December 30: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 30, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1909, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “At five o’clock tomorrow afternoon, the first ticket will be sold on the new Manhattan Bridge, and continuously thereafter the structure, which has been built at a cost of $13,000,000, outside of land for approaches, will be turning a revenue into the city treasury. Public vehicular traffic will be admitted to the roadway after the formal opening, which starts at 2 o’clock. Automobiles and wagons will pay the regular 10-cent and 5-cent tolls that are collected on the other East River bridges. It is anticipated that there will be keen competition for the privilege of purchasing the first ticket, and arrangements are being made with the police department for regulation of crowds. The toll boxes at which tickets will be sold and collected were set up at either end of the roadway today, following their delivery yesterday afternoon. There are two at the Brooklyn end of the bridge and two at the Manhattan end, and all that remains to be done in respect to traffic is to man the little booths.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1928, the Eagle reported, “The retiring governor and the governor-elect are spending this, their last weekend before the inaugural, completing preparations for the change in administration of the state government that will occur on Tuesday at noon. Governor [Al] Smith, who will return to the sidewalks of New York after 25 years of public life, was the guest of honor last night at a dinner given to him by the Albany Chamber of Commerce at the DeWitt Clinton Hotel and attended by state and county officials as well as those of his adopted city. Franklin D. Roosevelt was resting at his country estate Crum Elbow, overlooking the Hudson at Hyde Park, confident that his cabinet, composed of Governor Smith’s experts and new members whose appointments have met with wide favor because of their ability, will enable him to carry through his legislative program and successfully combat the Republican majorities in the Senate and the Assembly.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “With the old year fast running out, officials in the borough and citywide governments, several of whom have already been sworn in, were preparing for the new year and new terms which start officially on Tuesday. Preparations have been completed for the ceremonies at City Hall when Mayor-elect William O’Dwyer, the man who rode to the pinnacle as the arch foe of the Brooklyn underworld, takes over the reins from Fiorello H. LaGuardia. The Mayor-elect will take over at noon, following a session with his predecessor, who is to ‘go into the business of writing and thinking’ with a couple of fat radio contracts to tide him over. Among those who will participate in the ceremonies will be a host of brand new department heads, as well as a few holdovers, notably Robert Moses, who will serve as coordinator of public works under the postwar program for the city. Borough President John Cashmore has already taken the oath of office for his new term. Mr. Cashmore flew back Friday from a short visit in the South and took over at the last Board of Estimate meeting of the year, a session which lasted until well in the evening.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “BERKELEY, CAL. (U.P.) — A leading authority on smog said today the ‘genius’ of science had created the air pollution menace currently plaguing American cities and he said the profession had a ‘deep-seated responsibility’ to solve the problem. Lauren B. Hitchcock, president of the Southern California Air Pollution Foundation, blamed the ‘unwelcome byproducts’ of science’s ‘inventions, processes and machines’ for the smog crisis. ‘The concentration of these products with all their factories in expanding cities is contributing an atmospheric loading to a degree which is arousing concern in laymen and scientists as well,’ he said. ‘We in technology must promptly undertake comprehensive programs directed at finding suitable remedies before more lasting damage ensues. Surely the same genius which brought forth these sources of pollution can contrive the cures. A deep-seated responsibility rests upon science and engineers.’”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Baseball Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who was born in Brooklyn in 1935; former NFL player Jim Marshall, who was born in 1937; singer-songwriter Paul Stookey, who was born in 1937; “Cheers” co-creator Jim Burrows, who was born in 1940; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jeff Lynne (ELO), who was born in 1947; TV personality Meredith Vieira, who was born in 1953; “Moesha” star Sheryl Lee Ralph, who was born in 1956; actress and comedian Tracey Ullman, who was born in 1959; political commentator Sean Hannity, who was born in 1961; former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was born in 1963; golfer Tiger Woods, who was born in 1975; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Eliza Dushku, who was born in 1980; and L.A. Lakers forward LeBron James, who was born in 1984.

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BEST WESTERN: “The Roy Rogers Show” premiered on TV on this day in 1951. It starred Rogers and his wife Dale Evans, Pat Brady as Rogers’ sidekick who drove a jeep named Nellybelle, the singing group Sons of the Pioneers, Rogers’ horse Trigger, Evans’ horse Buttermilk and a German shepherd named Bullet. The half-hour show was especially popular with young viewers.

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THE FULL MONTY: “Let’s Make a Deal” premiered on this day in 1963. Monty Hall hosted the outrageous and no-skill-required game show. Audience members, many of whom wore costumes, were selected to sit in the trading area, and some were picked to “make a deal” with Hall by trading something of their own for something they were offered. At the end of the show, the two people who had won the most were given the option to trade their winnings for a chance at the “Big Deal” hidden behind one of three doors. A 21st-century revival is hosted by Wayne Brady.

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

Quotable:

“I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.”

— Baseball Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, who was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1935