Coordinates	10°14′49″N67°35′46″N
Name	Indianapolis
Nickname	Indy, The Circle City,Crossroads of America, The Racing Capital of the World, Amateur Sports Capital of the World
Image seal	Indianapolis_Seal.png
Map caption	Location in the state of Indiana
Pushpin map	USA2
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States
Coordinates region	US-IN
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Indiana
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Marion
Subdivision type3	Townships
Subdivision name3	''See Marion Co. Townships''
Government type	Mayor-council
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Gregory A. Ballard (R)
Leader title1	Governing body
Leader name1	City-County Council
Established title	Founded
Established date	1821
Area magnitude	1 E8
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total sq mi	372
Area total km2	963.5
Area land sq mi	365.1
Area land km2	945.6
Area water sq mi	6.9
Area water km2	17.9
Population urban	1219000
Population as of	2010
Population metro	1,756,241 (34th)
Population total	829718 (12th)
Population density sq mi	2273
Population density km2	861
Population blank1 title	Demonyms
Population blank1	Indianapolitan
Elevation m	218
Elevation ft	715
Timezone	EST
Utc offset	-5
Timezone dst	EDT
Utc offset dst	-4
Postal code type	ZIP Codes
Postal code	46201 – 46209, 46211, 46214 46216 – 46231, 46234 – 46237 46239 – 46242, 46244, 46247 46249 – 46251, 46253 – 46256 46259, 46260, 46266, 46268 46274, 46275, 46277, 46278 46280, 46282, 46283, 46285 46290, 46291, 46295, 46296 46298
Twin1	Campinas
Twin1 country
Twin2	Cologne
Twin2 country
Twin3	Eldoret
Twin3 country
Twin4	Hangzhou
Twin4 country
Twin5	Hyderabad
Twin5 country
Twin6	Monza
Twin6 country
Twin7	Piran
Twin7 country
Area code	317
Twin8	Taipei
Twin8 country
Latns	N
Coordinates	39°46′5.88″N86°9′29.52″N
Longew	W
Website	http://www.indy.gov
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	18-36003
Blank2 name	Interstates
Blank2 info	I-65, I-69, I-70, I-74
Blank3 name	Interstate Spurs
Blank3 info	I-465, I-865
Blank4 name	Waterways
Blank4 info	White River
Blank5 name	Airports
Blank5 info	Indianapolis International Airport
Blank6 name	Public transit
Blank6 info	IndyGo Clarian Health People Mover
Blank7 name	Railroads
Blank7 info	Amtrak

Indianapolis (abbreviated Indy ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 829,718. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S. Census, is the 12th largest city in the U.S., the second largest city in the Midwest (behind Chicago), the second most populous state capital (after Phoenix, Arizona), and the most populous state capital east of the Mississippi River. Indianapolis is also one of the fastest growing regions in the United States.

For much of its history, Indianapolis has oriented itself around government and industry, particularly manufacturing. Today, Indianapolis has a much more diversified economy, contributing to the fields of education, health care, and finance. Tourism is also a vital part of the economy of Indianapolis, and the city plays host to numerous conventions and sporting events. Of these, perhaps the most well known is the annual Indianapolis 500. Other major sporting events include the Brickyard 400 and the Men's and Women's NCAA Basketball Tournaments. 2012 will mark the first time Indianapolis will play host to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLVI will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium, on February 5, 2012 in Downtown Indianapolis.

Greater Indianapolis has seen moderate growth among U.S. cities, especially in nearby Hamilton, Hendricks, and Johnson counties. The population of the metropolitan statistical area was 1,756,241 according to the 2010 Census, making it the 34th-largest in the United States. The 2010 population of the Indianapolis combined statistical area, a larger trade area, was 2,080,782, the 23rd-largest in the country.

History

Native Americans who lived in the area originally included the Miami and Lenape (or Delaware) tribes, but they were displaced from the area by the early 1820s.

Indianapolis was selected as the site of the new state capital in 1820, the old state capital having been Corydon since the formation of the state of Indiana. While most American state capitals tend to be located in the central region of their respective states, Indianapolis is the closest capital to being placed in the exact center of its state. It was founded on the White River both because of this, and because of the incorrect assumption that the river would serve as a major transportation artery. However, the waterway eventually proved to be too sandy for trade. Jeremiah Sullivan, a judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, invented the name ''Indianapolis'' by joining ''Indiana'' with ''polis'', the Greek word for ''city''; Indianapolis literally means "''Indiana City''". The state commissioned Alexander Ralston to design the new capital city. Ralston was an apprentice to the French architect Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan Washington, DC. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of only one square mile (3 km²). At the center of the city sat Governor's Circle, a large circular commons, which was to be the site of the governor's mansion. Meridian and Market Streets converge at the Circle and continue north-south and east-west, respectively.The Capital moved from Corydon on January 10, 1825. The governor's mansion was eventually demolished in 1857 and in its place stands a tall neoclassical limestone and bronze monument, the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. The surrounding street is now known as ''Monument Circle''.

The city lies on the original east-west National Road. The first railroad to service Indianapolis, the Madison & Indianapolis, began operation on October 1, 1847, and subsequent railroad connections made expansive growth possible. Indianapolis was the home of the first Union Station, or common rail passenger terminal, in the United States. By the turn of the century, Indianapolis had become a large automobile manufacturer, rivaling the likes of Detroit. With roads leading out of the city in all directions, Indianapolis became a major hub of regional transport connecting to Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis, befitting the capital of a state whose nickname is "The Crossroads of America." This same network of roads would allow quick and easy access to suburban areas in future years.

City population grew rapidly throughout the first half of the 20th century. While rapid suburbanization began to take place in the second half of the century, race relations deteriorated. Even so, on the night that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Indianapolis was the only major city in which rioting did not occur. Many credit the speech by Robert F. Kennedy, who was in town campaigning for President that night, for helping to calm the tensions. Racial tensions heightened in 1970 with the passage of Unigov, which further isolated the middle class from Indianapolis's growing African American community.. Although Indianapolis and the state of Indiana abolished segregated schools just prior to Brown vs. Board of Education, the later action of court-ordered school desegregation busing by Judge S. Hugh Dillin was a controversial change. In the 1970s and 1980s, Indianapolis suffered at the hands of urban decay and white flight. Major revitalization of the city's blighted areas, such as Fall Creek Place, and especially the downtown, began in the 1990s and led to an acceleration of growth on the fringes of the metropolitan area. The opening of Circle Centre in downtown Indianapolis jump started a major revitalization of the central business district. The city hosted the 1987 Pan American Games.

The 1970s and 1980s ushered in a period of planning and revitalization for the urban core of Indianapolis. Changes came early with the reorientation of the city’s government. Unigov was created as the result of a 1970 consolidation between city and county government. The city of Indianapolis merged most government services with those of Marion County. For the most part, this resulted in a unification of Indianapolis with its immediate suburbs. This caused the boundaries of the city to grow tremendously and would be reflected in Indianapolis’ jump to the rank of America’s 11th largest city in 1970. The City-County Building housed the newly consolidated government. At its completion, the City-County Building became the city’s tallest building and the first building in the city to be taller than the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. Amidst the changes in government and growth, the city’s role as a major transportation hub and tourist destination was further strengthened with the Weir Cook Municipal Airport receiving its international designation in 1975.

The city and state have invested heavily in improvement projects such as an expansion to the Convention Center, upgrading of the I-465 beltway, and construction of an entirely new airport terminal for the Indianapolis International Airport, which is now open. Construction of the Indianapolis Colts' new home, Lucas Oil Stadium, was completed in August 2008, and the hotel and convention center expansion were completed in early 2011.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the balance (the part of Marion County not part of another municipality) has a total area of  â€“ of it is land and of it is water. The total area is 1.81% water. These figures do not, however, represent the entire Consolidated City of Indianapolis (all of Marion County, except the four excluded communities). The total area of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, not including the four excluded communities, covers approximately .

At the center of Indianapolis is the One-Mile Square, bounded by four appropriately-named streets: East, West, North, and South Streets. Nearly all of the streets in the Mile Square are named after U.S. states. The exceptions are Meridian Street, which numerically divides west from east; Market Street, which intersects Meridian Street at Monument Circle; Capitol and Senate Avenues, where many of the Indiana state government buildings are located; and Washington Street, which was named after President George Washington. The street-numbering system centers not on the Circle, but rather one block to the south, where Meridian Street intersects Washington Street (part of the historic National Road).

Indianapolis is situated in the Central Till Plains region of the United States. Two natural waterways dissect the city: the White River, and Fall Creek.

Physically, Indianapolis is similar to many other Midwestern cities. A mix of deciduous forests and prairie covered much of what is considered Indianapolis prior to the 19th century. Land within the city limits varies from flat to gently sloping; most of the changes in elevation are so gradual that they go unnoticed and appear to be flat at close range. The mean elevation for Indianapolis is . The highest point in Indianapolis lies on the northeast side of the city. It was previously assumed that the highest point was Crown Hill Cemetery (the tomb of famed Hoosier writer James Whitcomb Riley) with an elevation of . The lowest point in Indianapolis lies at the Marion County/Johnson County line, with an elevation of about . The highest hill in Indianapolis is Mann Hill, a bluff located along the White River in Southwestway Park that rises about above the surrounding land. Variations in elevation from 700–900 feet occur throughout the city limits. There are a few moderately-sized bluffs and valleys in the city, particularly along the shores of the White River, Fall Creek, Geist Reservoir, and Eagle Creek Reservoir, and especially on the city's northeast and northwest sides.

Climate

Indianapolis has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dfa''). Like most cities in the Midwest, it has four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with high temperatures regularly approaching , with some days exceeding . Spring and autumn are usually pleasant, with temperatures reaching around . Spring, however, is much less predictable than autumn; midday temperature drops exceeding ) are common during March and April, and instances of very warm days () followed within 36 hours by snowfall are not unheard of during these months. Winters are cool to cold, with daily highs barely inching above freezing. Temperatures occasionally dip below on 7 nights per year. The rainiest months are in the spring and summer, with average rainfall of over four inches (100 mm) per month, mostly derived from thunderstorm activity; there is no distinct dry season with slightly higher summer averages.

The city's average annual precipitation is .

The mean July temperature is , and the corresponding figure for January is . The record high for Indianapolis is , on July 25, 1954. The record low is , on January 19, 1994. Average annual snowfall is .

Cityscape

High rise construction in Indianapolis started in 1888 with the high Indiana Statehouse, followed by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in 1898. However, because of a special ordinance disallowing building higher than the structure, the monument remained the highest structure until the completion of the City-County Building in 1962.

In the 1970s, the central business district, like many other Rust Belt cities of the United States, saw decreased economic activity and, as a result, downtown Indianapolis saw little new construction. By the 1980s, the city of Indianapolis addressed these issues by developing plans to redefine the city's downtown and neighborhoods. Tall skyscrapers started being built to define Indianapolis's skyline, such as the One America building in 1982. This development also carried over to the 90's, when the Chase Tower was built.

Neighborhood development was also addressed. Indianapolis neighborhoods were designated in relation to their proximity to the city center, and plans were initiated for them to be redeveloped.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the population of Indianapolis is 829,718. The population density is 2,230 persons per square mile.

At the 2010 Census, 58.6% of the population was non-Hispanic White, 27.2% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.2% non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% non-Hispanic Asian, 0.3% from some other race (non-Hispanic) and 2.2% of two or more races (non-Hispanic). 9.4% of Indianapolis population was of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race).

Greater Indianapolis is a rapidly growing region located at the center of Indiana and consists of Marion County, Indiana and several adjacent counties. The Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Indianapolis exceeded 2 million people in the 2007 estimate, ranking 23rd in the United States and 7th in the Midwest. As a unified labor and media market, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had a 2010 population of 1.83 million people, ranking 33rd in the United States and 7th largest in the Midwest.

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the racial composition of the city are 66.6% White (Non-Hispanic Whites: 63.3%), 25.9% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 3.2% Asian, 3.4% from some other race, 2.1% are from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) make up 7.0% of the total population.

A University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee study recently concluded that Indianapolis is the least segregated city in the northern United States, with 25% of the population living on a city block with both white and black residents.

There were 324,342 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.03.

The age distribution was 25.7% under 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,154, and the median income for a family was $48,979. Males had a median income of $36,372 versus $27,757 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,789. About 9.0% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those ages 65 or older.

Law and government

Indianapolis has a consolidated city-county government known as Unigov. Under this system, many functions of the city and county governments are consolidated, though some remain separate. The city has a mayor-council form of government.

Mayor

The executive branch is headed by an elected mayor, who serves as the chief executive of both the city and Marion County. The current Mayor of Indianapolis is Republican Greg Ballard. The mayor appoints city department heads and members of various boards and commissions.

City-County Council

The legislative body for the city and county is the City-County Council. It is made up of 29 members, 25 of whom represent districts, with the remaining four elected at large. As of 2009, Republicans hold a 15-13-1 majority over Democrats and a (formerly Republican) Libertarian. The council passes ordinances for the city and county and also makes appointments to certain boards and commissions.

Courts

With the exception of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, all of the courts of law in Indianapolis are part of the Indiana state court system. The Marion Superior Court is the court of general jurisdiction. The 35 judges on the court hear all criminal, juvenile, probate, and traffic violation cases, as well as most civil cases. The Marion Circuit Court hears certain types of civil cases. Small claims cases are heard by Small Claims Courts in each of Marion County's nine townships. The Appeals Courts and the Indiana Supreme Court meet in the Indiana Statehouse.

Fire protection

The Indianapolis Fire Department provides fire protection services for six townships in Marion County (Washington, Lawrence, Center, Warren, Perry, and Franklin), plus those portions of the other three townships that were part of Indianapolis prior to the establishment of Unigov. The individual fire departments of Decatur, Pike, and Wayne townships, the town of Speedway, and the cities of Beech Grove and Lawrence, provide such services for their respective jurisdictions.

