Brooklyn Today for Feb. 5

February 4, 2013 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Good morning. Today is the 36th day of the year. On this day in 1860, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher of Plymouth Church (later Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims) in Brooklyn Heights drew attention to the issue of slavery by holding a mock “auction” for a young African-American woman in the church. The money raised was used to buy freedom for slaves. Beecher was a strong opponent of slavery and a staunch supporter of the Union cause during the Civil War.

Well-known people who were born today include Hall of Fame baseball player Hank Aaron, singer Bobby Brown, actress Barbara Hershey (“Hannah and Her Sisters”), actor David Selby (“Rich and Famous,” ‘Falcon Crest”), actor Michael Sheen (“Frost/Nixon,” The Queen”) and Hall of Fame football player Roger Staubach.