History Brooklyn Boro

March 2, birthdays for Jon Bon Jovi, Henrik Lundqvist, Rebel Wilson

Brooklyn Today

March 2, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Musician Jon Bon Jovi celebrates his birthday today

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 60th day of the year.

Notable people born on this day include Jon Bon Jovi and Reggie Bush, among others.

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Park Slope Firebug Target of Wide Hunt.”

The article focused on the NYPD’s hunt for a Brooklyn arsonist responsible for four fires in Park Slope.

“The fires were set in a three-block area, and none caused more than trifling damage. In the last blaze, it was not necessary to turn in an alarm as firemen, kept on the go by previous calls, were within shouting distance,” the Eagle reported.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include singer, songwriter and actor JON BON JOVI, who was born in 1962; football player REGGIE BUSH, who was born in 1985; actor DANIEL CRAIG, who was born in 1968; actor JOHN CULLUM, who was born in 1930; former Soviet political leader MIKHAIL SERGEYVICH GORBACHEV, who was born in 1931; actress BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD, who was born in 1981; author JOHN IRVING, who was born in 1942; hockey player HENRIK LUNDQVIST, who was born in 1982; singer and songwriter CHRIS MARTIN, who was born in 1977; musician EDDIE MONEY, who was born in Brooklyn in 1949; comedian LARAINE NEWMAN, who was born in 1952; actress REBEL WILSON, who was born in 1980; author and journalist TOM WOLFE, who was born in 1931.

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MELVIN OTT WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1909. The Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder played for the New York Giants. During his time on the team, Ott hit 511 home runs, a National League record until Willie Mays surpassed it in 1966. Ott was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951. He died in Louisiana in 1958.

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DR. SEUSS WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1904. Born Theodor Geisel, the author is best remembered as the creator of “The Cat in the Hat” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” His books have sold more than 200 million copies and have been translated into 20 languages. His career began with “And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street,” which was turned down by 27 publishing houses before being published by Vanguard Press. His books included many messages, from environmental consciousness in “The Lorax” to the dangers of pacifism in “Horton Hatches the Egg.” Geisel was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1984 “for his contribution over nearly half a century to the education and enjoyment of America’s children and their parents.” He died in California in 1991.

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DESI ARNAZ WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1917. The Cuban musician and actor led his own band and introduced the conga line to America while living with his family in Florida. He had several musical hits including “Babalu.” He moved into acting, meeting his future wife, Lucille Ball, at RKO. Ball and Arnaz created one of the great TV comedies, “I Love Lucy” (1951–57), and started the innovative Desilu TV production company. The two divorced in 1960. Arnaz died in California in 1986.

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ART IN DUMBO WILL HOST “DUMBO’s FIRST THURSDAY GALLERY WALK” tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Highlights from March’s Gallery Walk will include the opening of Storytellers at LAND Gallery, a group exhibition of artists who reimagine and reinvent the essential practice of telling stories through visual art; the opening of “Digital Fairy Tales, Album Two,” an exhibition of visual and sound pieces inspired by old German fairy tales with an artist Q&A at Made in NY Media Center and projection onto the Manhattan Bridge at the Pearl Street Triangle; and the opening of “Haley Morris-Cafiero: Wait Watchers,” an exhibition of photographs taken in public of the artist performing various tasks at United Photo Industries. For more information, visit artindumbo.com.

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

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“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” — author Dr. Seuss, who was born Theodor Geisel on this day in 1904