August 27: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 27, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1846, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Long Island — the saddest fight, for us, that occurred during the long contest our fathers held for their national independence. Seventy years ago today, Washington stood on our Island shores, and wrung his hands, while tears of the bitterest anguish gathered on his cheeks — sighs of agitated passion which he is said never to have given way to, on any other occasion, before or afterward! He found the ‘Maryland regiment,’ composed of young men — the flower of some of the finest families in the South — cut to atoms in that disastrous slaughter! He found the first battle where he commanded in person going against him — and at night three thousand of the troops Congress had entrusted to his care, either lifeless as the cold ground on which they lay, or prisoners in the hands of an enemy whose barbarous treatment of them, he well knew, would be little preferable to death! No wonder that, in that dreary hour, the soul of one elsetime as serene as a god’s, felt sick within him. No wonder his lips shed words of agony, bitter as blood-drops from a wounded heart. Ah, we who live in the ease of profit and security of the present can but poorly realize such a day as the 27th of August, 1776.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1916, the Eagle reported, “‘The epidemic of infantile paralysis, in my opinion, will be over by September 15. I expect that by September 10 or 12 there will not be more than three or four cases of infantile paralysis a day in Brooklyn.’ This statement was made last night by Dr. John S. Billings, deputy health commissioner, who has been conducting the city’s fight against the epidemic of infantile paralysis for two months. It was the first time in the two months that he had ventured so direct a statement. So encouraging, in fact, were last week’s daily reports, that federal health officials also took the view that the end of the epidemic was in sight. If conditions develop as now expected, the public schools will doubtless be opened not later than September 25.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “The weather kept right on being hot today, and as the official temperature moved into the 90s — it was 91 degrees at noon — New York City formally recognized that a heat emergency exists. Mayor [William] O’Dwyer, to make things easier for at least some of the sweltering citizens, ordered a half-holiday because of the heat for all municipal employees except those in the Police and Fire Departments. Several hundred office workers at the Board of Education headquarters, 110 Livingston St., were sent home at 1 p.m. and other city offices followed suit. Some private employees also were approaching the send-home plan. The Consolidated Edison System ordered department heads throughout the city to send home ‘all who can be spared at 3 p.m.’”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “James Kelly, borough historian, noted with regret today, the 179th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, that Congress had let another year pass without acting upon the long sought plan to establish a national shrine here in honor of the 256 Maryland soldiers who died in the battle to save the rest of George Washington’s army. The proposal has been in Senate committee for action since June 25, he said, and, although it was not acted upon during this session it is still ‘very much alive.’ ‘I am hopeful,’ Mr. Kelly said, ‘that it will be handled immediately after the new Congress convenes.’ Mr. Kelly has led the borough drive, backed by Maryland citizens, to have the long-ignored graves of the heroic Maryland troops, now marked by only a plaque on a building at 3rd Ave. between 7th and 8th Sts., fittingly commemorated by a national monument. The Marylanders are credited with having stood action against a much stronger British force in the area around the old State House of Gowanus to allow Washington’s army to escape from a British pincers movement that, if successful, would probably have ended the war in a British victory.”

***

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Once Upon a Time in America” star Tuesday Weld, who was born in 1943; “The Spy Who Loved Me” star Barbara Bach, who was born in 1946; “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” star Charles Fleischer, who was born in 1950; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alex Lifeson (Rush), who was born in 1953; “Prison Break” star Peter Stormare, who was born in 1953; “Inside Moves” star Diana Scarwid, who was born in 1955; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), who was born in 1956; New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was born in 1958; gospel star Yolanda Adams, who was born in 1961; “Grey’s Anatomy” star Chandra Wilson, who was born in 1969; Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Thome, who was born in 1970; “Scrubs” star Sarah Chalke, who was born in 1976; “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul, who was born in 1979; and track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie, who was born in 1990.

***

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT: The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed on this day in 1928. The signatory nations promised not to use war to resolve “disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them.” The pact was first signed by France, Germany and the U.S., who were ultimately joined by 58 other nations.

***

STOLEN MOMENTS: Rickey Henderson stole his 119th base of the season on this day in 1982, breaking the single-season record set by Lou Brock in 1974. Henderson stole 11 more that season to finish with 130. In 1991, Henderson also eclipsed Brock for most career steals when he stole his 939th in a game against the Yankees. He finished his career with 1,406. Both of his records still stand.

***

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

Quotable:

“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to see your music going from generation to generation.”

— Rock and Roll Hal of Famer Alex Lifeson, who was born on this day in 1953