15-02-2025
John Glenn orbits Earth, Dale Earnhardt dies at Daytona: News Journal archives Feb. 16-22
'Pages of history' features excerpts from The News Journal archives including the Wilmington Morning News and the Evening Journal. See the archives at
Feb. 16, 2000, The News Journal
Delaware legislators and education officials are concerned proposed amendments to a Senate-approved education reform bill will lead to the death of the legislation.
House members filed 10 amendments to the bill Tuesday, threatening the compromise that led to the proposed law. ...
The bill would establish standards for students – including state standardized testing and a multi-tiered diploma system – and teacher accountability based on student performance.
House members seeking the revisions say they're trying to improve the legislation, not kill it.
Tuesday's House amendments included one proposal to separate increased salaries for teachers from the bill.
Rep. William Oberle Jr., R-Beechers Lot, said he plans to submit an amendment to eliminate the multi-tiered diploma system.
And House Speaker Terry Spence, R-Statford, wants to eliminate the student accountability testing system called for in the bill.
Spence, who is running for governor, said he wants to replace the proposed system with testing before the start of the school year, tracking tests during the year and year-end tests….
Recent state education news: New Delaware scores in the Nation's Report Card still show little pandemic rebound
Feb. 17, 1923, The Evening Journal
In the Valley of the Kings, where 3,500 years ago the royal funeral cortege of Pharoah Tutankhamen marched in solemn state, the men of a new civilization today made preparations for fetching the ancient monarch out of the tomb where he has slumbered for 35 centuries.
The aperture knocked through the sealed door to the inner Mausoleum has been closed up until all is in readiness for the official ceremonial opening on Sunday.
When Howard Carter and the other excavators entered the inner tomb yesterday, they found an undreamed-of wealth of Egyptian furniture, idols and other articles of incalculable historical value. ...
The sides of the sarcophagus, apparently made of wood, came within two feet of the walls of the cell. Its surface was exquisitely carved and gilded. ...
In addition to the sarcophagus, the tomb contained a lifelike statue of a cat, regarded as sacred in ancient Egypt; a canopic vase, funeral vases and urns, small caskets thought to hold little images of servants who were to do Tutankhamen's work in the next world, and many other objects placed there to be of assistance to him in his journey into eternity.
Feb. 19, 2001, The News Journal
Dale Earnhardt Sr., one of the greatest stars in auto racing history, died Sunday of injuries from a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500.
The seven-time Winston Cup champion known as 'The Intimidator' for his aggressive driving had to be cut out of his car after slamming into the wall while fighting for position on the final turn of the race. ...
'This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements I have ever personally had to make. We've lost Dale Earnhardt,' NASCAR president Mike Helton said.
Earnhardt, 49, died instantly of head injuries, said Steve Bohannon, a doctor at Halifax Medical Center.
Feb. 20, 1962, Evening Journal
Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. was plucked safely from the Atlantic Ocean at 3:01 p.m. today by a destroyer, USS Noa, after he flew three times around the world in his space ship. ...
Glenn broke the space trail for the free world today with a magnificent leap into orbit. ...
The 40-year-old Marine rose into space atop a flame-spewing Atlas rocket at 9:47 a.m.
At 2:28 p.m., 4 hours and 41 minutes later, he had completed the three orbits of his mission. Ten minutes later his spacecraft's 63-foot main parachute opened at 21,000 feet and dropped the craft and its pilot into the sea. ...
Glenn had successfully completed an epochal space mission which made him the first American in orbit. ...
He ecstatically reported he was seeing 'tremendous' and 'beautiful' views from his capsule as he rode alternately through periods of light and dark. He also reported 'some minor difficulties' with his spacecraft's controls, but he said weightlessness disturbed him not a bit and he felt 'fine.'
Catch up on history: Rosa Parks' arrest sparks bus boycott, Prohibition ends: News Journal archives, Dec. 1-7
Feb. 22, 1973, The Morning News
President Nixon yesterday strongly defended his budget cuts and predicted a relief from rising food prices in the second half of the year.
He claimed that his Phase III anti-inflation campaign, while based on voluntary restraints, will be 'as mandatory as necessary.'
Phase III will focus on those areas 'where inflation has been most troublesome – construction, health care and food prices,' Nixon emphasized. 'We are allowing more meat and dried milk to come in from abroad…we have ended subsidies for agricultural exports,' and 'we are reducing the government's agricultural stockpiles.'
Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: News Journal archives Feb. 16-22: Glenn in orbit, Earnhardt dies at Daytona
