Indiana (IN).

• Region: Midwest
• Population: 6,833,037 (ranked 17th) (2022 estimate)
• Capital: Indianapolis (pop. 880,621) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: Indianapolis (pop. 880,621) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 92
• State nickname: Hoosier State
• State motto: The Crossroads of America
• State flag: Blue field with gold torch surrounded by an outer circle of thirteen stars and an inner half circle of five stars

Indiana, the "Hoosier State," entered the Union on December 11, 1816, as the nineteenth state. It is located in the upper Midwest, part of the north-central United States. Indiana borders Michigan and Lake Michigan to the north, Ohio to the east, Kentucky to the south, and Illinois to the west. As the name implies, the state was once home to numerous American Indian tribes. Indiana is known for widespread agriculture, industrial cities such as Gary, Evansville, and Indianapolis, and state residents' intense love of basketball and automobile racing.

State Name: The name "Indiana," meaning "Land of the Indians," was coined by Congress in 1800. Indiana is often called the "Hoosier State" (a name of uncertain origin) and "Crossroads of America," because so many highways cross through it.

Capital: Indianapolis has served as the state's capital since 1825. The first capital of the Indiana Territory was Vincennes (1805–13). Corydon served as territorial capital from 1813 to 1816, and as state capital from 1816 until 1825, when the government was moved to Indianapolis.

Flag: The state flag of Indiana has a blue field containing nineteen gold stars and a gold torch. The torch symbolizes liberty and enlightenment, while its rays symbolize influence. The thirteen stars in the outer circle represent the original thirteen US states. The five stars in the inner half circle represent the next five states to join the Union. The nineteenth star, found above the gold torch, symbolizes Indiana, the nineteenth state. The Indiana General Assembly adopted the flag in 1917, as part of celebrations for the one hundredth anniversary of statehood.

Official Symbols

• Flower: Peony
• Bird: Cardinal
• Tree: Tulip tree
• Song: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" by Paul Dresser

State and National Historic Sites

• Angel Mounds State Historic Site (Evansville)
• Corydon Capitol State Historic Site (Corydon)
• Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site (New Albany)
• Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site (Rome City)
• George Rogers Clark National Historical Park (Vincennes)
• Grissom Air Museum State Historic Site (Peru)
• Limberlost Swamp State Historic Site (Geneva)
• Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (Lincoln City)
• New Harmony State Historic Site (New Harmony)

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 6,833,037 (ranked 17th) (2022 estimate)
• Population density: 189.4/sq mi
• Urban population: 71.2% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 28.8% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 23.0% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 16.9% (2022 estimate)
• White alone: 84.0% (2022 estimate)
• Black or African American alone: 10.3% (2022 estimate)
• Hispanic or Latino: 7.9% (2022 estimate)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.4% (2022 estimate)
• Asian alone: 2.8% (2022 estimate)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.1% (2022 estimate)
• Two or More Races: 2.4% (2022 estimate)
• Per capita income: $32,537 (ranked 41st; 2021 estimate)
• Unemployment: 3.0% (2022 estimate)

American Indians: Indiana's very name, meaning "Land of the Indians," recognizes the importance of American Indians in the state's history. Prominent tribes in pre-Columbian times included the Mississippian people, who inhabited the Mounds site near present-day Evansville. In the colonial and territorial era, the region was inhabited by tribes including the Delaware, Shawnee, Wyandotte, Potawatomi, and Miami. These tribes fought fierce battles with White settlers.

In the early nineteenth century, the American Indians signed several treaties with the United States, ceding over their lands to the federal government. By the mid-1840s, most of the Miami had headed west for what is now Oklahoma.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 36,420 sq mi (ranked 38th)
• Land area: 35,826 sq mi (98.4% of total area)
• Water area: 593 sq mi (1.6% of total area)
• National parks: 3
• Highest point: Hoosier Hill (1,257 feet)
• Lowest point: Ohio River (320 feet)
• Highest temperature: 116° F (Collegeville, July 14, 1936)
• Lowest temperature: -36° F (New Whiteland, January 19, 1994)

Topography: Like neighboring Ohio, Indiana is largely flat in its northern and central regions but has gently rolling hills and valleys in the south. The northern part of the state has hundreds of glacial lakes. Lake Michigan forms part of Indiana's northern border; there one finds the sandy Indiana Dunes. The northern region is also marshy; the Limberlost Swamp is one of the most famous, at one time spreading over 13,000 acres. Southern Indiana, which was not covered by the ancient glaciers, holds numerous limestone caves and mineral springs. Separating northern and southern Indiana is the central agricultural plain.

