Cracker Jack started its "prize in every box" promotion on this
day in history, Feb. 19, 1912.

German immigrant F.W. Rueckheim (below) first invented the
now-ubiquitous ballpark treat in the late 19th century. 

It was initially sold at his small candy and popcorn shop,
F. W. Rueckheim & Bro. (SnackHistory.com.) 

Frederich William Rueckheim (1846-1934)

Ralph Dale Earnhardt ( April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001)

On February 18, 2001, Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered one of
the greatest drivers in National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing (NASCAR) history, died at the age of 49 in a last-
lap crash at the 43rd Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Earnhardt was driving his famous black No. 3 Chevrolet and
vying for third place when he collided with another car, then
crashed into a wall. After being cut from his car, Earnhardt, 
was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead of
head injuries.

Kannapolis, NC: Dale Earnhardt Memorial.

Stella Stevens (born Estelle Eggleston)
(October 1, 1938 – February 17, 2023)

(The Hollywood Reporter) – Stella Stevens,
the screen siren of the 1960s who brought
sweet sexiness to such films as The Nutty
Professor, Too Late Blues and The Ballad
of Cable Hogue, has died. According to her
son, actor-producer-director Andrew Stevens,
she died today in Los Angeles. He said “She
had been in hospice for quite some time with
Stage 7 Alzheimer’s.”

Stella Stevens and Michael Landon in an
episode of “Bonanza” on NBC.  

Stevens and Jerry Lewis from 
“The Nutty Professor” (1963).

With the words, “Hello! This is New York calling,” the U.S. Voice
of America (VOA) began its first radio broadcasts to the Soviet
Union. The VOA effort was an important part of America’s
propaganda campaign against the Soviet Union during the
Cold War.

The VOA began in 1942 as a radio program designed to
explain America’s policies during World War II and to
bolster the morale of its allies throughout Europe, Asia,
the Middle East, and Africa.

After the war, VOA continued as part of America’s Cold War
propaganda arsenal and was primarily directed toward the
western European audience.