MILESTONES: January 8, birthdays for R. Kelly, Noah Cyrus, Genevieve Padalecki

Brooklyn Today

January 8, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

R. Kelly. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the eighth day of the year.

On this day in 1952, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported that a new Brooklyn Eisenhower Club had formed with the purpose of electing the five-star general to the presidency. The guiding force for this Ike-for-President Club, whose headquarters were at 26 Court St., was Brooklyn Heights resident John LaCorte. Incidentally, LaCorte’s 1991 New York Times obituary do not mention the Eisenhower Club. LaCorte also became a major champion of Italian-Americans and was instrumental — standing up to Robert Moses — in getting the span that connects Brooklyn and Staten Island named as the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

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On this day in 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported that President Woodrow Wilson presented to Congress his 14 Points for Peace. These 14 conditions articulated the U.S. aims in the war from this point forward. They called for open covenants of peace rather than secret tacit understandings between nations; return of Belgian and French territories, reparation made for the seizing of the Alsace-Lorraine region, adjustments to Italy’s borders in accordance with “clearly recognizable lines of nationality.” This particular point on Italy, particularly Trieste in the northeast, would lead to the creation of the Sovereign State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. The people of Germany and Austria-Hungary would agree to these terms, leading to the Armistice being signed in November 1918.

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On this day in 1929, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported on the massive fire at St. Malachy’s School in what is now East New York. The story also covered in full the heroism and selfless, alert actions of Sister St. Claire, whose religious attire caught on fire as she hurried to an alarm box that was surrounded by a wall of flames. Sister St. Claire’s alarm enabled all the children and other teachers to escape. She was the last to leave the building, and she sheltered the students and returned them to their relieved parents.

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On this day in 1941, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, declaring that “democracy as a way of life is at stake, asked Congress for $17 billion for defense. He would later ask for more funds to send munitions to Allied nations in Europe. The adjacent story reported that FDR had created three new fleets, changed the Navy high commanded, and ordered every warship at full manpower. On the state level, New York Gov. Herbert Lehman, citing defense problems here, asked legislators to enact laws to smash enemy operatives and to provide for “militant offensive to all subversive groups.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include singer Shirley Bassey, who was born in 1937; pop singer Noah Cyrus, who was born in 2000; game show host Bob Eubanks, who was born in 1937; pianist Vladimir Feltsman, who was born in 1952; baseball player Jeff Fancoeur, who was born in 1984; baseball player Jason Giambi, who was born in 1971; physicist and author Stephen Hawking, who was born in 1942; singer R. Kelly, who was born in 1967; actress Kathleen Noone, who was born in 1946; journalist Charles Osgood, who was born in 1933; and actress Genevieve Padalecki, who was born in 1981.

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DAVID BOWIE WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1947. A relentless creative who explored rock, folk, electronic music, film and visual art in a career that spanned five decades, Bowie (born David Jones) defined pop stardom as a chameleonic innovator. From his hit debut, 1969’s “Space Oddity,” through his outsized Ziggy Stardust persona of 1972 and onward to numerous experiments in spectacle and showmanship, his work shapeshifted freely over three decades. He explored photography and post-Modernist painting, acted in films, mounted ambitious world tours and retained his status as a pop icon well into the 21st century. “Blackstar,” his last album, was released two days before his death in New York in 2016.

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THE EARTH’S ROTATION WAS PROVED ON THIS DAY IN 1851. In his Paris home, using a device now called Foucault’s pendulum, physicist Jean Foucault demonstrated that Earth rotates on its axis.

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ELVIS PRESLEY WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1935. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as “the King of Rock and Roll.” Presley died in August of 1977 in Tennessee.

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TODAY IS ARGYLE DAY. It is a day to bring some brightness to winter by wearing argyle print — not just socks: anything with the diagonal diamond pattern. The more argyle, the better.

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JOSE FERRER WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1912. The Puerto Rican award-winning actor, producer, writer and director was nominated three times for an Academy Award and won Best Actor for his role in “Cyrano de Bergerac.” In addition, Ferrer was awarded Tonys and Critics’ Circle Prizes during half a century in the entertainment world. He died in 1992 in Florida.

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

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“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” — David Bowie, who was born on this day in 1947