MILESTONES: November 13, birthdays for Jimmy Kimmel, Whoopi Goldberg, Gerard Butler

Brooklyn Today

November 13, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Jimmy Kimmel. Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File

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On Nov. 11, 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on the Armistice that the Allies and Germany had signed in Compiègne, France, to end World War I. President Woodrow Wilson read to Congress the terms of the Armistice, which included, in 11 specifications: German evacuation from a large area west of the Rhine River, surrender of warships and supplies, the return and repatriation of Allied vessels and prisoners of war and the cancellation of two earlier treaties.

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On Nov. 11, 1942, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported on the liberation of Nazi-occupied Morocco by American forces. The Americans had launched a 76-hour “lightning offensive,” to gain control of Casablanca. Previously, a puppet Nazi government there, taking its orders from Vichy in France, had control. The conflict was the backdrop for the beloved classic film “Casablanca,” which starred Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

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On this day in 1939, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that the Nazis had bombed the Shetland Islands, which divide the Atlantic Ocean from the North Sea, near Scotland. They also bombed France, but were repulsed. Other front-page stories announced the news of Finland’s ending diplomatic ties with Russia, and the explosion of a water tank in a Remsen Street building that damaged Brooklyn Borough Hall all the way across Court Street.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actor Gerard Butler, who was born in 1969; actress Monique Coleman, who was born in 1980; actress Sheila E. Frazier, who was born in 1948; Oscar Award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg, who was born in 1949; talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who was born in Brooklyn in 1967; Tony Award-winning actor Joe Mantegna, who was born in 1947; actor Chris Noth, who was born in 1954; actress Tracy Scroggins, who was born in 1959; former football player Vinny Testaverde, who was born in 1963; Olympic swimmer Dana Vollmer, who was born in 1987; and actor Steve Zahn, who was born in 1968.

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THE HOLLAND TUNNEL OPENED ON THIS DAY IN 1927. The tunnel, which runs under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, was built and operated by the New York-New Jersey Bridge and Tunnel Commission. Comprising two tubes, each large enough for two lanes of traffic, the Holland was the first underwater tunnel built in the U.S.

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TODAY IS WORLD ORPHANS DAY. To facilitate public awareness of social issues surrounding orphans and displaced children, the day highlights the current year’s statistics on the AIDS orphans pandemic and to aims to engage community support for the causes.

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STOKES BECAME THE FIRST BLACK MAYOR IN THE U.S. ON THIS DAY IN 1967. Carl Burton Stokes became the first black person in the U.S. to be elected mayor when he won the Cleveland, Ohio, mayoral election. He died in 1996.

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ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1850. The Scottish author is best known for “Child’s Garden of Verses” and novels such as “Treasure Island” and “Kidnapped.” Stevenson died in Samoa in 1894.

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THIS WEEK IS AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK. Observed since 1921, it spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great.

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THE BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETY (BHS) will host “Digital Democracy: How Technology Impacts Politics” tonight at 6:30 p.m. When tweets have more impact than stump speeches, the moment when technology rules elections has arrived. Matthew McGregor, described as “Obama’s digital attack dog” and digital director for Precision Strategies, discusses how a mastery of technology, from real-time data analytics to quick draw social media, is the driving force of political campaigns today. Panelists will include tech experts from Daily Kos, SwingLeft and 270 Strategies.

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