Today in Labor History February 26th, 2026

 The Buffalo Creek Valley Dam Collapse

Congress okayed the Contract Labor Law, designed to clamp down on “business agents” who contracted abroad for immigrant labor. One of the reasons unions supported the measure: employers were using foreign workers to fight against the growing U.S. labor movement, primarily by deploying immigrant labor to break strikes. – 1885

Bethlehem Steelworkers struck for union recognition in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. – 1941

A coal slag heap doubling as a dam in West Virginia’s Buffalo Creek Valley collapsed, flooding the 17-mile long valley. 118 died, 5,000 were left homeless. The Pittston Coal Company said it was “an act of God.” – 1972

The UFCW and employers reached an agreement to end the nearly five-month-long grocery strike and lockout of 59,000 workers in Southern California. The strike was fueled by management’s demand to strip workers of their healthcare benefits. The new two-tier contract required employees to pay for healthcare benefits for the first time, included no raises, and paid new hires less and put them in a different healthcare plan. – 2004

1,700 locomotive manufacturing workers struck for nine cold days in Erie, Pennsylvania. After returning to the bargaining table, they eventually beat back demands of the new owner Wabtec, which had unilaterally imposed a two-tier system and stripped rights they had won with the prior owner, General Electric. They ratified a contract on June 14th. – 2019

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 My highschool buddies and I visiting Zion National Park

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Important Events From This day in History February 25th

 

 

1964 Cassius Clay Becomes Champion

1964 : Cassius Clay, defeated Sonny Liston when Liston retired at the end of the sixth round in Miami to become Heavyweight Champion of the World.

2004 The Passion of the Christ

2004 : This was the opening day of The Passion of the Christ, a film directed by Mel Gibson. It was highly acclaimed by those who wanted to view the exact nature of what happened to Jesus on the cross. However, it was Rated R, and was not recommended for children. There was some criticism made of the film, suggesting that it was intended to indicate that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. Also, some people thought it was a bit too graphic. Nevertheless, the first run of The Passion of the Christ was substantially more effective and successful than the edited, less-violent run. This film had impacted many lives in many ways, at a time when religiosity was considered to be very important in peoples’ lives. This increased awareness and hunger for knowledge of God and/or a force greater than man was brought for many reasons during this time. One of the most shocking perhaps was the event of September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center Tragedy, during which thousands of people were killed.

1948 Czechoslovakia Communist Rule Established

1948 : The president (Eduard Benes) of Czechoslovakia allowed communist rule to be established in this country on this date. Eduard Benes was reported to have been under quit a bit of pressure at this time. During this year, the communist party had forced other parties out of political office, and the communists were the only party that existed in this country at this time. This newly-formed totalitarian government was very much supported by the Soviet government, until the year 1989.

1913 US Federal Taxes Start

1913 : The Sixteenth Amendment, which paved the way for the United States adoption of income tax, was ratified.

25 Feb, 1919 Oregon Imposes Gas Tax

1919 : Oregon became the first state to impose a 1 percent tax on gasoline.

1920 Canada Sugar Trees

1920 : Sugar trees were found in British Columbia, and at this time the value of the sugar from this tree was $66.00 per pound. It was discovered as existing on Douglas Fir trees.

1920 Australia League of Nations

1920 : Sir Joseph Cook, the Minister of the Australian Navy, defended Australia’s right to cast one vote in the League of Nations. A decision had not been made at this time one way or another. However, it was noted in the speech made by Cook that this country had lost more lives during the war than the Americans did . Consideration was still being made regarding this issue.

1921 Republic of Georgia Bolshevistic Armies

1921 : On this day, it was reported that the capital of the Republic of Georgia was being seized by Bolshevistic (Russian) armies. The Greeks were headed to this location to pick up the Greek Merchants and Greek refugees now there. The Turkish army had voted to remain neutral. The capture of Georgia by Soviet Russian armies was in essence signified the near end of the Independence of the Republic of Georgia. This country did again regain their independence from the Soviet Union as of 1991 (declared on April 9, finalized on December 25th). Independence Day of Georgia is still celebrated on May 26, however. This was the date of the original breaking away from Russia which occurred in 1918.

1930 U.S.A. Prohibition Laws

1930 : With the continuing debate in congress between wets and drys over the prohibition laws , the enforcement in each state also continues to be dependent on the position of the politicians in that state. In states where the wets are in control the boats used to enforce prohibition could not catch a cold let alone a fast rum runners boat , and speakeasies are very rarely raided by law enforcement. In other states where the dry's are in control fast patrol boats and many raids occur.

1949 U.S.A. Robert Mitchum

1949 : Robert Mitchum is released from a Los Angeles prison farm at the end of his two-month sentence for marijuana possession

1972 Great Britain Miners Strike

1972 : Miners accept a pay settlement after a seven-week strike. The strike had caused many companies to institute a three-day week when lack of coal to British power stations caused disruption to electricity supplies.

1982 Great Britain Corporal Punishment

1982 : The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that beating school children against their parents' wishes is a violation of the Human Rights Convention. Britain was the last country in Western Europe to ban corporal punishment in state schools in 1986.

