7 days Archive

Background summaries of people & events by The Star's library

IN THE NEWS

Local law enforcement deaths
A timeline of officers killed while serving in the Indianapolis Police Department, Marion County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police.

Hoosier deaths in the Iraq War
A list of military personnel with Indiana ties who have died in the Iraq War.

Indiana tornadoes
137 people died on April 11, 1965, Palm Sunday, when 11 tornadoes ripped through Indiana

A History of the Indianapolis Colts
A chronicle from the team's origins in Baltimore, its 1984 move to Indianapolis and summaries of the years since.

History of the Indianapolis 500
Speedway originally conceived for auto testing

History of the Indiana Pacers
Pacers were 3-time national champs in old ABA

Capital Punishment in Indiana
History of Indiana's Death Row and list of executions.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Barker, Jerry -- former chief of Indianapolis Police Department.   Bayh, Evan -- U.S. Senator, former Indiana governor   Bettenhausen, Tony -- auto racing owner and driver who died in a plane crash.   Bird, Larry -- President of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers, former coach of the Pacers and Indiana native who played 13 seasons in the NBA.   Brand, Myles -- as president of Indiana University he fired coach Bob Knight; later he became head of NCAA.   Burton, Dan -- Republican member of Congress representing Indiana's 5th congressional district   Carson, Julia -- Democratic member of Congress representing the 7th district, which includes most of Indianapolis.   Carraway, Melvin -- Former Superintendent of the Indiana State Police   Cottey, Jack -- former Marion County Sheriff..   Daniels, Mitch - Governor of Indiana   Davis, Mike -- former Indiana University basketball coach.   Goldsmith, Stephen -- former mayor of Indianapolis.   Grissom, Virgil "Gus" -- Hoosier astronaut - the second man in space; he died in a space capsule fire in 1967.   Hilbert, Stephen -- business entrepreneur who built Conseco Inc. into a Wall Street favorite, but lost his job when the bubble burst.   Hodowal, John R. -- former chairman of IPALCO.   Hulman, Anton "Tony" -- longtime owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Irsay, Jim -- owner of the Indianpolis Colts. Kernan, Joseph E. -- former governor of Indiana. Knight, Bob -- as IU basketball coach, he led the Hoosiers to three NCAA titles and 11 Big Ten Championships. But his famous temper cost him his job.   Letterman, David -- the late night talk show host born in Indianapolis who got his start in broadcasting on local radio and television stations.   Lugar, Richard -- a member of the U.S. Senate since 1977, he formerly served as mayor of Indianapolis.   McIntosh, David-- the former congressman was the Republican candidate for Indiana governor in 2000, losing to incumbent Gov. Frank O'Bannon.   Miller, Reggie -- former Indiana Pacer famous for his 4th quarter performance and last-second, game-winning shots.   O'Bannon, Frank -- after serving two terms as lieutenant governor to Evan Bayh, Frank O'Bannon was elected his successor in 1996. In 2000 he was re-elected to a second term. O'Bannon died in office in 2003. Orr, Robert D. -- As governor of Indiana in the 1980s, he overhauled the state's education system and removed Indiana's motor vehicle license branches from political party control. He died in 2004 at age 86.   Peterson, Bart -- elected mayor of Indianapolis in 1999, he became the first Democrat to win the post in more than 30 years.   Pritchett, Duncan Pat -- the superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools from 1997 to June 2005   Pulliam, Eugene C. -- owner and publisher of The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News from the 1940s until his death in 1975.   Pulliam, Eugene S. -- publisher of The Star and The News from 1975 until his death in 1999.   Simon, Mel and Herb-- Mall developers and owners of the Indiana Pacers Thomas, Isiah-- former NBA great followed Larry Bird as coach of the Indiana Pacers, but was fired (by Bird) three seasons later.   Vonnegut, Kurt -- among the most influential writers of his generation, The Indianapolis-born novelist, is the author of 14 novels, notably Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions.   Voss, Janice-- astronaut from South Bend has been on five shuttle missions.   Walsh, Donnie -- general manager of the Indiana Pacers. Wells, Herman B. -- served as president or chancellor of Indiana University for 63 years, from May 1937 until his death March 18, 2000.   Wendt, Gary-- former CEO of Conseco Inc. White, Eugene -- superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools. Williams, Charles -- late president of Indiana Black Expo   Wolf, David -- astronaut from Indianapolis. Zendejas, Esperanza -- former IPS Superintendent

