This week in Indiana’s history …
1894 – In Richmond, Ind., Charles Francis Jenkins demonstrated what is considered the first motion picture projector. His “Phantoscope” used electric light and reels of film to cast moving images on the wall. Witnesses to the event were amazed to see animated pictures of a woman performing a butterfly dance. The rights to the projector were eventually sold to Thomas Edison, who marketed the machine under the name “Vitagraph.” Jenkins went on be granted over 400 patents, most of which involved motion pictures and television.
1912 – Members of the Women’s Franchise League took an automobile tour of Hamilton County. Yellow banners reading “Votes for Women” waved from the car as members distributed flyers and made speeches in Nora, Carmel, Westfield and Noblesville, where children decorated the auto in pink and white peonies, roses and lilacs. The Indianapolis Star reported that the women returned home “tired, triumphant, dusty, and delighted.”
1917 – The Indiana State Banner, designed by Paul Hadley of Mooresville, was officially adopted by the General Assembly. Hadley’s design won a competition sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The banner was designated as the official State Flag in 1955.
1939 – To celebrate Dairy Month, a cow-milking contest was held on the south lawn of the Indiana Statehouse. Dr. Herman Morgan of the Board of Health won first prize, producing 5 1/2 pounds of milk in the allotted three minutes. Lieutenant Governor Henry Schricker placed second with 5 pounds, and Governor M. Clifford Townsend came in third with 3 pounds.
1957 – Bill Haley and the Comets entertained at Indiana Beach in Monticello. Their “Rock Around the Clock” was one of the first hit records of the rock-and-roll era. At the same time of their live appearance, they were starring in the movie “Don’t Knock the Rock” playing at drive-in theaters around the state, including the Sky-Line in Madison, the Star-Dust in Seymour, the Bel-Air in Richmond, and the East Side in Terre Haute.
1990 – Indiana was hit with 37 tornadoes in one day. They roared through 31 counties, killing 8 people and injuring over 200. Governor Evan Bayh sent the National Guard to Bedford and Petersburg, the hardest-hit areas. State Police set up a temporary command post to assist injured and homeless residents.