1. In 1850, the first state fair was held in Indiana on August 9. The event was held in Indianapolis and was attended by thousands of people from all over the state.

2. August 9, 1851 marked the opening of the Wabash and Erie Canal. The canal, which stretched 468 miles from Toledo, Ohio to Evansville, Indiana, was a major transportation route for goods and people in the mid-1800s.

3. On August 9, 1945, a B-29 bomber named "Bockscar" dropped the atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, Japan. This event effectively ended World War II and ushered in the nuclear age.

4. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which hosts the famous Indy 500 race, was dedicated on August 9, 1909. The track has been the site of some of the most exciting moments in motorsports history.

5. In 1916, on August 9, actress and comedienne Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown, New York. While she is not an Indiana native, Ball's impact on entertainment and pop culture has been felt across the country and around the world.