50 years ago: May 15, 1976

A huge U.S. Bicentennial parade featuring 55 floats, 20 bands, military units, baton twirlers and a cast of thousands was held in downtown Altoona. The Reserve Officers Association donated a special Bicentennial Flag to Altoona Area High School.

25 years ago: May 15, 2001

Janice Blair, local elections director for almost 40 years, was retiring. She trained the 500 election workers who staffed the polls, prepared the ballots and answered hundreds of telephone inquiries.

10 years ago: May 15, 2016

An event called (the ninth annual) Pints for Pets was held at Peoples Natural Gas Field, home of the Altoona Curve baseball team, that featured 90 craft beer breweries, with profits benefiting the Central PA Humane Society.

Today is Friday, May 15, the 135th day of 2026. There are 230 days left in the year.

Today’s highlight in history:

On May 15, 1970, less than two weeks after the National Guard shooting at Kent State University, two Black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi were killed and 12 were injured when police opened fire during student demonstrations.

On this date:

– In 1800, President John Adams ordered government offices to relocate from Philadelphia to the newly-constructed city of Washington, in the federal District of Columbia.

– In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act establishing the Department of Agriculture.

– In 1928, the Walt Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse appeared for the first time in front of a public audience in a test screening of the short “Plane Crazy.”