May 10: ON THIS DAY in 1940, Belgians halt Nazis

May 10, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle

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ON THIS DAY IN 1852, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Lord and Taylor, dry goods merchants, have purchased ground on the corner of Grand and Christie streets, and will immediately proceed to erect an elegant store thereon, 100 by 75 feet and three stories high. It will be one of the finest structures in that vicinity.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1917, the Eagle reported, “The ‘Lafayette Entrance’ is the name by which the entrance to Prospect Park at Prospect Park West and Ninth Street will be known hereafter. Park Commissioner Raymond V. Ingersoll today informed the Eagle that he was heartily in accord with the suggestion that the entrance be so made and that it will be referred to as the ‘Lafayette Entrance’ in all official communications from the Park Department hereafter. The suggestion that the name of the entrance be made a lasting memorial to the visit of the French commissioners and the tablet unveiled by them today was made by Samuel F. Martin in a letter the Eagle. The Eagle transmitted his suggestion to Commissioner Ingersoll.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “London, May 10 (U.P.) – King George and Queen Elizabeth paid a surprise visit to Westminster Abbey today for the full dress rehearsal of Wednesday’s coronation, and were almost mobbed by a cheering throng outside the Abbey. Police were caught unaware because their majesties gave them no notice of their intentions. The crowds broke through the inadequate cordons, swarming around the royal automobile for several minutes before they were pushed back. After giving a private luncheon at Buckingham Palace, attended by Queen Mary, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince Nicholas of Greece, the King and Queen motored to the Abbey.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “London, May 10 – Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, in a radio broadcast to the British Empire, announced his resignation tonight. Winston Churchill has agreed to assume the task of forming a new government, Chamberlain said.” It was also reported, “Adolf Hitler, proclaiming the beginning of a fight which ‘decides the fate of the German nation for the next 1,000 years,’ hurled his forces into the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg today. The Netherlands and Belgium mustered their full strength against the invaders and called for help from the Allies, who said it was being sent ‘with the greatest speed.’ Tiny Luxembourg’s government was reported to have fled.”

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ON MAY 11, 1869, the Eagle reported, “The recognition of the Pacific Railroad as an accomplished fact yesterday was moderately enthusiastic so far as the public was concerned. A few years ago the event would have been marked by demonstrations stopping little short of insanity … But the country has grown older very rapidly … At Promontory Summit, the compiler of the programme was so careful in details as to indicate to the Rev. Dr. Todd, who was engaged to pray, that his proper line of remark was ‘asking the favor of Heaven upon the enterprise.’ Then spikes representing each of the roads to be united were presented on the part of California, Nevada and Arizona, and received by the presidents of the companies with ‘appropriate speeches,’ the spikes with the electric wire fastened to them were driven home, and the blows of the hammer set in motion the magnetic nerve which recorded at points thousands of miles distant the completion of the work.”

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ON MAY 12, 1949, the Eagle reported, “Berlin, May 12 (U.P.) – Jubilant Berliners celebrating the lifting of the Soviet blockade heard a sober warning by Gen. Lucius D. Clay today that they still had to fight for the freedom they earned with the help of the airlift. The retiring U.S. military governor made his farewell appearance before the West Berlin City Assembly as trains, trucks and cars flooded into the city for the first time since the Russians imposed the blockade 328 days ago.”