25 Feb, 1984 Brazil Gas Line Explosion

1984 : A huge explosion caused by a Gas Pipeline close to the Shanty Town destroys the shanty town in Brazil, killing at least 500 people, mostly young children.

1986 Philippines Ferdinand Marcos

1986 : President Ferdinand Marcos and his entourage are rescued and airlifted from the presidential palace in Manila by U.S. helicopters. The new Philippines president is Corazon Aquino.

1991 Saudi Arabia Iraqi Scud Missile

1991 : An Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran killing 28 Americans during the Persian Gulf War.

1992 Azerbaijan Slaughter

1992 : Armenian forces slaughtered more than 600 Azerbaijani citizens, including nearly 200 women and children near Khojaly, Azerbaijan.

1994 Israeli Occupied Territories Jewish settler kills 30

1994 : A Jewish settler kills 29 Palestinian worshipers and injures 125 more before being subdued and beaten to death by survivors at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, West Bank after opening fire as people gathered for Friday morning prayers.

2008 Muslim Scholars in India say Terrorism is un-Islamic

2008 : An influential group of Muslim theologians in India have denounced terrorism, saying it is against the teachings of Islam. Their thoughts were given at a meeting being held at an Islamic school. Scholars from around six thousand religious schools were attending the meeting.

2009 Drugs traffickers arrested in the United States

2009 : Attorney-General Eric Holder has announced the arrest of more than seven hundred and fifty people on narcotics-related charges, and the seizure of more than twenty-tree tons of narcotics. This is part of the twenty-one month multi-agency law enforcement investigation known as 'Operation Xcellerator.' This number has included the fifty-two people detained in California, Minnesota and Maryland in raids targeting the powerful Sinaloa cartel. The twenty-one month operation involved U.S, Mexican and Canadian authorities. A 2008 justice department report found that Mexican traffickers were the biggest organised crime threat to the United States.

2011 Four Amish Children Die in Storm

2011 : Four children died as an Amish family of nine traveled in a horse-drawn buggy through heavy storms in Kentucky. The buggy was overturned in a creek and four of the young children drowned. The family had been traveling to make a phone call.

2012 New President of Yemen Takes Oath of Office

2012 : The new president of Yemen, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi took the oath of office after being elected in a single-candidate poll a few days before. The election came after a deal was made after months long protest against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

2013 UK Cardinal Resigns

2013 : Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of the Scottish Roman Catholic church in the United Kingdom, resigned over allegations of inappropriate behavior with priests during the 1980s. His resignation came just before he was to participate in electing the new Pope.

2014 US Obama Shares Afghanistan Pull-Out

2014 : US president Barack Obama has shared with Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai that the United States has potential plans to pull all US troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The message was relayed to Karzai as a warning and incentive for Afghanistan to sign a security agreement that the US would require before allowing any troops to say in the country for small operations and training.

Today in Labor History February 25th, 2026

 Edgar Daniel (“E.D.”) Nixon

The Paterson, New Jersey silk strike began, with 25,000 immigrant textile workers walking out when mill owners doubled the size of the looms without increasing staffing or wages. The strike was organized by the Industrial Workers of the World but collapsed when mill owners exploited divisions between skilled and unskilled workers, successfully getting the skilled workforce to agree to return to work. Five strikers were killed during the 208-day walkout. – 1913

The Amalgamated Association of Street & Electric Railway Employees of America changed their name to the Amalgamated Transit Union. – 1965

The Order of Railroad Telegraphers changed their name to the Transportation-Communication Employees Union. – 1965

Labor organizer and civil rights activist Edgar Daniel (“E.D.”) Nixon died on this date. While working as a Pullman porter, Nixon organized the Montgomery local of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and served as its president for many years. He was a key organizer of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and co-founder of the Montgomery Improvement Association. – 1987

A crowd estimated to be 100,000 strong rallied at the Wisconsin State Capitol in protest of what was ultimately was to become a successful push by the state’s Republican majority to cripple public employee bargaining rights. – 2011 

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Important Events From This day in History February 24th

 

 

1942 U.S.A. Unidentified Flying Objects

1942 : Los Angeles sightings on this day called by the contemporary press "Battle of Los Angeles", a Plane / Blimp / Weather Balloon / UFO is fired on with a massive anti-aircraft artillery barrage but is not hit, Air raid sirens were sounded throughout Los Angeles County at 2:25 a.m. and a total blackout was ordered. Why was the ?? never hit or if it was hit why not damaged , this is a radio news report of the incident and makes very interesting listening.

1924 France Johnny Weissmuller

1924 : Johnny Weissmuller wins his first gold medal in 100-meters freestyle in the 1924 Paris Olympics. He went on to win Gold in the 400-meters freestyle and as part of the 800-meters freestyle relay team. In Amsterdam in 1928 he wins two more gold medals. Following his olympics success in 1932 he played the role of Tarzan in Tarzan the Ape Man.

24 Feb, 1942 Voice of America

1942 : The Voice of America goes on the air for the first time under the Office of War Information with news programs aimed at Japan, the south Pacific, and to areas of Europe and North Africa under the occupation of Nazi Germany.

