On May 30, 1911, Ray Harroun drove his single-seater Marmon
Wasp to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500, now one of
the world’s most famous motor racing competitions.

The Indiana automobile dealer Carl Fisher first proposed building
a private auto testing facility in 1906, in order to address car manufacturers’ inability to test potential top speeds of new cars
due to the poorly developed state of the public roadways.

The result was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, built on 328
acres of farmland five miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis.

By the mid-1920s, the Indy 500 had become what it is today–a
high-paying event for the world’s most expensive cars.

Carl Graham Fisher
(January 12, 1874 – July 15, 1939)

Ray Harroun takes the checkered flag.

   Ray Harroun ( 1879 – 1968)

On May 30, 1922, President Warren G. Harding became he first
president to have his voice transmitted by radio while addressing
a crowd at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial.

The broadcast heralded a revolutionary shift in how presidents addressed the American public. It was not until three years later, however, that a president, Calvin Coolidge, would deliver a radio-
specific address.

In 1920, radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA announced that
Harding was the official winner of that year’s presidential election. 

In 1923, he recorded a speech on an early “phonograph” that
recorded and played back sound on wax discs. Harding was also
the first president to own a radio and was the first to have one
installed in the White House. 

William J. “Hi-Pockets” Duncan was a Lubbock, Texas disc
jockey in the ’50s who was instrumental in giving a young
Lubbock performer, Charles Hardin Holly, better known as
‘Buddy’, his first real opportunity.

Charles Hardin Holley (Buddy Holly)  
(September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959)

On May 29, 2005, 23-year-old Danica Patrick became the first
female driver to take the lead in the storied Indianapolis 500.

Having previously distinguished herself in the Toyota Atlantic
series, Patrick had qualified fourth—another best for a woman,
for the 89th Indianapolis 500, only her fifth Indy Racing League
event.

Danica Sue Patrick (43) is the most successful woman in
the history of American open-wheel car racing. She retired
after the 2018 season.

SANDY KOZEL

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)