Local history

50 years ago: The 26th class of practical nurses graduated from the Altoona Vo-Tech School, with Sharon Lee Brumbaugh of Tyrone winning an award for theory and Darlene Reimer for excellence in practice.

25 years ago: Weatherman Al Roker, on morning television, apologized for calling Altoona Curve mascot Steamer “stupid” at an event held in New York City and the Curve changed its planned “Al Roker is Stupid Day” to “Al Roker Gets Educated Day.”

10 years ago: The Greater Altoona Economic Development Program, Patrick Miller CEO, asked the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to take a “hard look” at the Canadian Pacific Railroad proposal to take over Norfolk Southern Railroad.

– Compiled by Tim Doyle

World history

Today is Monday, Feb. 23, the 54th day of 2026. There are 311 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Feb. 23, 1945, during World War II, U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima captured Mount Suribachi, where they raised two American flags. (The second flag-raising was captured in an iconic photograph by Joe Rosenthal of The Associated Press.)

On this date:

– In 1836, the siege of the Alamo by Mexican troops began in San Antonio, Texas. Almost all of the nearly 200 heavily outnumbered Texas defenders, including American frontiersman and politician Davy Crockett, were killed in the 13-day assault.

– In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an agreement with Cuba to lease land around Guantanamo Bay to the United States. No date was set for termination of the lease and Naval Station Guantanamo Bay continues at the site.

– In 1942, the first shelling of the U.S. mainland during World War II occurred as a Japanese submarine fired on an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, California.