June 9: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 9, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “‘She’s started.’ This cry, sounding from the roof of the Academy of Music at 6:32 o’clock last evening, did not herald a horse race, the flight of an airplane or the outbreak of a strong woman intent on beating up her husband, but meant that the moon’s shadow, which had been hurrying across the globe in long jumps of 3,000 miles an hour, with all the abandon of a dog chasing its tail, had begun to eat up the well-known Brooklyn sun. It was the eclipse, so long talked of, and though the point of totality was not reached here, it was a fine spectacle during the period of more than an hour in which it lasted, costing Brooklyn nothing.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Brooklynites will turn out in force June 17 at the Music Grove in Prospect Park to hear for the first time ‘Hail Brooklyn,’ a composition of Edwin Franko Goldman intended as an official march of Brooklyn. The maestro, who this year begins his 26th annual series of concerts given to the people of Brooklyn and New York by the Daniel Guggenheim Memorial, created the composition in return for the loyal support of thousands year after year in his Brooklyn presentations. ‘There is no place in the world like Brooklyn for appreciation of music,’ he said today in announcing that the premiere of ‘Hail Brooklyn’ would be a gala event. Borough President Cashmore has accepted Dr. Goldman’s invitation to be on hand to accept officially the first publisher’s copy of the music on behalf of the community. Prominent borough residents are being invited to hear the initial rendition of his latest work, which Dr. Goldman expects soon to surpass in popularity his march ‘On the Mall,’ written to dedicate the Mall in Central Park, Manhattan. A chorus of 500 voices will sing the refrain of ‘Hail Brooklyn.’ The chorus is made up of students at Brooklyn high schools.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — President Roosevelt today is in better physical condition than most men of his age — 62 — according to his personal physician, Vice Admiral Ross T. McIntire. McIntire’s report, which followed a complete physical checkup on the president, removed health as a probable factor in Mr. Roosevelt’s 1944 political plans, contradicting suggestions by his political opponents that he could not withstand the rigors of either a fourth presidential campaign or a fourth term. McIntire’s report was prompted by a request from White House reporters for the results of a physical examination of Mr. Roosevelt made May 26 at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. ‘He is in better physical condition than the average man of his age,’ said McIntire, who also is surgeon general of the navy.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “CAIRO (U.P.) — Israel and the Arab States agreed today to cease fighting in Palestine for four weeks beginning at 6 a.m. Friday. Both sides accepted the United Nations truce proposal as negotiated and interpreted by Count Folke Bernadotte. Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok of Israel messaged Bernadotte that the infant state ‘has decided to accept the cease-fire truce proposal if the other side accepts likewise.’ The acceptance was unconditional, Mr. Shertok said, but with certain ‘observations’ regarding the immigration of Jews of military age into Palestine and the question of free access to Jerusalem, long blockaded by the Arabs. An Arab League spokesman announced the acceptance by the states arrayed against the Jews. Their message to Bernadotte was understood to contain a scant 50 words or so. The spokesman for the Political Committee of the Arab League told newsmen that the Arabs had accepted Bernadotte’s plan, based on his interpretation of the Security Council’s resolution calling for a month’s truce. Asked if foreign pressure had been put on the Arab states, the league spokesman said, ‘No, but we do not want to be put in the position of aggressors.’”

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Natalie Portman
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include comedian and actor Jackie Mason, who was born in 1931; former N.Y. Yankees manager Bill Virdon, who was born in 1931; Basketball Hall of Famer and sportscaster Dick Vitale, who was born in 1939; Oscar-nominated composer James Newton Howard, who was born in 1951; 1978 National League MVP Dave Parker, who was born in 1951; “Scarpetta” author Patricia Cornwell, who was born in 1956; “Back to the Future” star Michael J. Fox, who was born in 1961; “The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, who was born in 1961; “ER” star Gloria Reuben, who was born in 1964; former Patriots linebacker Teddy Bruschi, who was born in 1973; soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Heather Mitts, who was born in 1978; Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, who was born in 1981; and former NBA point guard Sebastian Telfair, who was born in Brooklyn in 1985.

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CENTER STAGE: Cole Porter was born on this day in 1891. His career as a composer and lyricist for Broadway was launched in 1928 when five of this songs were used in the musical play “Let’s Do It.” His prolific contributions to the Broadway stage include “Fifty Million Frenchmen,” “Wake Up and Dream,” “The Gay Divorcee,” “Anything Goes,” Leave It to Me,” “Du Barry Was a Lady” and “Kiss Me Kate.” He died in 1964.

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FOR THE RECORD: Les Paul was born on this day in 1915. The legendary American musician designed one of the first solid-body electric guitars. Though best known for the guitars that bear his name, Paul also made groundbreaking contributions in guitar effects and recording techniques, such as multitrack recording. He died in 2009.

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

Quotable:

“To this day, no one has come up with a set of rules for originality. There aren’t any.”
— guitar legend Les Paul, who was born on this day in 1915