September 9: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

September 9, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1930, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “LONDON — The King, says the London Evening News, has called upon his ministers for a full report on constitutional questions of succession that have arisen since the birth, a month ago, of a second daughter to the Duke and Duchess of York. The situation upon which the King’s call is predicated is that, in the event the Prince of Wales fails to marry or to leave a male issue, Great Britain’s throne might fall upon his death equally to Princess Elizabeth, the 4-year-old daughter of the Duke of York, and her as yet unnamed baby sister. British succession law fails to make clear which princess would take the throne.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1935, the Eagle reported, “Attendance at the city’s elementary and high schools was described by Board of Education officials as normal for the first day. No definite figures were available to show how many of the 1,200,000 pupils enrolled were present for the opening roll call this morning, but reports received at educational headquarters, 59th St. and Park Ave., Manhattan, indicate ‘no evidence of alarm by parents at the infantile paralysis scare,’ as had been anticipated, it was said. Meanwhile, it was announced, Superintendent of Schools Harold G. Campbell and Dr. Emil Altman, chief medical examiner, are spending the day visiting as many schools as possible to check up on general conditions. They are particularly interested in sanitary conditions. Children will not be penalized for absence today, although the absences will result in substantial reduction of the amount appropriated by the State toward school costs here. Such appropriation is based on average daily attendance and the cut in State aid expected will complicate the already grave budgetary problems of the Board of Education.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “BERLIN (U.P.) — Russian authorities rejected all protests against the Soviet reign of terror in Berlin today and pressed ahead with apparent plans to drive the Anglo-American airlift out of the skies. ‘Do not interfere in matters which do not concern you,’ the Russians told Col. Frank Howley, American commander in Berlin, when he protested against their City Hall coup early this week. In the coup, Russian troops and Communist-dominated police seized the Berlin City Hall, drove the City Assembly into the Western sectors, beat up American correspondents, broke into American military offices and arrested some 40 West Sector German police under American and French protection. Russian fighter planes roared over the American sector of Berlin at noon after warning the four-power air safety center that their planes would saturate the busy Allied air corridors during seven more days of Soviet air maneuvers. It was apparent the Russians staged the City Hall coup so they could set up their own German Communist city government in the Soviet sector and claim it was the legal government of all Berlin. The threat against the Anglo-American airlift, which menaced the Western Allies’ ability to feed and service some 2,500,000 Germans in Berlin, was looked upon as part of the Russian plan to take over the entire city.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The National Security Council met today to exchange views, apparently including those on Red China’s threat to Formosa [Taiwan], for presentation to President Eisenhower Sunday. The council met at the White House with Vice President Richard M. Nixon presiding. The council will hold an unprecedented meeting Sunday with Mr. Eisenhower at Denver. Administration sources reported that the unusual Sunday meeting will weigh the significance of Communist China’s stabs at Nationalist-held islands guarding Formosa. Mr. Eisenhower and his top advisers may reach a secret decision on how far the U.S. 7th Fleet will range beyond Formosa proper to protect important stepping-stone islands in the area. The United States never has said whether it would retaliate if outlying islands were hit. The Summer White House at Denver announced that the President had ordered the council meeting in Denver. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles will return from a quick trip to the Philippines, Formosa and Japan to attend.”

***

Michelle Williams
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Adam Sandler
Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Fiddler on the Roof” star Chaim Topol, who was born in 1935; “Mashed Potato Time” singer Dee Dee Sharp, who was born in 1945; former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who was born in 1949; “The Dukes of Hazzard” star Tom Wopat, who was born in 1951; “Lost in Space” star Angela Cartwright, who was born in 1952; Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart, who was born in 1952; “Four Weddings and a Funeral” star Hugh Grant, who was born in 1960; “Uncut Gems” star Adam Sandler, who was born in Brooklyn in 1966; model and actress Rachel Hunter, who was born in 1969; “Modern Family” star Eric Stonestreet, who was born in 1971; “E.T.” star Henry Thomas, who was born in 1971; “ER” star Goran Visnjic, who was born in 1972; four-time Grammy winner Michael Buble, who was born in 1975; “Dawson’s Creek” star Michelle Williams, who was born in 1980; and “Supergirl” star Julie Gonzalo, who was born in 1981.

Eric Stonestreet
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

***

EARNING HIS WINGS: “Colonel” Harland Sanders was born on this day in 1890. The grade-school dropout and jack-of-all-trades became a pioneer in the fast-food industry at age 66 when he created the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. His success was due to a secret spice blend and unique pressure cooker cooking method, as well as catchy marketing and high standards. He died in 1980.

***

BACK TO SCHOOL: “Welcome Back, Kotter” premiered on this day in 1975. The half-hour sitcom starred Gabe Kaplan as Gabe Kotter, who returns to his Brooklyn high school to teach “The Sweathogs,” a group of hopeless underachievers. Cast members included Marcia Strassman, John Travolta, Robert Hegyes, Ron Palillo, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and John Sylvester White. John Sebastian performed the theme song, “Welcome Back,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1976.

***

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

Quotable:

“Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.”

— former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who was born on this day in 1949