January 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 3, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1904, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Eleven miles of railway opened about the middle of November and twenty miles more to be opened about the middle of January constitute the first fruits of American development in China. For two generations or more the nations of Europe have been squabbling over China and attempting to divide the spoils. It hasn’t been entirely an easy or pleasant job; the spoils didn’t like being divided and have contributed much kicking and screaming and futile struggling to the process, thereby creating considerable commotion, and wasting an amount of energy that might have accomplished great things had it been more advisedly applied. It is said that the United States is the only nation with which China ever willingly signed a treaty, and yet the United States is about the last to take a hand in the development of the country which has naturally followed the treaties and increased intercourse with more progressive western nations.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1915, the Eagle reported, “Alfred Reeves, general manager of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, has been making an extensive trip to the various automobile factories, having visited ninety-three plants in forty-two cities. Mr. Reeves states that the industry was never in better shape than right now. Commenting upon the fact that America is so far ahead of the rest of the world in motor car building, Mr. Reeves says: ‘Skilled designing with efficient engineering and scientific manufacturing has made America the leader of the world in motor car building. My report to the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce will show that since 1900 the industry has not taken a backward step, not even during the business depression of 1907, while each year has seen substantial gains in the number of cars made and sold, with the figure for the past twelve months of more than 515,000 cars, valued wholesale at more than $485,000,000, exceeding the motor car production of the balance of the world by a wide margin.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Senate Republicans carried their fight against Senator Theodore G. Bilbo to the Senate floor today in the opening minutes of a dramatic new session of Congress. The battle to bar the Mississippi Democrat from his seat threatened to interfere with Republican organization of the Senate. It might even delay President Truman’s annual message, scheduled for delivery Monday. The contest was waged before packed galleries. Hundreds stood in Senate corridors. Republican and Democratic leaders failed to reach an agreement on procedure in pre-session discussions. Bilbo’s Southern Democratic supporters were ready to launch a filibuster against the Republican move. At a last-minute Republican policy session it was decided that Senator Homer Ferguson (R., Mich.) would introduce a resolution to force Bilbo to step aside … Under the resolution the Senate would then consider the merits of the charges against Bilbo after hearing Mr. Truman’s message.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1955, the Eagle reported, “MOSCOW (U.P.) — A U.S. Embassy spokesman said today he expects the Soviet Union to free two jailed Americans momentarily without any strings attached. The spokesman said the Soviet Union promised to inform the Embassy as soon as the men — John H. Noble, 31, of Detroit, and William T. Marchuk, 38, of Breckenridge, Pa. — are released. In informing the Embassy last Thursday night of its intention to free the two Americans, the Soviet Union brought up the issue of 11 children held by American authorities in West Germany and the United States. Release of the children, who the Soviets claim are of Russian nationality, was not listed by the Soviet Union as a condition for the release of the two jailed Americans. ‘There was no question of any deal, bargain or exchange,’ the spokesman said. Three of the children now live in the United States. They are the children of an Armenian who was deported by the Soviet Union. A New York court ruled recently they should not be sent back to Russia because they are American citizens.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Intel Corporation co-founder Gordon Moore, who was born in 1929; “Tootsie” star Dabney Coleman, who was born in 1932; Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull who was born in 1939; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stephen Stills (CSNY), who was born in 1945; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), who was born in 1946; “Dallas” star Victoria Principal, who was born in 1950; Oscar-winner Mel Gibson, who was born in 1956; “The Wonder Years” star Danica McKellar, who was born in 1975; Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, who was born in 1964; “The Good Doctor” star Nicholas Gonzalez, who was born in 1976; former N.Y. Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett, who was born in 1977; former N.Y. Giants wide receiver David Tyree, who was born in 1980; former N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was born in 1981; “Black Widow” star Florence Pugh, who was born in 1996; and environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who was born in 2003.

Danica McKellar
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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MIDDLE MAN: J.R.R. Tolkien was born on this day in 1892. The South Africa native is best known for his sagas of Middle Earth: “The Hobbit” (1937) and “The Lord of the Rings,” which was published in three volumes from 1954 to 1955. He died in 1973.

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FROZEN IN TIME: Alaska became the 49th state on this day in 1959. Purchased from Russia in 1867, its area is nearly one-fifth the size of the rest of the U.S.

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“HALL” MARK: “The Arsenio Hall Show” premiered on this day in 1989. Hall became the first African-American to host a successful, syndicated late-night talk show and was named by TV Guide as its first “TV Person of the Year” in 1990.

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

Quotable:
“In New York, they like winners. They don’t like second place.”

— two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, who was born on this day in 1981