Major Lakes

• Brookville Lake Reservoir
• Cagles Mill Lake Reservoir
• Cecil M. Harden Lake Reservoir
• Hardy Lake Reservoir
• J. Edward Roush Lake (Huntington Lake) Reservoir
• Lake Michigan
• Mississinewa Lake Reservoir
• Monroe Lake Reservoir
• Patoka Lake Reservoir
• Salamonie Lake Reservoir

Major Rivers

• Black River
• Blue River
• Elkhart River
• Iroquois River
• Little River
• Lost River
• Ohio River
• Tippecanoe River
• Wabash River
• Whitewater River

State and National Parks: Indiana has over twenty state parks, many of them noted simply for natural beauty but some with great historical significance. Lincoln State Park honors the Indiana boyhood of sixteenth US president Abraham Lincoln. (Nearby is the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, operated by the National Park Service). Other sites, such as Mounds State Park, near Anderson, honor Indiana's American Indian past. Indiana has two national parks in addition to the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial: the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, on Lake Michigan; and the George Rogers Clark National Historic Park, which commemorates a 1779 American victory over the British during the Revolutionary War.

Natural Resources: Indiana has a wide variety of natural resources, including minerals, timber, and agricultural and aquatic resources. Mineral resources include coal, oil, natural gas, clay, limestone, and shale. Limestone is one of the most plentiful minerals, providing huge reserves for the construction industry. Lake Michigan as well as other lakes and streams provide rich catches of catfish, pike, and other varieties of fish.

Plants and Animals: In pioneer days, Indiana was heavily forested. Human settlement and logging, however, have greatly reduced the tree cover. In 2021, the state was around 21 percent forested. Some trees common to southern Indiana are the persimmon, the black gum, and the southern cypress. In the dune region of northern Indiana, common trees include great white pines, the tulip (the state tree), and the pawpaw. Other common species include the black walnut, the sycamore, and fruit trees such as the apple and cherry trees. Common flowers include the violets, blue lupine, the ox-eyed daisy, and Queen Anne's lace.

Human settlement has also diminished the number of wild species found in Indiana. Coyotes can be found throughout the state, and bobcat sightings had also increased by the late 2010s. Small mammals found throughout Indiana are the raccoon, the woodchuck, opossum, and mink. Game birds are few, but include the quail and ruffed grouse. Other birds include common orchard and meadow species such as the robin, blue jay, redheaded woodpecker, and cardinal.

Climate: Indiana has four distinct seasons, with warm summers (average 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) cold winters (average 25 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit), and high humidity. Rainfall averages approximately 40 inches each year; southern Indiana is often flooded. The northern part of the state, near Lake Michigan, can receive up to 40 inches of snow annually. Like other states, by the early twenty-first century Indiana was increasingly experiencing effects of climate change that included warmer temperatures, heavier precipitation, and more severe droughts.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Anderson University (Anderson)
• Ball State University (Muncie)
• Bethel University (Mishawaka)
• Butler University (Indianapolis)
• DePauw University (Greencastle)
• Hanover College (Hanover)
• Huntington University (Huntington)
• Indiana Institute of Technology (Fort Wayne)
• Indiana State University (Terre Haute)
• Indiana University (Bloomington, Indianapolis, Richmond, Kokomo, Gary, South Bend, New Albany)
• Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion)
• Marian University (Indianapolis)
• Oakland City University (Oakland City)
• Purdue University (West Lafayette)
• Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame)
• Taylor University (Fort Wayne)
• University of Evansville (Evansville)
• University of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
• University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame)
• University of St. Francis (Fort Wayne)
• Wabash College (Crawfordsville)

Major Museums

• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield)
• Children's Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
• Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art (Indianapolis)
• Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University (Bloomington)
• Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science (Evansville)
• Indiana State Museum (Indianapolis)
• Newfields (Indianapolis)
• Motor Speedway Museum (Indianapolis)
• Studebaker National Museum (South Bend)

