USS Indianapolis (CA-35), 27 September 1939

USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was a Portland-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, named for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Launched in 1931, it was the flagship of the commander of Scouting Force 1 for eight years, then flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance from 1943 to 1945 while he commanded the Fifth Fleet in battles across the Central Pacific during World War II.

In July 1945, Indianapolis completed a top-secret high-speed trip to deliver uranium and other components for "Little Boy", the first nuclear weapon used in combat, to the Tinian Naval Base, and subsequently departed for the Philippines on training duty. At 0015 on 30 July, the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58, and sank in 12 minutes. (Full article...)

• ... that the Leedy Manufacturing Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, was at one point the largest manufacturer of drums in the world?
• ... that an Indiana newspaper donated its TV station to the local high school instead of shutting it down?
• ... that the existence of Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues was accidentally leaked when it was displayed on an animator's résumé?
• ... that three years prior to this month's massive plastics fire in Indiana, a court determined that the site was a fire hazard "unsafe to people and property"?
• ... that the Circle Tower, an Art Deco building in Indianapolis, features ziggurat-like upper floors?
• ... that Butt Drugs in Corydon, Indiana, had Butt Liquors and free parking in the rear?

Muncie (/ˈmʌnsi/ MUN-see) is an incorporated city and the seat of Delaware County, Indiana, United States. It is located in East Central Indiana about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Indianapolis. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 65,195, down from 70,085 in the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Muncie metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Delaware County. The city is also included in the Indianapolis–Carmel–Muncie combined statistical area.

The Lenape people, led by Buckongahelas, arrived in the area in the 1790s. They founded several villages, including one known as Munsee Town, along the White River. The trading post, renamed Muncietown, was selected as the Delaware County seat and platted in 1827. Its name was officially shortened to Muncie in 1845 and incorporated as a city in 1865. Muncie developed as a manufacturing and industrial center, especially after the Indiana gas boom of the 1880s. It is home to Ball State University. As a result of the Middletown studies, sociological research that was first conducted in the 1920s, Muncie is said to be one of the most studied United States cities of its size. (Full article...)

Jackson in 1988

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his world record music achievements broke racial barriers in America and made him a global figure. Through songs, stages, and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music; popularizing street dance moves including the moonwalk (which he named), the robot, and the anti-gravity lean. Guinness World Records named him the most successful entertainer of all time.

The eighth child of the Jackson family, Michael made his public debut in 1964 at age six, as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). After signing with Motown in 1968, the band achieved worldwide success with him as its lead singer. Jackson achieved solo stardom with the release of his fifth album Off the Wall (1979). He followed it up with Thriller (1982), the best-selling album of all time, which propelled him to the forefront of pop culture and revolutionized the music video medium with the videos for its title track along with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean". Jackson furthered his position as a global superstar with Bad (1987), the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". He continued success in the 1990s with Dangerous (1991), his most sonically diverse album. HIStory (1995) produced "You Are Not Alone", the first song to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as the protest songs "Earth Song" and "They Don't Care About Us". His final album, Invincible, was released in 2001. (Full article...)