November 22: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 22, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1843, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “In fourteen of the States of the Union, public thanksgiving will be observed this year, and in three of them for the first time. On the 30th inst., in Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Michigan, Missouri and Indiana. On the 7th December, in Maine, Vermont and New Jersey. In New York on the 14th December. The 3rd inst. in Georgia, and the 16th in the City of Charleston, have already been observed as such.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1884, the Eagle reported, “The New England Society of the City of New York have offered to erect a statue commemorating the Landing of the Pilgrims in Central Park. It will probably be located near the Seventy-second street entrance.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1892, the Eagle reported, “Paramount of interest even to the Thanksgiving dinner is the foot ball game between Yale and Princeton on Thursday. The enthusiasm of youth within a radius of 100 miles is being focused upon the field of the Manhattan Athletic club, and the largest crowd ever known to foot ball, which is saying a great deal, bids fair to look over the barriers when the blue and the orange and black wind up the season of 1892. It is safe to say that only a small number of those who would like to witness the contest will be able to do so, because at the highest calculation Manhattan field will not hold more than 30,000 spectators and give the elevens any chance to play. This may appear an extravagant value to put upon the public interest in foot ball, but when the crowd that thronged the field last year is taken into consideration one may well ask, ‘Are you going to have turkey or foot ball?’ And the answer to be expected is, ‘Well, if I cannot get a ticket to the foot ball game I will stay home and eat turkey.’ Thus a day which has been handed down by devout and puritanical ancestors, wherein the people may give thanks for plenteous crops and big margins, has come to be a day in which the general public may go and yell frantically at twenty-two young men plowing up dirt with their academic noses, and getting all sorts of bumps and bruises.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Eagle reported, “ALBANY, NOV. 21 (AP) — “‘Throughout the length and breadth of our land peace and prosperity reign. We have reason to be abundantly grateful to God for His blessings and His eternal guidance,” Governor Alfred E. Smith said in his annual Thanksgiving Day proclamation, made public today. It follows: ‘As the year draws to its close we are reminded again of the abundant blessings of our life under the free institutions of our great democracy. Not thankfulness alone for benefits bestowed, but a deep sense of loyalty to our nation and our flag stirs our hearts. We have passed through dangers sometimes unconscious of their very presence; disaster has befallen some of those most faithful in the service of our country; others have been miraculously saved from catastrophe, death; in all, the Hand of Divine Providence has been manifest to guide, to aid, to inspire.’”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “Brooklynites today were assured of plenty of turkeys for their Thanksgiving feasts — and at fairly reasonable prices. Butchers throughout the borough were featuring the bird at prices ranging from 35 cents a pound for fowl over 20 pounds to 68 cents for the smaller ones. The latter price was about 10 cents above last year’s ceiling but considerably under black market prices. The price for the heavier turkeys was 10 cents below last year’s OPA price. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 41,000,000 pounds of turkey, chicken and duck were in stores and warehouses. Especially plentiful was the supply of ducks from Suffolk County farms. Although turkey prices were not steep, the Thanksgiving Day dinner as a whole will be expensive, a coast-to-coast survey by the United Press indicated today. Cost of a dinner for four ranged from $9.51 in New York to $7.61 in Atlanta. Last year it was $7.82 here. The boost will be caused by soaring prices on other items, with cranberries and coffee leading the way.”

***

Scarlett Johansson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” star Terry Gilliam, who was born in 1940; former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, who was born in 1940; Space Shuttle astronaut Guion Bluford, who was born in 1942; International Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King, who was born in 1943; N.Y. Mets President Sandy Alderson, who was born in 1947; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), who was born in 1950; “Mad About You” star Richard Kind, who was born in 1956; “Halloween” star Jamie Lee Curtis, who was born in 1958; “Shutter Island” star Mark Ruffalo, who was born in 1967; singer and actor Tyler Hilton, who was born in 1983; “Black Widow” star Scarlett Johansson, who was born in 1984; and media personality Hailey Bieber, who was born in 1996.

Jamie Lee Curtis
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

***

SECOND TO NONE: Abigail Adams was born on this day in 1744. The native of Weymouth, Mass., was the wife of John Adams, second president of the U.S., and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president. An intelligent woman interested in politics and current affairs, she was a prodigious letter writer and an adviser to her husband. She died in 1818.

***

A LITTLE RESPECT: Rodney Dangerfield was born on this day in 1921. The Long Island native began his career as a stand-up comedian in the 1960s and became famous for his self-deprecating one-liners and his catchphrase, “I don’t get no respect!” He starred in a string of hit movies in the 1980s, including “Caddyshack,” “Easy Money” and “Back to School.” He died in 2004.

***

TERROR IN TEXAS: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on this day in 1963. The 35th president was gunned down by Lee Harvey Oswald, who fired at Kennedy’s limousine from the Texas School Book Depository in downtown Dallas. Oswald was arrested at a movie theater a few hours later and was shot to death two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby.

***

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

Quotable:

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.”

— former First Lady Abigail Adams, who was born on this day in 1744