Emergency medical services

Emergency medical services (EMS) for six townships in Indianapolis (Washington, Lawrence, Center, Warren, Perry and Franklin) and the Town of Speedway are provided by Indianapolis Emergency medical services. The fire departments of Decatur, Pike and Wayne Townships, as well as the cities of Beech Grove and Lawrence, provide EMS services to their respective jurisdictions.

Law enforcement

Indianapolis and Marion County historically maintained separate police agencies: the Indianapolis Police Department and Marion County Sheriff's Department. On January 1, 2007, a new agency, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, was formed by merging the two departments. IMPD is a separate agency, as the Sheriff's Department maintains jail and court functions. IMPD has jurisdiction over those portions of Marion County not explicitly covered by the police of an excluded city or by a legacy pre-Unigov force. As of February 29, 2008, the IMPD is headed by a Public Safety Director appointed by the Mayor of Indianapolis; the Public Safety Director appoints the Police Chief. The IMPD was formerly under the leadership of the Sheriff of Marion County, Frank J. Anderson. The Sheriff remains in charge of the County Jail and security for the City-County Building, service of warrants, and certain other functions. The Sheriff must be consulted, but does not have final say, on the appointment of the Public Safety Director and the Police Chief.

Crime

In the late 1990s, violent crimes in inner-city neighborhoods located within the old city limits (pre-consolidation) peaked. The former Indianapolis Police District (IPD), which serves about 37% of the county's total population and has a geographic area covering mostly the old pre-consolidation city limits, recorded 130 homicides in 1998 to average approximately 40.3 homicides per 100,000 people. This is over 6 times the 1998 national homicide average of 6.3 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the former Marion County Sheriff's Department district serving the remaining 63% of the county's population, which includes the majority of the residents in the Consolidated City, recorded only 32 homicides in 1998, averaging about 5.9 murders per 100,000 people, slightly less than the 1998 national homicide average. Homicides in the IPD police district dropped dramatically in 1999 and have remained lower through 2005. In 2005, the IPD police district recorded 88 homicides to average 27.3 homicides per 100,000 people; nonetheless, the murder rate in the IPD is still almost 5 times the 2005 national average. In 2007, city leaders such as Sheriff Frank J. Anderson and former Mayor Bart Peterson held rallies in neighborhoods in effort to stop the violence in the city. In 2008, 122 homicides were recorded in Indianapolis.

It is important to note that Indianapolis is unique in its incorporation of historically suburban areas into the official "city limits" since the establishment of Unigov in 1970. This can make the overall numbers for the city misleading, as crime rates in working class inner-city neighborhoods are diluted by the low suburban crime rates incorporated in the city statistics. Thus, violent crime and property crime rates that nonetheless both rank in the top 15 nationally would be considerably higher if they actually reflected the urban "pre-consolidation" Indianapolis and not its historic suburbs as well.

The immediate downtown area of the city around most main attractions, venues, and museums remain relatively safe. IMPD uses horseback officers and bicycle officers to patrol the downtown area or the city. Certain areas of Indianapolis remain a challenge for law enforcement officials. Indianapolis was ranked as the 33rd most dangerous city in the United States in the 2008–2009 edition of CQ Press's ''City Crime Rankings''.

Politics

Until the late 1990s, Indianapolis was considered to be one of the most conservative metropolitan areas in the country but this trend is reversing. Republicans had held the majority in the City-County Council for 36 years, and the city had a Republican mayor for 32 years from 1967 to 1999. This was in part because the creation of Unigov added several then-heavily Republican areas of Marion County to the Indianapolis city limits. More recently, Republicans have generally been stronger in the southern and western parts (Decatur, Franklin, Perry, and Wayne, townships) of the county while Democrats have been stronger in the central and northern parts (Center, Pike, and Washington townships). Republican and Democratic prevalence is split in Warren and Lawrence townships. Outside of Marion County and the city proper, Republicans hold strong majorities in the suburbs of the metropolitan area.

In the 1999 municipal election, Democrat Bart Peterson defeated Indiana Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy by 52% to 41%. Four years later, Peterson was re-elected with 63% of the vote over Marion County Treasurer Greg Jordan. Republicans narrowly lost control of the City-County Council that year. In 2004, Democrats won the Marion County offices of treasurer, surveyor and coroner for the first time since the 1970s. The county GOP lost further ground during the 2006 elections with Democrats winning the offices of county clerk, assessor, recorder and auditor. Only one GOP countywide office remained: Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, who defeated Democratic challenger Melina Kennedy with 51% of the vote in his bid for a second term, despite outspending her two-to-one. At the township level, Democrats picked up the trustee offices in Washington, Lawrence, Warren and Wayne townships, while holding on to Pike and Center townships.

In the 2007 municipal election, fueled by voter angst against increases in property and income taxes as well as a rise in crime, Republican challenger Greg Ballard narrowly defeated Peterson 51% to 47%—the first time an incumbent Indianapolis mayor was removed from office since 1967. Discontent among these issues also returned control of the City-County Council to the GOP with a 16–13 majority.

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama easily won in Indianapolis by earning 64% of all Marion County votes while a mere 35% of the votes went to John McCain.

As 2010 came to an end, despite a strong performance by the GOP statewide, Democrats swept all county offices once again, including reclaiming the office of county prosecutor for the first time since 1990.

Most of Indianapolis is within the 7th Congressional District of Indiana, represented by Democrat André Carson. He is the grandson of the district's previous representative, Julia Carson who held the seat from 1997 until her death on December 15, 2007. The younger Carson, a former member of the City-County Council, won the seat in a special election on March 11, 2008. The northeastern and southeastern portions of the city are in the 5th District, represented by Republican Dan Burton. A portion of western Indianapolis is in the 4th District, represented by Republican Steve Buyer.

Education

Higher education

Indianapolis is the home of: Ball State University Indianapolis Center, Butler University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Marian University, Martin University, Oakland City University Indianapolis campus, The Art Institute of Indianapolis, Vincennes University Aviation Technology Center, the University of Indianapolis, the University of Phoenix, and WGU Indiana.

Butler University was originally founded in 1855 as North Western Christian University. The school purchased land in the Irvington area in 1875. The school moved again in 1928 to its current location at the edge of Butler-Tarkington. The school removed itself officially from religious affiliation, giving up the theological school to Christian Theological Seminary. A private institution, Butler's current student enrollment is approximately 4,400. Butler has a storied sports heritage in regards to basketball and volleyball. Butler is the site where both the film Hoosiers and the events that inspired it where filmed, the so called Milan Miracle. Butler's basketball stadium, Hinkle Fieldhouse, was the largest basketball facility when built and also historically hosted the first bout between the U.S. and Soviet Union in basketball. Butler University made its own impact felt with a championship appearance in its home city of Indianapolis in the NCAA championship game in 2010, and a repeat appearance in the NCAA Championship game in 2011. Butler also has hosted to date the largest attended volleyball match at 14,000 spectators.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis was originally an urban conglomeration of branch campuses of the two major state universities: Indiana University in Bloomington and Purdue University in West Lafayette, created by the state legislature. In 1969 a merged campus was created at the site of the Indiana University School of Medicine. IUPUI's student body is currently just above 30,000, making it the third-largest campus for higher learning in Indiana after the main campuses of IU and Purdue. This campus is also home to Herron School of Art and Design, which was established privately in 1902. A new building was built in 2005 under both private donation and state contribution enabling the school to move from its original location. IUPUI has a division one basketball program and has made tournament appearances in the Summit League alongside Indianapolis's other division one school, Butler University. IUPUI has the only Android Studies Department in the United States.

Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, a state funded public school, was founded as Indiana Vocational Technical College in 1963. With 23 campuses across Indiana, Ivy Tech has a total enrollment of 86,130, as of 2008, according to the school's website.

Marian University was founded in 1936 when St. Francis Normal and Immaculate Conception Junior College merged. The college moved to Indianapolis in 1937. Marian is currently a private Catholic school and has an enrollment of approximately 1,800 students.

The University of Indianapolis is a private school affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University, the school currently hosts almost 4,300 students. The University of Indianapolis prides itself on its teaching and nursing programs, as well as its opportunities to study abroad. U of I has satellite campuses in Cyprus, Jerusalem, and at the base of the Acropolis in Athens. The University of Indianapolis will host the practice facilities for one of the opponents in the super bowl in 2012.

Primary and secondary education

		Indianapolis Public Schools
	School Town of Speedway
	Beech Grove City Schools

|} Indianapolis has eleven unified public school districts (eight township educational authorities and three legacy districts from before the unification of city and county government), each of which providing primary, secondary, and adult education services within its boundaries. The boundaries of these districts do not exactly correspond to township (or traditional) boundaries, but rather cover the areas of their townships that were outside the pre-consolidation city limits. Indianapolis Public Schools served all of Indianapolis prior to 1970, when almost all of Marion County was incorporated, and is still the city's largest school corporation today.

Private schools run by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis are Bishop Chatard, Roncalli, Cardinal Ritter, and Scecina. Other private schools include Brebeuf, Park Tudor, Cathedral and Heritage Christian.

Libraries

Public library services are provided to the citizens of Indianapolis and Marion County by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library (IMCPL). The educational and cultural institution, founded in 1873, now consists of a main library, Central Library, located in downtown Indianapolis, and 22 branch locations spread throughout the city. Serving over 5.43 million visitors in 2006, IMCPL's mission is to provide "materials and programs in support of the lifelong learning, recreational and economic interests of all citizens of Marion County." The renovated Central Library building opened on December 9, 2007, ending a controversial multi-year rebuilding plan.

Cultural features

Indianapolis prides itself on its rich cultural heritage. Several initiatives have been made by the Indianapolis government in recent years to increase Indianapolis's appeal as a destination for arts and culture.

;Cultural Districts Indianapolis has designated six official Cultural Districts. They are Broad Ripple Village, Massachusetts Avenue, Fountain Square, The Wholesale District, Canal and White River State Park, and Indiana Avenue. These areas have held historic and cultural importance to the city. In recent years they have been revitalized and are becoming major centers for tourism, commerce and residential living.

;Cultural Trail Scheduled to be complete by 2011, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: is a world-class urban bike and pedestrian path that connects the city's five downtown Cultural Districts, neighborhoods and entertainment amenities, and serves as the downtown hub for the entire central Indiana greenway system. The trail will include benches, bike racks, lighting, signage and bike rentals/drop-offs along the way and will also feature local art work.

;Monument Circle At the center of Indianapolis is Monument Circle, a traffic circle at the intersection of Meridian and Market Streets, featuring the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. Monument Circle is depicted on the city’s flag. It is in the shadow of Indiana's tallest skyscraper, the Chase Tower. Until the early 1960s, Indianapolis zoning laws stated that no building could be taller than the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Each Christmas season, lights are strung onto the monument and lit in a ceremony known as the Circle of Lights, which attracts tens of thousands of Hoosiers to downtown Indianapolis on the day after Thanksgiving.

;War Memorial Plaza A five-block plaza at the intersection of Meridian and Vermont surrounds a large memorial dedicated to Hoosiers who have fought in American wars. It was originally constructed to honor the Indiana soldiers who died in World War I, but construction was halted due to lack of funding during the Great Depression, and it was finished in 1951. The purpose of the memorial was later altered to encompass all American wars in which Hoosiers fought.

The monument is modeled after the Mausoleum of Maussollos. At tall it is approximately seventy-five feet taller than the original Mausoleum. On the north end of the War Memorial Plaza is the national headquarters of the American Legion and the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library's Central Library.

;Indiana Statehouse The Statehouse houses the Indiana General Assembly, the Governor of Indiana, state courts, and other state officials.

;Monuments The city is second only to Washington, D.C., for number of monuments inside city limits.

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, located at Monument Circle in the geographic center of the city.

Indiana World War Memorial Plaza

Medal of Honor Memorial

USS ''Indianapolis'' Memorial

Landmark for Peace Memorial

Project 9/11 Indianapolis

;Other heritage and history attractions

American Legion National Headquarters

Crown Hill Cemetery

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home

Lockerbie Square

Cole-Noble District

Indianapolis City Market

Madame Walker Theatre Center

Morris-Butler Home

Obelisk Square

President Benjamin Harrison Home

Scottish Rite Cathedral

Conventions

In 2003, Indianapolis began hosting Gen Con, the largest role-playing game convention in the North America (with record attendance being over 30,000) at the Indiana Convention Center. Attendance of the event is expected to increase as the center is expanded. The convention center has also recently hosted to events such as Star Wars Celebration II and III, which brought in Star Wars fans from around the world, including George Lucas.

Indianapolis will host the National FFA Convention from 2006 to 2012 and will rotate with Louisville every 3 years starting in 2013. FFA Convention draws approximately 55,000 attendees and has an estimated $30–$40 million direct visitor impact on the local economy. Attendees occupy 13,000 hotel rooms in 130 metro-area hotels on peak nights during the four-day convention, making it the largest convention in the history of Indianapolis.

Organizations

Indianapolis has evolved into a center for music. The city plays host to Music for All, Inergy, Indy's Official Musical Ambassadors, the Percussive Arts Society, and the American Pianists Association.

As well as being the home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis is also home to Bands of America (BOA), a nationwide organization of high school marching, concert, and jazz bands. Indianapolis is now also the international headquarters of Drum Corps International, a professional drum and bugle corps association.

Indianapolis has been the headquarters of the Kiwanis International organization since 1982. The organization and its youth-sponsored Kiwanis Family counterparts, Circle K International and Key Club International, administer all their international business and service initiatives from Indianapolis.