Major Libraries

• Allen County Public Library (Fort Wayne)
• Byron R. Lewis Historical Library, Vincennes University (Vincennes)
• Indiana State Library (Indianapolis)
• Indianapolis Public Library (Indianapolis)
• Lilly Library, Indiana University (Bloomington)
• Old Cathedral Library (Vincennes)
• Walter E. Helmke Library, Indiana University-Purdue University (Fort Wayne)

Media

Indiana is well served by news media, as the state has major metropolitan news markets (such as Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Kokomo, and Gary). The capital city is served by newspapers such as the daily Indianapolis Star and weekly Indianapolis Business Journal. There are also numerous television and radio stations throughout the state. There are also websites that focus on news from specific regions.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 455,750.2 (ranked 19th) (2022 estimate)
• GDP percent change: 1.9%

Major Industries: Indiana's heavy industry began declining in the 1970s, making it part of the Midwestern "Rust Belt." The recession of the 1980s hurt industry even more. The boom years of the 1990s, however, helped reverse this trend. In the decade from 2009 to 2019, however, Indiana's compound annual growth rate lagged behind the rest of the nation, at 1.8 percent versus 2.3 percent nationally. In 2022, these numbers stood at 1.6 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

Indiana manufacturers make products including iron, steel, fabricated metals, chemicals, aircraft engines and parts, truck parts, and pharmaceuticals. Indiana is also the United States' largest producer of limestone used in construction.

Tourism: Indiana is a popular tourist destination; however, in 2020, the tourism industry experienced a decline due to the travel restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, there were 66.7 million visitors, supporting approximately 149,000 jobs; visitors spent $10.2 billion in the state. By 2021, as some restrictions were relaxed, the industry began to rebound, with 77.3 million visitors spending $13 billion. The state offers many cultural activities, historic sites, and scenic beauty. Indianapolis, the state capital, is the home of the Indiana State Museum and NCAA Home of Champions. It is also the location of professional sports teams such as the Indiana Pacers basketball team and the Indianapolis Colts football team. There are numerous sites throughout the state dedicated to famous Hoosiers, including astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom, novelist Gene Stratton-Porter, reporter Ernie Pyle, and abolitionist Levi Coffin. Those looking for scenic beauty can hike or bike, or travel down Indiana's famed Wabash River.

Energy Production: Indiana relies on a number of energy sources, including coal, petroleum, and natural gas. There are no nuclear power plants in the state. In 2021, coal accounted for about 58 percent of net electricity generation. The remaining electricity generation came from a mix of sources, including natural gas, wind, hydroelectric power, biomass, and solar power. In 2021, the state was the nation's third leading coal consumer, though the use of natural gas had continued to increase.

Agriculture: Indiana is a heavily agricultural state: in 2022, there were approximately 55,000 farms in the state. Indiana is one of the largest farming states in the nation, with agriculture contributing billions of dollars to the state economy.

Agriculture tends to prosper more in northern Indiana, which tends to have better soil than the southern region. Southern Indiana's soil is thinner, with large quantities of clay and sand. Major crops are corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, and fruit. In 2022, the state's farmers produced 190 bushels of corn per acre, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Livestock farmers raise hogs and cattle for the state's large meatpacking industry.

Airports: The state has international airports that include Indianapolis International Airport and Fort Wayne International Airport. There are also numerous municipal and regional airports spread throughout the state, including Anderson Municipal Airport, Monroe County Airport in Bloomington, and Evansville Regional Airport.

Seaports: Indiana has three ports, which provide access to Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway (to the north) and to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers (to the south). The Ports of Indiana, which operates the facilities, is a quasi-governmental organization under the authority of the Indiana Port Commission. The three ports are Burns Harbor in Portage, on Lake Michigan; Mount Vernon, on the Ohio River; and Jeffersonville, on the Ohio River. Together, these three facilities handle millions of tons of cargo each year.

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: Eric Holcomb (Republican)
• Present constitution date: 1851
• Electoral votes: 11
• Number of counties: 92
• Violent crime rate: 357.7 (per 100,000 residents; 2020 estimate)
• Death penalty: Yes

Constitution: The state adopted its first constitution in 1816. The current constitution was adopted in 1851 and has been amended numerous times since then.