More about Voice of America

1903 Cuba Guantanamo Bay

1903 : The United States signed a leasing agreement between the US and Cuba , acquiring Guantanamo Bay a naval station at the southeastern end in Cuba.

1920 U.S.A. Atlantic Flight Race

1920 : It was announced on this day that fliers from 18 different nations are planning to participate in an Atlantic Flight race. The first place winner of this race was to receive $100,000. The plan was to start the fliers off from either New York or Atlantic City. From one of these points, the fliers would head south towards Cuba Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the across the Caribbean Sea to Caracas, and then to Permambuco. After that, they would then fly across the Atlantic to Dakar, then along the western coast of Africa. After that they would head northward and will pass Magador and Casa Blanca. From there, the flight will head across either Spain or Portugal to Biarritz, and then to the French Coast and the London Channel. The return trip planned would be straight across the Atlantic Ocean.

1920 U.S.A. Teacher Pay

1920 : A report was printed on this day regarding the issue of teacher salary problems and supply in demand in rural areas. This issue was addressed by A. Floyd, the Superintendent of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma. The biggest issue regarding teacher supply and demand is the fact that teachers may not always be adequately prepared to teach in certain areas, particular rural ones. These are the areas where they would also get paid less as well.

1922 Powder Magazine Explosion

1922 : An explosion of the powder magazine in a stone quarry in McCook in southern Illinois shook the city of Chicago shattering many windows in the south of the city and the blast was so strong that a train passing near by was blown completely off the tracks.

1932 Japan / China Conflict

1932 : According to one report given on this day, Japan was planning a protest against the U.S. government. This particular protest against the U.S. was planned as a result of an incident that occurred while Robert Short, an American who was fighting while in combat with Japanese airplanes. Part of the reason for the conflict between the U.S. and the Japanese was the fact that the Chinese government had asked that Robert Short be buried in China in order to give him proper burial. The Japanese were opposed to this action. Also, no official report was made regarding the death of this airplane fighter at this time.

1940 When You Wish Upon a Star

1940 : The song "When You Wish Upon a Star" is recorded by Frances Langford. It becomes a major hit and it is still one of the most recognizable songs today.

24 Feb, 1945 World War II Liberate Manila

1945 : American soldiers liberate the capital Manila from Japanese control during World War II.

1945 Egypt Dr. Ahmed Maher Pasha

1945 : The prime minister of Egypt Dr. Ahmed Maher Pasha was assassinated after reading a declaration of war against the Axis powers.

1946 Argentina Juan Domingo Peron Elected

1946 : Juan Domingo Peron, is elected president in Argentina, at the time when he was elected he had a mistress named Eva Duarte who proved to be his greatest asset, or "Evita," as she became affectionately known who later became his wife.

1950 Great Britain Clement Attlee

1950 : Clement Attlee and the British Labour party has won the 1950 general election with a much decreased majority and will continue its programme of nationalisation of major industries including iron and steel. The commitment to the Welfare State with the National Insurance Act which provides help and support for the more vulnerable in British society will be continued.

1955 Great Britain Big Freeze

1955 : With over 70 roads now not passable the big freeze continues in the UK with many essential supplies including food and medical supplies now in jeopardy. The RAF is dropping food and medical supplies in the worst affected areas and are also dropping tons of hay over the Scottish Highlands as sheep are now starving due to the massive snowdrifts that have built up.

1968 Vietnam Recapture Hue

1968 : American Marines and South Vietnamese soldiers have recaptured the city of Hue from North Vietnamese forces.

1971 United Kingdom New Immigration Bill

1971 : A new Immigration Bill announced today will restrict Commonwealth citizens automatic rights to remain in the UK, they will now be treated with the same restrictions as any other person applying to live and work in Britain. This bill is in response to the public concern about a large number of immigrants entering Britain in the last few years.

1972 Nixon Visits Great Wall Of China

1972 : This was the day when President Nixon had visited the Great Wall of China. Nixon had called for the breaking down of the walls there and “walls of any kind between peoples”. Before Nixon had arrived in China, there was some talk of releasing American prisoners of war held there. No answer has been given yet as to whether or not that was going to happen as of this day, but it was reported that negotiations were being made.

1978 U.S.A. Fleetwood Mac

1978 : The musical group Fleetwood Mac had won a Grammy Award on this day. This award was given to this group for best album of 1977, as a result of this groups hard work on the album Rumours.

1981 United Kingdom Charles and Diana

1981 : The Prince of Wales announced his engagement to Lady Diana Spencer ending months of speculation by the tabloid press.

1981 Greece Earthquake

1981 : An earthquake registering 6.7 on the Richter scale strikes the city of Athens, Greece killing 16 and destroying many buildings in towns west of the city.

1989 Iran Salman Rushdie

1989 : Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa (religious edict) and offers a USD $3 million bounty for the death of author Salman Rushdie who had written The Satanic Verses. The Satanic Verses caused major controversy around the world In Muslim communities due to what many Muslims believed were blasphemous references to their religion.

24 Feb, 1991 US Ground Invasion Kuwait

1991 : A ground troop invasion of Kuwait and Iraq was initiated by the U.S. on this date. This decision was made after six weeks of bombing against Iraq and its army.

