August 8: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 8, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1865, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “SHARKS AT FULTON FERRY — The Sun tells the following shark story: While a number of youngsters were bathing at the dock foot of Fulton Street, East River, last evening, an enormous shark was discovered by those on shore circling around the swimmers, and evidently bent on mischief. An alarm was immediately sounded and the youngsters succeeded in reaching land unmolested, but one lad who had ventured some distance into the stream was singled out by the monster as offering the surest prey. The little fellow, discovering the peril in which he was placed, bent all his energies to escape. Fortunately, just as the shark was preparing to seize his prey, a baited hook and line were thrown from the end of the pier to the monster, who, immediately relinquishing the chase, seized the line, and being securely hooked, was drawn ashore amid the plaudits of the spectators. The beast measured six feet in length, and weighed nearly two hundred pounds.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “GUAM (U.P.) — Tokyo conceded today that most of Hiroshima had been destroyed completely by a single American atomic bomb Monday and said blasted and blistered corpses ‘too numerous to count’ littered the ruins. ‘The impact of the bomb was so terrific that practically all living things, human and animal, were literally seared to death by the tremendous heat and pressure engendered by the blast,’ one Tokyo broadcast said. American reconnaissance photos confirmed that four and one-tenth square miles — 60 percent of the built-up area — of Hiroshima had vanished almost without trace in the world’s greatest man-made explosion. Unofficial American sources estimated Japanese dead and wounded might exceed 100,000 … As Tokyo painted a fearful picture of the catastrophe, some sources saw a possibility that Japan might reconsider her rejection of the Allied demand for her surrender before she is invaded. ‘It shouldn’t take the Japanese long to think this over,’ one ranking officer said. ‘We plan to present them with bursting atoms as often as possible.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “TEHRAN (U.P.) — Optimism ran high at the start of formal Anglo-Iranian oil talks today and Britain’s chief negotiator disclosed he already has submitted an official outline for a final settlement. Two key Iranian negotiators expressed confidence that the dispute over Iran’s nationalization of Britain’s huge oil interests would be settled peaceably. They said Britain’s friendly attitude at a preliminary session Monday night was a good sign. At the same time, Britain’s Lord Privy Seal Richard Stokes, chief of the British delegation, said the general atmosphere both here and in the oil port of Abadan had ‘vastly improved.’ Stokes disclosed that he had presented a memorandum to Iran, containing Britain’s general ideas for settling the oil dispute. The British delegation, he said, was awaiting Iran’s reply before getting down to details. The only ominous note today came in Iran’s official demand that Britain recall and reprimand its consul at Khoramshahr, an oil town, for asking the recall of two Iranian oil officials as ‘undesirable elements.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “HONG KONG, AUG. 7 (U.P.) — An American priest who arrived here today after release from Red China said the Chinese masses would welcome a Nationalist invasion of the mainland. The priest, the Rev. Linus Lombard of Ipswich, Mass., and two other American priests, the Rev. Ernest Hotz of Brooklyn, and the Rev. Lawrence Mullin of Jersey City, were released under terms of an agreement reached between the United States and Red China at Geneva. Asked how he thought the Chinese people would react if Chiang Kai-shek’s armies attacked from their island fortress of Formosa [Taiwan], Father Lombardo said: ‘Everybody would go right with them. They are just living in hope that something happens. There is systematic starvation of those who do not belong to the party.’”

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Roger Federer
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Robin Quivers
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include TV producer Donald P. Bellisario, who was born in 1935; former N.Y. Mets manager Frank Howard, who was born in 1936; Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman, who was born in 1937; actress and singer Connie Stevens, who was born in Brooklyn in 1938; “CHiPs” star Larry Wilcox, who was born in 1947; “Madam Secretary” star Keith Carradine, who was born in 1949; drummer and producer Willie Hall, who was born in 1950; “Midnight Run” director Martin Brest, who was born in 1951; drummer Anton Fig, who was born in 1952; radio personality Robin Quivers, who was born in 1952; “Inside Edition” anchor Deborah Norville, who was born in 1958; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer the Edge (U2), who was born in 1961; rapper and actor Kool Moe Dee, who was born in 1962; tennis champion Roger Federer, who was born in 1981; N.Y. Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who was born in 1989; and “Senorita” singer Shawn Mendes, who was born in 1998.

Anthony Rizzo
Frank Franklin II/AP

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A LEG UP: Russell Markert was born on this day in 1899. The New Jersey native and choreographer founded the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and directed them from 1932 to 1971. He died in 1990.

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UPS AND DOWNS: Dino De Laurentiis was born in Italy on this day in 1919. After spending 30 years producing movies in Europe, including several Fellini films, he came to the U.S. in 1976. Over the next 35 years he produced a diverse assortment of Hollywood projects, including “Serpico,” “Blue Velvet” and “Manhunter,” along with bombs like “King Kong,” “Flash Gordon” and “Dune.” He died in 2010.

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

 

Quotable:

“If no producer, no movie.”

— filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis, who was born on this day in 1919

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