History for February 23

History for February 23 - On-This-Day.com

William Shirer 1904 - Journalist, author ("The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", "Gandhi: A Memoir")

• 1836 - In San Antonio, TX, the siege of the Alamo began.
• 1886 - Charles M. Hall completed his invention of aluminum.
• 1898 - In France, Emile Zola was imprisoned for his letter, "J'accuse," which accused the government of anti-Semitism and wrongly jailing Alfred Dreyfus.
• 1904 - The U.S. acquired control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million.
• 1945 - The 28th Regiment of the Fifth Marine Division of the U.S. Marines reached the top of Mount Surabachi. A photograph of these Marines raising the American flag was taken.
• 1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demanded $4 million more for the release of Patty Hearst. Hearst had been kidnapped on February 4th.