1. In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state to join the United States of America. The state's capital city is Indianapolis and its nickname is the "Hoosier State."
2. On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, which is one of the most famous speeches in American history. The brief address was given during the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, following the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War.
3. In 1953, the Indiana Toll Road opened, stretching for 156 miles across northern Indiana from the Ohio state line to the Illinois state line. The toll road has since undergone several expansions and renovations.
4. On November 19, 1965, Indiana University's football team defeated the Purdue Boilermakers in the Old Oaken Bucket game, finishing the regular season with a record of 8-2. This would be the first of many successful seasons for the Indiana Hoosiers football program.
5. In 2005, Indiana native and legendary basketball coach John Wooden was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Wooden, who was born in Martinsville and attended Purdue University, is widely considered one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, having won ten NCAA national championships with the UCLA Bruins.