Local history

50 years ago: June 15, 1976

The Blair County Legal Services Corp., Attorney Kenneth Magar director, announced that they would concentrate on local homeowners swindled by shady home improvement operators, sometimes by taking their entire life savings.

25 years ago: June 15, 2001

The League of American Bicyclists was to hold their annual rally in Altoona at the same time as the Tour ‘de Tooma bike races, which would amount to more than 1,000 bicyclists on the city streets at the same time, race promoter Rick Geist announced.

10 years ago: June 15, 2016

Altoona conservator John Rita spoke at the Blair County Courthouse about its restoration, which could take as long as 10 years. Commissioner Terry Tomassetti described the courthouse like it was in its 1877 dedication and how Blair’s first judge and a chief justice of the state Supreme Court Jeremiah Black called it the most perfect structure in the county.

— Compiled by Tim Doyle

World history

Today is Monday, June 15, the 166th day of 2026. There are 199 days left in the year.

Today’s highlight in history:

On June 15, 1904, more than 1,000 people died when fire erupted aboard the steamboat PS General Slocum in New York’s East River; it remained the deadliest individual event in the New York area until 9/11.

On this date:

– In 1775, the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to appoint George Washington head of the Continental Army.

— The Associated Press