Indianapolis contains the national headquarters for twenty-six fraternities and sororities, many of which are congregated in the College Park area surrounding The Pyramids.

Festivals and events

The International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Indy Jazz Fest, and the DCI World Championships are all held in Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra sometimes holds free outdoor concerts at various Indy Parks, and they annually hold an outdoor summer concert series called Symphony on the Prairie which attracts large crowds to Conner Prairie.

The city has an arts community that includes many fairs celebrating a wide variety of arts and crafts. They include the Broad Ripple Art Fair, Talbot Street Art Fair, Carmel Arts Festival, Indian Market and Festival, and the Penrod Art Fair.

Every May since 1957, Indianapolis holds the 500 Festival, a month of events including a mini marathon and festival parade, the latter being the day before the Indianapolis 500.

Indianapolis is also home to the Indiana State Fair as well as the Heartland Film Festival, the Indianapolis International Film Festival, the Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, the Indianapolis Alternative Media Festival, and the Midwest Music Summit.

The Circle City Classic is one of America’s top historically African-American college football games. This annual football game, held during the first weekend of October, is the showcase event of an entire weekend. The weekend is a celebration of cultural excellence and educational achievement while showcasing the spirit, energy and tradition of America’s historically black colleges and universities.

One of the largest ethnic and cultural heritage festivals in Indianapolis is the Summer Celebration held by Indiana Black Expo. This ten-day national event highlights the contributions of African-Americans to U.S. society and culture and provides educational, entertainment, and networking opportunities to the over 300,000 participants from around the country.

During the month of June, the Indianapolis Italian Street Festival is held at Holy Rosary Church just south of downtown.

Indy's International Festival is held annually in November at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Local ethnic groups, vendors and performers are featured alongside national and international performers.

Since 2006, in the months of March and October, Midwest Fashion Week takes place, promoting both local and national designers. Started by Berny Martin of Catou , this event has grown to become a premier event in Indianapolis.

Sports

The labels of ''The Amateur Sports Capital of the World'' and ''The Racing Capital of the World'' have both been applied to Indianapolis. The headquarters of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the main governing body for U.S. collegiate sports, is located in Indianapolis, as is the National Federation of State High School Associations. The city is home to the headquarters of three NCAA athletics conferences, the Horizon League (Division I), the Great Lakes Valley Conference (Division II, and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III. Since 2008, Indianapolis has hosted the Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse, which will host the tournament until 2015. The national offices for the governing bodies of several sports are located in Indianapolis, including USA Gymnastics, USA Diving, US Synchronized Swimming, and USA Track & Field.

Indianapolis a major automobile racing center. Since 1911 the Indianapolis 500 has been the premier event in the National Championship of open wheel car racing, the IndyCar Series. The series' headquarters and many of its teams are based in the city. Indianapolis is so well connected with racing that it has inspired the name "Indy car", used both for both the competition and the type of car used in it. Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts three major motor racing events every year: the Indianapolis 500, the Brickyard 400, and the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Indianapolis is home to two major league-level sports teams. The Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) have been based in Indianapolis since relocating there in 1984, and play their home games in Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) play their home games at Conseco Fieldhouse; they began play in 1967 in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and joined the NBA when the leagues merged in 1976.

A number of minor league-level teams also play in the city. The Indiana Fever Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) started play in 2000, and are the sister team to the Pacers NBA team. The Indianapolis Indians are the second oldest minor league baseball team, having played in the city since 1902, and are currently members of the Triple-A International League. The Indiana Ice ice hockey team began play in the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2004.

Indianapolis hosted the Indianapolis Tennis Championships through 2009, one of the many tournaments which are part of the US Open Series. On May 20, 2008, the city was awarded the rights to host Super Bowl XLVI. Indianapolis hosted the 1987 Pan American Games and the 2002 World Basketball Championships.

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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), located in Speedway, Indiana, is the site of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (also known as the Indy 500), an open–wheel automobile race held each Memorial Day weekend on a oval track. The Indy 500 is the largest single–day sporting event in the world, hosting more than 257,000 permanent seats (not including the infield area). The track is often referred to as the Brickyard, as it was paved with 3.2 million bricks shortly after its construction in 1909. Today the track is paved in asphalt, although a one–yard strip of bricks remains at the start/finish line.

IMS also hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Brickyard 400. The first running of the Brickyard 400 was in 1994, and it is currently NASCAR's highest attended event. Jeff Gordon has frequented victory lane four times at Indianapolis, the most of any NASCAR driver.

From 2000 to 2007, IMS hosted the Formula One United States Grand Prix (USGP). Contract negotiations between IMS and Formula One resulted in a discontinuation of the USGP at Indianapolis in 2007. The USGP was not a part of the Formula One calendar from 2008–2010 (and will not be in 2011), but will be held in Austin, Texas starting in 2012.

The Speedway hosted its first MotoGP event in 2008, with the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix taking place in September. Each year the event has been held, there has been a different rider in victory circle (Valentino Rossi in 2008, Jorge Lorenzo in 2009, and Dani Pedrosa in 2010).

Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

Indianapolis is also home to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Though not as well known as Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway is home to the NHRA Mac Tool U.S. Nationals, the biggest, oldest, richest, and most prestigious drag race in the world, held every Labor Day weekend.

OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon

Indianapolis is home to the largest mini-marathon (and eighth-largest running event) in America. 2007 was the 30th anniversary of the Mini, run in the first weekend in May every year. This event is part of the 500 Festival, its 50th year running. The race starts on Washington Street just off Monument Circle, goes to the brickyard, and ends on New York Street back downtown. The Mini has been sold out every year, with well over 35,000 runners participating.

Recreation

Parks

Indianapolis has an extensive municipal park system with nearly 200 parks occupying over . The flagship Eagle Creek Park is the largest municipal park in the city, and ranks among the largest urban parks in the United States.

Other major Indianapolis Regional parks include:

Garfield Park (Established in 1881, it is the oldest city park in Indianapolis and contains a conservatory and sunken gardens. Located on the Near South Side)

Riverside Park (Near West Side)

Sahm Park (Northeast side)

Southeastway Park (Franklin Township, Marion County)

Southwestway Park (Decatur Township, Marion County)

White River State Park (Just West of downtown. Has cultural, educational and recreational attractions as well as trails and waterways.)

Additionally, Indianapolis has an urban forestry program that is recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA standards.

Indianapolis Zoo

Opened in 1988, the Indianapolis Zoo is the largest zoo in the state, and is located just west of downtown in White River State Park. It has 360 species of animals, and is known for its dolphin exhibit, which includes the only underwater viewing dome in the Midwest.

Theaters and performing arts venues

Indianapolis is home to a wealth of venues for the performing arts. The following theaters offer plays, Broadway hits, comedy, musicals, concerts, and other live performances to Indy theater goers.

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre

Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University

Indiana Repertory Theatre

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at Hilbert Circle Theater

Madame Walker Theatre Center

Murat Theater

Old National Centre

Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis)

Museums and galleries

Indianapolis has a wide variety of museums and galleries which appeal to art lovers, car enthusiasts, sports fans, history buffs, and science and technology brain acts.

Children's Museum of Indianapolis (the largest children's museum in the world)

Indiana State Museum

Indianapolis Art Center

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Indianapolis Artsgarden

Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art

Herron School of Art

NCAA Hall of Champions (Hall of Fame for college athletics)

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

National Museum of Sport at University Place

Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home

Conner Prairie (A living history museum)

Indiana Historical Society

Indiana Medical History Museum

Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library

Other places of interest

Heslar Naval Armory

Humane Society of Indianapolis

Indiana State Fairgrounds

Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Irvington Historic District

Slippery Noodle Inn

Local media

Indianapolis is served by local, regional, and national media.

National broadcast television affiliates include ABC affiliate WRTV (channel 6), CBS affiliate WISH-TV (channel 8), NBC affiliate WTHR (channel 13), Fox affiliate WXIN (channel 59), and PBS local affiliate WFYI (channel 20).

The Indianapolis Star is the city's daily newspaper.

Economy

The largest industry sectors by employment in Indianapolis are manufacturing, health care & social services, and retail trade. Compared to Indiana as a whole, the Indianapolis metropolitan area has a lower proportion of manufacturing jobs and a higher concentration of jobs in wholesale trade; administrative, support, and waste management; professional, scientific, and technical services; and transportation and warehousing.

Companies

Many of Indiana's largest and most recognized companies are headquartered in Indianapolis, including pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company, wireless distribution & logistics provider Brightpoint, health insurance provider Wellpoint, retailers Finish Line, Inc. and hhgregg Inc., Republic Airways Holdings (including Chautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Shuttle America), and REIT Simon Property Group. The U.S. headquarters of Roche Diagnostics, Technicolor SA, Conseco, First Internet Bank of Indiana, Dow AgroSciences, Emmis Communications, and Allison Transmission are also located in Indianapolis. Other major Indianapolis area employers include Indiana University Health, Sallie Mae, Cook Group, Rolls-Royce, Delta Faucet Company, Steak 'n Shake, and General Motors.

Indianapolis is a prime center for logistics and distribution facilities. It is home to a FedEx hub and distribution centers for companies such as Amazon.com, Foxconn, Finish Line, Target, and CVS Pharmacy.

Before Detroit came to dominate the American automobile industry, Indianapolis was also home to a number of carmakers, including American Motor Car Company, Parry Auto Company, and Premier Motor Manufacturing. In addition, Indianapolis hosted auto parts companies such as Prest-O-Lite, which provided acetylene generators for brass era headlights and acetylene gas starters.

ATA Airlines (previously American Trans Air) was headquartered in Indianapolis prior to its collapse.

Business Climate and Real Estate

The National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo ranked Indianapolis the most affordable major housing market in the U.S. for the fourth quarter of 2009, and Forbes magazine ranked it the sixth-best city for jobs in 2008, based on a combined graded balance of perceived median household incomes, lack of unemployment, income growth, cost of living and job growth. However, in 2008, Indiana ranked 12th nationally in total home foreclosures and Indianapolis led the state.

In 2009, Indianapolis ranked first on CNN/Money's list of the top 10 cities for recent graduates. In 2010, Indianapolis ranked 10th in the best cities for relocation by Yahoo Real Estate.

In 2011, Indianapolis ranked sixth among U.S. cities as a retirement destination, as one of the best Midwestern cities for relocation, and best in a composite measure that considered local employment outlook and housing affordability.

Transportation

Airports

Indianapolis International Airport, airport code IND, is the largest airport in Indiana and serves the Indianapolis metropolitan area as well as many other communities in the state of the Indiana.

The airport is home to the second largest FedEx operation in the world (after the Memphis headquarters) and the United States Postal Service Eagle Network Hub. The entire airport is a global free trade zone called INZONE with 18 designated subzones.

Thirty years in planning, Indianapolis completed building a new airport in 2008. The $1.1 billion project is the largest development initiative in the city's history. The new Indianapolis Airport covers , and has 40 gates, a baggage processing area, a baggage claim area, a large pre-security gathering, a concession space with a skylight, both local and national restaurants and retailers, and local Indianapolis artwork. The new terminal is the first built in the United States since September 11, 2001. It opened officially for arriving flights 11/11/08 and departures 11/12/08.

Ten major U.S. and international airlines serve Indianapolis International Airport. Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways maintain focus city operations at the airport.

Highways

Interstate Highways 25px Interstate 65 25px Interstate 69 25px Interstate 70 25px Interstate 74 25px Interstate 465 25px Interstate 865 US Highways 25px US 31 25px US 36 25px US 40 25px US 52 28px US 136 28px US 421 Indiana Highways 25px State Road 37 25px State Road 67 25px State Road 134 25px State Road 135

Several interstates serve the Indianapolis area. Interstate 65 runs northwest to Gary, where other roads eventually take drivers to Chicago, and southward to Louisville, Kentucky. Interstate 69 runs northeast to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and currently terminates in the city at I-465, but will eventually be routed around the city on 465 to the new extension of Interstate 69 towards Evansville. Interstate 70 follows the old National Road, running east to Columbus, Ohio and west to St. Louis, Missouri. Interstate 74 goes northwest towards Danville, Illinois, and southeast towards Cincinnati, Ohio. Finally, Interstate 465 circles Marion County and joins the aforementioned highways together. In 2002, the interstate segment connecting Interstate 465 to Interstate 65 on the northwest side of the city was redesignated Interstate 865 to reduce confusion. The Indianapolis area also has two other expressways: Sam Jones Expressway (formerly Airport Expressway), and Shadeland Avenue Expressway.

To comply with an Indiana state law limiting the number of miles of state highways, all US and Indiana State numbered routes were rerouted along I-465 instead of going through the center of the city. At one point (between Exits 47 and 49) on the southeast side of the city, I-465, US 31, US 36, US 40, US 52, US 421, Indiana 37, and Indiana 67 use the same right-of-way. Between Exits 49 and 2 (along the south end of the city), I-74, I-465, US 31, US 36, US 40, US 52, Indiana 37 and Indiana 67 operate on the same right-of-way.

Public transportation

The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, known locally as IndyGo, provides public transportation for the city. IndyGo was established in 1975 after the city of Indianapolis took over the city's transit system. Prior to 1997, IndyGo was called Metro. Central Indiana Commuter Services (CICS), funded by IndyGo to reduce pollution, serves Indianapolis and surrounding counties.

Starting in 2010, private industry leaders from Central Indiana proposed a $10 billion multimodal regional transportation plan that includes expanded roadways, express bus routes, light rail, and commuter rail pathways. If public and legislative approval is granted, construction could begin as soon as 2012.

People mover

Indiana University Health operates a people mover connecting the Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children, Wishard Hospital and IUPUI facilities at the north end of the Downtown Canal with Methodist Hospital. It is open to the public but mostly used by doctors, staff and patients of the various medical facilities. It is currently the only example of light or commuter rail in Indianapolis. The existing people mover is sometimes inaccurately described as a monorail, but in fact rides on dual concrete beams with the guideway as wide as the vehicle.

Walkability

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Indianapolis the 45th most walkable city in the United States with a Walk Score of 37.4.

Intercity transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Union Station. Amtrak provides a thrice-weekly service of the Cardinal to Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. and the daily Hoosier State to Chicago.

Greyhound Lines also operates a terminal from Indianapolis Union Station downtown.

Transportation issues

Indianapolis suffers from numerous transportation issues, such as a lack of sidewalks in suburban areas and a lack of adequate mass transit for a city its size. It is the largest US city without a mass transit system such as light rail or subway. Plans are underway to build a commuter rail system from Downtown Indianapolis to Fishers with 6 stops so far, as well as a light rail system being proposed to go on Washington Street.

Indianapolis in popular media

In the classic sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', Fred Mertz was originally from Indianapolis and his mother still lived there. Before moving to New York and meeting the Ricardos, he and his wife, Ethel Mertz, ran a diner there.

The 1969 Paul Newman film ''Winning'' is about the Indianapolis 500 and takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The television sitcom ''One Day at a Time'' was set in Indianapolis. The opening credits of the show include a shot of The Pyramids, a set of three distinctive office buildings located near the northwestern edge of the city.

The 1986 basketball film ''Hoosiers'' was filmed in some parts of the Indianapolis area.

The 1988 film ''Eight Men Out'' was filmed in Indianapolis, primarily at Bush Stadium.

The first season of the television show ''Good Morning Miss Bliss'' (later to become ''Saved by the Bell'') was set in Indianapolis.

The television sitcom ''Thunder Alley'' was set in Indianapolis.

The American version of the ''Men Behaving Badly'' was set in Indianapolis.

The 1997 Ben Affleck film ''Going All the Way'' was set in Indianapolis.

CBS's 2005 drama ''Close to Home'' was set in Indianapolis, revolving around a prosecuting attorney in Marion County.

The 2007 film ''An American Crime'' is about the 1965 Indianapolis basement torture and murder of a Sylvia Likens, starring Ellen Page and Catherine Keener. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe.

A large segment of the 2008 film ''Eagle Eye'' takes place in Indianapolis.

The 2009 film '' Amanda'' was set in Indianapolis.

The cable TV reality series ''The Shift'' on the Investigation Discovery Channel followed Indianapolis's homicide unit.

The television sitcom "Parks and Recreation" is set in a fictional Indiana city outside of Indianapolis called Pawnee. In an episode titled "Indianapolis", Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson drive to Indianapolis to receive a commendation. Also the episode "Road Trip" sees Leslie and Ben Wyatt travel to Indianapolis on assignment. The characters Ben and Chris Traeger are originally state auditors from Indianapolis.

''The Bob and Tom Show'', a nationally-syndicated radio show which is also televised by WGN America, is based out of WFBQ-FM (Q95) in Indianapolis.

David Letterman, host of CBS's ''Late Show'' and the original host of NBC's ''Late Night'', was born and raised in Indianapolis and began his broadcasting career there as a weatherman for WLWI-TV (now WTHR). His mother, Dorothy Mengering, who still lives in the Indianapolis area, has made frequent appearances on the show.

See also

Downtown Indianapolis

History of Indianapolis

People from Indianapolis

Sister cities

Indianapolis has Eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

 â€“ Campinas, Brazil  â€“ Cologne, Germany  â€“ Eldoret, Kenya  â€“ Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China  â€“ Hyderabad, India  â€“ Monza, Italy  â€“ Piran, Slovenia  - Scarborough, Ontario, Canada  â€“ Taipei, Republic of China

References

External links

City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana website

Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce

Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association

Category:Cities in Indiana Category:Consolidated city–counties in the United States Category:County seats in Indiana Category:Populated places in Marion County, Indiana Category:National Road Category:Planned cities in the United States Category:Populated places established in 1821

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Coordinates	10°14′49″N67°35′46″N
Race title	Indianapolis 500
Logo
Track map
Series long	IndyCar Series
Series short	ICS
Venue	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
First race	1911
First series race	1996
Distance	500 miles (804 km)
Laps	200
Previous names	''International 500-Mile Sweepstakes'' (1911–1915)''International 300-Mile Sweepstakes'' (1916)''Liberty Sweepstakes'' (1919)''International 500-Mile Sweepstakes'' (1920–1941, 1946–1979)
Most wins driver	A. J. Foyt (4)Al Unser (4)Rick Mears (4)
Most wins team	Penske Racing (15)
Most wins manufacturer	Chassis: Dallara (10)Engine: Offenhauser (27) }}

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May (specifically over the Memorial Day weekend) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The event lends its name to the IndyCar class, or formula, of open-wheel race cars that have competed in it.

The event, billed as ''The Greatest Spectacle in Racing'', is considered one of the three most significant motorsports events in the world. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is more than 257,000 people, and infield seating raises capacity to an approximate 400,000.

History

The early years

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track and hosted a smattering of small events, including ones for motorcycles. The first long distance event, in "fearful conditions", was the 100-lap Prest-O-Lite Trophy in 1909, won by Bob Burman in a Buick. Breakup of the asphalt led to two fatal accidents in the first two long-distance events (a and , which was shortened to after two severe wrecks). That these spectacles had attracted 15,000 paying customers (and crowds of up to 40,000) persuaded principal owner Carl G. Fisher to spend US$155,000 on repaving the track with 3.2 million bricks; he also added a concrete wall around the track's circumference. During the 1910 Memorial Day weekend, the first events on the newly-paved circuit drew 60,000 spectators; Ray Harroun won the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy in a Marmon. The crowds grew progressively smaller for the rest of the season, however, so the track owners chose to focus on a single race. They considered a 24-hour contest, in the fashion of Le Mans, or a . They instead chose a contest, and offered a specatular $US25,000 (Fr1.25 million, about ₤5250) purse. The combination allowed the track to rapidly acquire a privileged status for automobile races. The first "500" was held at the Speedway on Memorial Day, May 30, 1911, run to a maximum engine size formula. It saw a field of 40 starters, with Harroun piloting a Marmon Model 32-based ''Wasp'' racer — outfitted with his invention, the rear view mirror. Harroun (with relief from Cyrus Patschke) was declared the winner, although Ralph Mulford protested the official result. 80,000 spectators were in attendance, and an annual tradition had been established. Many considered Harroun to be a hazard during the race, as he was the only driver in the race driving without a riding mechanic, who checked the oil pressure and let the driver know when traffic was coming. In 1912, the purse was raised to US$50,000. The field was limited to 33 (where it remains) and a riding mechanic was made mandatory. This second event was won by Joe Dawson in a National, after Ralph de Palma's Mercedes broke. Although the first race was won by an American driver at the wheel of an American car, European makers such as the Italian Fiat or French Peugeot companies soon developed their own vehicles to try to win the event, which they did from 1912 to 1919. The 1913 event saw a change to a maximum engine size.

After World War I, the native drivers and manufacturers regained their dominance of the race. Engineer Harry Miller set himself up as the most competitive of the post-war builders. His technical developments allowed him to be indirectly connected to a history of success that would last into the mid-1970s.

In 1946 American operatic tenor and car enthusiast James Melton started the tradition of singing "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" before the race when asked to do so on the spur of the moment by Speedway president Tony Hulman. This continued through the years, notably by actor and singer Jim Nabors since 1972.

Miller and Offenhauser

Following European trends, engine size was limited to during 1920-2, for 1923-5, and in 1926-9. The 1920 race was won by Gaston Chevrolet in a Frontenac, prepared by his brothers, powered by the first eight-cylinder engine to win the 500. For 1923, riding mechanics were no longer required. A supercharged car, ID, first won the race in 1924. In 1925, Pete DePaolo was the first to win at an average over , with a speed of .

In the early 1920s, Miller built his own 3.0 litre (183 in³) engine, inspired by the Peugeot Grand Prix engine which had been serviced in his shop by Fred Offenhauser in 1914, installing it in Jimmy Murphy's Duesenberg and allowing him to win the 1922 edition of the race. Miller then created his own automobiles, which shared the 'Miller' designation, which, in turn, were powered by supercharged versions of his 2.0 and 1.5 liter (122 and 91 in³) engine single-seaters, winning four more races for the engine up to 1929 (two of them, 1926 and 1928, in Miller chassis). The engines powered another seven winners until 1938 (two of them, 1930 and 1932, in Miller chassis), then ran at first with stock-type motors before later being adjusted to the international 3.0 liter formula.

After purchacing the Speedway in 1927, Eddie Rickenbacker prohibited supercharging and increased the displacement limit to , while also re-introducing the riding mechanic.

In 1935, Miller's former employees, Fred Offenhauser and Leo Goosen, had already achieved their first win with the soon-to-become famous 4-cylinder Offenhauser or "Offy" engine. This motor was forever connected with the Brickyard's history with a to-date record total of 27 wins, in both naturally-aspirated and supercharged form, and winning a likewise record-holding 18 consecutive years between 1947 and 1964.

European incursions

In the meantime, European manufacturers, gone from the Indianapolis 500 for nearly two decades, made a brief return just before World War II, with the competitive Maserati 8CM allowing Wilbur Shaw to become the first driver to win consecutively at Indianapolis in 1941. With the 500 having been a part of the Formula One World Drivers' Championship between 1950 and 1960, Ferrari made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with Alberto Ascari, but European entries were few and far between during those days.

In fact, it was not until the Indianapolis 500 was removed from the Formula One calendar that European entries made their return, with Australian Jack Brabham driving his slightly modified F1 Cooper in the 1961 race. In 1963, technical innovator Colin Chapman brought his Team Lotus to Indianapolis for the first time, attracted by the large monetary prizes, far bigger than the usual at a European event. Racing a mid-engined car, Scotsman Jim Clark was second in his first attempt in 1963, dominating in 1964 until suffering suspension failure on lap 47, and completely dominating the race in 1965, a victory which also interrupted the success of the Offy, and offering the 4.2 litre Ford V8 its first success at the race. The following year, 1966, saw another British win, this time Graham Hill in a Lola-Ford.

Offenhauser too would join forces with a European maker, McLaren, obtaining three wins for the chassis, one with the Penske team in 1972 with driver Mark Donohue, and two for the McLaren works team in 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford. This was also the last time the Offy would win a race, its competitiveness steadily decreasing until its final appearance in 1983. American drivers kept on filling the majority of entries at the Brickyard for the following years, but European technology had taken over. Starting in 1978, most chassis and engines were European, with the only American-based chassis to win during the CART era being the Wildcat and Galmer (which was actually built in Bicester, England) in 1982 and 1992 respectively. Ford and Chevrolet engines were built in the UK by Cosworth and Ilmor, respectively.

World Series

After foreign cars became the norm, foreign drivers started showing up at the Indianapolis 500 on a regular basis, choosing the United States as their primary base for their motor racing activities. Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, Italian Teo Fabi and Colombian Roberto Guerrero, were able to obtain good outings in the 80s, as did Dutchman Arie Luyendyk. However, it wasn't until 1993 that reigning Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell shocked the racing world by moving to the United States, winning the CART PPG IndyCar World Series Championship and only losing the 500 in his rookie year because of inexperience with green-flag restarts. Foreign-born drivers became a regular fixture of Indianapolis in the years to follow. Despite the increase in foreign drivers commonly being associated with the CART era, it should be noted that four of the first six Indianapolis 500 winners were non-US drivers.

Race name

The race was originally advertised as the "International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race" from 1911–1916. However, from the start the race was known as the Indianapolis 500 or, more simply as the "500."

In 1919, the race was referred to as the "Liberty Sweepstakes" following WWI. From 1920–1980, the race reverted to the "International Sweepstakes" name, or slight variations such as "International Sweepstakes Race, Distance 500 Miles." Following WWII, the race was commonly recognized as "The 500", "The 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race", "Indianapolis 500," or "Indy 500," and usually the ordinal (e.g. "50th") preceded it. Often the race was also advertised on the radio as the "Annual Memorial Day race," or similar variations.

For the 1981 race, the name "65th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race" was officially adopted, with all references as the "International Sweepstakes" dropped. Since 1981, the race has been advertised in this fashion, complete with a unique annual logo and the ordinal always included. Around that same time, in the wake of the 1979 race entry controversy, and the formation of CART, the race changed to an invitational event, rather than an Open, rendering the "sweepstakes" description invalid.

The Borg-Warner Trophy, introduced in 1936, proclaims the event as the "Indianapolis 500-Mile Race," with no reference at all to the name "International Sweepstakes."

Centennial Era

In 2009, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began a three-year long "Centennial Era" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track (1909), and the 100th anniversary of the first Indy 500 (1911). As a gesture to the nostalgic ''Centennial Era'' celebration (2009–2011), tickets for the 2009 race donned the moniker "93rd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes." It is the first time since 1980 that the "Sweepstakes" title has been used. During the month of May 2009, the ordinal (93rd) was used very sparingly, and for the first time since 1981, was not identified on the annual logo. Instead, in most instances in print, television, and radio, the race was referred to as the "2009 Indianapolis 500." Since the race was not held during WWI and WWII, the advertised Centennial Era will occur during the 93rd/94th/95th runnings. To avoid confusion between the 100th anniversary, and the actual number of times the race has been run, references to the ordinal during the ''Centennial Era'' are being curtailed.

Female Drivers

Female participation of any sort at Indianapolis was discouraged and essentially banned throughout the first several decades of competition. As such, female reporters were not even allowed in the pit area until 1971. There have been eight female drivers to qualify: Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick, Milka Duno, Ana "Bia" Beatriz, Simona de Silvestro, and Pippa Mann. A ninth female, Desire Wilson, attempted but failed to qualify in 1982. Guthrie first attempted to qualify for the 1976 race but fell short on speed and preparation time. She returned to qualify for the first time in 1977, and made three total starts. St. James competed in seven Indy 500s with her first occurring in 1992. Fisher has competed in eight (the most for any female) Indy 500s with her first in 2000. Patrick has competed in five Indy 500s with her first occurring in 2005. Duno has competed in three Indy 500s with her first occurring in 2007. St. James and Fisher competed in the 2000 race together, the first time two women had competed in the race. Fisher, Patrick and Duno all competed in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 races together; the 2007 race was the first time three women had competed together. 2010 set another record with four women starting (Beatriz, de Silvestro, Patrick, and Fisher); Duno attempted to qualify in 2010 but failed to do so. 2011 also saw four women qualify for the race (de Silvestro, Patrick, Mann, and Beatriz).

Patrick led 19 laps in the 2005 race and 10 laps in the 2011 race, the only times a female has led laps during the race. Her 3rd place finish in 2009 is the best finish for a woman.

Race sanctioning

AAA and USAC

From 1911–1955, the race was organized under the auspices of the AAA Contest Board. Following the 1955 Le Mans disaster, AAA dissolved the Contest Board to concentrate on its membership program aimed at the general motoring public. Speedway owner Tony Hulman founded USAC in 1956, which took over sanctioning of the race and the sport of Indy car racing.

From 1950–1960, the Indianapolis 500 also counted toward the FIA's World Championship of Drivers (now synonymous with Formula One), although few drivers participated in the other races of that series.

Control issues of monetary prizes and regulation amendments caused conflict in the 1970s. Soon after the death of Tony Hulman in 1977, and the loss of several key USAC officials in a 1978 plane crash, several key team owners banded together and formed CART in late 1978 to sanction the sport of Indy car racing.

The Indy 500 itself, however, remained under the sanctioning control of USAC. It became the lone top-level race the body still sanctioned, as it ultimately dropped all other Indy car races (as well as their stock car division) to concentrate on sprints and midgets. For the next three years, the race was not officially recognized on the CART calendar, but the CART teams and drivers comprised the field. By 1983, an agreement was made for the USAC-sanctioned Indy 500 to be reflected on the CART calendar, and CART points were awarded towards the championship.

Despite the CART/USAC divide, from 1983–1995 the race was run in relative harmony. CART and USAC occasionally quarreled over relatively minor technical regulations, but utilized the same machines and the CART-based teams and driver comprised the bulk of the Indy 500 entries each year.

Indy Racing League / INDYCAR

In 1994, Speedway owner Tony George announced plans for a new series, to be called the Indy Racing League. The Indy 500 would serve as its centerpiece. Opinions varied on his motivations, with his supporters sharing his disapproval of the race's lack of status within CART, the increasing number of foreign drivers (as American drivers were gravitating towards NASCAR), and the decreasing number of ovals in the season series. Detractors accused George of throwing his weight around and using the race as leverage to gain complete control of the sport of open wheel racing.

In 1995 and in response to a change in schedule by the CART series that put several races in direct conflict with Indy Racing League events, George announced that 25 of the 33 starting positions at the 1996 Indy 500 would be reserved for the top 25 cars in IRL points standings (similar in practice to NASCAR's Top 35 rule introduced years later). The move effectively left only eight starting positions open to the CART-regulars that chose not to participate in the IRL races. CART's reaction was to refuse to compromise on the schedule conflicts, skip the IRL races required to accumulate the qualifying points, boycott the race, and stage a competing event, the U.S. 500, on the same day. Veteran Buddy Lazier won a competitive but crash-filled 1996 Indy 500. Two CART teams, Walker Racing and Galles Racing, competed in the Indianapolis 500 to fulfill sponsor obligations and were welcomed without incident. The U.S. 500 was marred by a massive opening-lap pileup. The competing U.S. 500 failed to establish itself as a major event, and was cancelled after only one running. For 1997, new rules for less expensive cars and "production based" engines were put into place. The move made it such that the IRL and CART utilized different and incompatible equipment. No CART-based teams would enter the Indy 500 for the next three years.

In 2000, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, still a CART-mainstay, made the decision to cross lines and compete at Indianapolis with drivers Jimmy Vasser and Juan Pablo Montoya. On race day, Montoya dominated the event, leading 167 of the 200 laps to victory. In 2001, Penske Racing returned, and won the race with driver Hélio Castroneves.

By 2003, Ganassi, Penske and Andretti Green all defected to the IRL permanently. CART went bankrupt later in the year, and its rights and infrastructure were purchased by remaining car owners, and it became the Champ Car World Series. The two series continued to operate separately through 2007. In early 2008, the two series were unified to create a single open wheel championship after a 12-year split. In 2011, the sanctioning body was renamed ''INDYCAR''.

NASCAR drivers in the 500

In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Indy 500 and the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway were held on different days of the week. A handful of NASCAR regulars participated in both events in the same year, including Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough, and Lee Roy Yarbrough.

From 1994–2004, several NASCAR drivers were able to compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in the same day. Since 1993, the Coca-Cola 600 has been scheduled in the evening the same day as the Indy 500. The effort has been known as "Double Duty."

At the conclusion of the Indy 500, drivers would catch a helicopter directly from the Speedway to the Indianapolis International Airport. From there they would fly to Concord Regional Airport, and ride a helicopter to the NASCAR race. John Andretti, Tony Stewart, and Robby Gordon, attempted the feat. In 2001, Tony Stewart became the only driver to complete the full race distance (1100 miles) in both races on the same day.

For 2005, the start of Indianapolis was pushed back to 1 p.m. EDT to improve television ratings. This significantly closed the window for a driver to be able to race both events in the same day. (The race's original starting time had been set at 11 a.m. EST - 12 noon EDT - because in 1911, race promoters estimated it would take six hours to complete the event, and they did not want the race to finish too close to suppertime. Nowadays the race is routinely completed in under three and one-half hours.)

Two drivers, Mario Andretti and A. J. Foyt, have won the Indianapolis 500 and have also won NASCAR's premiere event, the Daytona 500. Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford once won one of the Daytona 500 qualifying races.

In 2010, Bruton Smith (owner of Speedway Motorsports, Inc.), offered $20,000,000 to any driver, IndyCar or NASCAR, who can win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day starting in 2011 - a feat that has never been done before. For 2011, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway moved the start time of the Indy 500 back to 12 noon EDT, which re-opened the window for travel. However, no drivers stepped forward to attempt the double duty.

Technical regulations

Technical specifications for the Indianapolis 500 are currently specified by IndyCar. Rules are the same as every other IndyCar race except for special low-drag adjustable "Speedway" wings that are only used for the Indy 500. In the past, especially during the years when USAC sanctioned the race but CART was the dominant sanctioning body, rules between the race and the sanctioning body differed at times, resulting in chassis and engines being legal for Indy, yet not being legal for other events that season. The most famous manifestation of that disparity was the Ilmor-built Mercedes-Benz 500I engine fielded by Roger Penske in 1994.

Teams may enter up to two cars on a given car number. The second "backup" car is given that number followed by a "T". For example the two cars for the #2 team would be numbered #2 and #2T. Both cars may be practiced during the month, or even simultaneously. Additionally, as the month wears on a "T car" may be split off into its own entry with another number or sold to another team who may have lost its primary car and does not have a backup.

All cars must pass a rigorous technical inspection before receiving a sticker signifying that the car is eligible to practice. Prior to and following qualification attempts, cars must pass another inspection. The first inspection is focused on safety aspects while the second is largely to detect deviations from the performance guidelines set forth by the league.

Qualifying procedure

''For more information, see Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters'' Throughout the years the race has used a number of qualifying procedures. The current four-lap (ten-mile) qualifying distance was first introduced in 1920, and has been used every year since 1939.

Drivers line up by speed rank in the order of the day they qualified. For several decades, four days of time trials were scheduled: the Saturday & Sunday two weeks before the race, and the Saturday & Sunday one week before the race. From 1998—2000 and from 2010—present, two days of qualifying, the Saturday and Sunday one week before the race, are scheduled for qualifications. The fastest qualifier on the first day of time trials (nicknamed "Pole day") wins the highly coveted pole position.

Drivers who qualify on the second day of time trials (nicknamed "Bump day") line up behind the first-day qualifiers - even if their speeds are faster than those from the first day. Once the field is filled to 33, the slowest car, regardless of the day it qualified, is "on the bubble." If another car qualifies faster, he/she will bump the slowest driver out of the field. In 1984, Chris Kneifel became the last driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 at under .

Since 2010, the qualifications have been held over two days, and include a special "shootout" session for the pole position.

On Pole day, positions 1-24 are open for qualifying. At the end of the day the top nine drivers return to the track for a 90-minute "shootout" competition to re-qualify for the top nine spots - including the pole position.

On Bump day, positions 25-33 are filled. Once the field is filled to 33 cars, bumping commences. The slowest car in the field, regardless of the day it qualified, is "on the bubble."

Culture

Memorabilia

Many people promote and share information about the Indianapolis 500 and its memorabilia collecting. The National Indy 500 Collectors Club is an independent active organization that has been dedicated to support such activities. The organization was established January 1, 1985 in Indianapolis by its founder John Blazier and includes an experienced membership available for discussion and advice on Indy 500 memorabilia trading and Indy 500 questions in general.

Entertainment

The Indianapolis 500 has been the subject of several films, and has experienced countless references in television, movies, and other media.

''Indianapolis 500 Legends'', a Wii and DS game based on the race was released on December 18, 2007

Milk

Louis Meyer requested a glass of buttermilk after winning his second Indy 500 race in 1933. After winning his third title in 1936, he requested another glass but instead received a bottle. He was captured by a photographer in the act of swigging from the bottle while holding up three fingers to signify the third win. A local dairy company executive recognized the marketing opportunity in the image and, being unaware Meyer was drinking ''buttermilk'', offered a bottle of milk to the winners of future races. Milk has been presented each year since then apart from 1947–1955. Modern drivers are offered a choice of whole, 2%, and skim.

The tradition was broken in 1993 when Emerson Fittipaldi drank a celebratory bottle of orange juice instead of milk. He was only the second driver not to drink milk at Indy since the tradition was founded in 1936 (and firmly established in 1956). Fittipaldi owned several orange groves in his native Brazil, and wanted to promote the citrus industry. He was widely criticized and ridiculed for the action, even though he later took a sip of milk (after the television cameras were off). Fan reaction to the milk snub was highly negative, and he was booed a week later at Milwaukee. Fittipaldi returned to Indianapolis to drive the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car for the 2008 Indianapolis 500. Despite coming clean, he was again booed and heckled by some fans during the Public Drivers' Meeting.

Broadcasting

The race has been broadcast live on the radio in its entirety by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network since 1953. It was televised live from 1949–1950 on WFBM-TV. During parts of the 1960s and '70s the race was broadcast live on closed-circuit TV for viewing in theaters and sports venues. From 1965–1985, ABC broadcast the race via tape delay. Since 1986, ABC has televised the race live in its entirety (although live coverage is blacked out in the Indianapolis market except in 1999). In 2007, the race was first broadcast in HD.

See also

Triple Crown of Motorsport

Indianapolis 500 records

Indianapolis 500 firsts

Indianapolis 500 year by year

Indianapolis 500 traditions

List of Indianapolis 500 deaths

List of Indianapolis 500 lap leaders

List of Indianapolis 500 pace cars

List of Indianapolis 500 pole-sitters

List of Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year

List of Indianapolis 500 winners

List of Indianapolis 500 winning starting positions

List of Indianapolis 500 broadcasters

References

Further reading

''Indy: The Race and Ritual of the Indianapolis 500, Second Edition'', Terry Reed, 2005

External links

Indianapolis 500 Official website

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Official website

Indy Racing League Official website

Indianapolis 500 images from the Ralph Satterlee Collection, Ball State Special Collections Research Center

Indianapolis 500 fan photograph pool

NPR Story About the Indianapolis 500

{{Indycar next race| Previous_race = RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 | Next_race = ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225 | }}

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1911 Category:1911 establishments in the United States

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Coordinates	10°14′49″N67°35′46″N
name	Daniel Clive Wheldon
nationality	British |
birth date	June 22, 1978
birth place	Emberton, Olney, England, United Kingdom
current series	IRL IndyCar Series
first year	2002
current team	Bryan Herta Autosport
car number	98
former teams	Chip Ganassi RacingAndretti Green RacingPanther Racing
starts	128
wins	16
poles	5
best finish	1st
year	2005
prev series	Indy LightsToyota Atlantic ChampionshipU.S. F2000 Championship Series
prev series years	200120001999
titles	IRL IndyCar Series Champion
title years	2005
awards	IRL IndyCar Series Rookie of the YearIndianapolis 500 WinnerIndianapolis 500 Winner
award years	200320052011 }}

Daniel Clive Wheldon (born 22 June 1978) is an English auto racing driver. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Beginnings

Wheldon, who was born in Emberton, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, took up karting at the age of four with funding from his father, he progressed through the junior ranks of motor racing during his school years. Attending Bedford School until he completed his GCSEs at age 16, he frequently took time off to race. During his early career in open wheel racing, he developed a rivalry with Jenson Button before ultimately leaving the United Kingdom to race in America. The reasoning behind the move was that the level of investment needed to fund his racing career in the UK wasn't able to be provided by his family. Moving to the United States in 1999, he spent several years in lower open-wheeled circuits like the U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series.

IRL IndyCar Series

In 2002, Wheldon moved up to the IRL IndyCar Series for two events, with Panther Racing as teammate to Sam Hornish, Jr.. The following year Wheldon joined Andretti Green Racing, taking the spot of Michael Andretti following his retirement, and collected league Rookie of the Year honours. In 2004, he won his first IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, ultimately finishing as runner-up to teammate Tony Kanaan in the championship with three wins.

He won the 2005 Indianapolis 500 as well as that season's IndyCar Series championship. His six victories in 2005 also broke the record for most victories in one season (under IRL sanction), previously held by Sam Hornish, Jr. with 5. His win at Indy was the first for an Englishman since Graham Hill's triumph in 1966. In November 2005, it was announced that he would be driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series in 2006. Shortly after his first test with Ganassi, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance sports car race with Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon and Ganassi NASCAR driver Casey Mears.

He began the IndyCar season by beating Hélio Castroneves by 0.0147 seconds at Homestead-Miami, a somber race due to the earlier death of Paul Dana in a practice session. Wheldon retired at St. Petersburg thanks to contact with Sam Hornish, Jr. during a caution period. At the end of the 2006 IndyCar season, Wheldon and Hornish were tied for the lead with each driver having 475 points. In the event of a tie, the driver with the most wins for that particular season is declared the champion. Hornish had four wins for the 2006 season, to Wheldon's two; therefore Hornish was declared the 2006 IndyCar champion.

During the close season he was offered a place in the BMW Sauber Formula One team, but declined on discovering he would not be assured a regular drive. "I do want to race in F1. When my contract expires with Chip, I’ll take a serious look at Formula One".

Commenting in 2007 on the perception of him as 'difficult', Wheldon said "I put everything into my racing, and I expect the same back. If I see people who aren't giving it I'm not afraid to say so, but that sometimes comes out a little brash. That could be improved a little bit."

On 22 June 2008, his 30th birthday, he took his 15th career victory in the IndyCar Series after winning the 2008 Iowa Corn Indy 250 over Hideki Mutoh and Marco Andretti. He donated his winnings to help the victims of the recent tornadoes and flooding which had occurred in Iowa.

Wheldon was released from his drive at Ganassi on 2 September 2008. He was replaced by Dario Franchitti; "I have enjoyed these last three seasons with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, but will be moving on to pursue a very exciting opportunity for 2009," Wheldon said. It would later turn out to be a return to former team Panther Racing. Wheldon drove the Panther car to a second place finish in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, the second Indy 500 runner-up finish in a row for the team. However, his strong start to the season faded and Wheldon failed to crack the Top 10 in 7 of the last 8 races of the year. The following year Wheldon again showed strong at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing second at the 2010 Indianapolis 500. This gave Panther its third straight runner-up finish at Indy. This time, Wheldon remained competitive all year, challenging for wins on the oval tracks.

Despite strong showings in the Panther Racing #4 car, Wheldon still failed to win a race during his time with the team. This led to his being replaced at Panther Racing by the young American driver (and 2009 Indy Lights champion) J.R. Hildebrand. Wheldon attempted and won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Bryan Herta Autosport in stunning and ironic fashion after inheriting the lead with metres to go after Hildebrand wrecked going into the final turn trying to get around the decelerating Charlie Kimball with too much velocity, being the first driver in Indy history to win the race by leading a single lap. Wheldon was very emotional after the win, due to not having a ride for the rest of the season and concerning his mother who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, to whom he partially dedicated his victory. It was Wheldon's first series win in three seasons.

Other appearences

Dan Wheldon was a guest star in the voice cast for the TV series ''Hot Wheels Battle Force 5''.

Personal life

Wheldon married his long-time personal assistant, Susie Behm, in 2008. They have 2 sons: Sebastian , who was born on 1 February 2009, and Oliver, born 19 March 2011. The family lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Motorsports career results

American open–wheel racing results

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: ''* Season still in progress.'' : ''^a Wheldon lost the title on the tiebreaker - he won only two races compared to Sam Hornish, Jr.'s four after the two tied on 475 points'' : ''¹ Run on same day'' : ''² Non-points race''

! Years	! Teams	! Races	! Poles	! Wins	! Podiums(Non-win)**	! Top 10s(Non-podium)***	! Indianapolis 500Wins	! Championships
9	4	129	5	16	25	48	2 (
! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish	! Team	! Summary
	[[Dallara">2005 Indianapolis 500

: ** Podium (Non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes. : *** Top 10s (Non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.

Indianapolis 500

! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish	! Team	! Summary
	[[Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Wrecked in turn 4, flipped
	Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Running; 157.603 mph
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Crashed on backstretch
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Panther Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Panther Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Bryan Herta Autosport	Running; 170.265 mph

References

External links

Official Site

IndyCar Driver Page

Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon talks about his karting days

Recent Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon looks forward to a new challenge

ESPN Profile

Category:1978 births Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers Category:Atlantic Championship drivers Category:BRDC Gold Star winners Category:English racecar drivers Category:Formula Ford drivers Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Indy 500 winners Category:Indy Lights drivers Category:Indy Racing League drivers Category:Living people Category:McLaren Autosport BRDC Award nominees Category:Old Bedfordians Category:People from Olney, Buckinghamshire

de:Dan Wheldon es:Dan Wheldon fr:Dan Wheldon it:Dan Wheldon nl:Dan Wheldon ja:ダン・ウェルドン pl:Dan Wheldon pt:Dan Wheldon sv:Dan Wheldon

David "Salt" Walther (born November 22, 1947, Dayton, Ohio), is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He also drove NASCAR stock cars, unlimited hydroplane boats, and was a car owner in USAC.

He is the son of George Walther, owner of Dayton Steel Foundry, who fielded Indy 500 cars for Juan Manuel Fangio in 1958 and Mike Magill in 1959. His brother, George "Skipp" Walther III, was fatally injured while trying to qualify as an Unlimited driver at Miami, Florida, in 1974.

David Walther was given the nickname "Salt" during his teen years while racing boats, and is one of only eight (8) unlimited hydroplane drivers to qualify for the Indy 500.

Indy Racing

Walther raced in the 1970-1981 seasons, with 64 combined career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 from 1972 to 1976, and 1978 to 1979. He finished in the top ten 16 times, with a best finish, four times, of 7th position.

Walther first raced at Indianapolis in 1972, finishing 33rd and last due to a broken magneto.

In 1973, he qualified 17th, but again finished last after one of the most spectacular and famous accidents in the history of the race at the start of the 1973 Indianapolis 500. As the field received the green flag, Steve Krisiloff, on the inside of the third row, developed engine trouble and slowed down, producing a traffic jam on the main straightaway as the rest of the cars accelerated. Walther, forced to his right by drivers taking evasive action in front of him, touched wheels with Jerry Grant and was catapulted over the wall and into the fence above it. Walther has maintained that he was hit from behind, forcing him into Grant, but this claim is not supported by films of the crash and is not widely accepted by other drivers.

The impact tore down the fence and snapped off the nose of Walther's car, exposing the driver's legs and breaking open the fuel tanks, which at that time were located beside the driver. The fuel immediately began spraying out of the car, some of it reaching the front rows of the grandstand where several spectators suffered burns. The car crashed back onto the track and spun down the main straightaway upside-down, still spraying fuel which ignited into a huge fireball that enveloped the rest of the field. Blinded by the burning methanol, several other drivers crashed into Walther's car and each other, though none of them suffered serious injuries.

Walther's car finally stopped at the entrance of turn one, with the driver's legs clearly visible sticking out of the broken nose. Walther was quickly rescued by track safety workers (with the help of Wally Dallenbach Sr.) and rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Walther was fortunate to have had all the fuel sprayed out of the car, allowing the fire to burn out quickly, but suffered burns over 40% of his body. Walther's most severe injuries were to his hands - the fingers on his left hand had to be partially amputated, and those on his crushed right hand eventually healed into unnatural angles. He wore a black glove over the left hand to cover the damage. Walther was in the Michigan Burn Center for two and a half months, and lost around 50 pounds.

After a year of recovery, Walther returned to Indianapolis in 1974, finishing 17th. In 1975 he again finished 33rd and last, making him the only driver to finish last three times at Indianapolis. (*Although George Snider finished 33rd in 1971, 1979 and 1987, the two extra cars in the 1979 field meant that Snider finished last only twice.) Walther scored his best result of 9th in the rain-shortened 1976 race. In 1977, Walther failed to qualify for the Indy 500, and attempted to buy (at an exorbitant price) one of the qualified cars. This plan, however, was later abandoned, and created considerable negative press.

Following struggles with an addiction to painkillers, he attempted a comeback in 1990. Walther qualified for the race only to be bumped out on the last day of qualifying, and the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association, Inc. awarded him the dubious "Jigger" award for his efforts.

Due to his lack of success, as well as the considerable financial backing of his father, Walther was sometimes regarded as a rich playboy with more money than talent. In the December 1999-January 2000 issue of Champ Car magazine, racing journalist Robin Miller named him the third-worst Champ car driver, saying, "This wealthy young man had some of the best cars available in the 1970s. But vanity and a horrid attitude kept him from ever reaching the podium."

Other Racing

Racing the unlimited hydroplane Country Boy U-77, his best finish was 3rd at one race in 1974.

He also appeared in 4 NASCAR Cup races from 1975-1977. His last NASCAR races was the 1977 Daytona 500, where he veered in front of leader Buddy Baker, sending both cars into the wall.

Acting career

Walther appeared in an episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard", and an episode of "The Rockford Files", in 1979

Drug Addiction and Legal Problems

Following the 1973 accident, Walther battled an addiction with pain killers that were used after the accident, notably dilaudid. As a result of this addiction, Walther has suffered from personal and legal problems, including a long interruption in his racing career.

In 1998, Walther was convicted of "illegal conveyance of painkillers into the jail" after trying to smuggle three Tylenol III tablets, each containing 60 milligrams of codeine, into his jail cell. He failed to show for his sentencing, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He served six months in a minimum security jail, and placed on three years probation. He completed a drug treatment program.

In 2000, Walther was sentenced to 180 days in jail for child endangering and 10 months in prison for violating terms of his probation in the 1998 drug case.

In April 2007, Walther plead guilty to failure to pay child support, and in July a warrant was issued for Walther's arrest when he failed to pay by the July 10 deadline, facing up to 16 months in jail, and owing more than $20,000.

In July 2007, Walther remained at large and managed to elude Beavercreek and Centerville, Ohio police officers after he was recognized by a police officer at a local gas station. An officer asked Walther to stand outside of his car, but he got back in his car and fled the scene. This added a felony charge of "fleeing and eluding" to Walther's warrant. He was eventually arrested on July 29, 2007 and held in the Warren County, OH jail.

On August 14, 2007, he was sentenced 16 months in prison for felony nonsupport of dependents, and 10 months in prison violating the terms of his community control imposed in a 2005 case involving nonsupport, with 240 days of credit for time already served in jail. On November 15, he was sentenced to three years in prison after a jury convicted him of failing to comply with an order or signal of a police officer for the July incident. The prison terms are to run consecutively. Salt Walther is currently incarcerated at Hocking Correction Institution in Nelsonville, Ohio.

Indy 500 results

! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish
	Colt		27th	33rd
		Offy	17th	33rd
		Offy	14th	17th
		Offy	9th	33rd
		Offy	22nd	9th
		DGS	Failed to Qualify
		Cosworth	22nd	28th
		Cosworth	16th	12th
		Cosworth	Failed to Qualify
		Cosworth	Failed to Qualify
		Cosworth	Failed to Qualify

CART points results

First CART start - Phoenix 1979

Total CART starts - 10

CART wins - 0 (Best Finish - 1 x 7th Place)

Pole Positions - 0 (Best Grid Position - 1 x 8th Place)

Total points scored - 320

Races led - 1

Laps led - 13

! Year	! Team	! Finish
1979	Walmotor	Ontario Only
1979	Dayton-Walther	19th
1980	Walmotor	57th
1981-1989	none	none
1990	Walther	Indy only
1991	Walther	Indy only

References

Category:1947 births Category:Champ Car drivers Category:American racecar drivers Category:Living people Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Indy Lights drivers Category:People from Dayton, Ohio

Coordinates	10°14′49″N67°35′46″N
name	Kelly Clarkson
background	solo_singer
birth name	Kelly Brianne Clarkson
background	solo_singer
birth date	April 24, 1982
birth place	Fort Worth, Texas
origin	Burleson, Texas, United States
genre	Pop rock, pop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress
instrument	Vocals
years active	2002–present
label	RCA/19
associated acts	Reba McEntire
website	}}

Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series ''American Idol: The Search for a Superstar'' in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special ''World Idol'' in 2003.

In 2003, Clarkson released her debut album, ''Thankful'', which was a commercial success and established herself in the pop music industry. The release of its first single, "A Moment Like This" (2002), broke The Beatles' record for the biggest leap to number one, from 52, in the history of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. After parting ways with her management, Clarkson developed a more rock-oriented music with the release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album, ''Breakaway'' (2004), which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and which garnered Clarkson more worldwide success as a pop rock artist. The album's single, "Because of You" (2005), became the best-selling single by an ''Idol'' contestant worldwide. In 2007, Clarkson took full creative control for her third album ''My December'', which had had a more rock-inspired sound and was met with controversy and moderate success. Clarkson later returned to a more pop-oriented sound with ''All I Ever Wanted'' (2009), which became a commercial and critical success. The album's lead single, "My Life Would Suck Without You" (2009), currently holds the record for biggest leap to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Chart, breaking her own record of "A Moment Like This" as well as earning her first number-one single in the United Kingdom. Clarkson's fifth studio album, ''Stronger'', was released on October 24, 2011, preceded by the international hit single, "Mr. Know It All".

In a career spanning a decade, Clarkson has become the most successful ''Idol'' contestant around the world, with over 24 million albums and 37 milion singles worldwide, according to ''Billboard'' and Nielsen SoundScan. Clarkson's work also gained her numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards and a Women's World Award. ''Billboard'' also ranked Clarkson the number fourteen artist of the 2000s, as well as being also ranked on the top 200 album sellers of the Nielsen SoundScan era at number 187.

Early life

Clarkson was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in the small town of Burleson, a suburb of Fort Worth. She is the third and youngest child of Jeanne Rose, a first grade English teacher of Greek descent and Stephen Michael Clarkson, a former engineer of English descent.

Clarkson's siblings include her older brother and sister, Jason and Alyssa. When Clarkson was six years old, her parents divorced after seventeen years of marriage. The family settled in Burleson, where Clarkson's mother married her second husband, Jimmy Taylor.

Clarkson's family struggled financially, and after her parents divorced, music became her refuge. Clarkson attended Pauline G Hughes Middle School and Burleson High School. She wanted to become a marine biologist but changed her mind after seeing the movie ''Jaws''. In seventh grade, a teacher (Mrs. Cynthia Glenn) overheard her singing in a hallway and asked her to audition for the school choir; Clarkson told the teacher that she had never received professional vocal training.

In high school, Clarkson performed in musicals such as ''Annie Get Your Gun'', ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' and ''Brigadoon''. She sang at her high school talent show, after which an audience member shared some inspiring words with her: "God has given you this gift. You've got to sing. You're destined to sing." Clarkson continued singing and soon started classical training, hoping that music would be her ticket to a college scholarship.

Upon high school graduation, Clarkson was offered full scholarships to The University of Texas at Austin, University of North Texas, and Berklee, but decided against college because she had "already written so much music and wanted to try it on her own," and she figured "you're never too old to go to college." Clarkson later turned down two recording contracts from Jive Records and Interscope Records in the late 1990s, stating "They would have completely pigeonholed me as a bubblegum act. I was confident enough that something better would come along." She went to Los Angeles late 2001 to pursue a career in music, but worked as a waitress and appeared as an extra in such shows as ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' and ''Dharma & Greg'' to support herself. She worked with songwriters such as Gerry Goffin and recorded five tracks between January and March 2002 to try to get a record deal, but returned to Texas after four months in Los Angeles.

Music career

2002–03: ''American Idol: The Search for a Superstar'' and ''World Idol''

Clarkson auditioned for the first season of ''American Idol'' (under the full title ''American Idol: The Search for a Superstar'') in May 2002. She subsequently won the competition on September 4, 2002, earning 58% of the vote to 42% for runner-up Justin Guarini. Choking back tears, Clarkson performed the ballad "A Moment Like This", the song written for the winner of ''American Idol'', which would subsequently appear on her debut album, ''Thankful''. When released as a single in October 2002, it set a record on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart when it rose from number 52 to number one. This achievement was largely due to the impact from ''Idol'' as the CD single managed to sell 236,000 copies in its first week of sales in the U.S.; it spent five weeks at number one in Canada.

''American Idol'' season 1 performances and results

{|class="wikitable" |- !Week # !Theme !Song choice !Original artist !Order # !Result |- |Audition |Dallas |"Express Yourself" "At Last" |MadonnaEtta James |rowspan="4"|N/A |rowspan="5"|Advanced |- |Top 121 |Hollywood round 1 |"Respect" |Otis Redding |- |Top 65 |Hollywood round 2 |"I Say a Little Prayer" |Dionne Warwick |- |Top 45 |Hollywood round 3 |"Save The Best For Last" |Vanessa L. Williams |- |Top 30 |Semifinal/Group 2 |"Respect" |Otis Redding |9 |- |Top 10 |Motown |"You're All I Need to Get By" ||Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell |8 |rowspan="7"|Safe |- |Top 8 |1960s |"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" |Aretha Franklin |rowspan="2"|5 |- |Top 7 |1970s |"Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" |Ben E. King |- |Top 6 |Big Band |"Stuff Like That There" |Betty Hutton |6 |- |Top 5 |Burt Bacharach Love Songs |"Walk On By" |Dionne Warwick |1 |- |Top 4 |1980s1990s |"It's Raining Men""I Surrender" |The Weather GirlsCeline Dion |37 |- |Top 3 |Judges' ChoiceIdol's Choice |"Without You""Think Twice" |BadfingerCeline Dion |36 |- |Top 2 |Finale |"A Moment Like This""Respect""Before Your Love" |Kelly ClarksonOtis ReddingKelly Clarkson |246 |Winner |}

''World Idol'' performance and results

9

Song choice !! Germany !! Australia !! Pan-Arabia !! Canada !! Netherlands !! South Africa !! Poland !! USA !! Belgium !! UK !! Norway !! Total !! Result
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"	9	|	5	9	9	8	8	12	9	9	10	97	Runner-up

In December 2003, a competition titled ''World Idol'' was held at the ''Pop Idol'' stage in London, gathering the winners of the first seasons of ''Idol series'' around the world. Clarkson was contractually obligated to participate, and placed second behind ''Norwegian Idol'' Kurt Nilsen. She performed Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". She left immediately after the competition, later explaining to fans that she was not feeling well.

2003–04: ''Thankful''

Shortly after the completion of the first season of ''American Idol'', Clarkson was signed to RCA Records by Clive Davis and Simon Fuller. In 2003, Clarkson was later accused of working with a record company prior to winning ''American Idol''. ''American Idol'''s rules stated that a contestant was not allowed to compete on the program if they had been linked to a record company. However, she was cleared of all allegations, as she only had a contract in order to conduct demonstration work.

Following the release of "A Moment Like This", Clarkson's full-length debut album ''Thankful'' was released in North America by RCA Records on April 15, 2003 with several singers and songwriters including Christina Aguilera, Diane Warren and Babyface contributing on the tracks. It debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200. To promote the album, Clarkson appeared on various episodes of ''American Idol'' in 2003. In October that year she performed in Australia at the 2003 NRL grand final. "A Moment Like This" was certified double platinum by the RIAA for sales of two million copies on December 8, 2003 and platinum by the CRIA for sales of 100,000 copies on February 10, 2004. ''Thankful'' peaked at number 41 on the UK albums chart and at number 33 on the Australian albums chart.

Reviews for the album were generally favorable. However, several critics noted that her early achievement was established due to her performances on ''American Idol''. ''Allmusic'' critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for its vocal ability: "throughout this record, [Clarkson] makes it seem effortless and charming. She can croon, she can belt out a song, she can be sexy and sassy while still being graceful and as wholesome as the girl next door". Rachel Kipp of ''JS Online'' criticized Clarkson for not having the same personality on ''Thankful'' that she had on ''American Idol'', and wrote: "on ''American Idol'', Clarkson showcased a great voice and an endearing, 'aw-shucks' personality. That personality is missing on ''Thankful'', and there lies the album's greatest fault". Kipp blamed the producers behind the album for not allowing Clarkson to be herself. Clarkson covered Danielle Brisebois' "Just Missed the Train" on the album.

"Miss Independent" was released as the second single from ''Thankful''. It reached the top ten of the U.S. and Canadian singles charts, and earned Clarkson a 2004 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". When the single was released in the United Kingdom and Australia, it reached the top ten of the charts. "Low", the third single from ''Thankful'', reached number two in Canada, but it was unable to make the top 40 of the US chart. The final single, "The Trouble with Love Is", was released as a promotional single for the British romantic film ''Love Actually'' and failed to chart in the United States, she then promoted the song on ''Pop Idol'' in 2003.

2004–06: ''Breakaway''

Distancing herself from her ''American Idol'' image, Clarkson parted ways with 19 Entertainment and took more creative control with her second studio album ''Breakaway'', to develop a more rock-oriented image. Clarkson co-wrote six of the songs with songwriters such as former Evanescence band members Ben Moody, David Hodges and producer Max Martin; the title track was co-written by punk-pop singer Avril Lavigne.

''Breakaway'' was released by RCA Records on November 30, 2004. The album debuted within the U.S. top five and Canadian top ten, but sales were initially low in comparison to ''Thankful''. The singles from ''Breakaway'' were very successful, and the album become only the fourth album in history to stay in the ''Billboard'' 200 top 20 for a consecutive year, as well as being certified six times platinum in the U.S. in late 2007 and five times platinum in Canada in May 2006. With worldwide sales of over 12 million copies, ''Breakaway'' is the most successful album by an Idol.

''Breakaway'' received different responses from critics; ''Rolling Stone'' commented that "on Kelly Clarkson's second album, ... she embraces her rock side rather than the pop pageantry that put her on top of the ''American Idol'' heap". ''TeenInk'' noted the strength of her vocals on ''Breakaway'', and praised the change from pop music to contemporary rock: "[Clarkson] retains the incredible power and beauty of her voice while switching to rock". ''Stylus'' magazine also enjoyed Clarkson's foray into rock music, however, she was called out because of her ''American Idol'' image, which reviewer Charles Merwin believed she had yet to lose. He praised the non-singles and wrote that they "maintain a quality high". ''Allmusic'' called the album "a nice, low-key relief". "Breakaway" served as the original song for ''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' (2004) and achieved considerable success across the world; it became Clarkson's third top-ten single in the U.S. and fourth top-ten single in Canada. It reached number ten in Australia, and number 22 in the UK. The second single, "Since U Been Gone", which was produced by Max Martin, became the most successful release from the album. It reached number two in the U.S. and the top five across the world. It also earned Clarkson her first Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance"; she won a second award for "Best Pop Vocal Album".

The third and fourth single releases, "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Because of You", also followed with chart success. The video for "Because of You" won the 2006 MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, her second consecutive win in that category (following "Since U Been Gone"). Clarkson was the most-played artist of 2006 on American radio, despite releasing only one single in the entire year, "Walk Away" (the fifth single from ''Breakaway''). She was also the most radio-broadcasted artist of 2006 in Australia and "Because of You" was the third most broadcast song of the same year, despite being released in 2005.

In 2005, Clarkson made a performance during the 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend as part of the festivities leading up to the All-Star Game. Later that year, she performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons She also performed that spring as part of the 2005 NCAA Final Four festivities in St. Louis, Missouri.

Clarkson performed during the festivities of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. In mid 2006, Clarkson lent Ford Motor Co. a song titled "Go", written by Clarkson and Rhett Lawrence ("Miss Independent"). The song was used in the company's advertising campaign in 2006, "Bold Moves" and the song, along with its music video, was made available free at Ford's ''AddictedtoKelly.com'' website (now defunct).

2006–08: ''My December''

During her tour in Europe in 2006, Clarkson began writing songs for her third album, ''My December''. The first single from ''My December'' was "Never Again", which peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number eight. Clarkson released "Sober" as the second single. She returned to ''American Idol'' for the season 6 finale, performing "Never Again" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry during a Beatles medley.

Clarkson parted with her management, The Firm, in June 2007, amid low radio airplay for "Never Again" and low ticket sales for her then-upcoming tour. Clarkson would then sign with Starstruck Entertainment, run by Narvel Blackstock â€” the husband of Reba McEntire – on July 2, 2007. The same month, Live Nation announced that the tour—her first nationwide arena tour—had been canceled due to underwhelming ticket sales, to be rescheduled after the release of the ''My December'' album at smaller, more intimate concert environments. Clarkson reinstated plans to tour the U.S. during 2007, with a much smaller tour than the one she canceled in June. She began her My December Tour in October 2007 in venues significantly smaller than those previously booked. The August 2007 issue of ''Blender'' included a feature on Clarkson and her new album, as well as her music label woes.

''My December'' was released in the U.S. on June 26, 2007. The album debuted at number two in the U.S. with 291,000 albums sold, a slightly higher debut than Clarkson's previous album, ''Breakaway'', which debuted at number three. In Canada, the album was awarded a platinum certification for shipments of more than 100,000 copies. ''My December'' was certified platinum in December 2007 by the RIAA. It has sold more than three million copies worldwide.

In April 2007, Clarkson appeared on the ''American Idol'' ''Idol Gives Back'' charity show aimed at raising money for tackling poverty, hunger and AIDS in Africa, as well as the Hurricane Katrina appeal. Clarkson noted that she was in a dispute with her record label bosses and executives as to which song to perform for the event. Clarkson refused to perform her new single "Never Again" viewing it as simple self-promotion through a charitable event. She is quoted as saying,

She opted to perform Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain". After the performance, the audience who watched Clarkson perform live gave her a standing ovation. ''American Idol'' judge Simon Cowell described her as "incredible", saying, "When you let her [Clarkson] come back on the show it makes everybody else look like an amateur." Clarkson later sang "Never Again" in the ''American Idol'' grand finale on May 23, 2007. On July 7, 2007, Clarkson performed on the American leg of Live Earth. Clarkson was invited to be a celebrity mentor for ''Canadian Idol'' during its Top 5 week of the fifth season, aired on the CTV network on August 20, and she performed on the results show the next night. Clarkson also performed the grand finale of ''Swedish Idol'' in December 2007. Clarkson also performed at the 2007 NFL opening kickoff where she sang the national anthem and songs from ''My December''. Clarkson also performed in the halftime show for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets game on Thanksgiving Day.

In addition to her roles as spokeswoman for the acne treatment Proactiv as well as Vitaminwater, Clarkson partnered with NASCAR for the 2007 season. She appeared in televised advertising spots, performed at pre-race concerts, promoted NASCAR Day, and appeared at the Champions' Banquet in December. In April 2008, Clarkson participated in a Papal Youth Rally at the campus of St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie in Yonkers, New York performing a mini-concert for those in attendance. This was the Papal Visit of Pope Benedict XVI. She performed Schubert's "Ave Maria" for the Pope later in the day following the Pope's speech. Clarkson, raised a Baptist, was said to be honored by the invitation and appreciative of the rosary given to her and her band by the Pope, who were invited over by the Pope immediately following the performance for the rosary honor.

