Moment of Indiana History
shows Archive
November 24, 2008
![]()
Tecumseh’s Curse
A quick scan of US Presidential history reveals an eerie recurrence: from William Henry Harrison through John Kennedy, every President elected in a year ending in zero has died in office.
November 17, 2008
![]()
The Birthplace of the Modern Political Campaign
Political campaigns can turn the nation into a veritable battleground. Perhaps it is fitting then, that the place where the modern political campaign is said to have been launched is the town of Battle Ground, Indiana.
November 10, 2008
![]()
Dan Quayle
Controversial vice presidential picks are nothing new in American politics, as even recent Indiana history reveals. When Republican presidential nominee George H.W. Bush announced his running mate in August 1988, Indiana Senator James Danforth Quayle faced relentless questioning from the press about his military service, personal life and leadership experience.
November 3, 2008
![]()
Bellwether Blues…and Reds
When it comes to predicting the outcome of a presidential election, one might consult Indiana history. More specifically, the voting record of Vigo County, Indiana, which has been the most consistent bellwether of American presidential voting trends for more than a century.
October 27, 2008
![]()
Selwin and Sammy Terry
When Universal Pictures floated its set of classic horror flicks from the 30s and 40s as ready-made content for the TV stations cropping up across the country in the 1950s, WISH-TV was the first Indiana station to bite—so to speak.
October 20, 2008
![]()
Shocking New Medium
In addition to running syndicated shows from their affiliates, the new stations produced local programming, from news to station breaks. One opportunity for creating a local presence emerged with the so-called “Shock Package” of classic horror films Universal Pictures distributed to fledgling television stations.
October 13, 2008
![]()
John Mellencamp
A pop radio staple for three decades, Grammy-award winner John Mellencamp was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2008. A native of the Jackson County town of Seymour, which would be immortalized as the “ Small Town” of his eponymous 1985 hit, Mellencamp took a two-year degree from Vincennes University and left for New York City in 1975.
October 6, 2008
![]()
James Watson
Growing up in Chicago, James Watson was into watching birds– and matching wits on the popular syndicated radio and TV series, Quiz Kids . Even with all this extracurricular activity, Watson managed to graduate from high school at age 15, issuing directly into the University of Chicago in 1943.
October 6, 2008
![]()
Hoosier Gold
When “Baltimore Bullet” Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, not only his competitors were left in his wake. With this accomplishment, the swimming champion set a new record for number of first-place wins in a single year’s Olympic Games.
September 29, 2008
![]()
Evansville African American Museum
With its spacious dimensions, pleasant views and various amenities, Lockefield Gardens in Indianapolis distinguished itself among housing projects erected in the 1930s under President Franklin Roosevelt’s Public Works Administration.
