October 20: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

October 20, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “In just sixteen days the enrolled voters of the city will select a mayor to preside over the municipal government for the next four years, bringing to a close a campaign that has been marked by the apathy of the general public, the confidence of the reigning party and the complete demoralization of the minority organization. Mayor [Jimmy] Walker enters the final round of the campaign a 10 to 1 favorite. None but the most partisan of observers doubts that he will be re-elected by a plurality approaching, if not equaling or exceeding, his margin of some 450,000 votes in 1925. Congressman Fiorello H. LaGuardia, carrying the Republican banner at his own insistence and in spite of the objections of the more conservative members of the organization, comes to the end of the campaign in a frantic state of mind. High-hatted by the more influential members of the Republican party, tolerated by the middle class GOPs and enjoyed by the remainder whom he entertains with his vocal outbursts and spectacular antics — much after the fashion of a country evangelist coaxing the multitude to its knees — LaGuardia is due to run a poor second to Walker.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “GENERAL MacARTHUR’S HEADQUARTERS, LEYTE, PHILIPPINES (U.P.) — Gen. Douglas MacArthur today led an army of possibly 250,000 men back to the Philippines in a 600-ship armada, the greatest of the Pacific war, and drove inland on Leyte Island to within gunshot of the excellent Tacloban airfield against light Japanese resistance. MacArthur himself stepped onto Philippine soil in the bright sunlight only a few hours after thousands of American assault troops swarmed ashore under cover of the greatest naval bombardment yet to blast the Japanese. Veteran jungle troops, including every living survivor of MacArthur’s epic journey from Bataan and Corregidor, landed on the 75-mile east coast of Leyte Island, in the central Philippines … As he returned to the islands, MacArthur broadcast to the Philippines people the fulfillment of his pledge made when he arrived in Australia from Corregidor: ‘I have returned. By the grace of God almighty, our force stands on Philippine soil, soil consecrated in the blood of our two people.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “OKLAHOMA CITY (U.P.) — Warren Spahn of the Braves allowed only five hits as his Y.M.C.A. baseball benefit team defeated a squad managed by Yankee manager Casey Stengel, 2 to 1, yesterday. Spahn went the distance to strike out eight and walk two. He won his own game in the seventh with a double to left center, scoring Pete Runnels, Senator shortstop. The crowd, estimated at 9,700, was disappointed in the performance of Mickey Mantle. The New York outfielder could muster only a single in five times at bat for his home state fans.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “LOS ANGELES (U.P.) — The first supersonic combat planes in history, believed capable of speeds approaching 800 miles an hour, were removed from the secret list today as they began to roll from the assembly line. The new F-100 super-Sabres were expected by air officers to give the United States a commanding lead in the global race for jet supremacy. The Air Force guardedly revealed details of the F-100’s spectacular performance when the number one production model was wheeled from the factory of North American Aviation, builder of the F-86 Sabre of Korean war fame. It was disclosed that the test model, the YF-100, exceeded the speed of sound in level flight during its first turn in the air last May 25 with George Welch, North American test pilot, at the controls. A more streamlined fighter than the Sabre, the F-100 can fight at high speed altitudes above 50,000 feet, which means it can take on the most advanced bombers of which there is public knowledge.”

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Kamala Harris
White House via Wikimedia Commons

Keith Hernandez
slgckgc via Wikimedia Commons

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson, who was born in 1937; Baseball Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, who was born in 1937; “Boy Meets World” star William Russ, who was born in 1950; Foreigner co-founder Al Greenwood, who was born in 1951; “thirtysomething” star Melanie Mayron, who was born in 1952; broadcaster and former N.Y. Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez, who was born in 1953; Oscar-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle, who was born in 1956; “Little Miss Sunshine” co-director Valerie Faris, who was born in 1958; “Green Book” star Viggo Mortensen, who was born in 1958; U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who was born in 1964; “Cobra Kai” star William Zabka, who was born in 1965; political commentator Michelle Malkin, who was born in 1970; three-time NBA All-Star Eddie Jones, who was born in 1971; and model and philanthropist Candice Swanepoel, who was born in 1988.

Michelle Malkin
Republic Country Club via Wikimedia Commons

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MANTLE OF GREATNESS: Mickey Mantle was born 90 years ago today. The Oklahoma native won 12 pennants and seven championships during his career with the N.Y. Yankees (1951-68). The switch-hitting outfielder was the American League MVP in 1956, 1957 and 1962 and won the Triple Crown in 1956. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and died in 1995.

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TERROR STRIKES: On this day in 1981, six members of the Black Liberation Army and four members of the May 19th Communist Organization robbed a Brink’s armored car at the Nanuet Mall in Nanuet, N.Y. They shot six people, killing three: Brink’s guard Peter Paige and Nyack Police Officers Edward O’Grady and Waverly Brown. Brink’s guard Joseph Trombino survived his wounds only to be killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Quotable:

“I always loved the game, but when my legs weren’t hurting it was a lot easier to love.”

— Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, who was born on this day in 1931