1889 Benjamin Harrison left his home in Indianapolis to go to Washington, D. C., to take the oath as the 23rd President of the United States. Indiana Governor Alvin Hovey and Indianapolis Mayor Caleb Denny led the large crowd which gathered to send him off. The parade to Union Station included prominent citizens and members of the state legislature as well as hundreds of school children who had been given a long recess to allow them to witness the history-making event. Speaking to the assembly, Harrison said, "I love this city. It has been my one cherished home." The Indiana Sentinel reported that, through the excitement, Harrison's "ever cool and collected manner manifested itself." (Pictured: The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site at 13th and Delaware in Indianapolis.)
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1890 Mary Tomlinson was born in Acton, Indiana. After attending local schools and Franklin College, she became interested in theater. She ended up in Hollywood where, under the name Marjorie Main, she was hired by the MGM Studio. Her filmography includes over 80 films, including "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "Friendly Persuasion." She is best known as "Ma" in the popular "Ma and Pa Kettle" series.
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1922 24-year-old Marian Anderson was the featured singer in a program at the Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. She was at the beginning of a long career in which she gained international fame and broke down racial barriers in the arts. She was the first African American to perform at the New York Metropolitan Opera and the White House.
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1925 The Duesenberg Motor Company filed incorporation papers with the Indiana Secretary of State. The firm was being moved to Indianapolis from New Jersey by brothers Fred and August Duesenberg. Their luxury automobiles were not only beautiful but powerful, performing well on the Speedway track. The company ceased production in the mid-1930s, but the cars are still highly prized by collectors. (Pictured: The 1930 Model J Duesenberg.)
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1932 The 200th Anniversary of George Washington's birth was celebrated in cities all around the state. Pageants, plays, and speeches were on the programs in Greensburg, Anderson, Connersville, Greencastle, and Martinsville. In Columbus, flowers were placed on the grave of Jonathan Moore, a Revolutionary War soldier and bodyguard for Washington.
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1932 British Diplomat Winston Churchill was the featured speaker in a program at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis. Accompanied by his 22-year-old daughter Diana, he was in the city under the auspices of the Council on International Relations. A reporter wrote, "Most of Mr. Churchill's carefully prepared address was made with the assurance and deliberation with which he would have addressed the House of Parliament."
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Abe Martin Sez: Ther's nothin' as uncertain as a sure thing. (Indianapolis News, February 23, 1922)
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