January 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 3, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1919, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Influenza ran rampant in the musical world yesterday. In the afternoon the program of the Russian Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall suffered change because of the indisposition of Mischa Elman. The popular violinist had been announced to play the unfamiliar Violin Concerto by Dvorak. In his place Wassily Besikirsky played Saint-Saens’ ‘Havanaise.’ Mr. Besikirsky is the concert-master of the orchestra, and his style and manner of playing are those of such rather than of the soloist. He gave, however, a fitting and satisfactory reading of the familiar composition … The other postponement, due to the influenza, was that of ‘Le Coq d’Or,’ which was to have filled the second part of the bill at the Metropolitan last evening. The work could not be performed, however, because of the eleventh-hour indisposition of Miss Galli. In place of the opera-pantomime, the ever-ready ‘Pagliacci’ was substituted with Morgan Kingston, Giuseppe De Luca and Claudia Muzio in the cast.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1922, the Eagle reported, “To the accompaniment of a brass band, great crowds cheering wildly, massed banks of flowers sent by an admiring citizenry, and of much hilarious and triumphant oratory, Mayor John F. Hylan and the members of his administrative family took over the government of the City of New York for the second successive four-year term yesterday. It was unquestionably Tammany Day in and about City Hall all during the inaugurating ceremonies. Tammany rejoiced, and rejoiced with good reason. Every Democratic district leader who wanted a city job had one. All the members of the administration except 15 are Democrats. All members of the new Board of Aldermen but 12 are Democrats. The Board of Aldermen in a body smiled when the mayor suggested that they are such a fine body of men [that] if they had asked for an additional $500 raise two years ago it would probably have been granted. And they smiled again when Controller Craig announced he would try to have the aldermanic salaries raised from $3,000 to $5,000 in his new charter.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — A campaign-conscious Congress returned to work today to complete the legislative record on which the nation will pass judgment in next November’s elections. The second session of the Democratic 81st Congress was gaveled into session at noon. Vice President Alben W. Barkley presided in the Senate and Sam Rayburn in the House. A double filibuster threat and the major issues of taxes, spending and foreign policy hung over the legislators. On all three major issues, the administration was on the defensive. Today’s opening session was routine. Members, back from an 11-week vacation which gave them a chance to sound out grass roots sentiment, went through the usual opening-day formalities, swore in a few new members, and engaged in many huddles on strategy. The fireworks start tomorrow when President [Harry] Truman appears in person before a joint session to present the State of the Union message, which is expected to restate, in large part, the president’s big-spending ‘Fair Deal’ program.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1955, the Eagle reported, “ISMAILIA, EGYPT (U.P.) — Convoys of ships weighed anchor at both ends of the Suez Canal today and prepared to break up the worst traffic jam in the 85-year history of the ‘Big Ditch.’ Officials estimated that the first of the 157 vessels which have been idled since a tanker got stuck in a swinging bridge last Friday would start moving again at noon. Workers who sweltered around the clock succeeded in freeing the 10,892-ton Liberian tanker World Peace from a 480-ton span of the steel bridge last night. Then tugs hauled the ship down the canal with part of the bridge still stuck on her superstructure. As soon as word got around that the stoppage would soon be cleared, passengers rushed back to their ships from hasty sightseeing trips to Cairo and historic spots of upper Egypt.”

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Danica McKellar
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Intel Corporation co-founder Gordon Moore, who was born in 1929; “Tootsie” star Dabney Coleman, who was born in 1932; Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull who was born in 1939; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stephen Stills (CSNY), who was born in 1945; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), who was born in 1946; “Dallas” star Victoria Principal, who was born in 1950; Oscar-winner Mel Gibson, who was born in 1956; “The Wonder Years” star Danica McKellar, who was born in 1975; Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, who was born in 1964; “The Good Doctor” star Nicholas Gonzalez, who was born in 1976; former N.Y. Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett, who was born in 1977; former N.Y. Giants wide receiver David Tyree, who was born in 1980; former N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was born in 1981; “Black Widow” star Florence Pugh, who was born in 1996; and environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who was born in 2003.

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MIDDLE MAN: J.R.R. Tolkien was born on this day in 1892. The South African native is best known for his sagas of Middle Earth: “The Hobbit” (1937) and “The Lord of the Rings,” which was published in three volumes from 1954 to 1955. He died in 1973.

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FROZEN IN TIME: Alaska became the 49th state on this day in 1959. Purchased from Russia in 1867, its area is nearly one-fifth the size of the rest of the U.S.

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“HALL” MARK: “The Arsenio Hall Show” premiered on this day in 1989. Hall became the first African-American to host a successful, syndicated late-night talk show and was named by TV Guide as its first “TV Person of the Year” in 1990.

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

Quotable:
“In New York, they like winners. They don’t like second place.”

— two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, who was born on this day in 1981