February 24: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

February 24, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1919, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “When the Barren Island garbage disposal nuisance was discontinued several days ago, Street Cleaning Commissioner MacStay announced that the city’s garbage would be dumped at sea. But either Commissioner MacStay made a mistake, or the men who do the dumping did, for the nearest some of the garbage is getting to the sea is the pavement of Douglass St., between Nevins St. and Third Ave. This block is not far from Gowanus Canal, and that waterway may have been mistaken for the sea. At all events, there they were today, dumping garbage from the city’s big carts in the street. The Eagle heard about it first thing this morning, in a chorus of protests that came from the neighborhood. The neighborhood is not a residence district. Perhaps even the superintendent who made arrangements to use it as a transfer point would have hesitated to pile the reeking mass of filth before some person’s home, but the six-story button factory of H.B. Foulds, employing dozens of girls, was not considered a sufficient reason to use some other part of the thoroughfare, as the pile was dumped immediately in front of the door.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Eagle reported, “The people of New York thought they had old man Winter fooled — until last Thursday. Then, out of what amounted a clear sky came a snowstorm, and the people of New York looked around on Thursday — you must remember it — to find that winter had put over a hard blow and that a snowstorm had arrived to bother them. February storms, however, are nothing new, and the people of New York haven’t a case at all against old man Winter for bringing them one on Feb. 21. The fact is that most of our storms, at least our big ones, have toddled along in February or March. Once there was one in April, but that came the day before Easter and the less said about it the better. It holds bitter memories for too many people.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, Eagle columnist Constance Drexel wrote, “From private sources in Europe, I learn that Mrs. Wallis Simpson has been quite annoyed by press reports making it appear that she would rush to Austria to marry as soon as the law would permit. Had Edward remained Rex and Imperator, it would have been different. But now that he is a private citizen, why should she be put in the position of going to him for the wedding? Should it not be the other way — that he should come to her? This report is borne out by recent news that the Duke of Windsor is negotiating for an estate on the Riviera. What is more, Wallis Simpson lets it be known to all and sundry, and never allows it to be forgotten, that she comes from below the Mason and Dixon line. Hence, other folks may revel in winter sports. She does not like cold weather, nor snow and ice. And as Mrs. Simpson’s chin firmly proclaims a will of her own, she is likely to have her way, or else.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (UPI) — A New York congressman has appealed again to Congress to look favorably on his national lottery bill. Rep. Paul Fino says it would put $10 billion a year into the federal till. Fino has been battling for the lottery for 10 years. Thursday he introduced his proposal in a new form, calling for a popular referendum on whether Americans want the right to bet legally, with Uncle Sam making the book. He said Americans spend $50 billion a year on gambling ventures, and that a main beneficiary now is organized crime. He said he was sure that if the American people were afforded the chance, they would overwhelmingly indicate their approval of a national lottery.”

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Daniel Kaluuya
Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “The Sopranos” star Dominic Chianese, who was born in 1931; singer and actress Joanie Sommers, who was born in 1941; former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who was born in 1942; former Yahoo! Incorporated Chairperson Terry Semel, who was born in Brooklyn in 1943; “Spin City” star Barry Bostwick, who was born in 1945; “Bad to the Bone” singer George Thorogood, who was born in 1950; “That ’70s Show” star Debra Jo Rupp, who was born in 1951; Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, who was born in 1956; journalist Paula Zahn, who was born in 1956; “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star Beth Broderick, who was born in 1959; “Titanic” star Billy Zane, who was born in 1966; “NYPD Blue” star Bonnie Somerville, who was born in Brooklyn in 1974; Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya, who was born in 1989; and ice dancer Madison Hubbell, who was born in 1991.

Dominic Chianese
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

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A TRYING TIME: Impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson began on this day in 1868. The primary motive was Johnson’s dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, which the House of Representatives declared a violation of the 1867 Tenure of Office Act. Johnson was acquitted of the charges in May 1868 and the Tenure of Office Act was repealed in 1887.

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JOBS CREATOR: Steve Jobs was born on this day in 1955. He co-founded Apple Inc. with Steve Wozniak in 1976 and eight years later they released the Macintosh, which solidified the Apple brand. Jobs also helped to revolutionize communications with the iPod, iPhone and iPad. He was 39th on the Forbes Richest People in America list when he died of cancer in 2011.

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

Quotable

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

— Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who was born on this day in 1955