1851 – The Constitutional Convention concluded in Indianapolis. A total of 150 delegates had met at the Statehouse in the chamber of the House of Representatives. The document they produced replaced the original 1816 Constitution which had been written in Corydon. The 1851 version still serves as the basis of state government.
1894 – The Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company was incorporated in Greentown. The factory was destroyed by fire in 1903. Today the many exquisite styles and colors of “Greentown Glass” are highly prized by collectors.
1898 – The U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor. The tragedy helped ignite the Spanish-American War. Indiana sent over 7,000 volunteers into the conflict, which lasted six months. The U.S.S. Indiana played an important role in the blockade of Cuba and the Battle of Santiago.
1904 – James Baskett was born in Indianapolis. He trained as a pharmacist, but his interest in acting led him to the stage, radio and movies. His most famous role was that of Uncle Remus in Walt Disney’s “Song of the South.” Baskett died in 1948 and is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.
1929 – Five men from Chicago were arrested in Indianapolis and questioned about their possible participation in the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” the day before. The suspects told police they were members of the Al Capone gang and “plenty of money and help would be down from Chicago” to get them released. To this day, no one has been charged with the murders.
1966 – Lebanon High School’s Rick Mount became the first high school athlete to be pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The same year, he was voted Indiana’s “Mr. Basketball” and the “USA Basketball Yearbook Player of the Year.” He went on to be a scoring leader at Purdue University followed by a professional career in the American Basketball Association.