History Brooklyn Boro

June 24, birthdays for Lionel Messi, Mindy Kaling, Solange Knowles

Brooklyn Today

June 24, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Soccer superstar Lionel Messi celebrates his birthday today. AP photo

Share this:

Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 176th day of the year.

ON THIS DAY IN 1915, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “City’s New Flag Up on 250th Birthday.”

The article focused on Flag Day being celebrated at City Hall in Manhattan.

“In the presence of a distinguished company — several hundred of whom were the descendants of the original Dutch settlers in Manhattan — the official city flag, blue, white and orange, the gift of the city of Amsterdam, Holland, was raised at noon on the main flagstaff of the City Hall,” the Eagle reported.

****

NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actress NANCY ALLEN, who was born in New York City in 1950; Fleetwood Mac musician MICK FLEETWOOD, who was born in 1942; former sportscaster and former Miss America PHYLLIS GEORGE, who was born in 1949; golfer JULI INKSTER, who was born in 1960; actress and author MINDY KALING, who was born in 1979; singer, actress and dancer SOLANGE KNOWLES, who was born in 1986; actress MICHELE LEE, who was born in 1942; soccer player LIONEL MESSI, who was born in 1987; soccer coach and former player PREKI RADOSAVLJEVIC, who was born in 1963; actress SHERRY STRINGFIELD, who was born in 1967; actress LOTTE VERBEEK, who was born in 1982; and actor PETER WELLER, who was born in 1947.

****

HENRY WARD BEECHER was born on this day in 1813. A famous clergyman and orator and the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Beecher advocated for many controversial issues of his era, including temperance, women’s suffrage, Darwinian evolution, and — most notably — abolition. He died in Brooklyn in 1887. His dying words were, “Now comes the mystery.”

****

THE NEW YORK Red Bulls will host a five-on-five tournament at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park this Saturday starting at noon. Attendees are encouraged to bring a team or come alone; all are welcome and will get to participate. Besides the tournament, the Red Bulls Street Team will show off its skills and lead activities and drills for kids and adults alike. For more information, visit brooklynbridgepark.org.

****

BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY’S Central branch will host journalist Jesse J. Holland for a discussion about his new book, “The Invisibles,” this Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The talk will cover slavery inside the White House and how it helped to shape America. For more information, visit bklynlibrary.org.

****

BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK and Brooklyn Arts Council will present a curatorial talk with Larissa Simpson in conjunction with the exhibition NYC Oyster Project this Saturday at 1 p.m. at 99 Plymouth St. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session. For more information, visit brooklynbridgepark.org.

****

WILDLIFE THEATER at Brooklyn Bridge Park will present “Butterfly Boogie” this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The show will discuss why bugs are actually the coolest creatures around. The musical, interactive performance introduces children to metamorphosis and the interdependence of plants and animals. For more information, visit brooklynbridgepark.org.

****

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

“The soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without a telescope.” — Henry Ward Beecher, who was born on this day in 1813.