1. In 1867, Indiana passed the first legislation in the nation that provided for the establishment of state-supported normal schools, which were designed to train teachers to work in public schools. By the end of the century, Indiana had seven normal schools, which eventually became part of the state's system of higher education.

2. On March 29, 1905, the Indiana Reformatory Institution for Women, later known as the Indiana Women's Prison, admitted its first inmate. The facility was intended to provide rehabilitation and job training for female offenders, who previously had been housed in a separate wing of the Indiana State Prison.

3. In 1927, the Indiana General Assembly passed a bill prohibiting the teaching of evolution in public schools. The law remained in effect until 1965.

4. On March 29, 1951, the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command began testing giant atomic bombs at Camp Desert Rock, which was located in Nevada but was controlled by Indiana-based Project Tumbler-Snapper. Over the course of the next year, the Air Force conducted more than a dozen nuclear tests at the site before moving operations to the Pacific.

5. In 1982, a major tornado outbreak struck Indiana, with 13 confirmed twisters touching down and causing significant damage. The deadliest of the storms hit the small town of Medora, killing 6 people and injuring dozens more. The event led to a renewed focus on emergency preparedness in the state.