February 16: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

February 16, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1916, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — Investigation of the fitness of Louis D. Brandeis of Boston for a place on the Supreme Court bench has so broadened out that the Senate investigating committee decided today that its work would be expedited if both sides presented testimony under the guidance of attorneys. Austen G. Fox of New York, who appears as attorney for President Lowell of Harvard University, and fifty members of the Boston bar who oppose Mr. Brandeis, agreed to take charge of presenting evidence against the nominee, and the committee asked G.W. Anderson, United States attorney at Boston, to take charge of presenting evidence for Mr. Brandeis. Both lawyers accepted and serve without pay.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — A presidential order was awaited today to establish the exact powers of Chester Bowles in his new job as economic stabilizer. Congressional sources said such an order was now being prepared and that it would divorce Bowles completely from the authority of Reconversion Director John W. Snyder. Mr. Bowles refused to comment, but he told newsmen last night that ‘I have all the power needed to handle the job. That is the important point, and there is no question in my mind about it.’ Mr. Snyder and Mr. Bowles have been at odds for weeks over the administration’s reconversion policy. Mr. Bowles wants to hold the price line, come what may. Mr. Snyder believes in relaxing price controls to spur production. Mr. Snyder negotiated the $5-a-ton steel price increase which Mr. Bowles has said publicly that he is ‘not happy about.’ Mr. Bowles threatened twice in the last week to resign if Mr. Snyder retained any authority over prices under the new wage-price program. Despite that threat, President [Harry] Truman said yesterday that Mr. Snyder would continue to head his economic high command.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “LONDON, FEB. 15 (U.P.) — Radio Moscow reported tonight that Russia has made a formal protest to the United States against a statement by Undersecretary of State Dean Acheson terming Soviet foreign policy ‘aggressive and expansionist.’ Acheson, who recently was confirmed by new U.S. Secretary of State Gen. George C. Marshall as his chief assistant, made the statement in reply to a question posed by Senator Kenneth D. McKellar (D., Tenn.), during debate on appointment of David E. Lilienthal as head of the Atomic Energy Commission. The Moscow broadcast said Soviet Foreign Minister Viacheslav Molotov had sent a note to U.S. Ambassador Gen. Walter Bedell Smith protesting Acheson’s statement. ‘The Soviet Government draws attention of the United States Government to the inadmissible conduct of Mr. Acheson, who permitted himself, in spite of his official position, to make in the Senate a declaration which is rudely slanderous and inimical towards the Soviet Union,’ the broadcast said, quoting a statement of the Soviet Foreign Ministry.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “WITH THE FIRST MARINE DIVISION IN KOREA (U.P.) — Marilyn Monroe appeared before 10,000 Marines in a skin-tight purple dress today and received the most rousing welcome given to anyone in the Korean war. Many hitchhiked or walked as much as 10 miles to see the shapely movie actress who flew to Korea from Japan earlier in the day. Marilyn, who will give eight shows in four days in appearances before all the American infantry divisions on the peninsula, sang three songs from her recent pictures. Some Marines laid claim to their front row seats seven hours before Marilyn’s show started. Latecomers were so far back they could scarcely see her. Five Marine wiremen climbed nearby telephone poles and watched the show while hanging from safety belts. Another group of Marines who arrived late watched the acts in turns through a high-powered telescope. ‘I should have brought some C-rations and come earlier,’ said Pfc. Bobby Johnson, 19, of Fargo, N.D. ‘It sure was nice of her to come over and entertain us.’”

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LeVar Burton
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include World Golf Hall of Famer Marlene Hagge, who was born in 1934; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Ford, who was born in 1944; “The Greatest American Hero” star William Katt, who was born in 1951; “Roots” star LeVar Burton, who was born in 1957; former N.Y. Knicks player and coach Herb Williams, who was born in 1958; International Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe, who was born in 1959; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Pete Willis (Def Leppard), who was born in 1960; Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, who was born in 1961; “24” star Sarah Clarke, who was born in 1972; “Godzilla” star Elizabeth Olsen, who was born in 1989; and “Can’t Feel My Face” singer The Weeknd, who was born in 1990.

Elizabeth Olsen
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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PYRAMID SCHEME: British archaeologist Howard Carter opened the inner burial chamber of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun on this day in 1923. The discovery of the tomb sparked a renewed interest in ancient Egypt that peaked with touring exhibitions of its treasures in the 1970s.

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HAIR APPARENT: On this day in 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped his train at Westfield, N.Y., on his way to Washington to thank 12-year-old Grace Bedell in person for advising him to grow a beard to gain votes.

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

Quotable:

“Chaos was the law of nature. Order was the dream of man.”

— historian Henry Adams, who was born on this day in 1838