1997 U.S.A. Morning After Pill

1997 : The FDA name six brands of birth control as safe and effective "morning-after" pills for preventing pregnancy.

1999 Austria Avalanche

1999 : An avalanche in the Austrian Alps buries homes and kills 13 people in Valzur.

2006 Austria Avalanche

2006 : South Dakota lawmakers approved a ban on nearly all abortions.

2006 Egypt Asks for Return of Ancient Mask

2006 : Egypt asks the St. Louis Art Museum to return a three thousand year old funerary mask that depicts a young lady. It was said to have mysteriously disappeared from the Egyptian Museum decades ago. The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has formally requested the return of the piece, known as the mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer, which dates to the 19th Dynasty (1307- 196 B.C.). The Department of Homeland Security is looking into the provenance of the mask, which was acquired by the museum in the late 1990s

2006 Art Stolen in Rio de Janeiro

2006 : Gunmen have taken advantage of Brazil's carnivals to steal paintings by Picasso, Dali, Matisse and Monet from a Rio de Janeiro museum. The thieves are said to have threatened the Chacara do Ceu museum's security guards with a hand grenade. They then shut down the internal security cameras and slipped into the carnival. Pablo Picasso's The Dance, Salvador Dali's The Two Balconies, Henri Matisse's Luxembourg Gardens and Claude Monet's Marine were stolen.

2008 Cuba Fidel Castro

2008 : Fidel Castro the Cuban revolutionary who had ruled Cuba for nearly 50 years retires as the President of Cuba after nearly fifty years, his retirement was forced due to illness and the Cuban National Assembly elects Raul Castro to succeed him as the President of Cuba.

2008 Holland Biofuel Flight Successful

2008 : The world's first biofuel-powered commercial aircraft has touched down in Amsterdam. It flew to Holland from London's Heathrow Airport, and has been hailed as a first step towards cleaner flying. The Virgin Atlantic jumbo used a fuel derived from a mixture of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts. Environmentalists have branded the flight a publicity stunt, and claim biofuel cultivation is not sustainable.

2008 Pakistan blocks access to YouTube

2008 : Pakistan has blocked access to the YouTube website because of the content it offers that is deemed offensive to Islam. Its telecommunications authority has ordered Internet service providers to block the site until further notice. Reports have said that the content included the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that have outraged many.

2011 One-Dog Policy Announced in Shanghai

2011 : The city of Shanghai in China announced a one-dog policy to start in May. The city had an abundance of unlicensed dogs and in 2010, over 140,000 people reported bites from unlicensed dogs. The new rule would force owners of unlicensed dogs to relinquish their pets to authorities.

Today in Labor History February 24th, 2026

Lawrence Massachusetts Strike

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Muller v. Oregon to uphold the state’s restrictions on the working hours of women, setting a precedent to use sex differences, and in particular women’s childbearing capacity,  as a basis for separate legislation.  A laundry owner was fined $10 for making a female employee work more than 10 hours in a single day. – 1908

Women and children textile strikers were beaten by Lawrence, Massachusetts police during a 63-day walkout protesting low wages and work speedups. – 1912

A new national child labor law passed in Congress and was declared unconstitutional in 1924. A similar law passed two years earlier was declared unconstitutional in 1918. – 1919

Congress passed a Federal Child Labor Tax Law that imposed a 10 percent tax on companies that employed children, defined as anyone under the age of 16, working in a mine/quarry or under the age of 14 in a “mill, cannery, workshop, factory, or manufacturing establishment”. The Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional in 1922 in Bailey v. Drexel Furniture Co. – 1919

District 1199 Health Care Workers became the first U.S. labor union to oppose the war in Vietnam. – 1965

Untold Black History Fact Of The Day | Black History Month 2026

 

 

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 Star, Idaho

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Important Events From This day in History February 22

 

 

1997 Great Britain Dolly The Sheep

1997 : Scottish scientists from the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh announce they have successfully cloned an adult sheep named Dolly, The sheep was born in July of 1996, and Dolly was the world's first cloned mammal.

1967 Vietnam Tet Offensive

1967 : The Tet offensive by communist forces of North Vietnam against South Vietnam ends.

1879 1st Woolworth 5 Cents Store Opened

1879 : Frank Winfield Woolworth opens the Great 5 Cents Store in Utica, New York. Pledging to sell "nothing" that cost more than a nickel expanding over the next 50 years to 1000 stores, but due to changes in the retail market the last Woolworths shop in the United States was closed down on July 17th, 1997.

22 Feb, 1972 UK Aldershot Bombing

1972 : The IRA plant a bomb at the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters at Aldershot, Hampshire killing 5 women and an army priest.

1974 U.S.A. Patti Hearst Kidnappers

1974 : The ransom demanded by the kidnappers ( Symbionese Liberation Army ). of newspaper heiress, Patty Hearst of $2 million food handout to the hungry in slum areas throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco begins with many of the homeless refusing the handouts.

1991 U.S.A. Full Scale War With Iraq

1991 : The US President, George Bush, has given Iraq until 1700 GMT tomorrow to pull out of Kuwait or face a full-scale war.

