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January 30: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 30, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1883, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “In this country the practice of shoplifting, called theft when perpetrated by professionals and ‘kleptomania’ when committed by those who are not professional thieves, is much more extensive than is generally supposed. Every precaution has been taken by merchants, and there are numerous apprehensions for robbery in the great stores which never had their way into the newspapers. One of the most conspicuous merchants informed the writer that in some of the larger establishments the arrests for theft average more than one a day.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1914, the Eagle reported, “Representative Metz of Brooklyn has introduced a bill repealing that section of the income tax law which provides for collection at the source. It provides that firms, corporations and other employers shall make a return to the Government of such persons as are liable to the tax, but the tax itself is to be paid by the individual, and not withheld from his income by the employer. Representative Underwood, the House leader, has already announced that no legislation amending the income tax law can go through this year.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1917, the Eagle reported, “‘This is a very close case in facts and in law. It is entitled to the most serious consideration. A person’s liberty is involved here. The court will be glad to take briefs from both sides as to the sufficiency of proof.’ So said Presiding Justice Freschi yesterday afternoon in the Court of Special Sessions, after listening to the evidence of police witnesses against Mrs. Margaret Sanger, the birth-control advocate. The trial was halted and Jonah J. Goldstein put in no defense for Mrs. Sanger. Mrs. Sanger was tried on the same charge on which her sister, Mrs. Ethel Byrne, was convicted and sent to the workhouse — violation of Section 1142 of the Penal Law — in that she disseminated information concerning birth control.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The Treasury, reporting on 1944 operations against the narcotic traffic, said today that marihuana presented an increasingly serious enforcement problem and that there was reason to believe the traffic was well-financed on an international basis. Treasury agents made numerous arrests, including those which smashed four major gangs in the New York metropolitan area.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — America’s mushrooming atomic arms project is smashing all records. That, plus a promise that today’s records will be shattered tomorrow, is the biggest news in the Atomic Energy Commission’s 11th semi-annual report to Congress. The 211-page report, submitted today, disclosed that: 1. The huge plants producing this country’s deadly family of atomic weapons are operating at ‘full capacity.’ The newest weapons being stockpiled represent ‘significant advances’ over older models; 2. Fissionable materials, the atomic explosives, Plutonium and Uranium-235, are going into weapons at a record rate and, despite inflation, at the lowest unit costs ever achieved. A brand new production section went into operation at Oak Ridge, Tenn.; 3. The $2,000,000,000 expansion of production started in 1950 is progressing about on schedule, despite ‘valuable time lost’ because of material shortages and labor disputes. These big new atomic works are expected to start operations in the fiscal year starting July 1; 4. A new expansion program, to cost $5,000,000,000 to $6,000,000,000 in the next five years, has been projected by the AEC and Defense Department and a report on it has been submitted to Congress; 5. Science is making an ‘extraordinary effort’ to extract from nature new information ‘leading possibly to greater energy releases from the atom.’ Energy releases now obtainable, vast as they are, constitute but a tiny fraction of the total energy locked in the atomic nucleus.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “MIAMI BEACH (UPI) — Commissioner Pete Rozelle of the National Football League said today ‘we are cooperating with the McClellan Committee’ investigating pro football gambling rumors, but declined to discuss specific cases. Sen. John L. McClellan had announced in Washington that a Senate Rackets Committee investigator had been investigating the San Francisco Forty Niners. ‘I made a general report on this situation to representatives of each club,’ Rozelle reiterated, ‘and there will be no further announcements at this meeting simply because there will be no further discussion of these rumors.’”

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Charles S. Dutton
Charles Sykes/AP
Gene Hackman
Mark J. Terrill/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, who was born in 1930; Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, who was born in 1937; former Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born in 1941; former N.Y Mets manager Davey Johnson, who was born in 1943; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Phil Collins (Genesis), who was born in 1951; “Roc” star Charles S. Dutton, who was born in 1951; World Golf Hall of Famer Curtis Strange, who was born in 1955; “Don’t You Want Me” singer Jody Watley, who was born in 1959; former NBA point guard Jalen Rose, who was born in 1973; and Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale, who was born in 1974.

Phil Collins
Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP

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GOING OUT ON TOP: The Beatles performed together in public for the last time on this day in 1969. The show took place on the roof of their Apple Studios in London but it was interrupted by police after they received complaints from the neighbors about the noise.

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PUFF PIECE: Today is National Croissant Day, honoring the delicate, crescent-shaped puff pastry. Although associated with France, the flaky treat originated in Austria and was introduced to France in the mid-19th century.

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

 

Quotable:

“The difference between a hero and a coward is one step sideways.”

— Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, who was born on this day in 1930

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