This week in Indiana’s history …
1837 – The Indiana General Assembly passed a bill which authorized a state geological survey. Governor Noah Noble appointed David Dale Owen to serve as the first state geologist.
1926 – The New York Store in Indianapolis advertised a Model 20 Atwater Kent console radio for $179.50. The set included five tubes and a 90-volt battery. The receiver would pick up a variety of signals, including WFBM, one of the only stations on the air at the time. In today’s money, the price would be $2,300.
1940 – Norwegian figure skater and film star Sonja Henie dazzled spectators at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis. Corbin Patrick, reviewer for the Indianapolis Star, wrote “Gliding in long, graceful arabesques, spinning like a jeweled top, she enchanted her audience as few local audiences have been enchanted before.”
1952 – Katherine “Flossie” Bailey died in Indianapolis. Born in Marion, she established the local chapter of the NAACP. She was a leading activist in promoting justice and equality, and she was a force behind the passage of a state anti-lynching law in 1931.
1970 – President Richard Nixon brought his Urban Affairs Council to Indianapolis. The President and six members of his Cabinet met with Mayor Richard Lugar and the mayors of eight other cities. They were greeted by Governor Edgar Whitcomb as they met to discuss issues facing urban centers of the nation.
2007 – The Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI in Miami, defeating the Chicago Bears 29-17. The game on CBS was seen by over 93 million people, making it at the time the fifth-most watched program in TV history. The half-time show, headlined by rock star Prince, had a peak audience of 140 million viewers.