February 7: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

February 7, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Contracts for the installation of eight sirens in the territory roughly bounded by Fort Hamilton, Coney Island and Ocean Ave. at Prospect Park will probably be let next Tuesday or Wednesday, Police Commissioner [Lewis] Valentine said today. These will be the first of the city’s air raid warning sirens. Bids already have been received for the initial jobs, he said. The Commissioner added that the survey of Brooklyn for appropriate siren locations has been completed and the survey for Manhattan is well under way.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — A second Soviet-British dispute — Ukrainian charges that British troops in Indonesia threaten the peace — faced the UNO Security Council today after a hard-fought compromise settlement of the Russian-British quarrel over Greece. Observers believed the Ukrainian charges might be withdrawn when the council convenes as a result of the Greek settlement. The U.S.S.R. and Soviet Ukraine charges had been filed simultaneously. Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin was generally considered to have won a major victory for Britain in the Greek case, which ended when Russia withdrew her charges at the council last night. A simple statement by the council chairman, N.J.O. Malkin of Australia, that the council had heard the discussion and considered the case closed brought an end to the acrimonious debate which threatened the infant organization’s unity. The compromise settlement resulted from a statement by Andrei Vishinsky, Soviet vice foreign commissar, that Russia agreed not to press her charges against Britain and did not insist that the council should pass a declaration that British troops should leave Greece. Mr. Bevin studied Mr. Vishinsky’s offer for 30 intense minutes, then accepted it. Mr. Makin moved that the council proceed to the next item of business. His proposal was accepted by acclamation by the council and drew cheers from the galleries. Mr. Bevin and Mr. Vishinsky shook hands with Edward J. Stettinius Jr., chief American delegate who prepared the compromise formula.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — Queen Elizabeth II, dressed in black but showing no other sign of her sorrow, came home today to assume the British throne. The arrival of the girl who went away a week ago a Princess and returned a Queen climaxed a grueling 22-hour flight from Nairobi, Kenya, where yesterday she received the news of the death of King George VI. Her face calm and her bearing regal, the 25-year-old sovereign spent less than five minutes receiving Prime Minister Winston Churchill, her uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and a dozen other of Britain’s ‘greats’ who were waiting for her at London airport. Each addressed her as ‘Your Majesty.’ The Queen spoke a few words to the captain and stewardess of the plane which rushed her home from East Africa and stepped into a gleaming limousine to be sped to London. There, Britain’s first Queen since Victoria faced among her first duties the arranging of the funeral of her father.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “The East Flatbush B’nai B’rith Lodge, in its annual observance of Brotherhood Month, will have as its guest tomorrow night Thurgood Marshall, chief counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. A brotherhood citation will be presented to Mr. Marshall for his outstanding work on behalf of all minority peoples by official referee Meier Steinbrink, a former national director of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. The presentation will be made at the East Flatbush Jewish Center, 661 Linden Boulevard.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “The Brooklyn branch of the NAACP has planned a star-studded memorial observance of the Emancipation Proclamation centennial for Friday, tomorrow evening, at the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church. Included in the centennial song play ‘Sing for Freedom’ will be poet-author Langston Hughes and actress Diana Sands. Music will be provided by the choirs of the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, the Bethany Baptist Church and Marilyn Carter. Approximately 8,000 leaflets and 4,000 newsletters have been distributed by the NAACP in the community in anticipation of the evening’s entertainment.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “The Bridge” author Gay Talese, who was born in 1932; historian Eric Foner, who was born in 1943; “TV Funhouse” creator Robert Smigel, who was born in 1960; “The Blacklist” star James Spader, who was born in 1960; Country Music Hall of Famer Garth Brooks, who was born in 1962; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer David Bryan (Bon Jovi), who was born in 1962; comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, who was born in 1962; former “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Rock, who was born in 1965; “Savannah” star Robyn Lively, who was born in 1972; former NBA forward Juwan Howard, who was born in 1973; former Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash, who was born in 1974; former N.Y. Mets outfielder Endy Chavez, who was born in 1978; “That ’70s Show” star Ashton Kutcher, who was born in 1978; and “Napoleon Dynamite” star Tina Majorino, who was born in 1985.

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KEYS TO SUCCESS: Eubie Blake was born on this day in 1887. The Baltimore native and son of former slaves had a long career as a pianist and wrote more than 1,000 songs. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981 and was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1995. Blake lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant for many years and died there in 1983. He is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery.

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AND AWAY WE GO: Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart made the first untethered space walk on this day in 1984, using a nitrogen-propelled Manned Maneuvering Unit.

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

Quotable:

“You can only offend me if you mean something to me.”

— actor and comedian Chris Rock, who was born on this day in 1965