Brooklyn Boro

October 19: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

October 19, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “PEARL HARBOR (U.P.) — Tokyo reported today that an American fleet, accompanied by transports, had broken into the Leyte Gulf in the Central Philippines, was bombarding the shoreline and already may have landed invasion troops on tiny Suluan Island, 425 miles southeast of Manila. Manila itself and nearby Clark Field were raided by 270 carrier-borne planes in four waves this morning, a Manila broadcast recorded by FCC monitors said. It claimed 19 of the raiders were shot down. The attack on the Leyte Gulf, if confirmed, would appear to be the first blow in an American offensive to cut the Philippines in two, splitting off Luzon with the capital city of Manila, from Mindanao, principal island in the south. A Japanese Imperial headquarters communique reported that the American fleet began its attack on the Leyte Gulf on the eastern perimeter of the Philippines Tuesday (Monday, Pearl Harbor time) and had been shelling and bombing the coastline of the islands ringing it since yesterday afternoon.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “Floyd Bennett Field was officially in the hands of the city today and the navy was in the process of moving out of the Administration Building and into the former Waves quarters at the south end of the area. Capt. Carlos Wieber, commanding the naval air station, yesterday signed a lease, drawn in general terms without mentioning any financial arrangements, which surrenders the field to the city on a temporary basis. The understanding is that the charge will be only $1 a year. Although no city officials were present at the signing, Capt. Wieber said that the permit authorizing the transfer would be forwarded to the City Council. A formal lease will be drawn up later. The present document allows the city to enter and prepare the field for commercial use.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “Democratic opponents of Mayor [Vincent] Impellitteri opened their challenge of the mayor’s independent nominating petitions in Manhattan Supreme Court today with a prediction that less than 4,000 signatures will be declared valid, far less than the required 7,500. William J. O’Shea, chairman of the Democratic state law committee, said checks of the petitions showed there were only 7,318 valid signatures at present and that thousands of additional signatures would be ruled out before the case is finished. He said 13,485 signers had failed to register, as they are required to do. Even the Impellitteri forces sharply reduced their claims of validity. Of the 24,000-odd signatures on the petitions, between 9,000 and 10,000 will stand up in court, John P. McGrath, the mayor’s legal defense, said. Justice William H. Munson, upstate jurist assigned to the case, objected to a proposal by McGrath to have a line-by-line check of the petitions to determine who had registered. In his defense, McGrath, however, may be able to force the detailed check.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “The coming November elections may hold up the grand jury investigation of illegal voting in the 17th A.D. Democratic primary. James M. Power, president of the Board of Elections, said today that the weeks preceding the Nov. 6 election day are the busiest of the year for his office and that he would be hard-pressed to give up vital voting records to the district attorney’s office. Aaron E. Koota, in charge of the Rackets Bureau investigating the alleged illegal voting, indicated that his office would not interfere with voters’ privileges. Power, who was a witness before the grand jury explaining the mechanics of voting procedures, said the grand jury indicated a willingness to postpone the hearings until after the November elections. The 17th A.D. is in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community with a voting registration of 26,434, the second smallest registration in the county. Although some fifty election inspectors from the 17th A.D. have been removed from office, Power said today that he felt their actions were ‘careless rather than criminal.’ One of the problems concerning this case is the obsolescence of present day voting machines that do not allow for multiple voting. Mr. Power indicated that by next year new machines will be in use.”

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Evander Holyfield
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
Rebecca Ferguson
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include The Earls singer Larry Chance, who was born in 1940; “Harry Potter” star Michael Gambon, who was born in 1940; “Rock Your Baby” singer George McCrae, who was born in 1944; “3rd Rock from the Sun” star John Lithgow, who was born in 1945; political activist Grover Norquist, who was born in 1956; Grammy and Tony winner Jennifer Holliday, who was born in 1960; International Boxing Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield, who was born in 1962; “The Mandalorian” creator Jon Favreau, who was born in 1966; “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker, who was born in 1969; former “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Kattan, who was born in 1970; “Community” star Gillian Jacobs, who was born in 1982; and “Doctor Sleep” star Rebecca Ferguson, who was born in 1983.

Trey Parker
Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

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THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN: The surrender of Yorktown took place on this day in 1781. More than 7,000 English and Hessian troops, led by British Gen. Charles Cornwallis, surrendered to Gen. George Washington at Yorktown, Va., effectively ending the war between Britain and its American colonies. There were no more major battles, but the provisional treaty of peace was not signed until Nov. 30, 1782. The final Treaty of Paris was signed on Sept. 3, 1783.

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BENCHMARK: John Jay was sworn in as the first chief justice of the U.S. on this day in 1789. He resigned to become the second governor of New York (1795-1801). He also signed the Treaty of Paris (1783) and the U.S. Constitution (1787) and co-wrote The Federalist Papers (1787-88). He died in 1829.

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

 

Quotable:

“A setback only paves the way for a comeback.”

— former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, who was born on this day in 1962

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