1879 – President Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife Lucy were welcomed to Indianapolis by a parade through downtown. Later they were treated to a reception hosted by General Benjamin Harrison and his wife Caroline at their home on North Delaware Street. The Presidential Party included General William T. Sherman.
1893 – It was “Indiana Day” at the huge Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago. Nearly 100,000 Hoosiers went to the Fair on that day alone. Among those on the speaker’s platform were former President Benjamin Harrison, Indiana Governor Claude Matthews, and Hoosier Poet James Whitcomb Riley. Noting the size of the multitude, Harrison said that he had spoken to nearly all the people in Indiana in sections, but never at the same time.
1905 – George M. Cohan was on stage at the English Opera House in Indianapolis with his production of “Little Johnny Jones.” The show introduced such popular songs as “Yankee Doodle Boy” and “Give My Regards to Broadway.” Cohan told local reporters that he did not want to be taken seriously as either a playwright or musician. “I just want to please the people,” he said, adding that he would return to the city soon with another show called “Forty-five Minutes from Broadway.”
1935 – Anna Sage came to the Indiana Statehouse to request a pardon from Governor Paul V. McNutt. Sage, known in the press as the “Woman in Red,” had assisted the FBI in the capture of John Dillinger outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago. An immigrant, she was being threatened with deportation for alleged criminal activity in Lake County. The Governor did not act upon her request for pardon, and a Federal Court had her deported to Romania three months later.
1946 – The first “Sagamore of the Wabash” award was presented to Kentucky Governor Simeon S. Willis. The honor was bestowed by Indiana Governor Ralph F. Gates. Over the years, the title has honored hundreds of people who have served the Hoosier State with their skills, talents and services. In the Native American culture, a “Sagamore” is a leader to whom the chief would look for wisdom and advice.
1955 – Actor James Dean was killed in Cholame, Calif., when his Porsche 550 Spyder sports car collided with another car at an intersection. Dean, 24, was born in Marion and grew up in Fairmount, Ind. In his short Hollywood career, he starred in three major motion pictures: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant.