Ah, the sounds of summer. Cicada Brood XIV is currently emerging from its subterranean slumber across the Southeast, so don’t be surprised if your nightly walk is underscored by an endless, ceaseless droning noise.
This brood only emerges every 17 years, so let’s take a look back through Derby City history though the compound eyes of our cicada neighbors.
2008
- Louisville was rocked by the remains of Hurricane Ike in September. Strong winds, with gusts up to 75 mph, uprooted trees on Taylorsville Road, Baxter Avenue, and Bonnycastle Avenue, among others.
- A magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook the Midwest, knocking bricks from a building on Kentucky Street.
- Mayor Jerry E. Abramson’ 2008-2009 budget proposal was under review when the cicadas emerged. The proposed budget was $547,340,100 (compare that to this year’s $1.26 billion proposal). Projects included a new fire station in Beechmont, the Newburg Library branch, pedestrian + bike paths, and the Louisville Zoo’s Glacier Run exhibit.
- Presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke at a rally in May — just about the time the cicadas would have emerged.
1991
- The first Thunder Over Louisville was held at Waterfront Park. The show attracted 250,000 people for fireworks, an airshow, and of course the Chow Wagon. Bonus: Check out this totally radical TV commercial.
- Louisville had a thriving punk music scene — check out this 2021 article by Paul Curry about Tewligans, Uncle Pleasant’s, and other venues around town.
- The Louisville Downtown Management District was established to vitalize Louisville’s business district.
1974
- The biggest news of 1974 was the April 3 Super Outbreak, when a series of devastating tornadoes swept through the Midwest. It was the second-worst tornado outbreak in recorded US history. A total of 27 twisters hit Kentucky, including an F4 tornado that hit Louisville directly.
- The Grateful Dead played a concert at Freedom Hall in June. You can listen to a recording of “Eyes of the World” from that show on the album “Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3.”
1957
- The Indian Trail Trading Post opened — these days, we call it the Indian Trail Square shopping mall.
- The Watterson looked just a bit different. Check out this side-by-side posted to Reddit last year.
- A commercial airplane flying in from Chicago was damaged in a fire as it touched down at Standiford Field, now called the Muhammad Ali International Aiport. Fun fact: That original name is why our airport’s code designation is still SDF.
Have a memory from one of these cicada years? Drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you.
