Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 23, 1973, a massive fire swept through Boone's original Fareway store and warehouse. Cold temperatures challenged firefighters as the blaze caused more than $1 million in damage to the flagship store of the popular Iowa grocery chain. The first Fareway Store opened for business at 624 Story Street in Boone, Iowa, on May 12, 1938. Paul Beckwith, along with co-founder Fred Vitt, worked for the large national chain Safeway. Beckwith decided to st

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 23, 1945, Brooklyn, Iowa’s Corporal Harold Keller and five other Marines raised the American flag over Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. An iconic World War II moment, the flag-raising over Iwo Jima stands as one of the most memorable actions of the war. Born and raised in Poweshiek County’s Brooklyn, Keller enlisted in the Marine Corps in January of 1942. He soon found himself in the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion serving under Lie

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 23, 1973, an enterprising farmer named Eugene Sukup filed a patent for a modification on a grain stirring machine. Co-founder, along with his wife Mary, of Sukup Manufacturing, Eugene Sukup grew an iconic Iowa business from a Sheffield welding shop into an agricultural leader. Born in Nebraska, Sukup moved to Iowa with his family in 1938 due to the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. As he grew into his own farming operation, Sukup purchased h

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 23, 1854, a small group gathered in a schoolhouse in Crawfordsville, Iowa, to discuss forming a new political party opposed to the expansion of slavery. History would largely forget this meeting, crediting Ripon, Wisconsin, with hosting the Republican Party's birth a month later. While Ripon became enshrined in textbooks and tourist brochures as the Republican Party's birthplace, the farmers and townspeople who met in southeastern Iowa that Fe

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 23, 1986, the second-ranked Iowa State Cyclones broke the first-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes 36-dual wrestling win streak. In a regular season in which Iowa and Iowa State lost only to each other, the epic match-up stands as one of the greatest in Cy-Hawk wrestling history. Although Iowa State prepared for the regular season ending dual with an 18-1 record, many throughout the state penciled in Dan Gable’s Hawks as the likely winners in Ames. The Hawk

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 22, 2005, legendary Waterloo East, Iowa Hawkeye, and NFL punter Reggie Roby passed away at the age of 43 following a heart attack. A consensus All-American at Iowa, Roby spent sixteen seasons booming punts in NFL stadiums over the 1980s and 1990s. Growing up in Waterloo, Reggie Roby demonstrated remarkable athletic ability from a young age. Starring in football and baseball at Waterloo East, Roby boomed big punts during high school. Also sport

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 22, 1916, the patriarch of the far-famed founders of the publication “Wallaces’ Farmer” and the family who started Pioneer Hi-Bred, “Uncle” Henry Wallace, died. A minister, moralist, farm editor, and incredibly influential Iowan, Uncle Henry’s legacy shaped how many Iowans think about agriculture. After a childhood spent on the family farm in western Pennsylvania, Henry moved west at 18 and attended Monmouth Seminary in Illinois. Ordained in t

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 22, 1997, legendary Iowa State Cyclones wrestling coach Harold Nichols passed away. Nichols led the Cyclone mat-men to six NCAA team championships and 38 individual titles while leading the program to a 483-94-14 record over 32 seasons. Born and raised in Cresco, Nichols stood out on the wrestling mat from a young age. After high school, he headed to Michigan, where he captured the 145-lb national championship in 1939 while wrestling for the l

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 22, 1943, the USS Iowa slid into active service at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, christening a new class of warship that would become the most powerful battleships ever built by the United States. The ship would go on to serve in conflicts ranging from World War 2 to the Persian Gulf War of the 1990s. The Iowa-class design originated in 1938, when the Navy sought vessels capable of matching the speed of fast carrier task forces while delivering deva

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 22, 1959, Harlan’s Johnny Beauchamp stood in victory lane at the newly opened Daytona International Speedway, accepting congratulations as the winner of the inaugural Daytona 500. The crowd celebrated what appeared to be a fairytale triumph for the undercover driver from southwestern Iowa. Still, three days later, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. announced that Lee Petty had actually won the race. The late 1950s marked a pivotal moment for Ameri

