April 16: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 16, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1912, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Throughout the day every possible means of communication, principally the telephone, was used by thousands of people throughout Greater New York and the surrounding cities to learn the fate of friends or relatives on board the Titanic. Many persons on hearing of the bulletins that the Titanic had sunk called up the Information Service of the Eagle to verify the reports. The most intense interest was manifested, even by those who had no acquaintances among the passengers or the crew, and the Eagle extra containing a full list of the survivors, with the latest news of the sinking of the giant ship, was eagerly sought for and the presses were hard put to supply all the copies demanded. All night long the offices of the White Star Line in Manhattan were besieged by appeals for news of the Titanic, but it was little that the officials of the company could give to the many persons who were seeking information. A thunderstorm in the early morning greatly handicapped the wireless operators and the storm’s increasing violence finally silenced them altogether.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1923, the Eagle reported, “When baseball, the nation-wide magnet, begins attracting its swarms of fans to its two poles here this season, New York’s devotees of the sport will wend their way into the two largest and finest parks in the country. The new $3,000,000 Yankee stadium is now practically complete, and vast improvements have been under way at the Polo Grounds, home of the world’s champion Giants, where the seating capacity is being increased to 54,000. The combined seating capacity of the two parks at the opening of this season will be 120,000 — 75,000 at the Yankee stadium and 45,000 at the Polo Grounds — but within a few weeks this will be increased to 130,000. In future years, when final plans are completed, 154,000 spectators can be accommodated on a single day. The Yankee stadium, the largest baseball park in the country, will be ready for the opening game next Wednesday with the Boston Red Sox, and will accommodate 75,000 persons. When completed, it will seat 100,000. The severity of the winter has retarded work at the Polo Grounds, but 45,000 seats will be available there April 26, at the first call of ‘Batt’ries for today,’ and before the end of May, 54,000 will be ready.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1928, the Eagle reported, “Easter was celebrated yesterday with services early in the morning and throughout the day by members of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church at 388 State St. Archbishop Elias Deeb, former metropolitan of Tyre and Sidon, and Archbishop Aftimios of Brooklyn officiated at the services.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “For winning the Stanley Cup, the New York Rangers each will receive $1,200, plus a fat bonus from Madison Square Garden.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “This was a historic occasion. For the first time ever, an acknowledged Negro played in a major league championship game. Jackie Roosevelt Robinson played at first base until the top of the ninth when Sukey sent in Steeple Schultz to finish up. He didn’t hit in his first three chances at the plate, but in the seventh he played an important role. He bunted with a man on first, then had the presence of mind to be hit by the first baseman’s throw. Runners wound up on second and third and Pete Reiser won the game with a double off the wall. In the clubhouse, while receiving congratulations upon his launching in the majors, Robbie was asked if Johnny Sain, the competent Boston righthander, was the best pitcher he ever faced. ‘Well, er-r-r,’ Robinson hesitated and then his white teeth showed in a flashing grin, ‘I’ve hit against Feller, you know.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “TAIPEI, FORMOSA, APRIL 15 (U.P.) — Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek said today that the ‘life or death of the United Nations’ hinges on the handling of Nationalist China’s case against the Soviets and warned Pacific countries they must have a ‘clear, common objective’ to fight Communism. Chiang, in an exclusive interview with the United Press, talked for an hour and 15 minutes on topics ranging from the fate of the United Nations to the plight of more than 450,000,000 of his countrymen under Communist rule on the mainland. Chiang said he ‘thinks and hopes’ the Nationalists will be able to hold Formosa against any invasion attempt and said that Chinese Communist leader Mao Tze-tung will never turn against the Soviets and become another Marshall Tito. Asked about the prospects of charges made by China in the United Nations against Russia, he said: ‘The United Nations has not yet made any final decision concerning the case. Recent Soviet moves such as her recognition of the Chinese Communist regime and her boycott of the United Nations all attempt to prevent action from the U.N. against her aggressive activities. It is my deepest conviction that the future of the United Nations itself and even the future of world peace depend on the case presented by the Chinese government against Russia.’”

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Roses are Red” singer Bobby Vinton, who was born in 1935; Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was born in 1947; New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was born in 1952; “Futurama” star Billy West, who was born in 1952; “Sea of Love” star Ellen Barkin, who was born in 1954; Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who was born in 1955; Soul Asylum founder Dave Pirner, who was born in 1964; “Pretty in Pink” star Jon Cryer, who was born in 1965; “Bad Boys” star Martin Lawrence, who was born in 1965; U.S. poet laureate (2017-19) and former Brooklynite Tracy K. Smith, who was born in 1972; singer and record producer Akon, who was born in 1973; Broadway star Kelli O’Hara, who was born in 1976; “The Queen’s Gambit” star Anya Taylor-Joy, who was born in 1996; and “Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink, who was born in 2002.

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A NEW BEGINNING: Slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia on this day in 1862. Congress appropriated $1 million to compensate owners of freed slaves, and $100,000 was set aside to pay district slaves who wished to emigrate to Haiti, Liberia or any other country outside the U.S.

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MANY MOONS AGO: Apollo 16 was launched on this day in 1972. Astronauts John W. Young, Charles M. Duke, Jr. and Thomas K. Mattingly left on an 11-day mission that included a 71-hour exploration of the moon. They returned on April 27, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

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

Quotable:

“I confess that in 1901 I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for 50 years.”

— aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright, who was born on this day in 1867