January 20: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 20, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1922, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “ROME — Pope Benedict’s life hangs in the balance today and fears were expressed at the Vatican at noon that His Holiness was in a dying condition. About 4 a.m. there was a sudden change for the worse and the bronchial affliction from which His Holiness had been suffering for several days spread to his lungs. The Pontiff asked for and received the last sacrament, insisting upon this ‘if only to give a good example,’ he said, despite attempts by his attendants to dissuade him. The Pope’s physicians were in consultation at the Vatican at an early hour, and the morning bulletin, issued afterward, indicated an extremely serious condition. Dr. Battistini, however, stated then that while the condition of His Holiness was grave, it was not hopeless. About 11 o’clock in the forenoon, however, the Pope’s condition became aggravated and the administration of oxygen was begun. At 11:30 o’clock the eucharist was solemnly carried to him, and in the presence of 18 cardinals the Holy Sacrament was placed in the Palatine Chapel. Prayers were said in the Catholic schools. All business at the Vatican was suspended. Meanwhile prayers were being said in all the churches and Catholic institutions of Rome on behalf of His Holiness and great crowds began to assemble in St. Peter’s.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “Launching a new Federal drive on narcotic smuggling, more than 200 Federal agents today were conducting a stem-to-stern and forecastle-to-hold search of the North German Lloyd liner Bremen following its landing at its new pier at W. 46th St. and the North River, Manhattan. The campaign, it was learned, was ordered by Treasury officials after a survey had shown an alarming increase of dope smuggling since the repeal of prohibition.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — John Foster Dulles accused Russia today of trying ‘by every art short of war’ to wreck Europe. He urged Congress to set up a hard-headed aid to Europe plan that would bind the 16 western European countries together in a mutual aid pact to halt the march of Soviet dictatorship. Dulles said that if Congress rejected the Marshall Plan the cost of re-arming America would make the $17,000,000,000 Marshall proposal ‘look like a bag of peanuts.’ The Republican foreign policy spokesman told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that if Congress turned down the Marshall program Russia would be in a position to take over all of Europe. This country then would have to increase its defense forces enormously, he said.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “Commissioner Bert Bell of the National Football League lost his battle yesterday for sudden-death overtime periods for all games that wind up with tie scores, and for the elimination of the point after touchdown. Bell, realizing that neither measure had a chance for adoption, withdrew them and said they would be brought up again next year when conditions for their approval might be more feasible. The club owners devoted most of the day to a discussion of their troubles with the government on curtailment of television broadcasts of regular league games. It was a closed session and no report of their discussions was made. Last night they were expected to continue their sessions for some hours at the Statler Hotel and it also was considered likely they would meet again today to complete the 1952 schedule. Chief hitch in drawing that up has been the complaint of Ted Collins, owner of the New York Yanks, who said he had an impossible situation involving his landlord, Dan Topping of the baseball Yankees, and Tim Mara, owner of the New York football Giants, the rival club in town.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “An East German border guard in full uniform and carrying his pistol escaped into West Berlin before dawn yesterday, West Berlin police reported. The 21-year-old guard, who was on duty at a border-crossing point, walked the few feet to West Berlin in the early morning darkness at a moment when none of the other guards was looking.”

***

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was born in 1930; “Doctor Who” star Tom Baker, who was born in 1934; Basketball Hall of Famer Bailey Howell, who was born in 1937; “Twin Peaks” creator David Lynch, who was born in 1946; “Murder One” star Daniel Benzali, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley (Kiss), who was born in 1952; TV host Bill Maher, who was born in 1956; “Falcon Crest” star Lorenzo Lamas, who was born in 1958; “Desperate Housewives” star James Denton, who was born in 1963; “The Office” star Rainn Wilson, who was born in 1966; “Clueless” star Stacey Dash, who was born in 1966; political strategist Kellyanne Conway, who was born in 1967; “Jericho” star Skeet Ulrich, who was born in 1970; musician and DJ Questlove, who was born in 1971; former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, who was born in 1972; and “American Horror Story” star Evan Peters, who was born in 1987.

***

WAR IS OVER: On this day in 1783, British and U.S. commissioners signed a preliminary “Cessation of Hostilities,” which was ratified by England’s King George III on Feb. 14. This led to the treaties of Paris and Versailles on Sept. 3, 1783 and the end of the Revolutionary War.

***

HOME FREE: The Iran hostage crisis ended on this day in 1981 with the release of 52 U.S. citizens after 444 days of captivity. The deal was announced minutes after the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan.

***

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

Quotable:

“I still say, ‘Shoot for the moon; you might get there.’”

— Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was born on this day in 1930