May 24: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

ON THIS DAY IN 1847, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “FROM THE WAR QUARTER. — The latest mails bring nothing more from the southwest than we gave in Saturday’s issue. In Vera Cruz, the impression widely prevails, the negotiations will soon be opened for peace.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1861, the Eagle said, “The war has at last begun in earnest. Several detachments of the United States forces were marched into Virginia last night, and this morning Alexandria was taken possession of by Col. Ellsworth’s Zouaves, and the Colonel himself was shot dead by a concealed foe, who was instantly put to death by a Zouave. We are quite prepared to hear of the intense excitement which followed the slaying of Col. Ellsworth, and the deep feeling which it stirred up in the corps of which he was commander, who were deeply attached to him. The dread conflict being now commenced, we may expect to hear of the most thrilling events following each other in rapid succession. We have entered upon stirring times.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1898, the Eagle reported, “KEY WEST, FLA. — The movements of the United States fleet, which are known here, make it absolutely certain that no battle has yet occurred, but an engagement is expected to take place this week. The Spanish fleet has been definitely located. Every preparation has been made by the United States naval authorities for destroying the Spanish fleet, which is known to be off the Island of Cuba. All signs point to a decisive battle some day this week. The hospital ship Solace, with her surgeons, was long ago ordered to be ready for service at a moment’s notice, but no fresh orders have been issued.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1903, the Eagle reported, “Abigail Mason Cobb Perkins, widow of Joseph Perkins, died at her home, 165 Hancock street, yesterday  of diseases incident to advanced age. She was in her 85th year, having been born at Bangor, Me., then in Massachusetts, May 14, 1819. Mrs. Perkins was the daughter of Thomas Cobb and Abigail Hall and the granddaughter of General David Cobb of General Washington’s staff. He was afterward lieutenant governor of Massachusetts and major general of the United States Army in the War of 1812. The present lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, Curtis Guild, is his lineal descendant.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1904, the Eagle reported, “Mrs. Esther Howard King, secretary of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Association, received today a check made out to Edward Johnson, treasurer of the Monument Association. The check came from the Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, of which Charles K. Muller is the president and J. D. Vandercook the secretary. This makes the amount of private subscriptions received sum up to $26,481.34. This is in excess of the amount originally planned for $25,000.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1917, the Eagle reported, “Although June 5, the officially appointed registration day for all persons subject to the provisions of the draft law, is rapidly approaching, there is still much doubt and confusion as to just who is or who is not within the provisions of the law. Most of the detailed questions can only be answered by the official registration boards in each city and county, but many points concerning registration are clearly established by the text of the draft law and the President’s Proclamation. It is essential not to confuse the State military census, which will soon be taken in this State, with registration for the draft. The two have nothing to do with one another. The official registration for the draft takes place on one day only — June 5. The places of registration have not yet been selected, but, like the polling places, they will be numerous, and no one will have to go very far from his place of residence. The registration places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Every male citizen or male person who has declared his intention to become a citizen, who has reached the age of 21 years, on or before June 5 of this year, and who has not attained his thirty-first birthday on June 5 of this year, is required to register. Germans who have filed their first papers are considered as alien enemies and are not expected to register. Other foreign-born residents who have taken out their first papers are expected to register. Aliens, no matter what their nationality, are not expected to register on June 5. A large portion of those registered will naturally be exempt from the draft. If everyone subject to registration were to be subject to draft, New York City alone would furnish 124,700 more men than the 500,000 which will be selected from the entire United States. But although only about one out of every twenty of those who register will finally be drafted into service, this does not excuse the other nineteen from registering.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, MAY 23 (U.P.) — President Roosevelt today approved a plan for Gold Star Mothers of the current war to wear three inch mourning bands with a gold star for each member of their family who dies in service. The plan was adopted in the last World War with the approval of President Woodrow Wilson in lieu of general mourning. In requesting Mr. Roosevelt’s endorsement of a revival of the mourning band in this war, members of the American Gold Star Mothers wrote that ‘it is not too early to consider the subject now.’ White House Secretary Stephen T. Early said he was notifying Mrs. William H. Balcom, New York, national president of the Gold Star Mothers, of the President’s approval. The mourning band would be worn upon the left arm.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (UP) — President Truman, in a solemn mood, said today the United States would be a battlefront and a victim of destruction in any third world war. He told his news conference his policies are aimed at preventing such a war. If the war does come, he said, it probably would hurl the world ‘back to the Dark Ages,’ destroying freedom and ‘everything else.’ Mr. Truman took the unusual step of authorizing direct quotation of part of his informal statement. His remarks stemmed from his own denial that he was ‘cocky.’ The word, he said, should be ‘confident.’ Mr. Truman said he never wanted, and doesn’t want now, to assume a ‘cocky attitude toward anybody.’ It was then he voiced the defense of his entire program as being based on ‘world peace’ and the hope of preventing ‘another — a third — world war which would, in effect, I believe, destroy freedom and everything else in the world.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “GENEVA (U.P.) — French Foreign Minister Georges Bidault warned the United States today it must make quick and fateful decisions if Indo-China and Southeast Asia are to be saved. Bidault made a strong appeal for Allied unity at a meeting with U.S. Undersecretary of State Walter Bedell Smith, head of the American delegation to the Geneva conference.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, who was born in 1937; “Up in Smoke” star Tommy Chong, who was born in 1938; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Dylan, who was born in 1941; “M*A*S*H” star Gary Burghoff, who was born in 1943; “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle, who was born in 1944; “The Naked Gun” star Priscilla Presley, who was born in 1945; Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent, who was born in 1949; “Spider-Man 2” star Alfred Molina, who was born in 1953; “The Wheel” singer Rosanne Cash, who was born in 1955;

“The English Patient” star Kristin Scott Thomas, who was born in 1960; Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, who was born in 1963; “Step Brothers” star John C. Reilly, who was born in 1965; former N.Y. Mets and Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon, who was born in 1973; Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, who was born in 1979; and “One Voice” singer Billy Gilman, who was born in 1988.

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MESSAGE SENT: The first U.S. telegraph line was formally opened on this day in 1844. Samuel F.B. Morse sent the first officially telegraphed words — “What hath God wrought?” — from the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Md. Earlier messages had been sent during testing, and one, sent May 1 from a meeting in Baltimore, contained the news that the Whig Party had nominated Henry Clay for president. This message reached Washington one hour before a train carrying the same news.

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SUSPENDED IN TIME: The Brooklyn Bridge opened on this day in 1883. The $16 million East River crossing was designed by John A. Roebling. It took nearly 14 years to build and spans 1,595 feet.

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ABOVE AND BEYOND: The Aurora 7 Mercury space capsule was launched on this day in 1962. Astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“The best compliment we ever got about the show was from a Korean veteran who was unable to talk about his war experience with his wife until ‘M*A*S*H.’ While watching the show, he was able to lean over to his wife and say, ‘See, honey, that’s the way it was.’” — actor Gary Burghoff, who was born on this day in 1943.