INDIANA
State Information
Nickname(s): The Hoosier State
Motto(s): The Crossroads of America
State song(s): On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
Capital & Largest City Indianapolis
Admitted to US 12/3/1818 19th State
Brief History of Indiana
Here are a few interesting facts about Indiana:
Indiana has produced 8 Nobel Prize winners.
Most vice presidents (6) have come from Indiana.
It is the home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne in 1871.
The first electrically lighted city in the world was Wabash.
The American Federation of Labor was organized in Terre Haute.
Indiana produces 90% of the world’s popcorn.
Elwood Haynes of Kokomo invented the first gasoline-powered vehicle.
There is a sizable number of Christians known as the Amish. They are reluctant to use modern technology, including tractors.
Indiana has one of the lowest homeless populations.
There are many famous people from Indiana, including James Dean (actor), David Letterman (tv host), Wilbur Wright (inventor), Michael Jackson (singer), and many others.
Interesting Stories
David Luke Brown is a police officer in Greencastle, IN. He was one of two officers who went to a residence as a follow-up from a store theft that had occurred a few moments prior. The officers arrived, and David was shot in the chest by a shotgun round. He returned fire, striking the shooter. While waiting for the ambulance, Officer Brown treated the suspect’s wounds. Senator Todd Young awarded him the Congressional Badge of Bravery. Officer Brown represents the selfless courage and bravery of the police force.
Melvin E. Biddle was born in Daleville, IN. He was in the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He inched through a densely wooded area and stopped 20 yards from an enemy position. He shot three snipers with his spot-on marksmanship. He crept another 200 yards, took out a machine-gun nest, lopped a hand grenade into another one, and shot three more enemy soldiers. Some say that he killed 17 German soldiers with 19 shots. President Harry S Truman awarded Melvin the Medal of Honor.
Mike Pence was born in Columbus. He loves popcorn in the late afternoon, riding horses, snacking on thin crust pizza, and providing lodging for two cats named Oreo and Pickle and a black and white rabbit named Marlon Bundo. He is the most active and dedicated vice president in history. He oversees the Space Program, rights of pro-life groups, religious school funding, the Dodd-Frank roll-back, the negative impacts of “Political Correctness,” and many more important committees. He is by far the most involved VP in our history.
Bobby Knight was a star basketball player. He won an NCAA championship and coached the Army Black Knights. Indiana University hired Bobby as head coach, holding that position for 29 years. During that time, the Hoosiers won 662 games with a winning percentage of 73.5%. That might be an impressive percentage for one or two years. But Knight had this average for all 29 of his coaching years. But good ol’ Bobby Knight will be remembered as the stellar coach from the Hoosier’s glory days.