February 25: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

February 25, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “There is always the chance that the coronation of a British king will happen but once in a lifetime and therefore stylists are taking advantage of the brilliant theme of this year’s event. The lovely jewel tones which have appeared in evening frocks and accessories for women during the past few months are now being widely employed in upholstery fabrics on furniture and for rugs, drapes and wall coverings. Fortunately all of these colors are acceptable in both period and modern settings and the very gaiety of the shades brings to this year’s homes an atmosphere of luxuriousness and charm so sadly missing during the past few years of our own economic difficulty.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “LOS ANGELES (U.P.) — “Unidentified aircraft swept over the Los Angeles County coast in two waves early today and were greeted by blasts of gunfire that continued for nearly two hours. Police were investigating a report that an unidentified plane was shot down near 180th St. and Vermont Ave., about 15 miles from the center of the city, in the vicinity of Palos Verdes Hills. A desk sergeant at the 77th St. station informed headquarters he had seen two planes fall from the cone of searchlight beams after strenuous anti-aircraft activity. A bomb or an anti-aircraft shell was reported to have demolished a garage and automobile at a residence in the western part of the city, 15 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. Fragments of debris were driven through the home nearby, but no one was injured, police said. During the height of the barrage, and while the entire coastline from Santa Monica to San Diego was blacked out, a number of Japanese were arrested on the Venice Pier for signaling with flashlights. Searchlights swept the skies and on at least one occasion caught a group of planes directly in their cone over Long Beach. Police who witnessed the episode said they could not determine whether any plane was hit by shells which burst all around them.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “A branch of the Brooklyn Public Library which will serve residents of the Red Hook housing project was opened yesterday afternoon at 592 Clinton St. with ceremonies attended by Borough President [John] Cashmore and library officials. The library, located in a store building, is well stocked with children’s books in anticipation of heavy use by children of the project. The new branch replaces a Carnegie-built library at Richards St. and Visitation Place, which was closed in 1946 after being damaged by fire. The old branch had been in use for 31 years. Borough President Cashmore congratulated the people of the neighborhood for their enterprise in getting the new branch established. Among the 35 guests attending the ceremony were Dr. Milton J. Ferguson, chief librarian; Margaret Freeman, superintendent of library branches, and Henry J. Davenport, president of the library board of trustees. Mrs. Salvatore J. Farrugia of the Erie Basin-Red Hook Neighborhood Council presided.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle published the following letter to the editor: “I protest a bridge over the Narrows. It would mar the finest harbor, the entrance to the greatest city. Let our sea approach to the Statue of Liberty and the skyline be free from the impaling cloud of modern traffic. Brooklyn’s Shore Road, a short two miles, the most fascinating spot on earth, would be ruined by such a cobweb. Some years ago you kindly gave me space to object to a proposed viaduct across Prospect Park from 9th Street to the Willink entrance. The suggestion scarcely seems credible, but it was seriously urged. Such a thing would have spoiled Prospect Park; this proposed Narrows atrocity would deface 100 square miles from Ambrose Light to the Battery. I would suggest that no one, including your good self, say another word in favor of this proposal till he again has seen a sunset from Brooklyn’s Shore Road. — Franklin Malone.’”

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Rashida Jones
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Eugenie Bouchard
Ryan Emberley/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include media personality Sally Jessy Raphael, who was born in 1935; journalist Bob Schieffer, who was born in 1937; “The Silence of the Lambs” actress Diane Baker, who was born in 1938; humorist Jack Handey, who was born in 1949; former N.Y. Knicks coach Kurt Rambis, who was born in 1958; former N.Y. Yankees right fielder Paul O’Neill, who was born in 1963; “Madam Secretary” star Tea Leoni, who was born in 1966; “The Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin, who was born in 1971; media personality Chelsea Handler, who was born in 1975; “Parks and Recreation” star Rashida Jones, who was born in 1976; 2021 World Series MVP Jorge Soler, who was born in 1992; and tennis player Eugenie Bouchard, who was born in 1994.

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SPEAKING VOLUMES: Emma C. Embury was born on this day in 1806. The author and poet published many of her works under the name “Ianthe.” She married Brooklyn banker Daniel Embury in 1828, the same year she published her first poetry collection, “Guido, a Tale: Sketches from History and Other Poems.” She died in Brooklyn in 1863. Her funeral was held at Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights.

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A SEAT AT THE TABLE: Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African-American in Congress on this day in 1870. Born in North Carolina in 1827, he was ordained a minister in 1845 and served as a chaplain in the U.S. Army during the Civil War. In 1870, the Mississippi State Senate chose Revels to finish out the term of one of the state’s U.S. senators. After his term ended in 1871, he became the first president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University). He died in 1901.

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THE PEACEMAKER: Philip Habib was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1920. The New Utrecht H.S. graduate was one of the most prominent U.S. diplomats of the late 20th century, serving under Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Reagan in 1982. In 2006, he was featured on a U.S. postage stamp alongside other noted diplomats. He died in France in 1992.

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

Quotable:

“All the world is a birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.”

— Rock and Roll Hall of Famer George Harrison, who was born on this day in 1943