October 11: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

October 11, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1909, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The celebration of Columbus Day tomorrow by 100,000 Italians of Brooklyn will be a demonstration of the autonomy of the borough. The Brooklyn spirit prevails here among the Italians as well as among civic and political organizations, and the events of the day on which the discovery of America by Columbus is to be commemorated will represent the defeat of an attempt on the part of the Italians of Manhattan to annex Brooklyn and make it the tail end of their celebration. Resentment against the Manhattan bodies among the thirty or more Italian societies of this borough which will celebrate the day is intense. The former endeavored to make the celebration a Manhattan one entirely, and sought to augment their forces by tacking on the societies of Brooklyn. The Brooklyn societies refused to be made use of in that way, and in retaliation, the Manhattanites ignored them in the Il Progresso, the Italian newspaper that circulates throughout the city. No notices of the events to take place in Brooklyn, the parades and the big banquet that is to be held at the Imperial, were printed, and this treatment will be roundly denounced when 5,000 Brooklyn Italians gather at Saengerbund Hall tomorrow afternoon after their parade.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1926, the Eagle reported, “ESSEX FALLS, N.J.— Johnny Sylvester sat in the presence of his hero, Babe Ruth, today and was too overcome to speak. Johnny is 11 years old, the son of Horace C. Sylvester Jr., vice president of the National City Company in New York City. He is the lucky boy who was drawn back from the shadows of death last week when Ruth and other Yankee and Cardinal players paused long enough in the World Series to send him autographed baseballs. The autographed balls did what medicine alone could not do for the little hero worshipper, and a visit from the Babe today went a long way toward completing the treatment.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Congressional speculation that the Chinese Reds may be hit with atomic warfare in Korea built up today following new Pentagon talks on atomic weapons. Use of this country’s new tactical atomic weapons in Korea would depend, informed congressional sources said, on whether truce efforts collapse altogether and on whether the enemy undertakes operations that set up ripe A-bomb targets. There was even some conjecture that — if enemy moves warranted — atomic attacks might be launched against Chinese Red concentrations in Manchuria. That, however, appears to be based entirely on hypothetical future developments. Such developments presumably would have to be of so serious a nature that the United Nations forces would be willing to counter with methods that might expand the war far beyond its present limits.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “The Brooklyn Army Base during the past week observed National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week by pointing with pride to the almost 200 civilian employees at the base who, despite their physical handicaps, have been performing their duties so efficiently and reliably as to be examples to their fellow employees. Among the 5,000 civilian employees at the New York Port of Embarkation, these 200 are respected for their dependability and their loyalty to their jobs. When the outbreak of the fighting in Korea resulted in a greatly increased workload, these physically handicapped employees kept pace with the rest, tackling their increased duties with spirit and enthusiasm. Brig. Gen. Calvin DeWitt, Jr., commanding general of the N.Y.P.E., said yesterday, ‘There is no question in our minds as to the value of these physically handicapped employees here at the Port. Their devotion to their duties has been demonstrated in many ways, particularly by the efficient manner in which they perform their duties and their low absentee rate. They are conscious of costs, too, and have made many valuable suggestions which have resulted in considerable savings to the government and to the taxpayers.”

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Michelle Trachtenberg
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James M. McPherson, who was born in 1936; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall, who was born in 1946; sportscaster Jon Miller, who was born in 1951; “John Adams” star David Morse, who was born in 1953; Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, who was born in 1961; “Working Girl” star Joan Cusack, who was born in 1962; “Mystery Science Theater 3000” host Michael J. Nelson, who was born in 1964; former N.Y. Yankees and Mets pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, who was born in 1965; “30 Rock” star Jane Krakowski, who was born in 1968; rapper and actress MC Lyte, who was born in 1970; “Bones” star Emily Deschanel, who was born in 1976; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Michelle Trachtenberg, who was born in 1985; golfer Michelle Wie West, who was born in 1989; and rapper and songwriter Cardi B, who was born in 1992.

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A BIG PLUS: On this day in 1887, a patent was granted to Dorr Eugene Felt for the Comptometer, which was the first adding machine known to be absolutely accurate at all times.

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ALIVE AND KICKING: “Saturday Night Live” premiered on this day in 1975. Originally titled “NBC’s Saturday Night,” the show features skits, commercial parodies and news satires, with a different guest host and musical guest each week. Its first guest host was comedian George Carlin. Notable cast members have included Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Jan Hooks, Adam Sandler, Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan and Kristen Wiig, among many others. The show’s 48th season began Oct. 1.

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

Quotable:

“To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success.”

— entrepreneur Henry J. Heinz, who was born on this day in 1844