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 21, 1891, important Mississippi River steamboat tycoon Joseph “Diamond Jo” Reynolds died. A true American entrepreneur, Diamond Jo helped develop Iowa’s transportation network during the Gilded Age. By the time Diamond Jo arrived in McGregor, Iowa, to open a grain business in 1860, he already had a history of business success in milling and tannery operations. With stiff competition for getting his grain shipped on the Mississippi, Diamond Jo

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 21, 2000, Tionee “T-Boz” Watkins won a Grammy as a part of the R&B group TLC. The Grammy Award-winning artist shone as a major part of one of the 1990s' most significant musical groups. T-Boz spent much of her childhood in Des Moines before her family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, when she was 9. In 1990, T-Boz responded to a call by Crystal Jones and Ian Burke to request auditions for an all-girl hip-hop group. Following the audition, T-Boz

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 21, 2204, celebrated composer of “Fly Me to the Moon,” Bart Howard, passed away. Born in Burlington, Howard crafted a musical career that journeyed from the Mississippi River to Manhattan's cabaret scene. Born Howard Joseph Gustafson in Burlington on June 25, 1915, young Bart grew up in a working-class family. He taught himself piano by ear, playing in local churches and developing an intuitive understanding of melody and harmony that formal t

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 21, 1979, a 6-on-6 basketball game between the Melvin Comets and Sibley Generals ended regulation in a 0-0 tie. Melvin stalled from the game’s opening, causing the teams to combine for four total shots in regulation before the Comets eventually pulled out a 4-2 four-overtime win. In the high-stakes district tournament game at the Spencer Regional, the undefeated Comets came in at 24-0, averaging a scorching 78.3 points per game. Boasting an 18

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 20, 1997, Iowa State University renamed Cyclone Stadium to Jack Trice Stadium. The culmination of years of volunteer work to honor Iowa State’s first African-American athlete, the renaming makes the stadium the only major college football stadium to honor an African-American player. The double-decked grandstand stadium was built in less than two years following a groundbreaking ceremony on October 26, 1973. During initial construction, earth m

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 20, 1987, the Meskwaki Nation opened the first high-stakes bingo hall in Iowa at their settlement near Tama, launching what would become a multibillion-dollar gaming industry. The single building, with its rows of tables and eager players clutching daubers, represented the cutting edge of Native American economic sovereignty and changed the relationship between tribal nations and state governments across America. The Meskwaki people, also know

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 20, 1903, Mary Louisa Duncan Putnam passed away. The first female member and president of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, Putnam left a legacy that is represented today in the Putnam Museum and Science Center of Davenport. Born in 1832, Mary Louisa Putnam moved to Davenport with her family in 1855. In 1863, they built a home called Woodlawn in West Davenport. For more than two decades, Putnam carefully walked the line of 19th-centur

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 20, 1929, pioneering Iowa documentary photographer, publisher, and civil rights activist whose images chronicled everyday Iowans Joan Liffring‑Zug Bourret was born in Iowa City. Bourret attended the University of Iowa for three years, majoring in art and journalism with an emphasis on photography. She began working as a photographer in Iowa in 1945, starting her professional career while still in her teens. She married Arthur H. Heusinkveld in

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 20, 1979, more than twelve thousand fans packed into Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines as Larry Bird dropped 27 on Drake in a 76-68. Despite Bird’s performance, a kerfuffle between Drake Coach Bob Ortegel and Indiana State Coach Bill Hodges over in-stadium organ music overshadowed the on-court action. Larry Bird arrived at Indiana State in 1975 as a transfer from Indiana University, where he had lasted less than a month before the pre

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 19, 2002, innovative Iowan John Winegard passed away. A critical inventor and innovator in the realm of antennas, radio, and television, Winegard left a technological and business legacy that stretched from eastern Iowa to the moon. Winegard developed an interest in radios while growing up in eastern Iowa. As a seventh grader, Winegard constructed a one-tube radio. He continued to gain knowledge by reading large numbers of technical articles a

