MILESTONES: May 25, birthdays for Octavia Spencer, Ian McKellen, Roman Reigns

May 25, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Octavia Spencer. Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 144th day of the year.

On this day in 1935, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on a feud between clergy and lay leaders over alleged communist infiltration of the Methodist Church. “The opening of a fight by a group of lay members of the Freeport M.E. [Methodist Episcopal] Church against what they call a Communistic trend in Methodism stirred a Brooklyn pastor to express the opinion today that a liberalistic stand for the church is inevitable.” The article continued, “The Rev. Leon V. Kofod, pastor of the Cropsey Avenue M.E. Church, told the Eagle he voted for the very Social Service Committee report approved by the New York East Conference and against which the Freeport group levels objections on the ground they feel it strongly savors of a Communistic manifesto.” Kofod is quoted as saying, “Call it communism of liberalism or whatever you like. I hope for a social order in which there will be enough justice to go around.”

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On this day in 1861, the Eagle reported on a situation that turned out challenging the Constitutional rights of citizens. “John Merryman, a wealthy and highly respected citizen of Baltimore County, president of the Maryland Agricultural Society, was arrested last night at his residence by Government officers. He was brought to this city this morning, and taken to Fort McHenry. He is charged with burning the bridges on the Northern Central road. It is understood that he says he acted by authority of the board of police commissioners.” This became a Constitutional issue when President Abraham Lincoln suspended Merryman’s habeas corpus right that is provided for in Article 1 of the Constitution, which literally means to “produce the body.” Habeas corpus is a court order to an authority holding someone in custody to deliver the imprisoned individual to the court issuing the order and to show a valid reason for detaining the person. Lincoln may have thought he was acting within bounds of the “rebellion clause.” However, only Congress had the authority to suspend habeas corpus.

In that same edition, the Eagle reported that Holy Trinity Church was becoming a mental therapy center. Describing the peaceful scene inside the sanctuary: “Gently the afternoon sunlight seeps through the glorious stained glass windows,” reporter Art Arthur wrote. “In this soothing setting functions a clinic unique in service to the community — the Associated Clinic of Religion and Medicine. Here religion and medical science join hands via a group of leading Brooklyn clergymen and physicians to cure the ills of neurotic patients through healthful thinking.” The reporter quoted one of the volunteers: “The main reason we hold our clinic in the church is so that our patients will have no feeling of being in a doctor’s office.”

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On this day in 1952, the Eagle ran an exclusive story: Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (as it was called at the time and located on Livingston Street), would be building a large aerodynamics laboratory in Freeport on Long Island. It would be the first such project of its kind. The article mentioned a supersonic wind tunnel that would be moved from the rear of the Brooklyn school, and the construction of two new tunnels, one supersonic and another hypersonic, which would develop speeds “five times the speed of sound.” “The latter project, it was revealed, will be constructed under Air Force contract, and therefore will require security regulations to be enforced. Test work for industrial firms will also be carried out in the Long Island tunnels.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include singer and songwriter JESS COLTER, who was born in 1947; singer and songwriter TOM T. HALL, who was born in 1936; actress ANNE HECHE, who was born in 1969; actor JUSTIN HENRY, who was born in 1971; singer and actress LAURYN HILL, who was born in 1975; Hall of Fame basketball player and former coach K.C. JONES, who was born in 1932; actor JAMIE KENNEDY, who was born in 1970; U.S. Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR, who was born in 1960; Tony Award-winning actor SIR IAN McKELLEN, who was born in 1939; comedian and actor MIKE MYERS, who was born in 1963; Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who was born in 1994; actress CONNIE SELLECCA, who was born in 1955; actress OCTAVIA SPENCER, who was born in 1972; actor ETHAN SUPLEE, who was born in 1976; WWE superstar ROMAN REIGNS, who was born in 1985; Tony Award-winning actress LESLIE UGGAMS, who was born in 1943; former football player BRIAN URLACHER, who was born in 1978; and actress KAREEN VALENTINE, who was born in 1947.

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“STAR WARS” WAS RELEASED ON THIS DAY IN 1977. George Lucas’ space epic, starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, featured stunning special effects and was a smash hit worldwide. It went on to win six Academy Awards out of 10 nominations — plus an additional special Academy Award for sound effects. The film was part of a larger saga and in later years was retitled “Star Wars — Episode IV: A New Hope” as prequels were released.

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BILL “BOJANGLES” ROBINSON WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1878. Widely considered one of the greatest tap dancers, Robinson was one of the most successful African-American entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for a routine in which he tap-danced up and down a staircase. He appeared in several films with Shirley Temple and starred in “Stormy Weather.” He died in New York in 1949.

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TODAY IS NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY. It is a day to promote awareness of the problem of missing children, to offer a forum for change and information on safety for children in school and the community.

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RAYMOND CARVER WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1938. The American poet and short story writer who chronicled the lives of America’s working poor. He died in 1988 at his home in Washington soon after finishing a book of poetry titled “A New Path to the Waterfall.”

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

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“I’m always learning something. Learning never ends.” — poet and writer Raymond Carver, who was born on this day in 1938