming, which included hundreds of local residents as extras.
1976 – The Ball Stores in Muncie advertised “The Next Thing” in Christmas gifts. It was the amazing Sony Betamax. The ad said, “Take a situation . . . there are two TV shows opposite of each other and you want to watch both of them. Well, believe it or not, you can!” This was the year you could be the first one on your block with a videotape recorder. The ad listed the price as $1,300.
2016 – William H. Hudnut III died in Chevy Chase, Md. A Presbyterian minister, he represented Indiana in Congress from 1973 to 1975. Then he began a long tenure as mayor of Indianapolis. During his 16 years of service, he guided the city into a position of national and international importance.