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MILESTONES: November 3, birthdays for Colin Kaepernick, Dennis Miller, Roseanne Barr

Brooklyn Today

November 3, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Colin Kaepernick. AP Photo/Ben Margot
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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 309th day of the year.

On this day in 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported that the Fusion Party swept the “Tammany Tiger” at the polls, thus giving Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia a second term in office. The Fusion Party appealed to independent Democrats who despised the Tammany Hall corruption but who also derided the Republican Party’s role in bringing about the Great Depression. However, Republican Gov. Thomas Dewey did snap Tammany Hall’s grip on the District Attorney’s Office and the GOP was said to control the upcoming 1938 Convention.

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On this day in 1926, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported on the re-election victory of NYC Gov. Al Smith, and of the Wets, those who wanted to repeal the 18th “Prohibition” Amendment. Much of the Eagle front page was devoted to the murder trial of Frances Hall, accused of murdering her husband, the Rev. Edward Hall and choir member Eleanor Mills even though the crime had taken place in New Jersey. The trial that day had brought in a surprise witness who caused a furor in court.

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Although many had newspapers wrongly reported that Gov. Thomas Dewey had defeated President Harry S. Truman in the 1948 election, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle was not one of them. On this day in 1948, the Eagle front page reported that the election was “in doubt,” with the subhead saying that Truman held a lead in 28 states. The editors were careful not to declare a winner at that point. The Eagle reported that the election “hinged” on Ohio and California, in what it described as a suspenseful, “see-saw vote.” Locally, Brooklyn Democrats won heavy, sweeping Congress as well.

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On this day in 1953, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported that 40 percent of the voters had already cast their ballots before noon on this Election Day — that was, in the first six hours since the 1,378 polls opened at 6 a.m. The election was also being closely monitored to detect any shift in President Dwight Eisenhower’s popularity during his first year in office. And James M. Power, whom the Eagle described as “a stormy figure in Brooklyn and Long Beach politics for more than 40 years,” had taken a strong lead in the race for Brooklyn Democratic leader, and was seen as the heir apparent to Kenneth F. Sutherland, who was retiring … Also on the front page was a story by an attentive Eagle reporter who, along with a policeman, was credited with saving the lives of a despondent and impoverished veteran and his family after the man called the Eagle office to say he was at the end of his rope. The reporter interviewed the man to get the story out.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include musician ADAM ANT, who was born in 1954; actor KEN BERRY, who was born in 1933; actress KATE CAPSHAW, who was born in 1953; former Massachusetts Gov. MICHAEL DUKAKIS, who was born in 1933; US Sen. MAZIE HIRONO, who was born in 1947; football player COLIN KAEPERNICK, who was born in 1987; actress KATHY KINNEY, who was born in 1954; actor DOLPH LUNDGREN, who was born in 1957; comedian DENNIS MILLER, who was born in 1953; Olympic figure skater EVGENI PLUSHENKO, who was born in 1982; comedian and actress ROSEANNE BARR, who was born in 1952; sportscaster and former football player PHIL SIMMS, who was born in 1955; and actress MONICA VITTI, who was born in 1931.

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CHARLES BRONSON WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1921. The actor was one of 15 children and was raised in poverty, working in coalmines until he was 16. He discovered acting after a stint in the Army and was soon making low-budget films. His best-known films include “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Great Escape,” “Death Wish” and four “Death Wish” sequels. He died in Los Angeles in 2003.

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TODAY IS SANDWICH DAY. It is a day to recognize the inventor of the sandwich, John Montague, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, born in London on this day in 1718. A rake and a gambler, he is said to have invented the sandwich as a time-saving nourishment while engaged in a 24-hour-long gambling session in 1762. He died in London in 1792.

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STEPHEN FULLER AUSTIN WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1793. A principal founder of Texas, for whom its capital city was named, Austin was born in Wythe County, Virginia. He first visited Texas in 1821 and established a settlement there the following year, continuing a colonization project started by his father Moses Austin. Thrown in prison when he advocated formation of a separate state (Texas still belonged to Mexico), he was freed in 1835, lost a campaign for the presidency (of the Republic of Texas) to Sam Houston in 1836 and died (while serving as Texas secretary of state) in Austin 1836.

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EDWARD DOUGLASS WHITE WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1845. The ninth chief justice of the U.S., White served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. After the war ended, he practiced law and was elected to the U.S. Senate. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by then-President Grover Cleveland and became chief justice under President William Taft in 1910, serving until 1921. He died in 1921.

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PUBLIC TELEVISION DEBUTED ON THIS DAY IN 1969. A string of local educational TV channels united on this day under the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) banner. Today there are more than 350 PBS stations.

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

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“As a housewife, I feel that if the kids are still alive when my husband gets home from work, then hey, I’ve done my job.” — Roseanne Barr, who was born on this day in 1952

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