1924 U.S.A. Calvin Coolidge

1924 : Calvin Coolidge delivered the first presidential radio broadcast from the White House.

1938 Germany Austrian Protection

1938 : In a speech to the Reichstag and the world on Sunday Adolf Hitler proclaimed oppressed and persecuted Germans in Austria, Czechoslovakia and the rest of the world are under the protection of Germany and force will be used if necessary for their protection. Germany does not want war but will protect it's people with war if needed. Together with the alliance of Italy and Japan and Germany's large build up of military power France and Great Britain believe a second world war may well be inevitable.

22 Feb, 1938 U.S.A. Secretary of the Interior

1938 : The United States Secretary of the Interior Ickes was prepared to give an anti-communist and anti-fascist speech, and notes from this scheduled broadcast were revealed on this day. Ickes urged all democracies to fight against ("repulse against") internal fascism and communism. Ickes' speech was scheduled to be heard in places such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, India, and South Africa. Ickes had commented, saying that he was speaking as an individual and not as a representative of the president, or the United States.

1966 U.S.A. Lee Harvey Oswald

1966 : The U.S. government was awarded custody of Lee Harvey Oswald's weapons. He was convicted as of this time of being the assassin of John F. Kennedy. The custody of Oswald's weapons was granted by U.S. District Judge Joe Estes. The weapons in question were a 6.5mm foreign rifle (for shot at the president) and a pistol (for shot at Dallas Policeman J.D. Tippit). The government wanted to place the weapons reported to have been used by Oswald in the National Archives in Washington.

1966 U.S.A. Vietnam War Veteran

1966 : John A. Podoske, a resident of Logan, Ohio, was denied a Postmaster position on this day. He attempted to appeal to have this case re-opened several months ago, based on the fact that he was a disabled Vietnam War Veteran.

1967 Indonesia President Sukarno

1967 : Indonesian President Sukarno surrenders all executive authority to military dictator General Haji Mohammad Suharto.

1971 U.S.A. 3 Red Lights Seen

1971 : A report on this day has indicated that a plane search was planned. This scheduled search was decided necessary as a result of witnesses seeing "three balls of fire" or "three red lights" headed towards earth in the blowing snow. This possible crash was believed to have taken place in or near Elmore City, Oklahoma. Numerous reports came in from Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, confirming that this was most likely a crash. Further reports would be made in future-dated issues of local Oklahoma newspapers.

1972 U.S.A. Welfare Appointment

1972 : The real name of the person who was appointed head of the Aiken County Department of Public Welfare is Richard T. Poore . No pun was intended in this case, as Poore was actually a highly educated person who received a degree from Florida State University in 1966. However, some people most likely could not help but "make fun" of his last name at least a little bit, as he was chairman of the board for this county's welfare agency (news headline read "Poore to Head Welfare Agency"). Poore had already worked at the county level in Anderson County for quite a few years when he assumed this position as head of Aiken County's agency. Despite the play on words, Poore was thought of as a qualified individual.

1974 U.S.A. Attempt To Kill Nixon

1974 : An attempt was made to hijack a plane from the Baltimore-Washington International airport by Samuel Byck . If successful, he was planning on crashing the plane into the White House and killing President Richard Nixon.

1980 United States Hockey Team

1980 : The United States hockey team, composed in great part of college players, defeat the defending champions and favorites to win the gold medal Soviet Union squad by 4-3.

22 Feb, 1989 U.S.A. Tina Turner

1989 : Tina Turner had won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocalist at age 49 during this year, on this date. She originally had recorded with her husband Ike Turner, however, she had left Ike in 1976. From that time until 1981 she had remained behind the scenes. After 1981, she became one of the oldest female artists in history to stage such a strong comeback, and she changed her tune from a style to Rock and Roll. Her first solo album Private Dancer had sold five million copies. She was introduced in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

1994 U.S.A. Aldrich Ames Soviet Spy

1994 : Former Central Intelligence Agency veteran Aldrich Ames and his wife, Rosario, are charged with selling national security secrets to the Soviet Union. He later received a sentence of life imprisonment, and his wife received a 5-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit espionage and tax evasion.

Today in Labor History February 22nd, 2026

 

Albert Shanker

3,000 union shoemakers on strike in Lynn, Massachusetts met to form committees and appoint guards to prevent violence and keep scabs from coming into the city. Within a week, the strike spread throughout New England to include 20,000 workers in 25 towns. President Abraham Lincoln told a reporter that he was “glad to see that a system of labor prevails in New England under which laborers can strike when they want to”. – 1860

The founding convention of the People’s Party met in St. Louis with the support of the Knights of Labor, United Mine Workers and 20 other organizations. The party criticized political corruption, increasing concentration of wealth, and attacks on the rights of workers and farmers. – 1892

Responding to the mayor’s injunction against picketing, deploying the police, and hiring scabs, striking AFSCME Local 1733 sanitation workers held a mass meeting and crashed the Memphis City Council meeting to demand that a resolution on the strike be formulated. When the Council’s promise to do so proved empty, the workers took to the streets and were subsequently attacked by the police, galvanizing widespread support for the strike. – 1968

