Feb. 23 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1836, soldiers under the command of Mexican President General Antonio López de Santa Anna began their assault on the Alamo Mission near present-day San Antonio, Texas. Eleven days later, the Alamo's small group of Texian (Texan) defenders were defeated by the 1500-plus Mexican Army. In 1903, the United States was granted a lease "in perpetuity" on Guantanamo Bay by Cuban officials. In 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced off the coast of California and fired 25 shells at an oil refinery near Santa Barbara. In 1945, members of the 5th Division...