Branches of Government

Executive: The state's chief executive officer is the governor, who is elected to a four-year term. The governor is limited to no more than eight years' tenure during any twelve-year period. Duties include approving or vetoing legislation, enforcing the laws, and serving as commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also provides status reports and recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the condition of the state.

The lieutenant governor, who is also elected to a four-year term, serves as president of the state Senate and as acting governor in the governor's absence or inability.

Other top state officials include the secretary of state, the state auditor, and the state treasurer. Each is elected to a four-year term. Like the governor, they are limited to no more than eight years' tenure during any twelve-year period. The adjutant general, who oversees the state's military forces, is appointed by the governor.

Legislative: The state legislature is known as the General Assembly and consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Senators, whose numbers cannot exceed fifty, are elected to a four-year term. Representatives, who are limited to no more than 100 members, are elected to a two-year term. The State Constitution rules that half of the senators "as nearly as possible" shall be elected every two years.

Judicial: The state's judiciary includes the State Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, various Circuit Courts, and lower courts including city, town, and county courts. As of 2023, the Supreme Court consisted of the chief justice and four associate justices. The Supreme Court and Appeals Court justices are appointed by the governor, but after two years, they must face election to serve an additional ten-year term.

HISTORY

1669 French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle discovers the Ohio River, becoming the first European to explore the territory later known as Indiana.

1679 De la Salle travels up the St. Joseph River as far as the site of the present-day city of South Bend.

1732 By this date, French settlers have built a permanent settlement at Vincennes. This is the first permanent European settlement in the Wabash Valley.

1763 The Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years' War. Britain receives all French territory east of the Mississippi River except for New Orleans. King George III of Britain, attempting to reduce tensions with American Indian tribes there, signs the Proclamation of 1763, which forbids English settlement beyond the Allegheny Mountains. This ruling angers the colonists and helps cause the American Revolution.

1775–83 The American Revolution. No major battles take place in Indiana, but there is considerable fighting between White settlers and the American Indian tribes. In 1778 to 1779, an American expedition led by George Rogers Clark attacks British outposts including Fort Sackville. Clark's forces capture several settlements, including Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes. In 1778, based on Clark's victories, Virginia claims all the lands northwest of the Ohio River and organizes them as Illinois County.

1784 Virginia cedes its Ohio River Valley claims (including the future Indiana Territory) to the United States.

1787 The Confederation Congress passes the Ordinance of 1787, creating the Northwest Territory. This territory is formed out of the western lands that the national government received from the states. It encompasses the later states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as part of Minnesota. The measure also establishes territorial government and provisions for creating new states. When any part of the territory reaches a population of 60,000 or more, it can apply for admission to the Union as a state. The Ordinance's other provisions include support for religious freedom, education, and the abolition of slavery in the Territory.

1791–94 Ohio and Indian Wars. Northwest Territory Governor St. Clair leads a force of mostly untrained militia against the American Indians, who include Miami under chief Little Turtle. St. Clair is soundly defeated and forced to resign his Army commission (but not his governorship). The defeat causes President Washington to reorganize the military. A new army under General "Mad Anthony" Wayne decisively defeats the American Indians in 1794 at the Battle of Fallen Timbers (now in Northwest Ohio). This leads to the 1795 Treaty of Greenville, in which most of Ohio's American Indians relinquish the majority of their land claims in the territory.

1800 The Indiana Territory is created out of the Northwest Territory. Vincennes becomes the territorial capital.

1803 The Treaty of Fort Wayne is signed between Indiana's American Indian tribes and the United States government. Under its terms, the Potawatomie and other tribes cede titles to their lands in the territory. The treaty is arranged by Indiana territorial Governor William Henry Harrison and President Thomas Jefferson. That same year, Lewis and Clark set forth from the southern Indiana town of Clarksville on their Western expedition.

1804 The Treaty of Vincennes cedes more American Indian land to the federal government. The Delaware and Piankeshaw are forced to leave their lands in extreme southern Indiana, along the Ohio River.

1812–15War of 1812. Former territorial governor General William Henry Harrison leaves Indiana in order to lead forces against the British. In 1811, he returns to the Indiana Territory to fight the Shawnee. At Tippecanoe, he defeats the forces of "the Prophet," brother of Tecumseh. This battle ends effective American Indian resistance to White settlement.

