1860 – Indiana Governor Ashbel Willard died at the age of 39. The first governor to die in office, he had served as Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Indiana House. His body lay in state in the old Capitol in Indianapolis. The duties of governor were assumed by Lieutenant Governor Abram Hammond.
1869 – A steam engine exploded at the Indiana State Fair, killing 19 people and injuring over 100. The engine had been part of a demonstration in the use of a power saw. Pieces of machinery were found more than a quarter-mile away from the fairgrounds, which at that time were located in the area of 19th and Alabama streets. It is now the Herron-Morton Place neighborhood.
1879 – Classes began at the Indiana Dental College. The school was acquired by Indiana University in 1925 and is now one of the oldest dental colleges in the nation. One of the school’s best-known research projects resulted in the development of Crest toothpaste in the 1950s.
1925 – The first retail Sears and Roebuck store opened in Evansville. The company, the largest mail order business in America, believed that people living in cities would be more interested in shopping in stores rather than catalogs. The Evansville store was successful and within a few years there were hundreds of Sears stores across the nation.
1950 – Football fans saw their first college game on a live network television broadcast. The Notre Dame/North Carolina contest went over the air to 44 cities. The TV crew boasted that their five cameras would cover all the excitement of the game. The Irish won, 14-7.
1976 – The Indianapolis Children’s Museum opened at its new location at 30th and North Meridian streets. With nearly 500,000 square feet inside and the 29-acre Sports Legend Experience outside, it is the biggest and best children’s museum in the world.