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 19, 1906, the far-famed Iowa automakers the Duesenberg brothers debuted the Mason Hill-Climber Old Number One.” The brothers' first automobile, the Hill Climber, represents an important achievement in automotive history. Born in Germany, the boys immigrated to Rockford, North Iowa, with their mother following their father's death. As the bicycle craze took America by storm in the 1890s, Fred opened up a bike shop in Rockford. A few years later

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 19, 1826, Jesse Hiatt, the man responsible for the Red Delicious Apple, was born. One of the most popular apple varieties of all time, the Red Delicious originated in the earliest years of Iowa agriculture. In 1856, Hiatt arrived in rural Madison County and decided to start an apple orchard. Planting traditional varieties proven to succeed in the Midwest, Hiatt eventually noticed a stubborn sapling sprouting between his beautifully aligned ro

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 19, 1942, legendary Iowa Hawkeye defensive back, running back, and wide receiver Paul Krause was born. Krause went on to snag the NFL’s career interception record (81) in 1979 while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. A four-sport athlete in high school, Krause arrived in Iowa City to play football and baseball for the Hawkeyes. A three-year letterwinner for Iowa, Krause clearly exhibited incredible athletic prowess for the Hawks. Krause earned

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 18, 1918, legendary Iowa Hawkeye football coach Forest Evashevski was born. Evashevski spent nine remarkable seasons rebuilding a program from the ground up and led the Hawks to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl win. Evashevski's path to Iowa City wound through Ann Arbor, where he starred as a quarterback for Michigan's 1940 and 1941 teams. His playing days taught him the fundamentals of the single-wing offense and the importance of physical, di

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 18, 1949, legendary drummer and vocalist of The Doobie Brothers, Keith Knudsen, was born in LeMars, Iowa. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, Knudsen stands as a notable Iowa musical artist. Born in the seat of Plymouth County, Iowa, along the Floyd River, Knudsen spent his earliest years in northwestern Iowa. After the family moved to Princeton, Illinois, he started drumming. After playing in small clubs with several bands,

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 18, 1964, Major League Baseball pitcher Kevin Tapani was born in Des Moines. A workhorse starter over a long, big league career, Tapani won the 1991 World Series as a part of the Minnesota Twins. Born in Des Moines, Tapani spent most of his childhood in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A standout multisport athlete, Tapani dominated on the diamond in high school. He also led Escanaba High School to the 1981 MHSAA Class A State Football Championship

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 18, 1928, the first ad appeared in a Sioux City paper for the Sioux Honey Association. A cooperative venture with a 100-plus-year history, the iconic Iowa venture behind Sue Bee Honey started with just five beekeepers. In 1921, Siouxland beekeepers came together by contributing $200 to form the Sioux Honey Association. Between the original five, the collective hives brought roughly 3,000 pounds of honey annually. While beekeeping was often par

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 18, 1963, legendary Iowa Hawkeye Quarterback Chuck Long was born. Long led the Hawks to a No. 1 ranking in 1985, while also posting a 35-13-1 record and an outright Big Ten title. Arriving in Iowa City after playing his high school ball in Illinois, Iowa coach Hayden Fry went on record suggesting Long was “destined for greatness.” After starting a season-opening loss against Nebraska during the 1982 season, Long rode the bench for a game befor

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 17, 1983, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Des Moines Register Frank Miller passed away. He won the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning for a nuclear‑war cartoon and was widely regarded as “Iowa’s own” political cartoonist, with his work syndicated in nearly 50 newspapers nationwide. Born in Kansas City, Miller studied at the University of Kansas and the Kansas City Art Institute before serving in World War II. Upon

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 17, 1865, H.C. MacArthur of the 15th Iowa Infantry raised the American flag over Columbia, South Carolina, as the state whose succession from the United States drew the nation into civil war came to its knees. After mustering in Eastern Iowa, the 15th Iowa arrived under the command of Colonel Hugh T. Reid by riverboat in Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, on April 6, 1862. Initially in reserve at the Battle of Shiloh, General Grant called upon the