Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 341st day of the year.
Notable people born on this day include Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Steven Wright, among others.
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ON THIS DAY IN 1920, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Army Board Seeks to Place Blame in Ft. Hamilton Blast.”
The article focused on an explosion at Fort Hamilton Army Base that injured eight people.
“In the meantime, the citizens of Fort Hamilton, who for half an hour yesterday withstood an intense bombardment of high power shells and miraculously escaped death, are wondering what steps will be taken in the future to protect them from the possibility of another such ‘rain of death,’” the Eagle reported.
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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include basketball star GIANNIS ANTETOKOUMNPO, who was born in 1994; New York Gov. ANDREW CUOMO , who was born in 1957; singer MACY GRAY, who was born in 1969; football player JOHNNY MANZIEL, who was born in 1992; actor JAMES NAUGHTON, who was born in 1945; founder of craigslist CRAIG NEWMARK, who was born in 1952; actress SARAH RAFFERTY, who was born in 1972; actress JANINE TURNER, who was born in 1962; actress JOBETH WILLIAMS, who was born in 1953; and comedian STEVEN WRIGHT, who was born in 1955.
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ALFRED EISENSTAEDT WAS BORN ON THIS DAY in 1898. One of the greatest photojournalists in U.S. history, he is best-known for his 86 photos that were used on the covers of Life magazine, including the iconic image of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square at the end of WWII. He died in 1995 in Massachusetts.
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THE ALTAMONT CONCERT WAS HELD on this day in 1969. The free concert that featured performances by acts like The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young turned into a tragedy. The concert for 300,000 fans was marred by overcrowding, drug overdoses and the fatal stabbing of a spectator by a member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, who had been hired as security guards for the event. It was held at the Altamont Speedway in Livermore, California.
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IRA GERSHWIN WAS BORN ON THIS DAY in 1896. The New York-born Pulitzer Prize-winning American lyricist and author is best known for his collaboration with his brother George and other composers to create such Broadway successes as “Lady Be Good,” “Funny Face” and “Strike Up the Band.” He died in Beverly Hills in 1983.
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JEAN EUGÈNE ROBERT-HOUDIN was born on this day in 1805. Credited as the founder of modern magic, he was the first to use electricity in his illusions. He also popularized wearing evening attire (instead of wizard’s robes) onstage. Houdin inspired scores of younger magicians, including Harry Houdini, whose stage name saluted Robert-Houdin’s. He died in 1871 in France.
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CREATENYC WILL HOST its boroughwide workshop where residents can participate in the process of creating New York City’s first-ever comprehensive cultural plan tonight at BRIC in Downtown Brooklyn from 6 to 8 p.m. The CreateNYC boroughwide workshops provide an opportunity to get involved and examine cultural assets through the lens of specific places, concerns, opportunities and issues unique to each borough. For it to be a success, every community’s voice must be included in the plan. For more information, visit createnyc.org.
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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.
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“Better a man honor his profession than be honored by it.” — founder of modern magic Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, who was born on this day in 1805
