On this date in ...

1918: The Americanization Committee of the Albany Chamber of Commerce recommended to the chamber’s board of directors that a survey be created to determine how many of the city’s foreign-born residents could not read or write the English language. This followed the recent state law requiring all people up to 21 years old who were unable to speak and write English to attend 100 nights of night school within the school year to learn how.

1968: The merger of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad with the Norfolk & Western Railway became official today under a directive of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Headquarters of the new D&H Railway, successor of the D&H Railroad, would remain in Albany. The D&H Company, a holding firm, would receive 412,627 shares of N&W common stock and one million of N&W five-year, six percent notes under terms of the merger.

1993: Northeast Savings was the only area financial savings institution that was identified as a “problem thrift” under the watch of federal regulators, according to a report issued by an independent bank rating agency. The report was criticized as “hearsay” by Judd Staley, Northeast’s top local executive, stressing that Northeast was well capitalized and provided good service to its customers. Bauer Communications Inc. of Coral Gables, Fla., said it had identified 182 banks on the Office of Thrift Supervision list, with Hartford, Conn.-based Northeast Savings as the only thrift on the list with operations in the Capital Region.

Want to read more about the Capital Region’s past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today’s events? See http://blog. timesunion.com/ history/