Hoosier Hall of Fame

On December 11, 2016, our state officially marked its bicentennial. To honor the occasion, IM names the 200 people, places, things, and moments that make us proud.

Call him the old-school Donald Trump: Elwood native Wendell Willkie won the GOP presidential nomination in 1940 by emphasizing his business cred as a CEO. Merrie Melodies used Willkie as a punchline a few years later, when Bugs Bunny said, “IT AIN’T VENDELL VILLKIE!”

From Leslie Knope to Jimmy Chitwood, a breakdown of the state’s best-known roles.

“There is a Midwestern calmness, a stability of outlook, very well exemplified by Dick [Lugar] and many, many others, that goes over well in Washington,” says longtime Indiana congressman Lee Hamilton.

Cyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor, one of the barrier-breakers honored in IM’s Indiana Bicentennial coverage, was the first African-American athlete to win a world championship outside of boxing and to set world records.

You’re welcome for… Prozac. Fluoride Toothpaste. Drunkometer. Transistor Radio. Ball Jar. Headlights. Cruise Control. Push Mower. Dr. Scholl’s. Limestone. NYT Crossword Puzzles. Sudoku. Chuck Taylors.

The past comes alive at these historic spots-of-significance around the state—some of which are getting a little lift from Bicentennial projects.

Ripple Effects: Cummins goes global—and brings the world to Indiana.

Ripple Effects: One Purdue University grad’s apprenticeship under the first-ever aviators sets the course for an out-of-this-world legacy.

Is it just us, or do all roads lead to Indiana’s—and the world’s—most famous racetrack? From Hawaii to Nazareth, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway leaves its tracks.

State climatologist Dev Niyogi anticipates we’ll become adept at customizing our climate, from urban design and cloud seeding to new technologies. So put on your thinking caps, kids.

On the strength of groundbreaking faculty and famous alumni, Herman B Wells makes Indiana University into an academic powerhouse. The ripple effects follow from a Champaign-to-Bloomington transfer.

With hammers and nails, an immigrant family builds a dynasty. From Vonnegut Hardwares stems an award-winning bike trail, a Ben Affleck flick, and one of 20th century’s most important writers.

Civic vision, opportunism, and lots of volunteerism take Indy’s sports rep from sorry to super.

A young New Yorker’s decision to invest in Indianapolis real estate hits nothing. Follow the ripple effects of Mel Simon’s military move to Fort Benjamin Harrison.