May 2: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

May 2, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1908, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The greatest invasion of eels that has ever come to Brooklyn is causing any amount of trouble to the Department of Water Supply. In one day this week sixty-eight complaints about eels lodged in water pipes reached the office of the deputy commissioner. These complaints came from all parts of the borough. At first the residents of the Heights thought that the visitors were coming to them alone, but now from Williamsburg, Bushwick and many other sections word comes that the drinking water tastes ‘fishy,’ that the pressure is slow or stopped altogether, that hydraulic motors and pipes are clogged, and even that live eels are dangling from the faucets.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1915, the Eagle reported, “Considerable excitement marked the sailing of the Lusitania, of the Cunard line, which was scheduled to leave her pier at 10 o’clock yesterday morning, but had not made way an hour after that time. Scores of private detectives mingled with the passengers, who were forced to pick out and identify their baggage. Another inconvenience was the fact that no person was allowed to board the boat until they had procured credentials. There were 1,310 passengers aboard, of this number 300 were saloon. Among the more prominent on board were Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Charles Frohman, Elbert Hubbard, D.A. Thomas and his daughter, Lady Mackworth and Charles Klein. Numerous telegrams were received at the pier by passengers, signed with fictitious names, advising them not to sail as the big steamer was to be torpedoed by German submarines. Mr. Vanderbilt was the recipient of one of these, but after glancing at the message, destroyed it without comment.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — The German high command admitted today that the survivors of Berlin’s garrison had been splintered into isolated fragments in the government district of the dying capital. Soviet reports said Red Army shock troops were storming the ramparts of the German chancellery, where the Nazis said Adolf Hitler died at a command post yesterday. The brevity and despair of a German communique’s report on Berlin indicated the Nazi command might be about ready to write off the capital. It said: ‘Remnants of the brave garrison of Berlin continue to fight doggedly in the government district, split up in isolated battle groups.’ … Red Army troops were converging from three directions on the spot where the German radio said Hitler went down at his command post and observers speculated whether the Russians would find Hitler’s body or some other evidence to support or refute the report of his death.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “Brooklyn, where the first Loyalty Day parade in the United States was conceived seven years ago as an antidote to left-wing May Day parades, was the stamping ground of 51,00 smarty clad men, women and children who, according to a police estimate, marched up and down its thoroughfares yesterday as a public manifestation of their loyalty to God and country.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “LAS VEGAS (UPI) — The Tournament of Champions, one of golf’s newest prestige events, opens today with the betting men in this gambling town firmly believing that Jack Nicklaus, the 23-year-old ‘Cinderella Kid’ of the fairways, is the man to beat. The odds-makers, who seldom are wrong on other things but rarely pick a winner here, have Nicklaus figured at 4-1. That puts him ahead of ‘Mr. Golf,’ defending champion Arnold Palmer, who is rated at 5-1. Former National Open champion Billy Casper is rated at 6-1, but he went to visit the doctor yesterday with an ailing back. Another man not up to par is Gary Player, the South African. Player had four impacted wisdom teeth pulled out Friday and has been living mostly on liquids. The stitches still are in his mouth, but he’ll play.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “After the Lovin’” singer Engelbert Humperdinck, who was born in 1936; model and actress Bianca Jagger, who was born in 1945; “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” star David Suchet, who was born in 1946; Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Larry Gatlin, who was born in 1948; Foreigner singer Lou Gramm, who was born in 1950; “Cybil” star Christine Baranski, who was born in 1952; fashion designer Donatella Versace, who was born in 1955; “Amadeus” star Elizabeth Berridge, who was born in 1962; political commentator Mika Brzezinski, who was born in 1967; “Fast & Furious” star Dwayne Johnson, who was born in 1972; “Blossom” star Jenna von Oy, who was born in 1977; “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” star Ellie Kemper, who was born in 1980; stock car driver Kyle Busch, who was born in 1985; Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Sarah Hughes, who was born in 1985; 2010 American League Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz, who was born in 1988; and seven-time NBA All-Star Paul George, who was born in 1990.

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IT IS WRITTEN: The King James Bible was published on this day in 1611. King James I had appointed a committee of learned men to produce a new translation of the Bible in English. In England it’s known as the Authorized Version.

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FROM FIRST TO LAST: Lou Gehrig benched himself on this day in 1939. The N.Y. Yankees first baseman asked manager Joe McCarthy to take him out of the lineup against the Detroit Tigers, ending a streak of 2,130 consecutive games that began in 1925. Gehrig was soon diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and died at age 37 on June 2, 1941.

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

Quotable:

“All success begins with self-discipline. It starts with you.”

— actor Dwayne Johnson, who was born on this day in 1972