1816 Indiana becomes the nineteenth state of the Union. That same year, seven-year-old Abraham Lincoln and his family move from Kentucky to Indiana. They settle in Spencer County and live there for fourteen years, before moving to Illinois.

1825 The state capital is moved from Corydon to Indianapolis. Scottish philanthropist Robert Owen builds the utopian community of New Harmony.

1827 The school that becomes Hanover College is founded in southeastern Indiana by Presbyterian minister Rev. John Finlay Crowe, DD. It is the state's first institution of higher learning. The school is chartered by the state in 1833.

1830 The federally-funded National Road is completed through Indiana. The highway eventually reaches to Illinois.

1830s–50s The Underground Railroad is active in Indiana, helping enslaved people escape from the South. One of the state's most active abolitionists is Levi Coffin, a Quaker. He and his wife aid the escape of several thousand fugitive enslaved individuals.

1831 Indiana passes legislation requiring free Black Americans entering the state to post a $500 bond with local authorities. Congress passes legislation granting land to construct the Wabash and Erie Canal—a joint venture with the states of Indiana and Ohio. Construction begins in Fort Wayne, heading eastward to Toledo, Ohio, and westward to Lafayette, Indiana.

1837 Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw University) is founded in Greencastle.

1838 Indiana uses troops to force the Potawatami out of the state.

1842 The University of Notre Dame, a Catholic institution, is founded in South Bend.

1844 The Whig Party holds its presidential convention in Indianapolis.

1846 The Miami are forced to leave Indiana because of the land-cession treaties they have signed with the US government. Many of the Miami head for the Kansas Territory.

1847 Indianapolis is incorporated as a city.

1851 Indiana adopts a new State Constitution. The document protects the property rights of married women and loosens voting restrictions on most immigrants. It strongly restricts, however, the rights of free Black Americans to live in the state.

1852 The Studebaker brothers, later famous for making automobiles, open a wagon-making shop in South Bend.

1853 The Wabash and Erie Canal is completed, linking Indiana to New York State.

1854 Evansville opens the first coeducational public high school in the West. That same year, Eleutherian College opens in Lancaster. It is the state's first college to disregard gender and race in admitting students.

1861–65 The Civil War. Indiana, though a free state, finds its loyalties divided between the Union and the Confederacy. In southern Indiana, many inhabitants are Confederate sympathizers. Despite this, Indiana provides about 200,000 troops to the Union cause. Hoosier inventors also produce many military innovations. In 1862, Richard Gatling develops the world's first rapid-fire firearm, the Gatling gun. That same year, Congress passes the Homestead Act, which promises land to small farmers; this legislation encourages settlement of Indiana and other western lands. The state's only Civil War battle took place in 1863, when Confederate General John Hunt Morgan attacked the city of Corydon.

1867 The Indianapolis and Vincennes Railroad is completed.

1874 Purdue University, a "land-grant" agricultural school located in LaFayette, opens for its first full academic year. Funds and land to found the school are largely the gift of local resident John Purdue, who gave the state $150,000 and 100 acres of land for the purpose.

1875 The Bicknell coal fields near Vincennes are opened up to exploitation, bringing great prosperity to the city.

1880 General Lew Wallace, a hero of the Civil War, publishes his historical novel Ben-Hur. Set in the time of Christ, the novel becomes a best seller and is eventually made into numerous stage and film versions.

1881 Indiana gives Black American men the right to vote, after years of denying them the franchise.

1888Benjamin Harrison of Indiana, grandson of former President William Henry Harrison, is elected president of the United States.

1895 Indiana reorganizes the National Guard.

1897 The General Assembly passes several pieces of child-protection legislation. A child-labor law rules that children under fourteen are not allowed to work in factory jobs. Also, no boy under sixteen or girl under eighteen is allowed to work more than sixty hours per week or ten hours per day. That same year, the Legislature passes legislation requiring all children between the ages of eight and fourteen to attend school.

1898 The Spanish-American War. Indiana provides approximately 7,400 volunteers. About one thousand Indianans serve in the regular US Army. Some of the Indiana National Guard units travel overseas, but none take part in battle.

1901 American Socialists gather in Indianapolis at a convention that unites all factions into the Socialist Party of the United States.

1904 Socialist Party leader Eugene Debs, a native of Terre Haute, is the party's presidential candidate. He receives approximately 402,000 votes.

