November 21: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 21, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1915, Brooklyn Daily Eagle columnist Frederick Boyd Stevenson wrote, “We have become accustomed to long rows of figures since the mighty powers of Europe plunged into war. A million of dead men and the expenditure of a billion dollars announced in the news columns of the papers fail to surprise us. But it must come to us as a relief to know that all the big figures are not representative of war losses in men and war losses in money. Some big figures still indicate the progress of the world from an economic and an industrial viewpoint, and, therefore, from the viewpoint of the advancement of civilization. And one of the greatest of the powers making for civilization is the railroad. It so happens that this terrible year of warfare, which marks the tearing down of the achievements of civilization for centuries, is the one hundredth anniversary of the locomotive, which marks the continuous progress of civilization.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “A series of excessively cold days this winter may severely tax the facilities of the borough’s two leading suppliers of gas, the Brooklyn Union Gas Company and the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company. Though plans are under way to expand the productive capacities, the increased demand among potential gas heat consumers far exceeds the supply, and it is estimated that more than 18,000 persons are eager to install gas home heating. The Brooklyn Union has a productive capacity of 168,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily and, in addition, has a capacity of 60,000,000 cubic feet in its holders. The Brooklyn Borough Gas Company has a capacity of 12,000,000 cubic feet daily and an effective reserve of 8,000,000 cubic feet. A spokesman for the Brooklyn Union said that unless a period of really severe zero weather occurs ‘everything will be all right.’ He said that a cold wave of five or six days, however, may result in trouble. In addition, he pointed out, a prolonged coal strike will reduce the 35-day stockpile of soft coal used by the gas-producing companies. At the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company, it was said that ‘an increasing demand for gas service within the company’s territory is tending to exceed the company’s productive and holder capacity.’ Both companies have filed petitions with the New York State Public Service Commission seeking to restrict the sale of house heating.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — American servicemen from Korea to Berlin will feast on turkey tomorrow. The Defense Department said today that the Army Quartermaster Corps, which buys perishable food for all the services, began shipping turkeys overseas last May so that the armed forces everywhere will have traditional turkey dinners on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Quartermaster Corps contracted for a total of 12,000,000 pounds of turkeys. The first shipments went to remote Arctic posts in Newfoundland, which can be supplied by ship only during July and August. The Far East command got 500,000 pounds of turkeys by Nov. 1, with another 900,000 pounds on the way. Meanwhile, the chief Army and Navy chaplains called for special Thanksgiving prayers.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “County Judge Samuel S. Leibowitz lashed out last night at the present educational system as one of the causes of juvenile crime. The jurist charged that schools are producing ‘large numbers’ of students who cannot read or write and who turn to crime to ease their educational frustration. ‘If the youth can’t be a hero among his fellows by virtue of his educational attainments, then he will attract attention by insubordination and worse,’ Leibowitz said. The jurist called for an overhaul of ‘our entire modern educational philosophy’ as ‘one way’ to combat juvenile crime. ‘This is the bunk,’ was the jurist’s comment on what he called ‘popular canons that you can’t teach a child anything until he is ready to be taught.’ He added that ‘we shall live to regret eliminating discipline from our school curriculums.’”

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Michael Strahan
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Star Trek V” star Laurence Luckinbill, who was born in 1934; “That Girl” star Marlo Thomas, who was born in 1937; “Avanti!” star Juliet Mills, who was born in 1941; Songwriters Hall of Famer David Porter, who was born in 1941; Basketball Hall of Famer and N.Y. Knicks legend Earl Monroe, who was born in 1944; Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn, who was born in 1945; journalist and author Tina Brown, who was born in 1953; “24” star Cherry Jones, who was born in 1956; “Knots Landing” star Nicollette Sheridan, who was born in 1963; singer-songwriter Bjork, who was born in 1965; Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, who was born in 1966; Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who was born in 1969; Pro Football Hall of Famer and N.Y. Giants legend Michael Strahan, who was born in 1971; and “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen, who was born in 1985.

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FOUNDER’S DAY: Josiah Bartlett was born on this day in 1729. The physician and statesman signed the Declaration of Independence (1776) and was New Hampshire’s first governor (1790-94). He died in 1795.

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BOTH SIDES NOW: The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island opened on this day in 1964. At the time, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was also a source of controversy in the decades before and after its completion. Thousands of Bay Ridge homes were razed to make way for its approaches, and native Staten Islanders were less than pleased with the population boom on their side of the Narrows. And we won’t even mention the tolls.

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

Quotable:

“A marriage ends up being a business deal: no matter how long or short it is, somebody owes somebody money.”

— actress Goldie Hawn, who was born on this day in 1945