June 11: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 11, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “King George and Queen Elizabeth came to the rescue of a World’s Fair cop yesterday and saved him from perpetrating an unconscious snub in their presence. It happened this way: As Their Majesties appeared on the Federal Building platform to greet the crowds, the band struck up ‘God Save the King.’ The Fair policeman, standing next to the Queen and apparently oblivious to happenings of the moment, failed to salute. From their perch, newspaper men saw the King incline his head to the Queen and whisper something. The Queen, without change of expression, appeared to murmur what was believed to be a word of friendly advice. Instantly, the policeman snapped to attention and his right hand went to the brim of his hat. He remained motionless until the playing of the anthem was at an end.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “Postmaster Frank J. Quayle yesterday explained why no flag was flying from the flagpole on the Federal Building, which is also the Post Office Building, on D-Day. The postmaster explained that actually the flag did fly on part of D-Day — in the morning. Then a painter came to paint the flagpole, and the flag had to be hauled down until the paint dried. Often on approaching the building, the postmaster said, he had noted that the flagpole needed painting, and he had ordered — some time ago — that it be done. The painter picked D-Day to do it. But now the flagpole is painted white and ready for any occasion. City authorities, meanwhile, offered no explanation as to why the Brooklyn Bridge towers continued to fly no flag, except that the bridge flag is flown only on national holidays and D-Day isn’t a national holiday — that is, not yet. Today is D+5 Day.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “New York City’s Democratic leaders, almost hopelessly at odds because of District Attorney [William] O’Dwyer’s demands for new running mates on the ticket designating him for mayor, reconvened today for an expected showdown. Indications multiplied that if the leaders refuse to bow to his demands and he decides to get off the ticket, an invitation will be extended to General Sessions Judge Jonah J. Goldstein, the Republican-Liberal party designee for mayor, to run in his place. If this is done, according to the political consensus, indications point to a virtually complete new ticket, with some sentiment favoring an endorsement of Controller Joseph D. McGoldrick, the Republican-Liberal candidate, for a new term. Preparing for this contingency, friends of Judge Goldstein said he would need time to decide whether he would accept an invitation to become the Democratic designee. They said it was a question whether he would allow himself to be designated or prefer to enter the Democratic primaries to fight for the nomination.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “TEL AVIV (U.P.) — A 28-day truce in Palestine suffered a blow in its first hours today when the Arabs and Jews accused each other officially of violating it. Arab and Jewish charges and recriminations came soon after the 2 a.m. (Brooklyn time) deadline for the silencing of the guns in Palestine. The United Nations proposed the truce, and Count Folke Bernadotte negotiated its acceptance by the warring factions. The high command of Israel’s army was the first official quarter to charge that the truce had been broken. Its daily communique said reports received up to two hours after the deadline indicated Arab troops were fighting without pause in some sectors. A little later an Egyptian government announcement, broadcast from Cairo, said ‘we have learned the Zionists violated the cease fire on three fronts.’ The Arab governments quickly sent notices to Bernadotte in Cairo protesting against the alleged violation of the truce by the Jews. Whether the truce was cracking up before it even had a chance to get started was not clear at once. The speed and rancor of the Arab and Jewish charges reflect sentiment which at best boded no good for the peace plan.”

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Peter Dinklage
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, who was born in 1930; “Maude” star Adrienne Barbeau, who was born in 1945; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Frank Beard (ZZ Top), who was born in 1949; Air Supply co-founder Graham Russell, who was born in 1950; 38 Special co-founder Donnie Van Zant, who was born in 1952; Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana, who was born in 1956; “House” star Hugh Laurie, who was born in 1959; surgeon and TV personality Mehmet Oz, who was born in 1960; “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage, who was born in 1969; “Fringe” star Joshua Jackson, who was born in 1978; “Transformers” star Shia LeBeouf, who was born in 1986; former New York Liberty point guard Brittany Boyd, who was born in 1993; and “Pan’s Labyrinth” star Ivana Baquero, who was born in 1994.

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HEAD OF THE PACK: Vince Lombardi was born on this day in 1913. The Brooklyn native played football for Fordham’s famed “Seven Blocks of Granite” line in the mid-1930s, became a teacher and began to coach high school football. He became offensive line coach at West Point in 1949 and moved to the New York Giants in 1954. Five years later, he was named head coach of the Green Bay Packers. His Packers won five NFL titles and two Super Bowls in nine years, and Lombardi was generally known as the greatest coach and finest motivator in pro football history. He died in 1970 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

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VOICE OF AMERICA: “American Idol” premiered on this day in 2002. Fox’s phenomenally successful talent show was based on a British program. Singers competed for a major-label record deal while being judged by a panel of highly critical music experts, including Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. The audience voted for favorites online or by phone. Fox canceled the show in 2016 but it was revived by ABC in 2018.

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

Quotable:

“We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.”
— Vince Lombardi, who was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1913