1905 The US Steel Corporation builds its largest factory, on a site in Indiana's Calumet region. The town of Gary is founded as a company town around the facility; within several decades, the town has become a huge metropolis.

1910 Black American entrepreneur Madame C. J. Walker founds a cosmetics company in Indianapolis, focusing on products for Black American women. She soon becomes one of the nation's first women millionaires.

1911 The first Indianapolis 500 ("Indy 500") automobile race takes place.

1914–18 World War I. The state's manufacturing and agriculture grow rapidly due to the need for war material and food. When the United States enters the war in 1917, the Indiana National Guard is called into service. Approximately 130,000 Hoosiers serve in the Armed Forces during the war.

1916 Indiana celebrates its hundredth anniversary of statehood.

1920s The Ku Klux Klan gains great power in Indiana politics.

1922 Sports announcer Charles "Chuck" Taylor founds the Converse Rubber Company. The firm soon becomes famous for its "Converse" athletic shoes.

1925 The Duesenberg Motor Car Company is founded in Indianapolis by Fred and Augie Duesenberg. It soon becomes one of the most prestigious automobile makers in the world.

1929 The Great Depression hits Indiana, causing a steep drop in farm prices that leads to many foreclosures. Sociologists Robert Staughton Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd publish the Middletown studies (Middletown: A Study in Modern American Culture), studies of life in Muncie. They choose Muncie because of its typical small-city qualities. The book receives national attention—a fact that many Muncie residents resent because of some of the Lynds' conclusions. In 1937, they published a follow-up Volume, Middletown in Transition: A Study in Cultural Conflicts.

1936 Black Americans gain the right to serve in the State Militia, following an amendment to the state Constitution.

1937 The Ohio River overflows, flooding many parts of southern Indiana and doing approximately $500 million in damage. That same year, the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana is organized.

1940 Robert L. Brokenburr becomes Indiana's first Black American state senator. Wendell Willkie, a native of Elwood, is the Republican candidate for president against Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1941–45 World War II. Indiana serves as a major production center for war material. Chemical manufacturer E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. builds a huge gunpowder factory in Charlestown. General Motors and Studebaker shift production from automobiles to aircraft engines. The US government builds several new military bases: Camp Atterbury and Jefferson Proving Grounds for the Army, and the Crane Naval Ammunitions Depot.

1970 The Port of Indiana opens in Burns Harbor, on Lake Michigan.

1984 In a move that upsets many Marylanders, Robert Irsay moves the Baltimore Colts football team to Indianapolis, where the franchise becomes known as the Indianapolis Colts.

1995 The Artsgarden Center for the visual and performing arts opens in Indianapolis.

2003 Governor Frank O'Bannon suffers a massive stroke in a Chicago hotel room and dies a week later. Lieutenant Governor Joseph Kernan is sworn in as acting governor.

2005 One of the deadliest tornadoes in US history strikes the Evansville area, killing twenty-five people and injuring at least two hundred others.

2007 The Indianapolis Colts win Super Bowl XLI.

2008 Construction of the Lucas Oil Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Indianapolis, is completed. The stadium replaces the RCA Dome as the Indianapolis Colts' home field. In 2012, the stadium hosts Super Bowl XLVI.

2011 The stage roof for an outdoor concert by Sugarland collapses during the Indiana State Fair. The collapse of the stage's roof structure is caused by wind from an approaching thunderstorm; the incident kills seven people and injures nearly sixty others.

2012 A series of powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes kills thirteen people in southern Indiana and completely destroys the town of Marysville.

2015 Indiana governor Mike Pence signs controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law.

2016 Pence elected vice president of the United States, with Donald Trump as president.

2019 A newly signed hate crimes law goes into effect for the state for the first time in four decades.

2022 A new law goes into effect that removes the requirement for people age eighteen and older to obtain a permit to carry a handgun.

2023 Following the US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, a new law prohibiting most abortions goes into effect in Indiana.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Anne Baxter, 1923–85 (Michigan City) , Stage and film actor.

Frank Borman, 1928– (Gary) , Astronaut.

Larry Bird, 1956– (West Baden) , Basketball player and coach.

Hoagy Carmichael, 1899–1981 (Bloomington) , Composer.

James Dean, 1931–55 (Fairmount) , Film actor.

