June 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 3, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1903, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The Pain fireworks factory, on the outskirts of town, is the scene of unusual activity this week. A force of 250 employees is struggling to get the new spectacle, ‘Last Days of Pompeii,’ in readiness for the regular opening at Manhattan Beach on June 24. The Pompeii show has not been presented in New York since 1889, and it will be entirely new. One of the features will be a fire ballet, presenting twenty girls as Greek slaves dancing in whirlpools of fire. The illusion occupied the efforts of the experts for several months and is now in rehearsal. Beside the Pompeiian spectacle, the regular fireworks will be shown each night.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “CHATEAU DE CANDE, MONTS, FRANCE (AP) — The radiant Duke of Windsor took Wallis Warfield as his bride and Duchess today in two serene and dignified marriage ceremonies. Just 25 weeks ago today he gave up his crown of England and empire because she could not be his Queen. ‘I will,’ the Duke, supremely happy, answered in a firm, loud voice to the Anglican poor man’s parson who gave him the unsanctioned blessing of the Church of England. As far as I could see, neither the Duke nor anyone else kissed the bride. He raised his voice so high in his eagerness to take the ‘woman I love’ as his wife that he startled the 34 guests in the flower-banked music room of this old chateau. After him, his blue-eyed lady answered, ‘I will.’ Her voice was just as firm as Edward’s but more hushed.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “HAVANA (U.P.) — Crowded with 922 German-Jewish refugees for whom no home could be found, the Hamburg American liner St. Louis aimlessly cruised the Caribbean today appealing by radio to nations of the New World to relieve her of her terrified passengers before there was a wave of suicides aboard. Ordered out of this port by President Laredo Bru, the St. Louis sailed, officially, to return to Hamburg, but actually, Capt. Wilhelm Schroeder said, to cruise around the West Indies for a time in hope some country would answer his appeals and offer the refugees a home. One offer came by radio from the Dominican Republic, which would take all refugees but only on condition that they post $500 each as immigration deposit. Nestor Pou, the Dominican consul here, said he had messaged the offer to the ship but had had no reply. Authorities here believed it would be impossible for the refugees to raise any such sums, but they said some wealthy American Jews might raise at least part of the money. There was one other possible avenue of escape for the refugees. It was announced that President Juan Demosthenes Arosemena of Panama had granted permission for two of them — Dr. Julius Lewith, a Vienna physician, and his wife — to enter Panama. Others aboard the ship quickly appealed to Panama for similar permission on the promise they later would go to the United States.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, JUNE 2 (U.P.) — Secretary of State Dean Acheson said today the United States will fight to keep the Chinese Communists off Formosa [Taiwan] but might listen to an offer to ‘stop the shooting’ in Korea on the 38th Parallel. The embattled secretary made both points in answering his Republican critics at a day-long session with the Senate committee investigating the ouster of General [Douglas] MacArthur. Acheson gave no sign that a truce in Korea could be expected now. He said, in fact, that the Communists, who have suffered staggering losses, still have not replied to standing offers to quit the bloodshed. But he said the administration would consider it a victory if the Chinese offered to negotiate on the basis of the 38th Parallel — where the war started last June 25 — with other and larger issues to be settled later by negotiation and through the United Nations.”

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Deniece Williams
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Basketball Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham, who was born in Brooklyn in 1943; sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Edith McGuire, who was born in 1944; World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, who was born in 1945; “Hey There Lonely Girl” singer Eddie Holman, who was born in 1946; special effects wizard John Dykstra, who was born in 1947; “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” singer Deniece Williams, who was born in 1950; “Can’t We Try” singer Dan Hill, who was born in 1954; Slayer co-founder Kerry King, who was born in 1964; CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who was born in 1967; tennis great Rafael Nadal, who was born in 1986; and “28 Weeks Later” star Imogen Poots, who was born in 1989.

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THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED: Ransom Olds was born on this day in 1864. The American automobile inventor and manufacturer founded the Olds Motor Works, which made Oldsmobile, the first affordable, mass-produced American car. It was also the first automobile produced in quantity with a progressive assembly system and composed of interchangeable parts. He died in 1950.

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LIBERATION IN PARIS: Josephine Baker was born on this day in 1906. The sensation of 1920s Paris, Baker was born into poverty in St. Louis. She began working as a dancer at age 16 and went to Paris in 1925, where her seminude “danse sauvage” became a hit. She was the first American-born woman to be awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor, in recognition of her Red Cross work during World War II. Baker performed up until her death on April 12, 1975.

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

Quotable:

“The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains.”

— dancer Josephine Baker, who was born on this day in 1906