January 19: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 19, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1902, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “With the coming of the new year, the coronation of King Edward and Queen Alexandra June 26 is the one topic uppermost in the minds of the people of London. For while the brilliant ceremony will be one of world-wide interest, it is in London that the great and glorious scenes associated with the event will be carried on. The days of mourning for the dead Queen [Victoria] are past, and the metropolis of the empire has set itself the stupendous task of eclipsing all previous efforts so far as spectacular displays go. London in June will be the scene of such magnificent pageantry and representation of power and might as will eclipse the glories of the jubilee celebrations of 1887 and 1897, and will provide, for all who have the privilege of seeing it, a vision of splendor unequaled in recent times.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “The city administration is highly resentful over Manhattan District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey’s claim that more than a million dollars of Independent Subway nickels were stolen, the Brooklyn Eagle learned from a source close to City Hall today. ‘Mr. Dewey will not and cannot establish an aggregate theft of as much as $20,000, let alone $1,300,000. It is preposterous to talk about 24,000,000 nickels having been stolen,’ the informant said. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, it is said, does not appreciate the impression created by Mr. Dewey that there was any such laxity in the city subway management. … This paper’s source declared that John H. Delaney, chairman of the Board of Transportation, which built and runs the city subway, recognizes that there has been some negligence, but in statements made to the press on Tuesday he minimized the loss. He said a steal-proof mechanism was being installed on the Independent System. … Mr. Delaney is not sympathetic with the District Attorney’s intention to send the nickel pilferers to prison, the Brooklyn Eagle informant declared, adding he was content to try the suspected employees and, if they were found guilty, to dismiss them from the city service. ‘They are poor workingmen,’ he is reported to have said to a friend, ‘and the loss of their civil service status and of their jobs and the disgrace for their families is sufficient punishment.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1955, the Eagle reported, “ALBANY — Legalization of off-track betting and lotteries was provided for today in bills introduced by Senator Harry Gittleson and Assemblyman Edward S. Lentol, Brooklyn Democrats. The Gittleson-Lentol proposals, which have been tossed in the legislative hopper several years running without success, call for the creation of state-licensed betting centers in any locality which chooses to permit parimutuel betting away from the race tracks. Their lottery bills would remove the Constitutional ban on such gambling devices for cities who want to raise funds for any local purpose approved by the Legislature or for aid to hospitals and anti-delinquency drives. In all, 526 bills were introduced by legislators yesterday.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “MILWAUKEE (UPI) — Hank Aaron, the Milwaukee Braves’ most valuable player in 1962, signed yesterday for his 10th season in the major leagues for a salary estimated at about $55,000. The 28-year-old slugger, who led the Braves last year with a .323 batting average, 45 home runs and 128 runs batted in, came to contract terms with president John McHale after a short conference. Aaron, whose brother Tommie joins him as one of the major leagues’ few brother teams, is the 13th Milwaukee player to sign for the 1963 season. … Aaron came up with the Braves in 1954 at the age of 20 after just two seasons in the minor leagues. Only twice since then has he failed to better .300 in batting, once in 1960 when he hit .292 and slammed home 126 runs on 40 home runs. The other time is in his rookie season when he hit .280 with 69 RBIs and only 13 home runs.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (UPI) — Senate liberals concluded yesterday that their anti-filibuster rule fight should be settled next week. They forecast that they have the votes to defeat Senate GOP Leader Everett M. Dirksen’s planned move to sidetrack the whole rules dispute. They also held a move of their own in reserve. ‘Senator Dirksen doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in you know where on his plan to try to table the pending rules motion,’ said Democratic Whip Hubert H. Humphrey. ‘He just doesn’t have the votes to table this matter.’ Dirksen, on the other hand, said he felt his motion was sure to carry. Humphrey said the Liberal bloc, which favors a rule change to allow a majority of the Senate — 51 members — to end a filibuster, may make its own move to end the current debate, claiming that the Constitution permits a Senate majority to cut short a talk-a-thon. This would be done through a point of order, which Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson would submit to the Senate for decision. That question, in turn, would be debatable. But Humphrey pointed out this debate also could be ended by a motion to table.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “The Birds” star Tippi Hedren, who was born in 1930; “Superman II” director Richard Lester, who was born in 1932; “Coach” star Shelley Fabares, who was born in 1944; Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton, who was born in 1946; chef and author Paula Deen, who was born in 1947; “Married… with Children” star Katey Sagal, who was born in 1954; comedian and singer Paul Rodriguez, who was born in 1955; former N.Y. Giants running back and Super Bowl XXV MVP Ottis Anderson, who was born in 1957; former N.Y. Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy, who was born in 1962; former “MADtv” star Frank Caliendo, who was born in 1974; Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who was born in 1982; and gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East, who was born in 1992.

Katey Sagal
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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THAT’S SO RAVEN: Edgar Allan Poe was born on this day in 1809. Called “America’s most famous man of letters,” he is remembered for his poems ( “The Bells,” “The Conqueror Worm,” “The Raven”) and his tales of suspense (“The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Gold Bug,” “The Fall of the House of Usher”). He died in 1849.

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Paul Cezanne was born in France on this day in 1839. The Post-Impressionist painter sought to “treat nature by the cylinder, the sphere, the cone.” His portraits, still lifes and landscapes are a seminal bridge from the Romantics and Impressionists to the Fauves, Cubists and later Modernists. He created such masterpieces as “The Bathers,” “The Card Players” and “Compotier, Pitcher and Fruit.” He died in 1906.

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

Quotable:

“A rhinestone shines just as good as a diamond.”

— Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton, who was born on this day in 1946