Eugene V. Debs, 1855–1926 (Terre Haute) , Socialist Party leader, labor activist.

Theodore Dreiser, 1871–1945 (Terre Haute) , Writer.

Paul Dresser, 1856–1906 (Terre Haute) , Songwriter; brother of novelist Theodore Dreiser.

Mike Epps, 1970– (Indianapolis) , Comedian, actor, musician.

Vivica A. Fox, 1964– (South Bend) , Actor.

Virgil "Gus" Grissom, 1926–67 (Mitchell) , Astronaut.

Benjamin Harrison, 1833–1901 (North Bend) , Twenty-third president of the United States.

Michael Jackson, 1958–2009 (Gary) , Singer, dancer.

David Letterman, 1947– (Indianapolis) , TV talk-show host, comedian.

Richard Lugar, 1932–2019 (Indianapolis) , US senator.

John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery, 1923–68 (Indianapolis) , Jazz guitarist.

Mike Pence, 1959– (Columbus) , Forty-eighth vice president of the United States; fiftieth governor of Indiana.

Cole Porter, 1892–1964 (Peru) , Composer.

Ernie Pyle, 1900–45 (near Dana) , Journalist, World War II front-line correspondent.

J. Danforth "Dan" Quayle, 1947– (Indianapolis) , Forty-fourth vice president of the United States.

Red Skelton, 1913–97 (Vincennes) , Comedian, actor.

Gene Stratton-Porter, c.1863–1924 (Wabash County) , Novelist.

James Whitcomb-Riley, 1849–1916 (Greenfield) , Poet.

Booth Tarkington, 1869–1946 (Indianapolis) , Author.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr., 1922–2007 (Indianapolis) , Novelist.

Lew Wallace, 1827–1905 (Brookville) , Civil War general, diplomat, novelist.

Wilbur Wright, 1862–1912 (Millville) , Aviation pioneer.

Sasheer Zamata, 1986– (Indianapolis) , Actor and comedian.

TRIVIA

• The South Bend Blue Sox baseball team was a charter member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL was the first professional league for women's baseball; it was founded during World War II to maintain public interest in baseball while male players were in the military. The league was the focus of the movie A League of Their Own, starring Geena Davis and Tom Hanks.
• Fort Wayne, Indiana, was the site of the first professional baseball game. The game was played on May 4, 1871.
• Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States, was born in Kentucky but spent most of his youth in Spencer County, Indiana.
• The Raggedy Ann doll was created in 1914 by Marcella Gruelle of Indianapolis. The doll was based on poems by Hoosier author James Whitcomb Riley.
• Labor leader Eugene V. Debs, a native of Terre Haute, ran for US president as the Social Party candidate. He ran in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. He served a prison sentence during World War I because of his anti-war protests.
• Sarah Walker, better known as "Madame C. J. Walker," became a millionaire selling cosmetics for Black women. A native of Louisiana, she settled in Indianapolis. She was one of the United States' first female millionaires.
• Wabash, Indiana, became in 1880 the first US city to have electric street lighting.
• Begun in the 1950s, the first time that the popular annual Little 500 collegiate bike race had to be canceled was in 2020 due to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Bibliography

"About Indiana Agriculture." Indiana State Department of Agriculture, www.in.gov/isda/3555.htm. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.

"BEARFACTS: Indiana." Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.

"Indiana." Quick Facts, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/IN/PST045222. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.

"Indiana: 2020 Census." US Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/indiana-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2021.

"Indiana: State Profile and Energy Estimates." US Energy Information Administration, 18 Aug. 2022, www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=IN. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.

Indiana's Tourism Industry Absorbs the Blow from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Rockport Analytics, 2021, www.in.gov/iddc/tourism/files/indiana-eis-2020.pdf. Accessed 11 Oct. 2022.

O'Neil, Justus. "IDDC Releases 2021 Contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Indiana Economy." VisitIndiana.com, Indiana Destination Development Corporation, 2 Mar. 2023, www.visitindiana.com/articles/post/tourism-impact-on-indiana-in-2021/. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.

"2022 State Agriculture Overview: Indiana." National Agricultural Statistics Service, US Department of Agriculture, www.nass.usda.gov/Quick‗Stats/Ag‗Overview/stateOverview.php?state=INDIANA. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.

Eric Badertscher