25 years ago: May 26, 1980

Memorial Day is observed at services throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois; area residents gather at Memorial Park, where state VFW commander Charles R. Roberts of Cape Girardeau is on hand for the ceremony.

The NAACP presents a Memorial Day parade in the morning at Capaha Park and ending at city hall; the event honors and memorializes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, eight servicemen of the aborted hostage rescue mission and veterans.

50 years ago: May 26, 1955

Diplomas are awarded to 130 graduating seniors at commencement exercises in the new auditorium of Central High School; commencement speaker is Sen. A.M. Spradling Jr.

An electrical storm accompanied by strong winds deposits 1.23 inches of rain on Cape Girardeau in the evening without causing any damage; the gusty winds cause apprehension because of tornado warnings over the Midwest, but do no harm locally.

75 years ago: May 26, 1930

Missouri Lions -- representing the 48 clubs in the state with a membership of 1,841 -- come to Cape Girardeau to hold their annual district meeting, and their "roaring" as they settle down to the serious and entertainment features of the meeting literally sweep the town.

Morris Huckstep assumed his duties last night on the Main Street beat as a patrolman of the Cape Girardeau Police Department; Huckstep succeeds patrolman Lee Kizer, for four years a member of the force, who resigned last week to make preparations for moving to Chicago; Huckstep came to Cape Girardeau four years ago from near Gordonville, where he was born and reared.

100 years ago: May 26, 1905

Before a crowd of several thousand people, Henry J. Long and Laura A. Statler are married at the fairgrounds in the afternoon, with G.H. Schollmeyer, president of the Drummers Association, acting as best man and the Rev. Olin Boggess officiating.

The new Thebes, Ill., railroad bridge was dedicated yesterday afternoon, with Gov. Joseph Folk and hundreds of prominent railroad men from all parts of the country taking part; after several speeches, the grand test of the bridge took place; a long line of engines -- 35 in all -- were coupled together and made their way across the bridge; the combined weight of the engines was several thousand tons.

-- Sharon K. Sanders