ON THIS DAY IN 1876, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “There will be 125 American and 100 foreign jurors for the Centennial Exposition. An attempt is to be made to induce the Western Railroads to reduce their fare more than 25 percent for excursion tickets. It has been decided to keep the Centennial grounds open on Sunday, but close the building.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1913, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — By a vote of 13 to 1, the Senate canal committee today decided to put over to the regular December session of Congress all questions of Panama canal tolls, including the Senator Root amendment to repeal the free passage provision of the Panama canal. Senator Brandegee voted against it.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “LONDON, ENG. — It has been learned that Queen Mary recently wrote to the chaplain of the chapel in Windsor Great Park, which is used principally by the royal household staff, requesting that the customary service be curtailed so that Princess Elizabeth can remain for the sermon. The service at the chapel, which is frequently attended by the Duke and Duchess of York and Princess Elizabeth is normally a little over an hour’s duration, and the little Princess usually leaves with her nurse before the address. The service is to be shortened to a little under 45 minutes. Princess Elizabeth was 8 years of age on April 21.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — President Truman said today he has reluctantly accepted the idea of blending Universal Military Training and the draft. Mr. Truman told his weekly news conference that the compromise was acceptable, but that was all it was. He said he had to accept it because that was all he could get. It is not what he wanted, he said, but it was a step in the right direction. Mr. Truman aired his views as the Senate Armed Services Committee appeared ready to approve the compromise plan to give 161,000 youths between 18 and 19½ a full year of military training and to draft 190,000 men 19½ through 25 for two years of regular service. An informal poll showed that five of nine committee members will support the plan when the committee takes it up next week. Two were opposed. Two were undecided, but leaned toward approval. The other four members of the 13-man committee were not available, but at least two of them are expected to support the compromise. The House Armed Services Committee is opposed to the ‘blend,’ however.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “Rear Admiral Redfield Mason, commander of the Military Sea Transportation Service in this area, will be chief reviewing officer and principal speaker at Brooklyn’s seventh annual Loyalty Day Parade on Saturday. County Commander Charles R. Lewis of the Veterans of Foreign Wars said Admiral Mason’s address will be heard from 12 noon to 12:30 p.m. over WNYC. The Admiral will speak from the reviewing stand to be set up at Borough Hall, while some 60,000 men, women and children march by in a public demonstration of their loyalty to God and country. The parade will start at the Memorial Arch in Grand Army Plaza at 10:45, continue down Flatbush Ave. to Fulton St., and along Fulton St. past the reviewing stand. The marchers will disperse on Cadman Plaza.
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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “PITTSBURGH — Bill Mazeroski’s bloop single in the eighth inning scored Bob Skinner to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets yesterday and a sweep of their three-game series. Roy Face picked up his second win in relief after coming on in the eighth when the Mets tied the score at 2-2. Singles by Skinner, Roberto Clemente and Mazeroski off Met reliever Tracy Stallard accounted for the tie-breaking run. It was Stallard’s third defeat without a win in a relief role.” (Editor’s note: Roy Face died on Feb. 12, 2026 and Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski died eight days later. The two were teammates for 13 years.)
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Willie Nelson. Photo: Kevin Wolf/AP
NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAYinclude country music legend Willie Nelson, who was born in 1933; Baseball Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio, who was born in 1934; conductor Zubin Mehta, who was born in 1936; Oak Ridge Boys singer Duane Allen, who was born in 1943; The Shondells founder Tommy James, who was born in 1947; World Golf Hall of Famer Johnny Miller, who was born in 1947; comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld, who was born in Brooklyn in 1954; “Star Trek: Voyager” star Kate Mulgrew, who was born in 1955; Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis,
Jerry Seinfeld. Photo: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
who was born in 1957; “The Witches of Eastwick” star Michelle Pfeiffer, who was born in 1958; “The Brady Bunch” star Eve Plumb, who was born in 1958; N.Y. Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen, who was born in 1958; “Kill Bill” star Uma Thurman, who was born in 1970; and “The Blacklist” star Megan Boone, who was born in 1983.
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A LIVING HELL:Dachau was liberated on this day in 1945. The first concentration camp to be opened in Nazi Germany (1933), it housed more than 200,000 prisoners throughout the course of World War II. An estimated 35,000 people died there and more than 32,000 were liberated when American troops arrived.
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Uma Thurman. Photo: Christophe Ena/AP
HIPPIE HIGH POINT: “Hair” opened on Broadway on this day in 1968. The controversial rock musical, which debuted off-Broadway six months earlier, was a defining piece of work for those who opposed the Vietnam War and the “Establishment.” Memorable songs include “Aquarius” and “Let the Sunshine In.” A film version directed by Milos Forman was released in 1979.
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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.
Quotable:
“Gray skies are just clouds passing over.” — composer Duke Ellington, who was born on this day in 1899.
SUNSET PARK — “As a resident of Marine Park, one of the great surprises I found biking around Industry City and visiting Japan Village was to discover Bush Terminal Park. I continue to be amazed at the serene hideaways that the city offers in some of the busiest places — and, still, with an iconic view.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ‘A miracle that no one was killed …’ That’s what neighbors are saying about the collapse of the Hotel St. George marquee. Shown in this photograph are workmen beginning the removal and repair of the historic, old neon sign at the corner, referencing a relic of Brooklyn Heights’ past: the St. George Hotel.
ATLANTIC AVENUE — Exhausted shopper with cluster of bags and goods from mall at Boerum Place stops to look at huge construction site across the street. “Is that REALLY going to be a jail??” Her male companion is reassuring, “Nothing like Rikers … this is 21st Century.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Overheard in line at one of most popular pastry outlets on Montague Street: “Hope I can get them into a camp …” A mother with two pre-schoolers in tow was showing a friend the Dodge Y flyer for Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 18.