Albert Shanker died on this date at age 68. He served as president of New York City’s United Federation of Teachers from 1964 to 1984 and of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997. – 1997

Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation’s largest teachers union, National Education Association (NEA), a “terrorist organization” during a White House meeting with state governors. Meanwhile the Bush administration asserted the right to imprison citizens or non-citizens indefinitely without trial or access to lawyers, family members or journalists, as long as they were accused of being terrorists. – 2004

Teachers and classified school employees began a wildcat strike in West Virginia. The strike was called over low pay and high healthcare costs and involved 20,000 employees shutting down schools in all 55 West Virginia counties. It lasted until March 7 when the State Legislature agreed to a 5% pay raise but did not provide guarantees to control rising healthcare costs. This was the first of a strike wave by education employees in 2018. – 2018

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Important Events From This day in History February 13

 

  

1955 Israel Dead Sea Scrolls

1955 : Israel has bought four Dead Sea scrolls written at various times between the middle of the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. from the Syrians for $250,000. The scrolls together with many others discovered in 11 caves in and around the Wadi Qumran are now housed with many others at the Shrine of the Book, a wing of the Israel Museum near Givat Ram in western Jerusalem, Find More What happened in 1955

1920 Switzerland Neutrality

1920 : Switzerland who had asked for international confirmation of it's neutrality in 1920 before becoming a member of the League of Nations. The countries belonging to the League of Nations (the predecessor to the United Nations) agreed and recognized the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland.

1931 U.S.A. Train Crash

1931 : An attempt was made today to derail train no. 18, a train southbound between Dallas and Houston. This incident took place around midnight near the old Chambers Creek. As soon as the train engineer suspected trouble on this line, that engineer signaled a porter for help. The porter had notices two rails missing from the track, and two more that were loose. The removal of the train rails had taken about 40 minutes. Personnel from the Navarro county sheriff's department railroad detectives arrived on the scene as soon as possible. The tools used for this act of vandalism were believed to be stolen from a nearby Cotton Belt tool house.

1933 U.S.A. Kidnapping

1933 : A descendant of a millionaire pioneer Colorado family, Charles Boettcher II, was held on ransom. Kidnappers demanded a $60,000 ransom (payment for return of Boettcher II, the hostage). Two men with masks had taken not held Boettcher hostage, but those men had also taken his wife in captivity as well. They were abducted at the garage of their home as they returned from a party at midnight. The couple was directed forcibly to an upper room of their home, where Mrs. Boettcher was given a ransom note. The kidnappers then took off with Boettcher in a motorcar.

1935 Lindbergh Baby

1935 : Bruno Hauptmann was convicted of the Lindbergh baby murder after the jury reached a guilty verdict.

1937 Alabama 2% Sales Tax

1937 : Two percent sales tax was passed by the Alabama Senate on this day. It had received a 17 to 15 vote by the Senate, and was expected to be reviewed a second time by the House, which had passed the bill last week. Changes were made by the Senate before the bill was passed, which is the main reason why the House is expected to review it again. One of the changes made by the Senate was the levy of one half of one percent of a tax on new automobiles, and another was on mail order purchases outside the state.

1940 Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues

1940 : "Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues" is recorded by Earl "Fatha" Hines and his orchestra. The song eventually becomes a classic and is still popular among big band fans today.

1945 Germany Dresden

1945 : A massive air raid with hundreds of British bombers loaded with incendiaries and high-explosive bombs drop 1,478 tons of high-explosive bombs and 1,182 tons of incendiaries completely destroying the city of Dresden, in eastern Germany leaving between 35,000 and 135,000 civilian casualties.

1958 U.S.A. T-Bird

1958 : A four-passenger Thunderbird was made by the Ford Company, and it was introduced on this day in 1958 This new version was called the "Square Bird", and was considered to be a model of car that turned the Thunderbird from a sports car into a luxury car. This version of the Thunderbird is often even today referred to as the T-Bird. It is known as the epitome of 1950s culture, and has appeared in movies such as Grease and in music videos (i.e. Beach Boys "I Get Around").

1960 Algeria Fourth Atomic Power

1960 : France becomes the fourth atomic power after exploding an atomic bomb in the Sahara Desert.

1967 Beatle's Release Double A Side Single

1967 : The Beatles release the double A-sided single in the United Kingdom with Penny Lane ( Paul McCartney ) ** written about Penny Lane where Lennon and McCartney would meet to go into Liverpool *** on one side and "Strawberry Fields Forever" ( John Lennon ) *** named after a Salvation Army house where Lennon would play as a kid *** on the other side.

1974 Patricia Hearst

1974 : The Symbionese Liberation Army demanded $70 of food be given to every needy Californian which could cost as much as $400 million in exchange for the release of 19-year-old Patricia Hearst.

1975 UK Coal Miners 35% Pay Rise

1975 : British mineworkers' leaders have agreed to accept the National Coal Board latest pay offer of up to 35% in pay increases. To put this in context the basic rate for workers at the coal face increased from £45 to £61 per week.

1978 US Snowstorms

1978 : Major snowstorms hit the North Dakota area creating problems for local farmers and ranchers because they could not supply their livestock with hay and a state of emergency was declared.