BUSINESS

Rebuilding Conseco For most of the 1990s, Conseco and its CEO, Stephen C. Hilbert, could do no wrong. But a fateful acquisition in 1998 sparked a stock slide that led to Hilbert's resignation. The company later reorganized under Chapt. 11 bankruptcy.   IPALCO acquired by AES Corp. IPALCO Chairman John Hodowal announced the $3 billion deal in July 2000   Ameritech Poor phone service prompted regulatory pressure in five Midwestern states   Heartland Financial case Hundreds of investors lost savings in alleged Ponzi scheme   Central Newspapers acquired by Gannett The Star became the second-largest metropolitan daily in the nation's largest newspaper chain in August 2000.   Eli Lilly and Co The manufacturer of insulin, Prozac and other pharmaceuticals, is the largest employer in the Indianapolis area.   Guidant Corp. This designer and developer of cardiovascular medical products was created from Lilly subsidiaries.   Circle Centre Mall More than 15 years after it was first proposed a shopping mall opened in Downtown Indianapolis and became the centerpeice of Downtown revitalization

CRIME AND LAW

Missing Indiana University student Jill Behrman was last seen May 31, 2000 while riding her bicycle near her Bloomington home. Her skeletal remains were found March 9, 2003 in a Morgan County field.   2002 Marion County Homicide statistics Full-size PDF page lists victims, maps locations.   Capital Punishment in Indiana History of Indiana's Death Row and list of executions.   Suspect dies in Carol Jenkins murder case Brutal racial slaying has haunted Martinsville since 1968. Shanabarger convicted of infant murder Father planned revenge-killing before son was conceived The day everything changed Background on the Sept. 11 attacks and aftermath The Oklahoma City Bombing Timothy McVeigh was executed June 11, 2001 for his role in the 1995 bombing   John Dillinger Notorious Hoosier criminal went from a small time crook to America's Most Wanted after an ill-fated bank robbery in 1934 left a police officer dead.   The murder of Sylvia Likens In one of the most notorious crimes in Indianapolis history, Gertrude Baniszewski was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1965 torture slaying of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens.   Local line-of-duty deaths List of city, county and state law enforcement officers who have died on the job.   Michael Overstreet sentenced to death Convicted in the 1997 slaying of Kelly Eckert .   Judy Kirby sentenced to 215 years in wrongway crash Six children and an adult died in collision prosecutors say was intentional.   The Michael Taylor shooting A 16-year-old auto theft suspect died of a gunshot wound to the head in an Indianapolis police cruiser in 1987. In 2000 the city agreed to pay a $1.9 million settlement.   School violence around the world A timeline of violent acts occuring at schools.   The Myron Powell case Former Indianapolis police officer sentenced to 65 years for the 1997 murder of a drug dealer.   Heartland Financial case Hundreds of investors lost savings in alleged Ponzi scheme   Indianapolis Baptist Temple Unpaid taxes result in government takeover of property

ENVIRONMENT

The Clean Water Act - 30 Years Later Indiana has made strides, but has not reached all goals set out in 1972 legislation. The White River Fish Kill -- Toxic discharge killed 117 tons of fish State sued Anderson manufacturer over alleged chemical discharge through city's wastewater plant.

GOVERNMENT

City of Indianapolis Unigov -- The consolidation of Indianapolis and Marion County government offices in 1970. Bart Peterson -- Mayor of Indianapolis. See also our biography of former Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. State government -- Indiana governors A listing of all Indiana governors. See also our individual biographies of recent Indiana governors, including Mitch Daniels, Joseph Kernan, Frank O'Bannon, Evan Bayh and Robert Orr. State government - the Indiana General Assembly: 2006 Indiana legislative action An interactive guide to the Statehouse with summaries of laws passed by the Indiana General Assembly during the session. See also our earlier Citizens Guides from 2005, 2003 and 2001 Build Indiana Fund Star investigation found illegal expenditures, little oversight Gas tax suspension -- When prices reached $2 a gallon in June 2000, Gov. Frank O'Bannon suspended state sales tax on gasoline Congress Indiana's Congressional delegation List of Congress members and U.S. Senators with contact information.   Indiana's U.S. Senators Richard Lugar -- the former Indianapolis mayor was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976 and became Indiana's longest-serving U.S. senator   Evan Bayh -- a former two-term Indiana governor, Bayh was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998, winning the seat once held by his father. Elections: 2002 General Election results Frank Anderson elected sheriff; Julia Carson re-elected to Congress. 2002 Primary Election results Tom Schneider wins GOP not for Marion County sheriff Election 2000: The Presidency The U.S. Supreme Court determined the winner in the presidential race after a 36-day legal battle over the recount in Florida.   Election 2000: Indiana results Gov. Frank O'Bannon easily won re-election over Republican challenger David McIntosh. U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar won a fifth term. 2000 Census results Numbers reveal "Who We Are"

