April 8: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 8, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “The last time the Dodgers played at Ebbets Field was the history-making playoff series for the National League pennant against the victorious Cardinals. Tomorrow afternoon, the battling Flock returns to its home park again, this time to meet the Montreal Royals in an exhibition game. While there is no importance attached to the eventual winner of the contest, the game nevertheless will also make history. For it marks the first time that a Negro baseball player will play at Ebbets Field against the Dodgers. This player is Jackie Robinson, infielder of Montreal, the first member of his race ever to be signed by a major league club — the Dodgers. While it has not been decided yet whether Robinson will remain with the Royals again this season or whether he will be a member of the Brooklyn team, nevertheless his showing tomorrow and Thursday may have a good deal of bearing on the case. Brooklyn fans, known the nation over for their sportsmanship, can help Robinson get off to a fine start here by cheering him on.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Eight nations of Western Europe today formally asked the United States for arms to defend themselves against aggression and to ensure the democratic world’s peace and security. It was a you-help-us and we’ll-help-you request under the principles of the freshly signed North Atlantic Treaty for common defense. Secretary of State Dean Acheson disclosed the requests. They were from the five Brussels pact nations — Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg — in a joint request, and from Norway, Denmark and Italy. Acheson said he could give no figure ‘or an informed guess’ as to the probable cost of the military assistance program to put muscle in the North Atlantic Treaty. He declared the program will be sent to Congress when finally worked out. Unofficially, it has been estimated at $1,800,000,000 and that has aroused the opposition of many congressmen who will decide whether to authorize and put up the money for such a program. President Truman ‘very likely’ will send the Atlantic Treaty to the Senate Monday with a short presidential message asking that it be ratified, the White House said.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “All indications today were that 650,000 steel workers would strike a minute after midnight tonight and the nation’s vital steel industry would be seized by the government, probably the Army, shortly thereafter. Only Nathan P. Feinsinger, chairman of the Wage Stabilization Board, expressed a slim hope that the walkout might be averted by a last-minute settlement. After repeated efforts — all unsuccessful — to find a solution to the dispute between industry leaders and the United Steel Workers of America, C.I.O., he called another urgent conference with heads of the steel companies today. As the officials assembled, Washington sources said that seizure orders had been drawn up and delivered to the White House and needed only President Truman’s signature to go into effect. That signature probably would be withheld until after midnight, it was said, in the outside hope of a settlement. Industry circles charged that the seizure maneuver was an administration ‘big stick’ to force steelmakers to make an offer to the union. They added that the companies will fight any seizure order in the federal courts.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “UNITED NATIONS (U.P.) — Andrei Y. Vishinsky appealed to the West today to meet the Soviet Union ‘half way’ on world disarmament proposals, but the United States promptly declared new Soviet proposals would ‘turn back the clock’ on the problem of reducing the world’s arms. The Russian delegate told the United Nations General Assembly that Russia, ‘in an effort to reach agreement’ on disarmament, would not press for adoption of its own resolution, which had been defeated in the political committee. Furthermore, he said, if the West would agree to two amendments to its own resolution, Russia would cast its vote for the Western-proposed measure. It was all ‘paper talk,’ but observers at UN Headquarters in Manhattan agreed it represented the most conciliatory gesture the Russians have made toward the West in the UN since the cold war began.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include comedian and actor Shecky Greene, who was born in 1926; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Howe (Yes), who was born in 1947; “Piano in the Dark” singer Brenda Russell, who was born in Brooklyn in 1949; “The Dukes of Hazzard” star John Schneider, who was born in 1960; “Valotte” singer Julian Lennon, who was born in 1963; L7 co-founder Donita Sparks, who was born in 1963; “The Princess Bride” star Robin Wright, who was born in 1966; Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette, who was born in 1968; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Emma Caulfield, who was born in 1973; former N.Y. Mets outfielder Timo Perez, who was born in 1975; “Battlestar Galactica” star Katee Sackhoff, who was born in 1980; and “Jessie” star Skai Jackson, who was born in 2002.

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ARMS AROUND THE WORLD: The Venus de Milo was discovered on this day in 1820. One of the most famous works of Greek sculpture, it was found in the ruins of the ancient city of Milos in the Aegean Sea, intact except for its missing arms. It currently resides at the Louvre in Paris.

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ALL THAT JAZZ: Carmen McRae was born on this day in 1920. After winning an amateur contest at the Apollo Theatre in her native Harlem, she became a noted jazz artist, singing with the Earl Hines, Mercer Ellington and Benny Carter bands, among others, and recording dozens of albums. She died in 1994.

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

Quotable:“Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread — without it, it’s flat.”

— singer Carmen McRae, who was born on this day in 1920