July 16: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

July 16, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Action was taken by the Citizens Union in the Manhattan Supreme Court today to enjoin the further operation of WNYC, the New York City radio station, and “if necessary to close down the station altogether,” so as to keep it from being used for the spread of personal and political propaganda by Mayor [John] Hylan. This was done when Henry Fletcher, vice president of the union, through Leonard Wallstein, its counsel, brought a taxpayers’ suit asking for an injunction against WNYC. Justice McGoldrick signed an order to show cause, returnable on Monday, why the application should not be granted … The entire operation of the radio station, the plaintiff declares, is “nothing short of a scandal which threatens to grow increasingly serious as the time approaches for the designation of mayoralty candidates.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1936, the Eagle reported, “With the 1936 Olympic team safely at sea, bound for the games and armed to the teeth with competent, record-holding and record-breaking stars, some of the best minds were today already turning over the problem of avoiding an 11th-hour and undignified scramble for funds such as marked the embarkation aboard the transport S.S. Manhattan yesterday. One of the likeliest bidders for the 1940 games is Japan. The American team, if Japan gets the nod from the International Olympic Committee, will have to lay more cash on the barrel head than it did this year, if only because it is a longer trip. In certain fair-minded quarters it was not regarded as exactly an ideal state of affairs when some competitors had to take out a mortgage on the old farm, sell chances on a punchboard or rely on the credit of the parent of a field hockey player at the bank to get to Berlin. Theoretically, all Olympic sports are on par, yet in the allocation of American funds it became necessary to rank them, with men’s track and field and men’s and women’s swimming rated Nos. 1, 2 and 3, and the others more or less required to shift for themselves.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “The Democratic city leaders, claiming thousands of defections among the Republicans and independent supporters of Mayor LaGuardia in every borough, launched their drive today to capture control of the city government by naming District Attorney William O’Dwyer of Brooklyn as their unanimous designee for mayor. The prosecutor’s response to the action of the leaders was a prompt declaration expressing his acceptance of the designation and declaring he considered it to be a ‘high compliment’ to lead his party in the municipal campaign … The immediate response of city Democrats to the designation of the Kings County prosecutor, who smashed the murder-for-money ring within a few months of his assumption of control of the District Attorney’s office, was regarded as favorable. One exception was said to exist among Tammany die-hards who recalled that O’Dwyer received his appointment at former Acting Mayor Joseph V. McKee’s hands. The Tammany faction was grumbling that O’Dwyer was friendly to McKee, whose race for mayor on the Recovery party ticket split the city democracy in 1933 and helped to facilitate Mayor LaGuardia’s first-term election.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “‘The rising tide of juvenile delinquency can be stemmed by the mothers of the community,’ Mrs. Josephine Lagana, founder and honorary president of the McDonald Civic Center, said today. If the women take an active part in community affairs, directing their children to wholesome activities and fighting for those activities which are lacking, the problem can be licked, she said. Scores of decent children drift to corner gangs, are made victims of perversion, dope and rackets, because of a lack of interesting and enjoyable things to do. Speaking before a ‘town hall’ meeting of mothers held at the Esplanade Democratic Club, 1401 Kings Highway, Mrs. Lagana said that parents should work for the establishment of needed youth centers and community houses sponsoring athletic leagues, Boy and Girl Scout troops, Cub packs, and other social activities for youngsters.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include International Tennis Hall of Famer Margaret Court, who was born in 1942; Pro Football Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson, who was born in 1943; “Crossover Dreams” star Ruben Blades, who was born in 1948; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stewart Copeland (The Police), who was born in 1952; “Angels in America” playwright Tony Kushner, who was born in 1956; “V” star Faye Grant, who was born in 1957; “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” star Phoebe Cates, who was born in 1963; former “Saturday Night Live” star Will Ferrell, who was born in 1967; Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, who was born in 1968; “Stand by Me” star Corey Feldman, who was born in 1971; Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Women’s World Cup soccer champion Carli Lloyd, who was born in 1982; and “Nip/Tuck” star AnnaLynne McCord, who was born in 1987.

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A CAPITAL IDEA: On this day in 1790, President George Washington signed legislation that selected the District of Columbia as the permanent capital of the U.S. Boundaries of the district were established in 1792. Plans called for the government to remain housed at Philadelphia until 1800, when the new national capital would be ready for occupancy.

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THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: The first atomic bomb was tested on this day in 1945. The experimental plutonium bomb was set off at 5:30 a.m. in the New Mexico desert. Dubbed “Fat Boy” by its creator, it vaporized the steel scaffolding holding it as an immense fireball rose 8,000 feet in a fraction of a second, creating a mushroom cloud to a height of 41,000 feet. At ground zero the bomb emitted heat three times the temperature of the interior of the sun. All plant and animal life for a mile around ceased to exist.

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

Quotable:

“The only way to enjoy anything in this life is to earn it first.”

— entertainer Ginger Rogers, who was born on this day in 1911