January 22: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1901, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “LONDON — The long reign of Queen Victoria is at an end. News of her death was officially announced in London at 6:55 o’clock this evening. The end came at 6:30 … The Queen is said to have bid farewell, in a feeble monosyllable, to her family, assembled at her bedside, at midday. She first recognized the Prince of Wales, to whom she spoke a few words of great moment; then Emperor William and the others present filed past and heard a whispered goodbye. All those in the bedroom were in tears … The following telegram from the Prince of Wales was received by the Lord Mayor at 7 p.m.: ‘Osborne, 6:45 p.m. — My beloved mother has just passed away, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. (Signed) Albert Edward.’ … The news of the Queen’s death spread quickly over New York. Almost as soon as the cables flashed the message across the sea, the tickers in hundreds of offices and public places were printing off the death notice. In a few minutes, flags on the big buildings began to descend to half mast. Nearly all the flags in the city were lowered out of respect to the memory of the dead Queen. On some of the buildings, British flags were run up to half mast where they dropped sadly in the still air.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1922, the Eagle reported, “ROME (A.P.) — Pope Benedict’s death occurred at 6 o’clock this morning. The end had been expected for several hours. The attending physicians, Cardinal Gasparri and other members of the Pope’s household were present at his bedside. From midnight all hope had been abandoned and at 2 o’clock Dr. Battistini announced that the pope could not live longer than four hours at the maximum … Pope Benedict XV, the 259th successor of St. Peter as supreme head of the Roman Catholic Church, began his pontificate on Sept. 6, 1914, soon after Europe entered upon its four years of war. Upon many occasions during the war he endeavored to bring the belligerent nations to a peace agreement and thus to maintain the title which had been affectionately bestowed upon him by a high dignitary of his communion as ‘a messenger God sent to bring peace.’”
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.