Brooklyn Boro

September 29: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

September 29, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Leaving enormous destruction, the tropical hurricane which lashed the Bahamas and the southern tip of Florida apparently roared out into the Gulf of Mexico last night. Delayed Associated Press messages from Nassau, British Bahamas, said many persons are dead there. The Florida mainland escaped the major blow, but the extreme southeastern coast was wracked by gale winds. Considerable property damage was caused in Miami. Several persons were injured on the causeways. There was no word from Homestead and other towns on the mainland below Miami and it was feared they had experienced a severe gale. Cyclonic whirls appeared at Fort Lauderdale and Stuart. Several persons were injured and about 20 buildings damaged by a sudden twister in Fort Lauderdale. Key West was buffeted by gales which reached 60 and 70 miles an hour. Waters flooded many of the city’s streets. Several boats were believed to have sunk in the harbor. Nothing was known of the fate of the Isle of June and the Bahamian, two freighters with 20 men, unreported since they entered Bahama waters shortly before the storm. Telegraph and telephone lines throughout the state were down.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “BERLIN (U.P.) — Russian fighter planes buzzed two American transports on the Berlin ‘milk run’ today, and U.S. authorities promptly demanded that responsible Soviet authorities take ‘immediate and direct measures’ to stop such harassing tactics. A vigorous written protest was filed with Russian authorities only four hours after a number of Russian Yak fighters made repeated offensive passes at two heavily loaded American C-54 transports, coming within 100 feet or less of the four-engine planes. U.S. officials said at least five Yaks, single-engine fighters of which the Russians have a great number, were involved in buzzing the American planes as they neared Berlin with supplies for the Western sectors of the city, hurdling the Soviet surface blockade which has lasted 102 days.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “Mrs. Romaine Simpson is giving up a $35,000-a-year income to marry the Marquess of Milford Haven, friends in New York said today. But she doesn’t need it, they say. She is the second Mrs. Simpson to attract attention with her plans to marry into the British royal family. The first was Wallis Warfield Simpson, now the Duchess of Windsor. Both are American divorcees, but times have changed. King Edward VIII loved the first Mrs. Simpson and gave up his throne for her. The man who loves the second Mrs. Simpson is a cousin of the present king and is in distant line for the throne. But he’s a spanking good businessman with a number of irons in the fire, including a string of help-yourself laundries which he introduced from America. They announced their engagement in London yesterday, this time with the blessings of all concerned. The $35,000 involved is the annual alimony awarded her in a July 15, 1948 Reno divorce from William Simpson of Locust Valley, socialite and a director of Marshall Field Company.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “TAIPEI, FORMOSA (U.P.) — Nationalist defenders of the Matsu Island group today beat off what appeared to be an invasion flotilla of ‘several score’ Communist junks. This action at tiny Pei Kantung Island in the Matsu group about 120 miles northwest of Formosa came as unconfirmed reports here said Red China was massing air power and paratroopers on the mainland for possible invasion of this Nationalist bastion. The reports originating in Formosa said the Communists had moved 150 MiG fighters into airfields in Fukien Province near threatened Quemoy Island, about 90 miles west of Formosa. Another report [was] by the Nationalists’ northern outpost islands of Tachen, about 240 miles north of Formosa. Still other reports said that an international Red air brigade of Russians, Poles, Czechs and East Germans had been formed to fly the planes against the Nationalists. However, Gen. Chang Yi-ting, the Nationalist military spokesman, noted the latest Nationalist air force reconnaissance flights over the Fukien area had found no evidence of Communist aircraft at the five military airfields in the province.”

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Kevin Durant
John Minchillo/AP
Calvin Johnson
Tony Ding/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Oscar-winning director Robert Benton, who was born in 1932; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Lee Lewis, who was born in 1935; “Deadwood” star Ian McShane, who was born in 1942; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, who was born in 1943; TV theme composer Mike Post, who was born in 1944; Grand Funk Railroad co-founder Mark Farner, who was born in 1948; journalist and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, who was born in 1948; Primus co-founder Les Claypool, who was born in 1963; “Baywatch” star Erika Eleniak, who was born in 1969; actor and comedian Russell Peters, who was born in 1970; “Chuck” star Zachary Levi, who was born in 1980; Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, who was born in 1985; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, who was born in 1988; and “Without Me” singer Halsey, who was born in 1994.

Halsey
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

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HEROIC MEASURES: The Veterans of Foreign Wars was established on this day in 1899. The organization is loyal to the issues and actions affecting America’s heroes. Part of its mission, according to its charter, is “to preserve and strengthen comradeship among its members; to foster true patriotism; and to preserve and defend the United States from all her enemies, whomsoever.”

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CAUGHT IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Willie Mays made “The Catch” on this day in 1954. In Game 1 of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians at the Polo Grounds, the New York Giants’ center fielder snagged a long drive by Vic Wertz near the outfield wall with his back to the infield. He then spun around and made a perfect throw to prevent runners from advancing. It is regarded as one of the greatest plays in baseball history.

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

 

Quotable:

“He who puts out his hand to stop the wheel of history will have his fingers crushed.”

— Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, who was born on this day in 1943

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