Brooklyn Boro

July 7: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

July 7, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1938, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “ALBANY — Democrats’ hopes of victory for the proposed amendment to erase New York’s constitutional ban on gambling were raised today when former Gov. Alfred E. Smith assumed leadership of the advocates in the Constitutional Convention. Smith was expected to climax the proponents’ arguments for the measure in the debate now nearing its close. They relied on his strength to turn the tide. He has been successful in two other important battles before the convention — searches, seizures and wire-tapping, and an amendment requiring the state to pay the full cost of railroad grade crossing eliminations. At the same time, the Republican leaders revised their strategy, hinting they would strive to delay the measure from being put to an immediate vote at the conclusion of the debate.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, an Eagle columnist said, “There’s a suspicion in my mind that our three-term mayor is having some fun with us. Certainly among the final favors Mr. LaGuardia has conferred on the ‘peace and democracy’ of millions who live under his benign reign his performance of last Sunday takes the bun. The Newspaper Delivery Union strike furnished the inspiration. He said that for the duration he’d have someone at the Municipal microphone reading ‘the funnies’ for the children of our big town. And then he gave an illustration. That’s where the fun began. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No — it was Superman. Or it was Jack Armstrong the All-American Boy. Or the wonderful Buck Rogers or Tom Mix, or beneath the ten-gallon hat the Lone Ranger rode again. Atta boy, Butch! Application is hereby made for the job of writing the script. Just think of the material. The Joe McGoldrick Conspiracy with Newbold Morris as the hero. The Theft of the A.L.P. with Bill O’Dwyer as the big bad Brigadier. Good Government Gone Fluey with Judge Goldstein in the stellar role. Putting the Skids Under Mussolini with The Hat in person. Three Men on a Platform with Sidney Hillman reading the platform declaring that O’Dwyer, Impellitteri and Joseph will carry on the noble traditions of the LaGuardia government. That will make the mayor feel like a pickled prune.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “The 12-man marijuana squad of the Sanitation Department went back to an East New York lot today to finish the job of cleaning out a 1,000-pound patch of the weed on which they started work yesterday. The squad, headed by Chief Inspector John E. Gleason, swooped down on the 150-by-150-foot lot at Livonia Ave. and Warwick St. after uprooting some 500 pounds of marijuana in another lot at Bay 49th St. and Harway Ave. — directly opposite Public School 212 in Bath Beach. By quitting time last night about 500 pounds had been taken from the East New York lot, and Gleason said the day’s work represented the largest haul yet made in the borough. He estimated another 500 pounds remained in the East New York lot. He said the squad plans to cover a lot near the Linden Houses project on Linden Boulevard on Monday to check a report the weed was growing there.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “The hot and hectic holiday weekend was over today with a record number of traffic fatalities for a three-day July 4 weekend and a total of 587 persons meeting violent deaths. Slaughter on the highways led the list with 345 deaths counted up to last midnight. The figure, although an all-time record, fell far short of the 430 highway fatalities predicted by the National Safety Council. A United Press survey indicated that from 6 p.m. last Thursday to midnight yesterday, 170 persons drowned, seven died in plane crashes, 63 were killed in miscellaneous accidents and only two died as a result of fireworks.”  

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — President Eisenhower declared today that he is completely and unalterably opposed to the admission of Red China to the United Nations under present circumstances. The president, however, said he had not reached any decision that the United States should withdraw from the UN if China gets in. Such a course has been urged by Senate Republican leader William F. Knowland and several others in Congress. Some Senators have expressed opposition to any such action. The president told his news conference that the withdrawal question, if it arose, should be considered long and calmly, and that it should not be prejudged at this time. The president at the same time lashed out at the international conduct of the Red China regime. He said it was guilty of aggression and some of the worst possible diplomatic deportment known.”

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Ringo Starr
Scott Gries/Invision/AP
Michelle Kwan
Luiz C. Ribiero/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include former “Tonight Show” bandleader Doc Severinsen, who was born in 1927; historian and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient David McCullough, who was born in 1933; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ringo Starr (The Beatles), who was born in 1940; “The Shining” star Shelley Duvall, who was born in 1949; “Once and Again” star Billy Campbell, who was born in 1959; “Ally McBeal” star Vonda Shepard, who was born in 1963; “Mad TV” star Mo Collins, who was born in 1965; actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan, who was born in 1966; “CSI” star Jorja Fox, who was born in 1968; “A Different World” star Cree Summer, who was born in 1969; Olympic gold medalist and Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, who was born in 1972; and U.S. and World Figure Skating Hall of Famer Michelle Kwan, who was born in 1980.

Lisa Leslie
Dan Steinberg/AP

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FRONT PAIGE NEWS: Leroy “Satchel” Paige was born on this day in 1906. The native of Mobile, Alabama, was one of the greatest stars of the Negro Leagues. In 1948, at age 42, he became the first black pitcher in the American League and helped the Cleveland Indians win the World Series. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971 and died in 1982.

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WOMAN OF THE YEAR: Sandra Day O’Connor was announced as a nominee to the Supreme Court on this day in 1981. President Ronald Reagan, who pledged to appoint the first woman to the court during his campaign, formally nominated her on Aug. 19. She was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 99-0 on Sept. 21 and served on the court until her retirement in 2006.

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

Quotable:

“Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw strikes. Home plate don’t move.”

— Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel Paige, who was born on this day in 1906.

 

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