August 27: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 27, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1846, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Long Island — the saddest fight, for us, that occurred during the long contest our fathers held for their national independence. Seventy years ago today, Washington stood on our Island shores, and wrung his hands, while tears of the bitterest anguish gathered on his cheeks — sighs of agitated passion which he is said never to have given way to, on any other occasion, before or afterward! He found the ‘Maryland regiment,’ composed of young men — the flower of some of the finest families in the South — cut to atoms in that disastrous slaughter! He found the first battle where he commanded in person going against him — and at night three thousand of the troops Congress had entrusted to his care, either lifeless as the cold ground on which they lay, or prisoners in the hands of an enemy whose barbarous treatment of them, he well knew, would be little preferable to death! No wonder that, in that dreary hour, the soul of one elsetime as serene as a god’s, felt sick within him. No wonder his lips shed words of agony, bitter as blood-drops from a wounded heart. Ah, we who live in the ease of profit and security of the present can but poorly realize such a day as the 27th of August, 1776.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “Secretary [Cordell] Hull today told Japan and China they must respect American rights and interests in the Far East and must be responsible for damages to this government or its citizens as a result of hostile operations. Although he did not directly connect this notice with a reported threat by Japan to blockade Chinese ports, Hull said American consular officials had confirmed an announcement that Japan intended to enforce a blockade. The secretary added in a press conference that this government considers it is now in the position of having been officially informed of peaceful blockade intentions. The government, Hull said, is continuing to assemble ‘full facts’ as to the effects of such a blockade.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “Communist endorsement of his candidacy for re-election was rejected flatly by Mayor [Fiorello] LaGuardia today. Putting a quick end to a threatened uproar among his Republican supporters over the question of whether he would accept or reject the backing of the left wingers, the mayor promptly threw out the Communist party’s officially announced support and said that he agreed neither with Communist views nor Communist tactics. The mayor’s statement represented a seizure of the opportunity dropped in his lap to strike back at critics who have accused him of harboring Communist views. ‘I am not concerned or interested in what the Communist party does,’ the mayor said at the Summer City Hall in College Point. ‘I do not agree with their views or tactics. They know that. If they are interested in good municipal government, that is their affair. They will get no aid or comfort from me.’”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “A Fire Department notice went out to all police radio cars just before 1 p.m. today that the department’s high pressure pumping station at Furman and Joralemon Sts., the principal one in the borough, which supplies water for fire fighting from Brooklyn Heights to Bay Ridge, has ‘no appreciable water pressure.’ This was caused, the Fire Department said, by unauthorized use of fire hydrants by youngsters trying to cool off. Patrolmen were asked to check all hydrants, particularly in the Red Hook and South Brooklyn sections. Failure of pressure at the pumping station — one of two in Brooklyn — constitutes a ‘major fire hazard’ if fire breaks out in the area, declared Fire Commissioner Frank J. Quayle. The weather kept right on being hot today, and as the official temperature moved into the 90s — it was 91 degrees at noon — New York City formally recognized that a heat emergency exists. Mayor [William] O’Dwyer, to make things easier for at least some of the sweltering citizens, ordered a half-holiday because of the heat for all municipal employees except those in the Police and Fire Departments.”

***

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Once Upon a Time in America” star Tuesday Weld, who was born in 1943; “The Spy Who Loved Me” star Barbara Bach, who was born in 1946; “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” star Charles Fleischer, who was born in 1950; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alex Lifeson (Rush), who was born in 1953; “Prison Break” star Peter Stormare, who was born in 1953; “Inside Moves” star Diana Scarwid, who was born in 1955; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), who was born in 1956; New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was born in 1958; gospel star Yolanda Adams, who was born in 1961; “Grey’s Anatomy” star Chandra Wilson, who was born in 1969; Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Thome, who was born in 1970; “Scrubs” star Sarah Chalke, who was born in 1976; “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul, who was born in 1979; and track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie, who was born in 1990.

***

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT: The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed on this day in 1928. The signatory nations promised not to use war to resolve “disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them.” The pact was first signed by France, Germany and the U.S., who were ultimately joined by 58 other nations.

***

STOLEN MOMENTS: Rickey Henderson stole his 119th base of the season on this day in 1982, breaking the single-season record set by Lou Brock in 1974. Henderson stole 11 more that season to finish with 130. In 1991, Henderson also eclipsed Brock for most career steals when he stole his 939th in a game against the Yankees. He finished his career with 1,406. Both of his records still stand.

***

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

Quotable:

“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to see your music going from generation to generation.”

— Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, who was born on this day in 1953