February 8: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

February 8, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “A three-way attack on the rapidly growing dope evil was urged today by Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan. Narcotics addiction jumped 300 percent among teenagers in the past five years, ‘with the most shocking increase of all in 1950,’ Hogan said. A series of large-scale raids in various sections of Brooklyn last month pointed up the rapid growth of the dope trade. Similar raids were staged in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. In previous years, marijuana, a comparatively mild dope, was most popular with youngsters, he said. But last year, the city’s youth switched to ‘the more devastating and enslaving use’ of heroin, he revealed. The Manhattan prosecutor urged: 1. State laws making mere possession of narcotics a felony and providing sentences of up to 20 years for sellers; 2. A Sanitary Code amendment by which dope-users under 21 would be hospitalized and cured, with periodic health examinations for five years after release; 3. An investigation by the State Legislature aimed at providing a program for the treatment and cure of addicts.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “PHILADELPHIA (U.P.) — Earle (Greasy) Neale, who coached the Philadelphia Eagles to two national football league titles in 10 years, was fired as head coach following a series of clashes with the front office, it was learned today. Neale’s notice of his dismissal as head coach and field director was wired to him at Lake Worth, Fla., yesterday by team President James P. Clark, head of the ‘100 Brothers’ who own the team, a reliable source said. The surprise dismissal followed the Eagles’ failure to retain the championships they won in 1948 and 1949. The six-won-six-lost record of the Eagles last season led to clashes between Neale and the management.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “CHICAGO (U.P.) – An automobile agency in suburban Cicero last week gave a little boy a blue balloon with the name of the firm printed on it. Yesterday the agency received a letter from Mrs. Claire H. Mann, who said the balloon landed in her front yard. She lives in Brownsville, N.Y., about 625 miles away.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, FEB. 7 (U.P.) — Chairman William F. Knowland of the Senate Republican Policy Committee said today the United States, alone if necessary, should blockade Red China to increase Allied pressure for Korean peace. Senator John J. Sparkman (D., Ala.) disagreed, saying such a step could lead to a broadened war in the East. But Knowland did not believe a blockade would increase the chances of a bigger war. Reports persisted meantime that President Eisenhower does not plan hasty action to order a naval blockade of Red China’s 4,000-mile coastline in an effort to cut off war supplies. It was suggested that instead new efforts be made through the United Nations to tighten restrictions on the flow of strategic goods to Red China. A naval blockade, which many observers said could be considered almost an act of war, would draw the strongest protests from Britain and other UN nations. British sources in London said the government is ‘dead against’ any blockade.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “ALBANY (U.P.) — Governor [Thomas] Dewey has approved a $350,000,000 program to build new facilities to meet the rising tide of mental illness in the state. Money for the program will be raised through the sale of bonds to be voted on at a referendum at the fall election. Dewey said yesterday the program would put 30,000 ‘urgently needed’ beds into the state’s mental hospital wards. Some 18,000 of the beds would be in New York City. The program would be financed by proceeds of taxes now imposed for retirement of World War II veterans’ bonus bonds. ‘Despite the appropriation of more than $200,000,000 for mental hospital construction during the past 10 years,’ Dewey said, ‘we are still short of the beds and the needs are rising.’ The governor took the Democrats to task in their attempts to boost the bond issue to $500,000,000 and tab it for school construction. He said New York City’s ‘school system has suffered not from lack of funds but from lack of competent direction.’”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Oscar-winning composer John Williams, who was born in 1932; former “Nightline” anchor Ted Koppel, who was born in 1940; “48 Hrs.” star Nick Nolte, who was born in 1941; comedian and actor Robert Klein, who was born in 1942; “The Dead Zone” star Brooke Adams, who was born in 1949; Oscar-winning actress Mary Steenburgen, who was born in 1953; former L.A. Angels manager Joe Maddon, who was born in 1954; “The Firm” author John Grisham, who was born in 1955; Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, who was born in 1961; “In Plain Sight” star Mary McCormack, who was born in 1969; Basketball Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning, who was born in 1970; “Family Guy” star Seth Green, who was born in 1974; former “Saturday Night Live” star Cecily Strong, who was born in 1984; former Paramore bassist Jeremy Davis, who was born in 1985; surfer and writer Bethany Hamilton, who was born in 1990; and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, who was born in 1990.

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GREAT ADVENTURES: Jules Verne was born on this day in 1828. The French writer, sometimes called “the father of science fiction,” penned such classics as “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (1864), “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870) and “Around the World in Eighty Days” (1872). He died in 1905.

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BABY, YOU’RE THE GREATEST: Audrey Meadows was born on this day in 1922. The New York City native started her career on Broadway before moving to television. She is best known for playing Bensonhurst housewife Alice Kramden on “The Honeymooners” (1955-56). She died in 1996.

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

Quotable:

“Fans always ask, ‘What did the bedroom look like?’ All they ever saw was Alice or Ralph going in and out.”

— “The Honeymooners” star Audrey Meadows, who was born on this day in 1922