Clarkson performed "What Hurts the Most" with Rascal Flatts at the ACM Awards in 2006 and returned again to sing a duet with Reba McEntire in 2007. This was her second performance on a country music award show, even though she is in the pop/rock genre. Along with her performance with Rascal Flatts, Clarkson also performed "Cigarettes", with the country duo The Wreckers during one of their shows in Texas.

Building on her country music status, Clarkson and Reba McEntire, who first met after Clarkson won the first season of ''American Idol'', recorded an hour-long ''CMT Crossroads'' special at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium on February 22, 2007. It aired on CMT and Palladia (then known as MHD) on June 24, 2007. Previously, Clarkson was a performer on CMT's ''Giants: Reba McEntire''. where she sang McEntire's hit song "Why Haven't I Heard From You", introduced Dolly Parton, and later also sang McEntire's hit "Does He Love You" with Martina McBride. Clarkson also appeared on an episode of McEntire's sitcom ''Reba'', that aired on January 14, 2007.

At the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16, 2007, Clarkson and McEntire sang a duet of Clarkson's own 2005 single, "Because of You", which also became the lead single from McEntire's album of all-star duets. The music video for this version of the song later debuted on June 20, 2007. This collaboration with McEntire earned Clarkson a CMA Award nomination for "Musical Event of the Year" in 2007 and a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Country Collaboration With Vocal" in 2008. Additionally, the song was featured on ''Now That's What I Call Country'', which was released in August 2008.

Clarkson was a surprise guest at the 2007 CMA Music Festival in Nashville on June 7, 2007, where she performed "Does He Love You" and "Because of You" with Reba McEntire during the internationally-renowned annual event. The performance of "Because of You" was taped and aired as part of the "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock" television special that aired on ABC on July 23, 2007.

On January 17, 2008, Clarkson embarked on the 2 Worlds, 2 Voices Tour 2008, a co-headlining tour with Reba McEntire. Reba and Clarkson have since stayed in touch and Clarkson is now managed by McEntire's husband Narvel Blackstock.

On May 18, 2008, Clarkson performed on stage at the Academy of Country Music Awards All-Star Jam with Reba McEntire and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn. The All-Star jam is the final event of the week taking place immediately after the awards show. Clarkson was not announced ahead of time for an appearance.

2008–10: ''All I Ever Wanted''

Clarkson's fourth album, ''All I Ever Wanted'', was released on March 10, 2009. During recording of the album, Clarkson worked closely with producer-songwriters Ryan Tedder, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Howard Benson, among others. In its first week of sales, it sold 255,000 copies in the U.S., debuting at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200; it stayed at number one for two weeks. ''All I Ever Wanted'' received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Album". Clarkson was placed eighth on ''Billboard'' Magazine's Top Female Artists of 2009 and ninth on ''Billboard'' Magazine's Top Hot Artists of 2000s. She was ranked second on ''Billboard'' Magazine's Best of 2000s: Pop Song Artist, behind Pink.

The first single from ''All I Ever Wanted'', "My Life Would Suck Without You", entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 97 and rose to number one the following week; this broke the record for the largest leap to the top spot, formerly held by Britney Spears' "Womanizer".This was the second time Clarkson broke this record. Moreover, "My Life Would Suck Without You" was Clarkson's first number one in the United Kingdom and it made her the first ''American Idol'' winner to achieve a number one single in the UK. The album's second single, "I Do Not Hook Up", peaked at number 20 in the U.S. "I Do Not Hook Up" did not fare very well overseas and the believed reason for this is due to a lack of radio support because a previous version had been recorded by Katy Perry. The third single, "Already Gone", reached number 13 in the USA but failed to achieve international success, attaining only number 66 in the UK.

"Already Gone" sparked another conflict between Clarkson and her label. There was a widely reported scandal with the album's third single, which Clarkson wrote with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. Many critics had noticed that the backing track and style of the song sounded similar to Beyoncé's "Halo". After becoming aware of the comparisons, Clarkson did not want to release the song out of respect for Beyoncé, instead requesting release for a self-penned song, "Cry", which later hailed extremely positive reviews, most notably from the BBC. However, her record company refused, publishing "Already Gone" against Clarkson's wishes. In response to the entire fiasco, Clarkson penned a song called "Wash Rinse Repeat" in which she states her view on the lack of creativity record labels give their artists; it is widely believed the song is an attack on Ryan Tedder.

The fourth single was "All I Ever Wanted". Clarkson performed as one of many guests for the return of ''VH1 Divas'' in September 2009. Clarkson also became a guest mentor on the Dutch television series ''X Factor'' in November 2009.

Clarkson was announced as one of the VH1 Save the Music Foundation ambassadors for 2009–2010. She began her 32-date ''All I Ever Wanted'' tour in October, following a string of summer concerts around the United States. Clarkson toured all over the world with the album, reaching territories such as Europe, South Africa, Oceania and Asia.The fall tour shows were performed in arena/theater type venues, with the summer tour being performed in outdoor amphitheatres. Her Indonesia show was initially sponsored by tobacco company Djarum, but after complaints from some fans and anti-tobacco groups, the promoter removed the sponsor. The tour ended in May 2010 in China.

2010–present: ''Don't You Wanna Stay'' and ''Stronger''

On August 23, 2010, it was announced that Clarkson had recorded a duet called "Don't You Wanna Stay" with country star Jason Aldean for Aldean's upcoming album, ''My Kinda Party''. They performed the song at the 2010 CMA Awards on November 10, 2010 and again on April 14, 2011 during the elimination show of ''American Idol'' season ten. On the week ending February 27, 2011, the song moved to number one on ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs, making Clarkson her first number one hit on the chart. As of July 21, 2011, "Don't You Wanna Stay" has sold nearly 1.9 million digital singles, becoming the most downloaded country music collaboration of all time. "Don't You Wanna Stay" is nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for "Best Country Duo/Group Performance".

Clarkson's fifth studio album, ''Stronger'', was released on October 24, 2011. Clarkson began writing the material on November 2009 and was originally intended for a late 2010 release. Clarkson collaborated with several producers including Greg Kurstin, Ester Dean, Darkchild, Toby Gad, Steve Jordan and Howard Benson. Clarkson completed recording on February 28, 2011, and stated that it "was influenced by Prince, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow, Radiohead and there's a little bit of a country vibe/influence on a couple of songs." On March 15, 2011, she announced that the album had been pushed back to September 2011. Rodney Jerkins told ''The Hollywood Reporter'' that it was a "smart decision", while Claude Kelly, said to MTV News that the move could work in her favor. ''Associated Content'' also reported that the delay was caused by the company restructuring at Sony Music with the former Universal Music Group chairman Doug Morris entering as its new CEO. The release of the album was accompanied by a limited release of Clarkson's first extended play, ''The Smoakstack Sessions'', which featured alternate versions of ''Stronger'' and ''All I Ever Wanted'' songs.

The first single, "Mr. Know It All", premiered via a live webcast on on August 30, 2011 and was commercially released on September 5, 2011. The song entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 18, becoming her second highest debut since "Never Again" (2007); On November 3, the song ascended to number 10, earning Clarkson her ninth top ten single. On October 2, 2011, Clarkson performed the song at the 2011 NRL Grand Final in Sydney, Australia, marking Clarkson's first appearance at the event since the 2003 NRL Grand Final. The following week, "Mr. Know It All" hit #1 on the Australian charts, the first single of her career to top the charts in that country. 'Mr Know It All charted at number 4 in the UK and 8 in New Zealand. The song recieved 2x Platinum in Australia and Gold in New Zealand. The album's second single, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", was released in December 2011 and impacted radio on January 17, 2012. The song has charted at number 2 in the United States, 4 in both New Zealand and Poland and 8 in the UK.

The song "Tell Me A Lie" on the debut album by the boy band One Direction was co-written by Clarkson, which was originally intended for ''Stronger''. The song was leaked onto the internet a few months before. Clarkson's second extended play, ''iTunes Session'', was announced on November 23, 2011, and was released on December 27, 2011. On December 2 Clarkson released her first Christmas single, a cover of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" which is included on ''iTunes Session'' EP.

Clarkson is also confirmed to mentor country singer Blake Shelton's contestants on the second season of ''The Voice'' in its live shows in 2012. With this feat, Clarkson becomes the only reality singing competition contestant to appear on ''Idol'', ''The X Factor'' and ''The Voice''. Also, at Super Bowl 46 Clarkson sang the American National Anthem.

Politics

On December 29, 2011, Clarkson posted on Twitter her endorsement of US Congressman Ron Paul as a 2012 presidential candidate, saying, "I love Ron Paul. I liked him a lot during the last Republican nomination and no one gave him a chance. If he wins the nomination for the Republican Party in 2012 he's got my vote. Too bad he probably won't."

Film career

Soon after the first season of ''American Idol'' ended, Clarkson starred with ''Idol'' runner-up Justin Guarini in the movie ''From Justin to Kelly'' (2003). The film was poorly received by critics and grossed only $5 million at the North American box office, less than half its reported budget. Clarkson has mentioned in interviews that she is shocked when people send her scripts after ''From Justin to Kelly'', often citing contractual obligation as her sole reason for involvement in the film. Clarkson was quoted telling ''People'', "I knew when I read the script it was going to be real, real bad, but when I won, I signed that piece of paper and I could not get out of it." The script was written by Kim Fuller, Simon Fuller's brother.

She played Brenda Lee in the television drama ''American Dreams'' and appeared in the sitcom ''Reba''. She also participated in sketch comedy on ''MADtv'' (2002) and ''Saturday Night Live'' (2005).

Filmography (acting roles only)

Source: IMDb {|class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" | Episode |- |rowspan=5|2002 ||''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' ||rowspan=3| as an extra (uncredited) || "The Whole Ball of Wax" |- |''Dharma & Greg'' || |- |''That '80s Show'' || "Valentine's Day" (S1, Ep2) |- |''Issues 101'' ||Crystal (as an extra) || Theatrical film |- |''MADtv'' ||Herself / Skits || Season 8, Ep 1 |- |rowspan=2|2003 ||''From Justin to Kelly'' ||Kelly Taylor|| Theatrical film |- |rowspan=2| ''American Dreams'' ||rowspan=2| Brenda Lee || "And Promises To Keep" |- |rowspan=2|2004 || "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" |- |''King of the Hill'' || Herself/Dawn|| "Stressed For Success" |- | rowspan=2|2005 || ''Saturday Night Live'' ||Herself / Skits / Musical Guest|| Host – Jason Bateman |- |''Damage Control'' ||Herself||Season 1, Ep. 1 |- |2007 ||''Reba'' ||Kelly|| "As We Forgive Those" |- |2009 || ''Saturday Night Live'' ||Herself / Musical Guest|| Host – Tracy Morgan |- |2011|| ''Phineas and Ferb'' ||Herself || "A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas" |- |2012 || ''Saturday Night Live'' ||Herself / Musical Guest|| Host – Charles Barkley confirmed on air |}

Vocal ability

Clarkson possesses the vocal range of a soprano; her vocal talents and abilities have been met with praise from critics and celebrities alike. On an interview with ''Good Morning America'', Simon Cowell was asked of the then six ''American Idol'' winners, who he thought had the best voice. Cowell immediately answered that Clarkson did "by a mile", noting that she was "up there" with other great singers such as Celine Dion.

Arion Berger of ''Rolling Stone'' has said of Clarkson that "her high notes are sweet and pillowy, her growl is bone-shaking and sexy, and her midrange is amazingly confident for a pop posy whose career is tied for eternity to the whims of her ''American Idol'' overlords."

Dr. Luke, a songwriter and producer of some of Clarkson's hits stated that "She has powerful lungs. She's like the Lance Armstrong of vocal cords."

''Esquire'' wrote that Clarkson has “the best voice in the history of pop music".

Discography

''Thankful'' (2003)

''Breakaway'' (2004)

''My December'' (2007)

''All I Ever Wanted'' (2009)

''Stronger'' (2011)

Tours

;Headlining

Breakaway World Tour (2005–2006)

My December Tour (2007–2008)

All I Ever Wanted Tour (2009–2010)

Stronger Tour (2012)

;Promotional

Kelly Clarkson in Concert (2003)

Kelly Clarkson: Live in Concert (2009)

;Co-headlining

American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002 (with the American Idol Season 1 Finalists) (2002)

Independent Tour (with Clay Aiken) (2004)

2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour (with Reba McEntire) (2008)

Awards

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance airplay chart

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Top 40 chart

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart

List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart

List of best-charting music artists in the U.S.

List of Idol series winners

References

Further reading

Phares, Heather. [ "Kelly—Biography"]. ''Allmusic''. Retrieved February 11, 2006.

Lamb, Bill. "Kelly Clarkson—Profile". About.com. Retrieved February 11, 2006.

Phares, Heather. "Kelly Clarkson—Biography". Yahoo LAUNCHcast. Retrieved February 11, 2006.

International charting information. ''Top40-Charts.com''. Retrieved February 12, 2006.

''Kelly Gets Cocky''. ''Idol'' winner fires Simon Fuller. PopSugar.com. ''Blog Archives''. Retrieved February 25, 2006.

. ''E! Online''. [''Some films defy criticism''.] Retrieved May 4, 2006.

Croatto, Pete. ''From Justin to Kelly''. [''Watching From Justin to Kelly, one question looms over the entire production: Why was this movie made?''] Retrieved May 4, 2006.

External links

Category:1982 births Category:Actors from Texas Category:American Christians Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American Idol winners Category:American people of Greek descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Welsh descent Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American record producers Category:English-language singers Category:American sopranos Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Texas Category:People from Fort Worth, Texas Category:RCA Records artists

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