MILESTONES: July 5, birthdays for Megan Rapinoe, DJ Pauly D, RZA

Brooklyn Today

July 5, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe celebrates her birthday today. AP Photo/John Bazemore
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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 185th day of the year.

Notable people born on this day include Huey Lewis and Edie Falco, among others.

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ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Brooklyn Aviator Drops Aflame in Montdidier Flight.”

The article focused on a Sheepshead Bay pilot who died fighting in World War I in France.

“He was last seen falling aflame from an altitude of 3,000 meters, and some distance behind the German lines. Instances of escape from death while falling are so rare as to be regarded by aviators as almost negligible,” the Eagle reported.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actor FRANCOIS ARNAUD, who was born in 1985; actress EDIE FALCO, who was born in Brooklyn in 1963; choreographer and dancer ELIOT FELD, who was born in Brooklyn in 1942; Hall of Fame baseball player Richard MICHAEL “GOOSE” GOSSAGE, who was born in 1951; actress EVA GREEN, who was born in 1980; actress KATHERINE HELMOND, who was born in 1934; Tony Award-winning actress SHIRLEY KNIGHT, who was born in 1936; singer HUEY LEWIS, who was born in 1950; Hall of Fame tennis player AMELIE MAURESMO, who was born in 1979; soccer player MEGAN RAPINOE, who was born in 1985; singer and musician ROBBIE ROBERTSON, who was born in 1944; author GARY SHTEYNGART, who was born in 1972; and U.S. Sen. ROGER WICKER, who was born in 1951.

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PHINEAS TAYLOR BARNUM WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1810. As a promoter of the bizarre and unusual, he opened Barnum’s American Museum in 1842, promoting unusual acts including the Feejee Mermaid, Chang and Eng (the original Siamese twins) and General Tom Thumb. In 1850, he began his promotion of Jenny Lind, “the Swedish Nightingale,” and parlayed her singing talents into a major financial success. Barnum also cultivated a keen interest in politics. A founder of the newspaper Herald of Freedom, he wrote outspoken editorials that resulted not only in lawsuits but also in at least one jail sentence. In 1852 he declined the Democratic nomination for governor of Connecticut but did go on to serve two terms in the Connecticut Legislature beginning in 1865. He was defeated in a bid for U.S. Congress in 1866 but served as mayor of Bridgeport from 1875 to 1876. In 1871 “The Greatest Show on Earth” opened in Brooklyn. Barnum merged with his rival J.A. Bailey in 1881 to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Barnum died in 1891 in Connecticut.

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CLARA ZETKIN WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1857. The women’s rights advocate has been credited with being the initiator of International Women’s Day, which has been observed at least since 1910. She died in Russia in 1933.

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THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT WAS SIGNED ON THIS DAY IN 1935. This bill guaranteed workers the right to organize and bargain collectively with their employers. It also prohibited the formation of company unions and created the National Labor Relations Board.

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JEAN COCTEAU WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1889. The French novelist, poet, director, actor and artist’s notable works include the play “Orpheus,” the novel “The Infernal Machine,” and the films “The Blood of a Poet” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Remembered as an avant-garde icon, Cocteau influenced several generations of French artists. He died in 1963 in France.

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STAMFORD RAFFLES WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1781. The English colonel is best known for founding Singapore in 1819. He discovered with Joseph Arnold an East Indian fungus that is named after them, Rafflesia Arnoldi. Raffles died in England on his birthday in 1826.

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

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“We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don’t like?” — Jean Cocteau, who was born on this day in 1889

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