April 26: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 26, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1914, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “With prospects of a long and bitter struggle between the United States and Mexico, in part at least, the State and Federal authorities may avail themselves of the services of a full regiment of colored infantry. That such a regiment has been forming has not been generally known, so quietly has the work been going on. Not only has a large body of colored men been quietly drilling, however, but officers, or prospective officers for the proposed organization have been examined with reference to qualifications and fitness for the service. As a matter of fact, a board of examination composed of officers of the New York National Guard and appointed by the Governor has been holding weekly sessions in Manhattan since last October, and only completed its work last Friday night with the examination of the colonel-elect of the colored regiment.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (A.P.) — Senators who declined to be quoted by name said today an administration spokesman had discussed compromising the Supreme Court dispute by authorizing four new Justices, but had turned down suggestions for only two. There were no signs of an agreement on modification, however, on the eve of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s first closed session to begin voting on the court bill. A possible Supreme Court decision today on the unemployment insurance provisions of the Social Security Act and on validity of supplementary State laws, observers said, might have some effect before tomorrow’s committee session. Arguments were heard on April 8 and 9. There also was a possibility the Court would announce at noon whether it would pass on old age pension provisions of the act before adjourning for the Summer. Opponents have indicated they would fight all modifications in order to force a test vote on the bill as it stands.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “SHANGHAI (U.P.) — The entire U.S. fleet departed from Shanghai today, abandoning plans for a scheduled evacuation of 2,050 Americans in haste to escape a Communist trap that threatened to cut Shanghai’s only outlet to the sea. The warships started sailing down the Whangpoo to the safety of the open Yangtse, led by Vice Admiral Oscar C. Badger in his flagship Eldorado. ‘Recent incidents on the Yangtse require a re-appraisal of plans which had been made for the evacuation of Americans to points of safety,’ a terse navy announcement said in explanation. Americans left stranded in Communist-menaced Shanghai watched from office windows along the Bund with a sense of foreboding as the vessels steamed past. Many made plans to overtake the fleet in small boats before dark.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “An injection gun, developed by the military and fabricated by a small business in Larchmont, N.Y., may make mass immunization programs feasible for the first time in many underdeveloped areas of the world. The gun uses the jet injection principle to administer vaccine, a principle first suggested in the 19th century. The liquid vaccine is shot out of the electrically powered gun through a fine nozzle with great force thereby making its own penetration of the skin. Originally developed by Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, the jet injection gun was redesigned and refined in 1959 at the Army’s Medical Equipment Research and Development Laboratories at Fort Totten, N.Y., by Aaron Ismach, assistant technical director. The Scientific Equipment Co. in Larchmont fabricated the gun and it was purchased for military use by the Defense Medical Supply Center. In recent years it has also been adopted by the Public Health Service and has been sold to foreign countries. Its chief attractions are that it does not require a highly trained medical technician to give mass shots, its great speed, reduced chances of infection, and its ability to use vaccine in bulk, which reduces costs.”

***

N THIS DAY IN 1908, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Realization of the first of the momentous public and private improvements which shall make valid and indisputable Long Island’s logical claim to supremacy among the residential environs of Greater New York will be achieved next Friday, May 1, with the operation of subway trains to Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, and by which the Long Island Railroad system will be connected with the subway under the East River to Manhattan. This far-reaching episode in the history of Long Island, that is to be fittingly commemorated by notable celebrations in Brooklyn and Jamaica, marks unquestionably the beginning of an era of unprecedented development, to which may be added the fact that no section of the country has ever faced a more promising outlook for a period of prodigious growth, progress and prosperity. The subway connection with the Long Island Railroad constitutes the first link in the mighty chain of tunnels and bridges which is rapidly being forged to make Long Island part and parcel of the continent and which shall forever nullify the barrier to this end hitherto imposed by the East River.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — King George and Queen Elizabeth said prayers of thanksgiving for a happy marriage in St. Paul’s Cathedral today, their silver wedding anniversary. Thousands of loyal British subjects lined the streets between Buckingham Palace and the cathedral on this loveliest of English spring days. The trappings of Britain’s royal show were in evidence. The king’s horses and the king’s men, in their brilliant scarlet, blue, silver and gold, formed the sovereigns’ escort as the king and queen moved down sanded streets to the cathedral. In a 1902 landau, drawn by six of the famed Windsor greys, the king and queen led the procession, which left the palace at 11 a.m. Princess Margaret Rose rode with her parents. One hundred yards behind rode Princess Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. Dowager Queen Mary, in her old-fashioned high-topped limousine, joined the procession at Marlborough House, halfway down the mall from the palace.”

***

Giancarlo Esposito
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include actress and singer Carol Burnett, who was born in 1933; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Duane Eddy, who was born in 1938; “Father of Disco” Giorgio Moroder, who was born in 1940; “Better Call Saul” star Giancarlo Esposito, who was born in 1958; Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor, who was born in 1960; “The Last Emperor” star Joan Chen, who was born in 1961; “Mad TV” star Debra Wilson, who was born in 1962; “The King of Queens” star Kevin James, who was born in 1965; former First Lady Melania Trump, who was born in 1970; “Smallville” star Tom Welling, who was born in 1977; “Castle” star Stana Katic, who was born in 1978; “The Fast and the Furious” star Jordana Brewster, who was born in 1980; “G.I. Joe” star Channing Tatum, who was born in 1980; and N.Y. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who was born in 1992.

***

IF YOU BUILD IT: Frederick Law Olmsted was born in Hartford, Conn., 200 years ago today. Known as “the father of landscape architecture in America,” he participated in the designing of Yosemite National Park, Central Park, Prospect Park and many others. He died in 1903.

***

THE NATURAL WORLD, PART 1: John James Audubon was born on this day in 1785. The native of Santo Domingo (now Haiti) came to the U.S. in 1803 to avoid conscription in Napoleon’s army. In 1820 he set out along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to document and paint all the birds of America. His work, published from 1827 to 1838, is a landmark of art and printing. He died in 1851.

***

THE NATURAL WORLD, PART 2: Bernard Malamud was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1914. The Pulitzer Prize winner’s best-known works include “The Natural” (1952) and “The Fixer” (1966). The screen version of “The Natural” (1984) is considered one of the best baseball movies ever made. Malamud died in 1986.

***

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

Quotable:

“God, I love baseball.”
— Roy Hobbs in “The Natural” (1984)