1983 Italy Movie Theater Fire

1983 : 74 people lost their lives in a movie theater fire. This cinema was located in Turin, Italy. The fire took place on the ground floor and abruptly set several seats on fire. These seats were covered with plastic, which had produced toxic smoke when caught on fire. Some of the people that died during this incident did not lose their lives directly because of the fire. Rather, they had suffocated to death when a crowd of panicking people headed for exits, causing a stampede. The other problem was that the rear emergency exits were locked. In the vicinity of the locked exits, several people had died while trying to escape. A total of 37 people on the first floor had died from one or more of the following: bums, smoke inhalation, or stamped injuries. Fortunately, the firefighters were able to put out the fire before it reached the second floor and balcony. However, 37 people had died up there as well-many of them in the bathroom, as a result of smoke inhalation. Possible causes of the fire included one or more of the following: lighted cigarette, faulty electrical wiring, or a firecracker (a firearm used during the celebration of Shrove Tuesday at the time). Of course, the use of the plastic seat covers and the locking of the emergency doors was also a concern.

1991 Huckleberry Finn

1991 : This was the day that the original manuscript of Huckleberry Finn by Mark was recovered. It was a handwritten script of the first half of the original draft of this book, which included Twains own handwritten corrections. This manuscript had been missing for over a hundred years. It was found by a 62-year old librarian from Los Angeles, who finally sorted through old papers sent to her from upstate New York. Mark Twain had sent the second half of the manuscript to this librarian's grandfather, James Gluck. Gluck had solicited this manuscript in Buffalo, New York where Mark Twain had lived at one time. Mark Twain could not find the first half of his manuscript, even while he was alive. However, he did find it and sent it to Gluck. Court proceedings had taken place to decide who owned the rights to the lost Huckleberry Finn manuscript (the first half). The sisters, the library, and the Mark Twain Papers Projects in Berkeley, California all fought for rights of this book. After a fairly lengthy battle, the three different groups mentioned above came to a consensus, and made a deal. The library would be awarded the rights to the physical papers, and all three parties would share in publication rights. Then, in 1995, Random House won the rights to publish the book. They were said to have paid a high price for these rights, however, and the amount they were said to have paid was not disclosed to the public.

1991 Iraq Bombing

1991 : Local reports from Baghdad, Iraq say two laser-guided precision bombs from American bombers hit an air-raid shelter in the middle class district of Amiriya, five miles from the centre of the Iraqi capital. So far 235 bodies have been recovered, 12 hours after the attacks.

Today in Labor History February 13, 2026

 A flour Riot occurred in New York City

Boston Latin School was opened, the first public school in the United States.  – 1635

A flour Riot occurred in New York City. 6,000 New Yorkers attending a “bread, meat, rent, and fuel” meeting in Chatham Square assaulted local flour merchants who they claimed were hoarding flour in order to drive up the price. – 1837

Knights of Labor founder Uriah Stephens (born 1821) died on this date. – 1882

A national eight-month strike by the Sons of Vulcan, a union of iron forgers, ended in victory when employers agreed to a wage scale based on the price of iron bars. This was the first time employers recognized the union, and they negotiated the first union contract in the iron and steel industry, what may be the first union contract of any kind in the United States. – 1865

After West Virginia Governor William E. Glasscock declared martial law to put down the coal miners’ strike in in Kanawha county, 83-year old activist and organizer Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was arrested. She was tried and convicted by a military court and sentenced to twenty years in prison. She was released and pardoned after serving 85 days. – 1913

Some 12,000 Hollywood writers returned to work today following a largely-successful three-month strike against television and motion picture studios.  They won compensation for their TV and movie work that gets streamed on the Internet. – 2008

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

 Los Angeles from City Hall

Americans’ complicated relationship with news - Pew Research

Lancaster Online’s transition to nonprofit newsroom model - E&P Magazine

Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years - The Hill

How The New York Times uses a custom AI tool to track the “manosphere” - NL

With no local news, those in news deserts turn to social media feeds - Local News

Cynicism is the Enemy of the Way We Should Be Doing Journalism - Second Rough Draft

Important Events From This day in History February 12

 

 

1924 First Presidential Radio Address

1924 : Calvin Coolidge became the first U.S. president to deliver an address by radio. This was the first day that radio programming had included commercials. The National Carbon Company had aired an advertisement during the broadcast of The Everyday Hour. This first sponsored program was heard in New York, Washington, Province, and surrounding areas. This show featured celebrity appearances, music, and stories.

1958 Great Britain Transatlantic Jet Service

1958 : The first Trans Atlantic passenger jetliner service begins by BOAC with flights between London and New York on the new Comet Jet Airliner.

1935 USS Macon Rigid Frame Airship

1935 : The 785-foot USS Macon a rigid frame airship built and operated by the United States Navy for scouting was the last US Navy dirigible (ZRS-5) built, it crashed off the coast of California, killing two people. Her sister ship the USS Akron (ZRS-4) had crashed off the New Jersey coast on April 4th, 1933, killing 73 passengers and crew. The USS Macon (ZRS-5) and sister ship USS Akron (ZRS-4), were among the biggest flying objects in the world. Although the Hindenburg was bigger, the two airships still hold the world record for biggest helium filled airships. Due to the crashes The US navy halted temporarily building further helium filled airships.

