February 1: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

ON THIS DAY IN 1933, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The Weather Bureau calculated its calculations today and found — what your ordinary citizen had suspected all along — that the month of January, which ended at midnight, was fairly warm as Januarys go. The average temperature was 40.4 or 9 1/2 degrees above the normal for the month. Only one January on the bureau’s records had a higher average. That was a year ago, when the average was 42.8. The January rain and snow amounted to 1.53 inches as against a normal of 3.66. The highest single temperature was 62 on the 23rd day and the lowest 14 on New Year’s Day. As to the weather for the next six weeks, forecaster James H. Scarr said he didn’t know what it would be, but he suggested maybe the groundhog would tell tomorrow, which is Groundhog Day.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “Climaxing plans which first took definite form as far back as 1899, the new Brooklyn Central Library at Grand Army Plaza officially opens to the public today following a brief ceremony yesterday during which Borough President [John] Cashmore envisioned the institution as ‘the number one library of the United States in 1951.’ The borough president, as an ex-officio member of the Brooklyn Public Library board, delivered the principal address at exercises accompanying a preview of the library’s children’s room. Guests at the preview included city and library officials, educators, leaders in child welfare work and others interested in children’s books, among whom were authors, artists, reviewers and editors of books and magazines for children. One of the most keenly interested spectators was Jennifer Pyne, 11-year-old daughter of Mrs. Mabel Pyne, who, as the only youngster on hand, made the most of enjoying the distinction of being the first of the borough’s hundreds of thousands of boys and girls to inspect the facilities of the mecca for juvenile readers.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — Moscow dispatches said today that the Red Army was hurling the Germans back across the Oder River, last defense barrier before Berlin, and was believed to have reached the east bank some 40 miles from the capital. Unconfirmed reports placed the Russians on the Oder opposite Frankfurt, 39 miles southeast of Berlin, Moscow said, and the Germans conceded that other forces had broken through to the eastern edge of Kustrin, 18 miles north of Frankfurt and 42 miles east of the capital. Neutral sources said the rumble of guns already could be heard in Berlin, and from an ‘unimpeachable military authority’ in Brussels came a report that the German government was leaving the capital, ‘probably for Berchtesgaden,’ Adolf Hitler’s Bavarian home. The Brussels informant said, however, there was no indication that Hitler himself was leaving Berlin.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “OXFORD, MISS. (UPI) — James Meredith registered without incident yesterday for the second semester at the University of Mississippi, but another Negro, Dewey Roosevelt Greene Jr., apparently tried and failed to gain admission. Greene, 22, whose application to the university was rejected by mail, walked alone into the admissions office shortly after noon and emerged about 45 minutes later. Greene would not comment on what transpired. He drove off campus with another Negro youth who had waited for him in a car. The only comment he made as he entered was to confirm he was seeking admission. Meredith arrived an hour earlier and registered after a 15-minute conference with the University chancellor, John D. Williams. Newsmen were barred from a major part of the campus but Justice Department attorney John Doar told them Meredith registered after separate conferences with Williams, history Professor Russell Barrett and political science Professor Noland Fortenberry. The procedure yesterday contrasted sharply with the morning last Oct. 1 when Meredith first registered. On that occasion, Meredith had to walk across a campus littered with tear gas shells and other debris from 14 hours of bloody rioting.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include original “Saturday Night Live” star Garrett Morris, who was born in 1937; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), who was born in 1950; X singer Exene Cervenka, who was born in 1956; “RFK” star Linus Roache, who was born in 1964; “Twin Peaks” star Sherilyn Fenn, who was born in 1965; National Soccer Hall of Famer Michelle Akers, who was born in 1966; “Princess Diaries” author Meg Cabot, who was born in 1967; singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, who was born in 1968; “Dexter” star Michael C. Hall, who was born in 1971; TV personality Lauren Conrad, who was born in 1986; “Glee” star Heather Morris, who was born in 1987; mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey, who was born in 1987; and One Direction singer Harry Styles, who was born in 1994.

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ALL RISE: The Supreme Court of the U.S. met for the first time on this day in 1790. The session was held in New York City with Chief Justice John Jay presiding.

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MAKING AMENDS: Today is Freedom Day, the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s approval of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution (abolishing slavery). The amendment was proposed by Congress Jan. 31, 1865 and ratification was completed Dec. 6.

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PLAY ACTION: G.I. Joe was introduced on this day in 1964. The toy action figure was created by Hasbro and sold for $2.49. It was the first mass-market doll intended for boys and was a great success. The figure’s name came from the 1945 film “The Story of G.I. Joe,” starring Robert Mitchum and Burgess Meredith.

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

Quotable:

“When a man starts out to build a world, he starts first with himself.”

— poet Langston Hughes, who was born on this day in 1902