Brooklyn Boro

September 2: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

September 2, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1931, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “[Infantile] paralysis cases reported today totaled 53, of which 20 were in Brooklyn and 12 in Queens. Yesterday the total was 71 new cases, so today’s figures were construed by Health Commissioner [Shirley] Wynne as a continued gradual lessening of the epidemic. In Weehawken, N.J., the School Board today decided to follow the lead of New York and postpone opening of school. Instead of starting Sept. 8, sessions there will start Sept. 14. In New York, the schools will not open until Sept. 22.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1932, the Eagle reported, “New York City, the state and the nation today had been thrown into a state of unprecedented political chaos by the dramatic eleventh-hour surrender of the mayoralty by Jimmy Walker. Tammany, faced with a life and death battle for its existence and fat patronage within a fortnight, promptly began whetting its knives to sink into Governor [Franklin] Roosevelt’s back on election day. The same knives were being pointed for Lt. Gov. Herbert H. Lehman, Roosevelt favorite, in the contest for the Democratic nomination for governor. Republicans from Washington to California, from Montauk Point to Niagara Falls, were gleeful at the pitfall Jimmy Walker and Tammany placed in the Roosevelt presidential path. Walker’s resignation under the heaviest fire to which a mayor of New York has ever been subjected ended with a clarion call to Tammany. ‘To that forum, the people of the City of New York, I leave my case in the spirit of true Democracy.’ This was accepted as announcement that Walker, unless the courts should void the scheme, intends to dictate his nomination to Tammany and the McCooey machine and stage a fight for ‘vindication’ this fall.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “SHANGHAI (A.P.) — Japanese air squadrons dumped bombs on the northern borders of the International Settlement in a sunset air raid tonight, just missing the sandbag sectors defended by American Marines. Bombs played havoc with life and property, but, apparently, achieved no military objective. Shrapnel fell above the U.S. Marine post. The American lines were directly in the range of fire. The steel-helmeted Marines were in imminent danger of serious casualties in case Japanese air bombers or naval gunners overshot their marks, the Chinese government and other administrative buildings … According to a copyrighted dispatched by the United Press, United States merchant ships will be given naval escort to protect them in Shanghai waters. Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, United States fleet commander, announced that vessels flying the American flag would be escorted by at least one naval vessel.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “From his desk at the Summer City Hall overlooking the World’s Fair, Mayor [Fiorello] LaGuardia told the people of New York City today, in a voice deep with emotion, to enjoy ‘Labor’s annual holiday’ and leave worrying about the foreign situation to him. ‘If there’s any worrying to do, I’ll do it. That’s why you pay me,’ he said. All of the city’s recreational facilities will be open this weekend, he said, and special low admission rates will prevail at the World’s Fair. Fruit and vegetables, he said, are ‘most plentiful,’ according to the commissioner of markets, and there will be ‘no rationing of food’ here. ‘Normal life goes on as usual in this great metropolitan and cosmopolitan city,’ he declared. The mayor assured his listeners on a radio broadcast that ‘life and property’ will be safe and made a plea for help in protecting life and property of ‘nationals of foreign governments’ in accordance with law. Commenting that there were numerous places throughout the city adequate for meetings, he said definitely that ‘gatherings, demonstrations and congregations in front of or adjacent to offices of foreign consults at this time cannot be permitted’ and he added his hope that there would be no ‘provocation’ at meetings discussing foreign affairs. The mayor urged New Yorkers to respect the varying opinions of their neighbors. ‘The battles will be fought on the fields of Europe,’ he pointed out. ‘They cannot be fought or settled on the streets of New York.’”

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Keanu Reeves
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Salma Hayek
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include horse trainer and U.S. Racing Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who was born in 1935; former Commissioner of Baseball Peter Ueberroth, who was born in 1937; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rosalind Ashford (Martha and the Vandellas), who was born in 1943; Hockey Hall of Famer Glen Sather, who was born in 1943; Basketball Hall of Famer Nate Archibald, who was born in 1948; Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw, who was born in 1948; “NCIS” star Mark Harmon, who was born in 1951; International Tennis Hall of Famer Jimmy Connors, who was born in 1952; Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, who was born in 1960; “Bill & Ted Face the Music” star Keanu Reeves, who was born in 1964; former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, who was born in 1965; “Frida” star Salma Hayek, who was born in 1966; and N.Y. Rangers playoff hero Stephane Matteau, who was born in 1969.

Mark Harmon
Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP

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COIN OF THE REALM: The third presidential cabinet department, the Treasury, was established by Congress on this day in 1789. Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first secretary by President George Washington. The department oversees the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

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UP TO THE CHALLENGE: Christa McAuliffe was born on this day in 1948. The high school teacher from Concord, N.H., was to have been the first “ordinary citizen” in space, but died along with six crew members in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on Jan. 28, 1986. Intermediate School 187 in Dyker Heights was renamed the Christa McAuliffe School in 1994.

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

 

Quotable:

“I touch the future. I teach.”

— Christa McAuliffe, who was born on this day in 1948

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