1899 USA The Great Blizzard

1899 : It started on the 11th and despite its largely more southerly influence it reached -61 F in Montana and -47 F in Nebraska. Snow started falling on the 12th, 1899 and Washington D.C. had over twenty inches of snow falling, with New Jersey reaching an astonishing thirty-four inches. New Orleans was iced over, as were parts of the Mississippi River.

1912 Last Emperor of China

1912 : Hsian-T'ung, the last emperor of China, is forced to abdicate following Sun Yat-sen's republican revolution, ending 267 years of Manchu rule in China and 2,000 years of imperial rule.

1921 South Africa Independence

1921 : Following general elections in South Africa General Smuts party has won over the dutch speaking nationalists and the labour party, he has already stated South Africa will continue to be part of the British Empire but under vastly different terms these will include:

South Africa has the right to amend her own constitution

South Africa will have her own flag

South Africa will have power and authority over domestic affairs and International and Foreign Relations

South Africa will be a Independent Sovereign State in friendly association with the British Empire.

1926 U.S.A. Chase National Bank

1926 : One of the largest bank mergers of to this date in history has taken place. This merger involved at least a billion dollars in resources. The bank merge which would take place on this day includes Chase National, Metal National, and Mechanics Merger. This new bank would bear the name Chase National Bank, and was second only to National City Bank as the largest institution in the United States.

1932 U.S.A. Malcolm Campbell

1932 : A new record was set by racer Captain Malcolm Campbell. He had set a record speed of 245.733 miles per hour as he sped across Daytona's 12-mile strip. Part of the above-mentioned accomplishment was due to the fact that Campbell made sure his Bluebird, the automobile he drove, was in top shape. For instance, professionals had worked on the Bluebird, increasing its horsepower and reducing its wind resistance.

1938 US Taxicab Insurance

1938 : The plan was to enforce a strict taxicab ordinance. This ordinance would require taxicab drivers to carry liability insurances. Furthermore, this new legislation would make it easier for taxicab drivers to have their licenses revoked if they break any city driving laws. Additionally, cab drivers would be rated by a scoring system, which would include points accumulated for actions such as speeding and excessive horn use.

1954 Atomic Energy Authority

1954 : The Atomic Energy Authority has been created to control the production and development of atomic energy in the UK.

1964 Cyprus Fighting

1964 : Following Cyprus gaining independence from the Britain in 1960 the fighting continues to increase in Limassol, Cyprus between ethnic Turks and Greeks which has left at least 16 people dead.

1973 First U.S. Prisoners Released

1973 : As part of the Vietnam cease-fire agreement, the first U.S. prisoners of war were released by North Vietnam.

1993 England James Bulger

1993 : Two 10-year-old boys lured 2-year-old James Bulger from his mother at a shopping mall in Liverpool, England, then beat him to death.

1994 Norway Scream Stolen

1994 : Thieves have stolen one of the world's best known paintings ( Scream by by Edvard Munch circa 1893 ) from a gallery in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

1998 Russia Accident

1998 : The Russians had bumped into a U.S. destroyer (Caron) and U.S. cruiser (Yorktown). This incident took place towards the end of the Russian-American Cold War, and it occurred in the Crimean Peninsula of the Black Sea. The Caron and Yorktown were moving about in the 12-mile-limit area designated to them by the Soviet Union. Apparently, even though the Cold War was coming close to an end, there still were some unresolved differences and tensions between the Russians and the Americans.The operators of the American ships were being challenged by the operators of a Soviet frigate and Soviet destroyer. The soviet ship operators order the Americans to move out of the way and then were pushed out of the way while being bumped slightly. The Americans hesitated to move, but eventually did move out of the area. There was no exchange of gunfire during this incident, and no injuries or damage (no serious damage) to ship or personnel. Even though the Americans were allowed within the 12-mile sea radius near Soviet grounds, there was some suspicion as to the nature of the use of the Caron. This particular ship was known as a spy vessel, and it was considered foolish by many Americans and/or leaders that this ship was allowed to sail in Russian waters at this time.

1999 UK GM Food Report

1999 : A group of 20 independent international scientists has reinforced warnings that genetically modified food may be damaging to health after looking at a report about the effects of biologically altered potatoes on laboratory rats produced by Arpad Pusztai who was forced to retire over his revelations.

1999 U.S.A. Bill Clinton

1999 : The five-week period during which Bill Clinton was being tried had ended on this day. The Senate voted to acquit Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. The trial was set in order to determine whether or not President Clinton would be impeached. Before the beginning of the trial, a lawsuit was filed by Paula Jones against the president on the account of sexual harassment charges. During this process, she had subpoenaed Monica Lewinsky, who had an affair with Bill Clinton over the period of a year and a half. Later Clinton had denied having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, but had admitted that the relationship was "inappropriate." Over time, it was clear that the affair had taken place, and the president had approved up to three articles of impeachment. However, he was determined to be "not guilty" on other charges, such as lying under oath and obstruction of justice.