October 6: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

October 6, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1898, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The steady downpour of rain appeared to have but slight effect upon the attendance at Carnegie Music Hall last evening, when Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, supported by Joseph H. Choate, Seth Low, Elihu Root, half a score of other prominent Republicans and a full score of Rough Riders in their distinctive uniforms, opened his campaign as a candidate for the office of governor of New York State. The building was early filled with an enthusiastic audience which had come prepared to cheer upon the slightest provocation, and which carried out its intentions just a long as throats made hoarse by a longer or shorter wait in the wet streets permitted.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, an Eagle editorial said, “We are sure that parents will be glad that their children will soon be able to wash their hands with soap and dry them on towels while they are in school. Hitherto, this has been a privilege granted only to some of the children. Modern sanitation has at last reached the schools, which have been preaching hygiene for a long time now without, apparently, being able to practice it. It is too bad that it took the current polio epidemic to push this city into the 20th century on this particular issue. Some $150,000 already had been allocated in the current budget for soap and towels. The Board of Education asked the Mayor to request another $200,000 from the Board of Estimate for that purpose after Health Commissioner Harry S. Mustard gently pointed out the inconsistency of advising parents to see that children washed their hands often at home and then offering them no facilities to do so at school.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “ATLANTIC CITY (U.P.) — President Eisenhower, solemnly facing a religious group, today outlined a five-point program for averting the ‘sudden and mass destruction’ of an atomic world war. In an address prepared for delivery before the Sixth National Assembly of the United Church Women, Mr. Eisenhower said the ‘future well-being of humanity depends directly’ upon United States leadership. But, the President declared, the United States has no choice but to build a huge atomic and hydrogen weapons stockpile to discourage any Russian idea of starting World War III. Mr. Eisenhower said application of atomic and hydrogen power to armament is ‘the most extraordinary physical development of all time.’ But with Russia ‘compelled by its purpose of world domination,’ he asserted, the epochal new power sources ‘cannot yet be made exclusively to serve the advancement of man’s welfare and happiness.’ ‘Instead we are forced to concentrate on building such stores of armaments as can deter any attack against those who want to be free,’ he said.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “HOLLYWOOD (U.P.) — Marilyn Monroe, the nation’s favorite pin-up, scheduled a press conference today in the wake of her marital breach with Joe DiMaggio. The press conference was to be held at the Beverly Hills honeymoon cottage where the sexy actress and the baseball idol still were living on friendly terms. One of the servants of the cottage declared she thought DiMaggio might appear at the press conference, but would not divulge a reason for her belief. Jerry Giesler, Miss Monroe’s attorney, said the famed nude calendar model would display only bodily curves and would not discuss the legal curves she tossed the former Yankee Clipper in filing for divorce. ‘Miss Monroe won’t say anything about the divorce action,’ the noted Hollywood attorney said. ‘She will only pose for pictures.’ Nevertheless, informed filmland sources speculated that Miss Monroe could hardly evade mentioning her widely publicized marital rift when besieged by the press at the conference. Giesler filed the divorce suit for Miss Monroe in Santa Monica Superior Court yesterday. It charged DiMaggio with causing the actress ‘grievous mental suffering and anguish.’ The cuddly actress said in her suit she would not seek alimony.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Joanie Loves Chachi” star Ellen Travolta, who was born in 1939; “The Wicker Man” star Britt Ekland, who was born in 1942; Super Soaker inventor Lonnie Johnson, who was born in 1949; The Commodores co-founder Thomas McClary, who was born in 1949; REO Speedwagon singer Kevin Cronin, who was born in 1951; Los Lobos co-founder David Hidalgo, who was born in 1954; Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dungy, who was born in 1955; bowling and horseshoes legend Walter Ray Williams Jr., who was born in 1959; “Adventures in Babysitting” star Elisabeth Shue, who was born in 1963; former N.Y. Yankees outfielder Ruben Sierra, who was born in 1965; “NYPD Blue” star Jacqueline Obradors, who was born in 1966; “Fantastic 4” star Ioan Gruffudd, who was born in 1973; “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” star Amy Jo Johnson, who was born in 1970; Basketball Hall of Famer and former N.Y. Liberty center Rebecca Lobo, who was born in 1973; “Suburgatory” star Jeremy Sisto, who was born in 1974; and social media personality Addison Rae, who was born in 2000.

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GREAT CHEMISTRY: Florence Seibert was born on this day in 1897. The biochemist from Pennsylvania developed the test for tuberculosis that was adopted by the U.S. and used worldwide by the World Health Organization. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1990 and died in 1991.

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A CHANGE IS GONNA COME: Joseph Lowery was born on this day in 1921. The Alabama native and United Methodist minister co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King Jr. and others. Known as the “Dean of the Civil Rights Movement,” he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. He died in 2020.

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

Quotable:

“If you don’t know where you come from, it’s difficult to determine where you are. It’s even more difficult to plan where you’re going.”

— civil rights leader Joseph Lowery, who was born on this day in 1921