On this day in 1935, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page posted a warning from Italy’s spokesman in Geneva that any naval blockade on the part of the Allies would lead to war. The spokesman, in this international Swiss city that serves as the headquarters to the U.N. and non-governmental organizations, told the Associated Press that Italy was enraged over condemnations from other countries, and that the naval blockade would prove to be an ineffective economic sanction. Italy could always obtain goods through Germany and Austria … Below that story was one about the Italian army’s taking of Aksum and Adjigrat, with the goal of uniting Eritrea with the Italian Somaliland. Ethiopians consider Aksum to be a holy city and the legendary citadel of the Queen of Sheba (whom the Bible says was an emissary to, and later consort of, King Solomon.)
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On this day in 1947, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported that troops from five Arab nations were massing on the border of what was then called Palestine. (The State of Israel would be established eight months later, on May 14, 1948.) On this October day, the Syrian and Lebanese governments said their troops were on the border, ready to invade if the British army withdrew (Palestine was under the British Mandate at the time); and if the Jewish authorities “lifted a finger” against the Palestinians. The British governor in Palestine denied knowing anything about this military operation … That edition of the Eagle also announced the return home of the remains of U.S. troops who did not survive the fighting…. And Abraham Lefkowitz, principal of Tilden High School, warned his students not to join an organization named the American Youth for Democracy. Lefkowitz charged the group had a deceptive name, and said it was really a front group for Communists.
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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include skateboarder Bob Burnquist, who was born in 1976; actor Charles Dance, who was born in 1946; race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was born in 1974; former football player Brett Favre, who was born in 1969; actress Jessica Harper, who was born in 1949; TV personality and actor Mario Lopez, who was born in 1973; hockey player Chris Pronger, who was born in 1974; author Nora Roberts, who was born in 1950; singer David Lee Roth, who was born in 1955; actor Dan Stevens, who was born in 1982; singer Tanya Tucker, who was born in 1958; and Tony Award-winning singer, actor and dancer Ben Vereen, who was born in 1946.
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TODAY IS WORLD DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY. In 2003, the World Coalition created the first World Day Against the Death Penalty. This initiative was expressed through more than 180 local initiatives across the world. Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Belgium, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the European Union officially supported the World Day. In 2007, the Council of Europe and the European Union officially recognized the World Day as European Day Against the Death Penalty. Each year, the programs expand and a focus is chosen. For more information, visit worldcoalition.org.
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DANIEL PEARL WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1963. Pearl was a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal when he was assassinated by a terrorist group in Pakistan. His body was found in Karachi, Pakistan, where he had been researching terrorist threats against America. British-born Islamic militant Ahmed Omar Sheikh, a leader of the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty, was convicted of Pearl’s kidnapping and murder. Pearl was 38 at the time he was kidnapped in 2002.
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HELEN HAYES WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1900. Actress Helen Hayes, often called “the First Lady of the American Theater,” was born in Washington, D.C. Hayes’ greatest stage triumph was her role as the long-lived British monarch Queen Victoria in the play Victoria Regina. Her first great success was in “Coquette .” She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her first major film role in “The Sin of Madelon Claudet” and won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Airport.” Helen Hayes died in 1993 in New York.
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TODAY IS ADA LOVELACE DAY. It is an international day celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and math with a flagship event held in London, England, and grass-roots events around the world. Women in tech and science tend to be less well known than their male counterparts despite their valuable contributions. The aim of Ada Lovelace Day is to create new female role models that inspire girls and women alike. Named in honor of Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (1815–52), who is considered the first computer programmer and was a close friend of Charles Babbage, who conceived a general purpose computing machine called the Analytical Engine.
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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.
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