August 25: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 25, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1931, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Health Commissioner [Shirley] Wynne and school authorities will decide next week if the opening of schools Sept. 14 will be delayed a week or more. Dr. Wynne said: ‘The opening date is three weeks away and the number of cases [of polio] being reported is declining, but we are not in a position to say anything definitely. It will depend entirely upon whether the decline in the prevalence of the disease is enough in that length of time to ensure a degree of safety in opening the schools.’ Regardless of whether the schools are opened on time, Dr. Campbell, acting superintendent of schools, said pupils who do not come regularly the first few weeks will not be penalized, although their absence will be checked through the regular channels. Additional physicians will be added to Dr. Wynne’s staff so that he will be able to place one in every school building at the opening.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “All Brooklyn Democratic and Republican designees, rolling up wide victory margins in nine primary contests, today completely routed their insurgent rivals, including two congressional aspirants backed by the left wing American Labor party. Despite desperate ‘write-in’ attempts and hectic last-minute campaigning, the rebels failed to dent the regular party ranks, leaving the borough leaderships of the two major political parties undisputedly in strong control of their forces. Failure of the two American Labor party candidates to make stronger showings in their bids for major party nominations was a disappointment to Brooklyn supporters of Henry Wallace’s Progressive party. A.L.P.-endorsed candidates also lost out in Assembly primary fights in Nassau County and Manhattan. Particularly significant were the balloting triumphs for renomination scored by three of the nine Democratic representatives who handed stinging defeats to strong insurgent opposition.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “Dwight D. Eisenhower said today the United States is in its greatest peril in history because Soviet Russia is ‘insatiable in its lust for conquest.’ The Republican presidential nominee, in an address prepared for delivery before the 34th annual American Legion convention in Madison Square Garden, said that ‘the fire of hope that flamed high in American hearts’ at the end of World War II has disappeared ‘under the monstrous advance of Communist tyranny.’ ‘This tyranny is primitive in its brutalism,’ Eisenhower said. ‘It is insatiable in its lust for conquest. It is committed to subversion and revolution and war until the continents are its slave camps and all humankind are its chattel.’ The G.O.P. nominee said America must be militarily and productively strong, must cooperate more closely with other nations of the free world, and must serve notice on the Kremlin that it does not recognize ‘the slightest permanence in Russia’s position in Eastern Europe and Asia.’ … His sharp and outspoken criticism of the Soviets was made as the man who led Allied forces to victory in Western Europe in 1945 arrived here to start 60 days of hard campaigning before Election Day.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “TOKYO (U.P.) — American air forces based in the western Pacific will join the 7th Fleet in blocking Red China’s threatened invasion of Formosa [Taiwan], an authoritative American military source disclosed today. ‘If the Communists really intend to conduct operations against Formosa, they are in for a terrible beating,’ the high official warned. He said President Eisenhower had responded to the Peiping regime’s ‘trial balloon’ on Formosa by declaring a Red invasion would have to deal with the 7th Fleet. The source said that while the directive to defend Formosa was given to the 7th Fleet, actually ‘all (U.S.) forces in position to do so would assist the 7th Fleet in carrying out its mission.’ Meanwhile, a Chinese Nationalist news agency at Taipeh, Formosa, reported Russia’s Far Eastern fleet has shifted warships southward to offset a United States naval buildup along the China coast.”

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Rachel Bilson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Saturday Night Fever” director John Badham, who was born in 1939; Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gene Simmons (Kiss), who was born in 1949; Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, who was born in 1951; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello, who was born in 1954; “Beetlejuice” director Tim Burton, who was born in 1958; “L.A. Law” star Blair Underwood, who was born in 1964; TV personality Rachael Ray, who was born in 1968; seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry, who was born in 1970; model and fashion designer Claudia Schiffer, who was born in 1970; “Game Shakers” star Kel Mitchell, who was born in 1978; “The O.C.” star Rachel Bilson, who was born in 1981; “Gossip Girl” star Blake Lively, who was born in 1987; and “Black Lightning” star China Anne McClain, who was born in 1998.

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AMERICAN BEAUTY: The National Park Service was founded on this day in 1916. The Organic Act, which established the service within the Dept. of the Interior, stated that its purpose was to “promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations … to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein.”

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THE CURTAIN GOES UP: “The Wizard of Oz” premiered on this day in 1939. Directed by Victor Fleming, the musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s book was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Music Score and Best Song, “Over the Rainbow.”

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

Quotable:

“Love may not make the world go ’round, but I must admit that it makes the ride worthwhile.”

— Oscar-winning actor Sean Connery, who was born on this day in 1930