June 14: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 14, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1865, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “In New York it is proposed to include in the celebration exercises on the 4th of July a parade of all the returned veterans, who are to be feted in return. We have not heard what the Common Council Committee propose to do in this city, but this feature of the New York programme commends itself for adoption. There are some hundreds of veterans now in Brooklyn, and our citizens and local authorities should honor them and the day by some public demonstration of welcome to the returned soldiers. The city appropriation for this purpose is limited, but money could readily be raised by subscription to give the veterans a banquet worthy of the occasion.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (A.P.) — The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended rejection of the Roosevelt court bill in blistering language today, branding it ‘a needless, futile and utterly dangerous abandonment of Constitutional principle.’ ‘It should be so emphatically rejected that its parallel will never again be presented to the free representatives of the free people of America,’ said the report, signed by seven Democrats and three Republicans. The 10,000-word report echoed virtually all the objections raised to the measure in seven weeks of hearings. It said the bill would not accomplish its purpose, would destroy the independence of the judiciary and would make the government ‘one of men rather than one of law. It contains,’ the majority said, ‘the germ of a system of centralized administration of law that would enable an Executive so minded to send his judges into every judicial district in the land to sit in judgment on controversies between the government and the citizen.’ As the controversial measure finally reached the Senate after more than four months of nationwide debate, administration senators said they virtually had abandoned its proposal for adding five new judges to the Supreme Court at once.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “Democratic and Republican leaders today continued behind-the-scenes shadow-boxing in search of mayoralty nominees and the G.O.P. camp has decided to defer any selection until the chaotic political scene becomes settled. With the return to the city of Edward J. Flynn, powerful Bronx Democratic chieftain, it is expected the five county Democratic leaders will soon start closed conferences towards selection of a candidate to succeed Mayor [William] O’Dwyer. Despite reports that Mr. Flynn has cooled toward Borough President [John] Cashmore and is now leaning towards Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan for the nomination, the Bronx chieftain indicated that the race is still wide open. ‘I have no candidate at this time,’ Mr. Flynn asserted when asked if he was supporting either Mr. Cashmore or the Manhattan prosecutor.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “HAMBURG, GERMANY (U.P.) — U.S. High Commission and West German authorities announced today that eight tons of anti-aircraft shells, bound for Guatemala, had been confiscated in the port of Hamburg. American authorities in the West German capital at Bonn said the arms shipment was spotted by U.S. agents while being shipped overland from Switzerland to be loaded aboard a vessel, bound from Hamburg to the Central American republic. West German officials confirmed they seized the 20-millimeter shells at the request of U.S. authorities. American sources said the illicit arms were still being held at Hamburg, but German sources said they had returned to Switzerland. The seizure was said to have been made late last month after a large arms shipment from behind the Iron Curtain had reached Guatemala.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1954, Eagle editor and columnist Robert M. Grannis wrote, “Today is Flag Day and a lot of Americans won’t bother to pay any attention to it. Others will explore the attic and drag out the banner which guarantees their freedom. It will be dusty and worn and there will be moth holes here and there but the colors will remain intact. Nothing ever happens to the significance of this emblem and nothing ever will so long as folks retain even an ounce of appreciation. I decided to write about the flag today to answer a neighbor who thinks that nationalism is something to be ashamed of. Personally, I think he is an ass and I hope he reads this.”

***

Steffi Graf
Manfred Werner/Wikimedia Commons

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “The Jeffersons” star Marla Gibbs, who was born in 1931; U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, who was born in 1939; former President Donald Trump, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alan White (Yes), who was born in 1949; Culture Club singer Boy George, who was born in 1961; journalist and school choice activist Campbell Brown, who was born in 1968; Tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf, who was born in 1969; “Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody, who was born in 1978; “Glee” star Kevin McHale, who was born in 1988; and “Pretty Little Liars” star Lucy Hale, who was born in 1989.

Donald Trump
Shealah Craighead/Wikimedia Commons

***

HOT AND COLE: Nat King Cole recorded “The Christmas Song” for the first time on this day in 1946. The song was written by Mel Torme and Robert Wells in July 1945 during a blistering heat wave. Cole’s original recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.

***

BROOKLYN BENCHMARK: President Bill Clinton nominated Brooklyn native Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the U.S. Supreme Court on this day in 1993. The Senate confirmed her by a vote of 96-3 on Aug. 3. Ginsburg served until her death on Sept. 18, 2020 and was succeeded by Amy Coney Barrett.

***

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

Quotable:

“Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

— John Adams’ resolution to Congress, June 14, 1777