February 9: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

February 9, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1916, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — Inquiry into the nomination of Louis D. Brandeis of Boston to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court bench, caused by the death of Justice [Joseph Rucker] Lamar, was begun today before a sub-committee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. A number of witnesses, all protestants against Mr. Brandeis’ nomination, were on hand ready to testify. The committee later will consider numerous petitions from individuals and organizations urging confirmation which are before it. Because of the widespread interest in the nomination, the committee decided to hold public sessions. So far as known it is the first instance in which such a nomination has been inquired into except behind closed doors.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “Retail food prices in Brooklyn today reacted to last week’s commodity market slump and substantial decreases were indicated in several items. The Ft. Greene Retail Meat Market, Inc., led the way early this morning. Mrs. Frances Schulman, controller, said that ‘our prices are going to drop in anticipation of the recession in the livestock market.’ A spokesman for the H.C. Bohack Company, Inc., said there ‘may very well be a decrease in prices before the day is over. At present, the situation is pretty confused. People can’t seem to get themselves on the ground. We will be watching the market very carefully today.’ He attributed some of the retail price decreases to competition rather than the drop in the commodity market. This view was shared by the National Association of Retail Grocers. The Brooklyn picture was much the same as that across the country where meat, flour, bread and lard prices were cut. William H. Eden, vice president of American Stores Company, said at Philadelphia that ‘if wholesale markets continue to drop, there will be price reductions all along the line from soap to syrup. The whole price structure should come down if the wholesale trend continues.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “SANDRINGHAM, ENGLAND (U.P.) — The royal family gave King George VI back to his loving subjects today. Hundreds of workers and tenants on the royal estate who knew him as squire and ‘guvnor’ as well as king filed sorrowfully past the plain wooden coffin lying in little St. Mary Magdalene Church. They were only the vanguard of tens of thousands of Britons from peers to commoners who will pay George VI final homage while he lies in state in great Westminster Hall in London next week. The royal family accompanied the coffin from Sandringham House 250 yards across the grass lawns of the royal estate to the church in a torchlight procession last night. But even as 200 estate workers, woodmen and gamekeepers began lining up to await the opening of the church doors, Queen Elizabeth II slipped inside again this morning for what may be her final private tribute to her father. The 25-year-old queen, garbed in black and obviously emotionally and physically tired, walked alone slowly through the yew trees from the royal residence to the church. She emerged a few minutes later and walked back to Sandringham House to take up pressing affairs of state.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (UPI) — President [John] Kennedy is drafting a personal message to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev prodding him to get Russian military forces out of Cuba, informed sources said today. The White House confined itself to saying no such message had been sent within the last few days. However, Press Secretary Pierre Salinger noted that Kennedy made it clear at his Thursday news conference that negotiations on the Soviet troops have been underway. The president discussed the negotiations in general terms when asked about Khrushchev’s promise during last October’s missile crisis that the troops would be removed ‘in due course.’ Kennedy said the prolonged presence of 17,000 Russian military personnel, including 6,000 formed into four combat units, was a ‘matter of concern.’ He said it was an item of ‘unfinished business’ left hanging from the crisis showdown. Moves by the president to press Khrushchev on the troop situation would draw strong support in Congress, which has been embroiled in debate over Cuba.”

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Michael B. Jordan
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Songwriters Hall of Famer Barry Mann, who was born in Brooklyn in 1939; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carole King, who was born in 1942; Oscar-winning actor Joe Pesci, who was born in 1943; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, who was born in 1944; “Rosemary’s Baby” star Mia Farrow, who was born in 1945; “Who’s the Boss?” star Judith Light, who was born in 1949; N.Y. Mets World Series hero Mookie Wilson, who was born in 1956; former NASA Chief Astronaut Peggy Whitson, who was born in 1960; country singer Travis Tritt, who was born in 1963; former N.Y. Mets catcher Todd Pratt, who was born in 1967; Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, who was born in 1975; “The Deuce” star and former Sheepshead Bay resident Margarita Levieva, who was born in 1980; and “Creed” star Michael B. Jordan, who was born in 1987.

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LIVE FROM NEW YORK: The Beatles kicked off the “British Invasion” of America when they appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on this day in 1964. The Fab Four performed five songs before an estimated TV audience of 73 million — the largest viewership in history at that time.

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SAY CHEESE: Today is National Pizza Day, a day to celebrate America’s favorite pie. The first known pizzeria opened in Naples, Italy, in 1738 as a snack stall serving mostly working-class residents. Pizza has since become a worldwide favorite, with pizzerias and Italian pizza and pasta restaurants comprising 14 percent of all U.S. restaurants. Many pizza parlors offer special deals on this day.

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

Quotable:

“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.”

— U.S. founding father Thomas Paine, who was born on this day in 1737