December 22: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 22, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1845, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Charles Dickens is about to commence a new daily paper in London: capital £100,000 — or about half a million of dollars!”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1871, the Eagle reported, “Most of the public schools have their Christmas closings today, and are made jubilant by festive exercises appropriate to the joyous season and the presence of the friends and parents of the little ones. Tomorrow will be the last school day of the year. Entertainments of very pleasing character were given today at public schools No. 29, 11, 6 and 2, and the attendance at each was quite large. Such reunions are a source of general delight and cherished memory to all in any way connected with our schools.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1883, the Eagle reported, “The Christmas festival of the Sunday School children connected with the Classon avenue Presbyterian Church, of which the Rev. Dr. L.T. Chamberlain is pastor, was celebrated last evening. The main floor of the large church edifice was filled with the scholars and their teachers, while the galleries were crowded with the parents and friends of the children. The platform was handsomely decorated with evergreens, while the pipes of the large organ were hidden from view on account of the great abundance of holiday greens and the enormous Christmas tree which occupied the rear of the platform. The tree was over forty feet in height, and was decorated with tinsel, and small looking glasses which reflected the lights which were shed upon them. The tree was illuminated in a novel fashion, the ordinary wax candles being entirely dispensed with. The gas was turned down, and almost immediately the tree was ablaze with fifty-three electric lights, each light being inclosed in a globe of colored glass. A large star in the center of the tree consisted of ten of these electric lights. The electricity was obtained from a battery, which was placed on a truck on Classon avenue, near Monroe street, the wire being carried across the sidewalk and thence to the tree.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Eagle reported, “SANDRINGHAM, ENGLAND, DEC. 21 (AP) — King George and Queen Mary arrived here today to spend Christmas among their Norfolk tenants in the old English fashion. The royal party included the King’s children and grandchildren. At the King’s request Queen Mary has selected an extra large Christmas tree. Midday dinner will be served instead of the usual evening meal, for the benefit of Princess Elizabeth, small daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, and her cousins, Princess Mary’s children, Gerald and George Lascelles. The Christmas decorations have already been purchased and put away in a cardboard box in the Queen’s possession. A second Christmas tree has been chosen for the children of King George’s tenants on the Sandringham estate. On Christmas afternoon there will be a private moving picture show for the children. This is a surprise planned by the Queen and the whole royal family will sit with the children during the cinema.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Radio City Music Hall’s celebrated and traditional Christmas program will start its second week tomorrow … The beloved and far-famed pageant of “The Nativity” again highlights the stage production. Selma Kaye and George Young head the large Music Hall Choral Ensemble, singing carols, and guest performers include Adriana and Charly, Continental favorites, in hilarious antics and high jumps on a trampoline, and Alf Loyal’s celebrated performing dogs. The thrilling finale features the precision-perfect Rockettes in a spirited military tap march.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “It’ll be a white Christmas. The Weather Bureau predicted light snow for today and continued cold and cloudy. Tomorrow will be continued cold. Two days before Christmas the outlook was: Weather: cold, snowy. Shopping: Last minute rush breaking all records. Drinking: ample stocks of ryes but bourbon and Scotch still tight. Travel: Traffic on rail, bus and air lines to and from the city approaching record levels … From the point of view of size it appears that this will be the city’s biggest Christmas in many a year.”

***

Jordin Sparks
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Meghan Trainor arrives at the 42nd annual American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Pretty Woman” star Hector Elizondo, who was born in 1936; former N.Y. Mets pitcher Jerry Koosman, who was born in 1942; Baseball Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, who was born in 1944; journalist Diane Sawyer, who was born in 1945; former L.A. Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey, who was born in 1948; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), who was born in 1948; former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lonnie Smith, who was born in 1955; “Schindler’s List” star Ralph Fiennes, who was born in 1962; U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who was born in 1970; “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks, who was born in 1989; “All About That Bass” singer Meghan Trainor, who was born in 1993; and “High School Musical” star Joshua Bassett, who was born in 2000.

***

CENTER STAGE: Giacomo Puccini was born on this day in 1858. The Tuscany native composed the beloved operas “La Boheme” (1896), “Tosca” (1900), “Madama Butterfly” (1904) and “Turandot” (1924). He died in Belgium in 1924.

***

WATERMARK: The Lincoln Tunnel opened on this day in 1937. Designed by Ole Singstad, the 1.5-mile tunnel under the Hudson River connects Midtown Manhattan with Weehawken, N.J. It is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and its three tubes carry a combined average of more than 112,000 vehicles a day.

***

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

Quotable:

“When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I’ll know I’m growing old.”

— former First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, who was born on this day in 1912