HISTORY

Mayors of Indianapolis List of Indianapolis' mayors from Samuel Henderson in 1847 to Bart Peterson in 2000.   Governors of Indiana List of Indiana Governors; dates in office; party affiliation and dates of death A Brief History of Time (in Indiana) Background on the Hoosier State's once unique time zone   History of the The Star and The News The first edition of The Indianapolis News hit the street on December 7, 1869. The Star came along in 1903 and both papers were purchased by Eugene C. Pulliam in the 1940s. In 1999 The News folded and The Star was acquired by Gannett. Hoosier Astronauts The route to NASA often goes through Indiana, largely because of Purdue University's top aerospace program. The explosion of the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum 74 people died and nearly 400 were injured when a propane tank exploded in 1963. Indiana tornadoes 137 people died on April 11, 1965, Palm Sunday, when 11 tornadoes ripped through Indiana Indiana Plane Crashes Numerous air disasters have touched the state Indiana Black Expo Inc. Founded in 1970, IBE has grown from an annual summer event to a major community organization with numerous programs and year-round events.   Back in the Day -- Indiana's African-American History Black History in Indiana drawn from the pages of The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News.   The sinking of the USS Indianapolis In the last days of WWII the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Most of the crew survived the attack, but waited days to be rescued in shark-infested waters. Only 317 made it home.   Firefighter Deaths List of Indianapolis firefighters killed in the line of duty

SPORTS

IU' 2002 basketball season After heart-stopping wins over Duke and Oklahoma, the Hoosiers made it to the NCAA Championship game, but lost to Maryland, 64-52   A History of the Indianapolis Colts A chronicle from the team's origins in Baltimore, its 1984 move to Indianapolis and season-by-season summaries of the years since.   A landmark rises Indianapolis breaks ground on new Colts stadium Indianapolis Colts 2000 season Young team struggles to live up to Super Bowl expectations   Indianapolis Colts 2001 season Team finishes a disappointing 6-10 and Coach Mora is fired   Indianapolis Colts 2002 season The team finishes 10-6, but loses to the Jets 41-0 in an AFC wild-card game.  Indianapolis Colts 2003 season The team begins the new season with hopes high. Indianapolis Colts 2004 season The Colts are hoping this is their year History of the Indiana Pacers Pacers were 3-time national champs in old ABA   2000 - Indiana Pacers go to the NBA Finals In 2000, the Pacers made it to the NBA Finals for the first time, but got slam-dunked by Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers.   Indiana Pacers 2000-01 After losing key veterans to retirement, trades and free agencie the Pacers spent the season rebuilding with younger players. Indiana Pacers 2001-02 After an uneven season Indiana finishes strong, gives New Jersey a fight in playoffs   Brickyard 400 History of the Brickyard 400 which debuted Aug. 6, 1994 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway   History of the Indianapolis 500 Speedway originally conceived for auto testing   Sports biographies: Davis, Mike -- Indiana University men's basketball coach Successor to Bob Knight leads Hoosiers to Final Four his second season as coach. Irsay, Jim -- owner of the Indianpolis Colts.   Bird, Larry -- Former NBA player, Pacers coach Indiana native played 13 seasons in the NBA and returned to coach the Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2000. He retired after three seasons, but returned in 2003 to become president of basketball operations.   Thomas, Isiah -- IU, NBA basketball star, Pacers coach One-time Detroit Pistons star hired to replace Larry Bird as Pacers coach in 2000, but was fired -- by Bird -- three seasons later.   Miller, Reggie -- Pacers' star shooter. Drafted in 1987, he has remained with the Pacers his entire NBA career and is known for his "Miller Time" scoring in the final moments of crucial games.   Walsh, Donnie -- Indiana Pacers' general manager. Regarded as one of the best GMs in pro basketball, Walsh has an eye for young talent.   Knight, Bob -- Former IU men's basketball coach He led the Hoosiers to three NCAA titles and 11 Big Ten Championships. But his hot temper brought repeated controversy and in 2000 he was fired.   Hulman, Anton "Tony" -- Indianapolis Motor Speedway savior When the Speedway appeared doomed in 1945, Hulman bought it and the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" was born.