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December 27: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 27, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WARSAW, DEC. 24 — Bolsheviki rule in Russia is described by the officers as more dreadful than that of the old regime, and it is also more corrupt. Money, it is said, will buy judgments in the courts. Prisoners are tortured, their legs and arms broken and sometimes their tongues are cut out. The Bolsheviki, the officers continue, have been guilty of many excesses in Lithuania and the Ukraine. At one place in the Ukraine the landowners were arrested and locked up in a cellar, which was flooded. Bands, consisting in part of criminals, captured a number of former imperial officers at Pskov. The officers were knouted and then hanged to trees along the roads.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1935, the Eagle reported, “HILO, HAWAII (AP) — The United States Army pitted its explosives against the volcano today. Twelve bombing planes were ordered to take off at 8:30 a.m. (2 p.m., Eastern Standard Time) to blast molten lava from Mauna Loa out of the course which threatens Hilo’s water supply and might eventually reach the city itself. If the aerial barrage fails, a detachment of 50 men from the third engineers will try to break the lava’s threat with dynamite. The airmen were directed to drop bombs individually and then in salvos, if necessary, to blast a new channel through which the lava could flow harmlessly toward the ocean. Army officers indicated the old lava crust, which forms a channel for the new flow, may be able to withstand the explosive power of the 600-pound bombs. If it does, the engineers will be sent to near the source. There they would drill beneath the lava, placing numerous charges of T.N.T. These would be detonated simultaneously. Officers characterized the daring plan as feasible, providing the soldiers are able to approach close enough to the fiery river which throws out a devastating blanket of heat.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Leading Senate Republicans expressed belief today that President Truman should forego ‘back-seat driving’ during the new Congress and leave the legislative program in the hands of the G.O.P. majority. Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio, chairman of the Republican Steering Committee, predicted that Mr. Truman’s contacts with the new Senate leadership would be limited to an occasional chat. Any other course, he said, would lead only to ‘bickering’ and hard feeling between the White House and Capitol Hill. Senator Taft’s statement came as Mr. Truman, back from a one-day Christmas trip to Missouri, buckled down to the ticklish job of writing the State of the Union message which he presents to the opposition Congress Jan. 6. It will be the first time a Democratic president has faced a Republican Congress since the days of Woodrow Wilson after World War I … In all probability, Mr. Truman will deliver his State of the Union message to Congress in person.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “With the health and safety of the city periled by the crippling and record-breaking snowstorm — only eight ambulances were operating in Brooklyn — the Mayor’s Emergency Committee assembled at Manhattan Police Headquarters today to devise means of moving essentials and to co-ordinate efforts of city departments in combatting the menace. ­Attending were all the borough presidents, city commissioners and department heads, representatives of public utilities and railroads, and navy, army and state guard officials. The meeting started at 9:30 a.m. and it was indicated that several hours would elapse before a report would be forthcoming. Several important city officials, however, gave reporters a definite idea of the agenda of the conference. Police Commissioner [Arthur] Wallander said the main purpose of the meeting was to find out how much manpower could be summoned to move food, fuel and other essentials. Acting Mayor [Vincent] Impellitteri described the principal objective as co-ordination by city agencies to safeguard public health. He said that first reports indicate milk and other food were starting to move.”

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John Amos
Peter Kramer/AP
Masi Oka
Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Good Times” star John Amos, who was born in 1939; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mike Pinder (the Moody Blues), who was born in 1941; King Crimson co-founder Peter Sinfield, who was born in 1943; former N.Y. Yankees outfielder Roy White, who was born in 1943; Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones, who was born in 1944; “Green Card” star Gerard Depardieu, who was born in 1948; “The Walking Dead” star Tovah Feldshuh, who was born in 1952; Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Self, who was born in 1962; “All My Children” star Eva LaRue, who was born in 1966; former NFL fullback Lorenzo Neal, who was born in 1970; “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who was born in 1971; Sixpence None the Richer guitarist Matt Slocum, who was born in 1972; “Heroes” star Masi Oka, who was born in 1974; former NBA shooting guard Dahntay Jones, who was born in 1980; “Lost” star Emilie de Ravin, who was born in 1981; and Paramore singer Hayley Williams, who was born in 1988.

Emilie de Ravin
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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MUSIC OF THE SPHERES: Johannes Kepler was born in Germany on this day in 1571. Considered “the father of modern astronomy,” he is best known for his laws of planetary motion and the books “Astronomia Nova,” “Harmonice Mundi” and “Epitome Astronomiae.” He died in 1630.

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TOP FLIGHT: Sir George Cayley was born in England on this day in 1773. The aviation pioneer, scientist, inventor and theoretician designed airplanes, helicopters and gliders. He is credited as the father of aerodynamics and piloted the first manned glider flight. He died in 1857.

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

 

Quotable:

“I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.”

— astronomer Johannes Kepler, who was born on this day in 1571

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