10 YEARS AGO

Feb. 24, 2000 — Shortly after Aliy Zirkle crossed the Sorel Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race finish line Wednesday morning to become the first woman to win the 1,000-mile marathon, her mother remembered a story from 24 years ago that summed up the Two River’s resident’s success in life.

“I remember one Halloween when she said she wanted to be a king,” Mickey Zirkle said.

25 YEARS AGO

Feb. 24, 1985 — Sand and gravel might lack the luster of gold, but these days in Alaska, the humble building material makes more fortunes than the precious yellow metal.

Sand and gravel consistently place second in the state’s hierarchy of money-producing minerals, surpassed only by petroleum products.

50 YEARS AGO

Feb. 24, 1960 — A bill to legalize nonprofit bingo games, certain raffles and the Nenana and Chena ice classic lotteries cleared the state House of Representatives today.

The Senate was expected to act on the bill later today.

75 YEARS AGO

Feb. 24, 1935 — Lack of a naval base in Alaska makes the Pacific Northwest states vulnerable to a surprise attack from an enemy force, Capt. N.H. Goss, chief of staff of the 13th Naval District, declared Thursday at a national defense banquet in Seattle.

100 YEARS AGO

Feb. 24, 1910 — Dr. M.F. Hall, sourdough physician and surgeon of Tanana, returned last night from a bonfire he went Outside to attend, the fuel which fed the flames being money.

He is no handsomer than when he left here, but it is announced that the improvements he has taken on are all inside his head, and that he is up to the minute in new wrinkles in medicine and surgery.