1853 – The first boat to travel the entire length of the Wabash and Erie Canal reached Evansville. The canal, under construction for over 20 years, connected the Great Lakes with the Ohio River. At 459 miles, it was the longest canal ever built in the United States. In most places, the waterway was 30 to 40 feet wide and 6 feet deep. Alongside was a tow path for mules pulling the canal boats.
1902 – President Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Indianapolis, after visiting Logansport, Tipton, Kokomo and Noblesville. In the capital city, he spoke at Tomlinson Hall and the Columbia Club. From there, he was taken to St. Vincent Hospital where doctors performed surgery on a leg wound he had received a few days earlier in a carriage accident. The President canceled the rest of his tour and returned to the White House later that night.
1925 – The Broadcast Listeners’ Association in Indianapolis held an exposition at Cadle Tabernacle in the city. Radio was the marvel of the age, and the group advertised a “million dollar display” of the latest sets available. Special events included addresses by Indiana Governor Ed Jackson and Indianapolis Mayor Lew Shank. Music on the program included Bill Watson and his musical saw, Whistler J. L. Hall, and the Carmel Symphony Orchestra. The program was broadcast live on station WFBM.
1929 – A large crowd was present at the Indiana Statehouse for the unveiling of a plaque honoring Frances Willard, educator, suffragist and leader in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Participants included Indiana Governor Harry G. Leslie, Ella Alexander Boole, president of the National Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and Lorado Taft, the artist who designed the tablet. A fleet of airplanes showered roses on the building as 5,000 children paraded into the Statehouse rotunda to place flowers at the base of the plaque.
1961 – The final episode of “I Love Lucy” was broadcast on CBS Television. One of the principal writers on the show was Madelyn Pugh. Born in Indianapolis, she graduated from Shortridge High School and the Indiana University School of Journalism. She and her long-time writing partner, Bob Carroll, Jr., created scripts for hundreds of radio and television programs.
1982 – 14-year-old Joshua Bell played a violin solo with the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra. After he finished Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3, the audience burst into sustained applause. Bell, at the time a sophomore at North Bloomington High School, began playing the violin at age 4 and made his debut as a soloist at age 7. He has gone on to perform with virtually every major orchestra and today is one of the most celebrated violinists in the world.