December 17: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 17, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1922, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “Uncle Sam must get busy on one of two things — peace or war. War is brewing in Europe. But if war comes to Europe, it will not be confined to Europe. It will spread all over the world. The United States cannot escape it, despite the rhetorical theorists who confidently cling to the poetic idea of ‘magnificent isolation.’ Even now the trouble pots are a-boiling. Here’s the news: The French seem determined to enter the Ruhr district, unless the Germans meet their indemnity payments. The Germans say they cannot meet them. The French are eager to occupy German territory. There are two reasons for such occupations, which eventually would result in an actual annexation of parts of Germany to France. One reason is the acquisition of rich German territory. Another reason is to make the increasing German population in these German districts French and turn them from the increasing tide of fighting men for the future. Clemenceau in his first speech in America said: ‘If we had known that the peace conditions would not be kept, we would have gone to Berlin.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, DEC. 16 (U.P.) — Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters said today Christmas gifts will be distributed not only to dependent children and military hospitals in the Far East, but to fighting troops in Korea. The date of delivery of presents in Korea will depend on the tactical situation at the time, a spokesman said. MacArthur’s headquarters, in a message to the Pentagon here, said more than 500,000 pounds of Christmas gifts from the United States organizations are expected to be delivered in the Far East command in time for distribution on Christmas Day. Gifts for United States and United Nations personnel in Far East hospitals will be distributed by the Red Cross. Military personnel and chaplains of the various services will handle the distribution of gift parcels in Korea and to Naval personnel in the fleet on duty in Korean waters, MacArthur’s headquarters said.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “NEW ORLEANS (U.P.) — Dorothy Dix, the spry little woman in whom a nation confided its most intimate heartaches and problems for 55 years, will be buried here tomorrow with her own words as her eulogy. The pioneer newspaperwoman and original ‘sob sister’ of the journalistic world — whose real name, Mrs. Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, was as obscure as the sorrows, troubles and sacrifices which dogged her 90 years of life — died at Touro Infirmary here at 1:40 p.m. yesterday. For the past 20 months she had been a semi-conscious invalid as the result of a stroke of paralysis. Funeral arrangements were tentatively scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. A family spokesman said Miss Dix — whose advice to the lovelorn was read everywhere the English language is known — wrote her own eulogy in 1929. ‘I had a passion for newspaper work and I set about learning my trade with the zeal of a fanatic,’ she wrote in a short autobiography. ‘I studied the backs off books of synonyms and word books and dictionaries. I lived newspapers, I ate newspapers, I dreamed newspapers and I dare say I shall go on doing this until I die. For when you are born with a thirst for printer’s ink, there is no cure for it until death writes ‘30’ at the bottom of your life copy.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “Rubin (Hurricane) Carter, 25-year-old Paterson, N.J. middleweight who has scored 11 knockouts in a 13-bout career, will try to extend his streak Saturday night, Dec. 22 at Madison Square Garden when he meets Gomeo Brennan of Bimini in the ten-round feature bout … Carter will be making his second start as a Garden headliner against Brennan. The Paterson middleweight is easily the busiest fighter in the ring today. Eleven of his 13 fights took place this year and nine of them ended by knockouts in his favor. In his debut as a Garden main-eventer on October 27, he stopped Florentino Fernandez, an experienced slugger with a highly touted punch, in one minute and nine seconds of the first round.”

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Ernie Hudson
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Avalon” star Armin Mueller-Stahl, who was born in 1930; Pope Francis, who was born in 1936; “Ghostbusters” star Ernie Hudson, who was born in 1945; “American Pie” star Eugene Levy, who was born in 1946; Oscar-winner Wes Studi, who was born in 1947; Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers, who was born in 1949; “Independence Day” star Bill Pullman, who was born in 1953; former N.Y. Mets pitcher Bob Ojeda, who was born in 1957; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mike Mills (R.E.M.), who was born in 1958; “The Walking Dead” star Laurie Holden, who was born in 1969; “American Horror Story” star Sarah Paulson, who was born in 1974; “Saving Private Ryan” star Giovanni Ribisi, who was born in 1974; “Resident Evil” star Milla Jovovich, who was born in 1975; boxer Manny Pacquiao, who was born in 1978; and “Raising Hope” star Shannon Woodward, who was born in 1984.

Milla Jovovich
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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IN THE SPIRIT: “A Christmas Carol” was published on this day in 1843. The Charles Dickens classic was published in a print run of 6,000 copies that sold out in one week. By Jan. 6, 1844, an additional 2,000 were sold. The reformation of Ebenezer Scrooge has remained immensely popular.

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THE WRIGHT STUFF: On this day in 1903, after three years of experimentation with kites and gliders, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first documented successful powered and controlled flights of an airplane. The flights, near Kitty Hawk, N.C., were sustained for less than one minute but represented the beginning of a new era in history.

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

Quotable:

“God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it.”

— Pope Francis, who was born on this day in 1936