April 24: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 24, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1909, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “CONSTANTINOPLE — The forces of the Young Turks entered Constantinople this morning at 5 o’clock, and after severe fighting in the streets of the city, in which it is estimated that 1,000 men were killed or wounded, the Turkish capital was completely in their possession by 1 o’clock this afternoon. The Constitutionalists are now patrolling the city and order is being maintained. The foreign residents are not believed to be in danger. The Sultan is safe at Yildiz Kiosk. A number of shells dropped within the confines of the palace, whereupon the commander of the forces there hoisted the white flag and at once opened negotiations to surrender. The terms of this surrender are now being discussed, and the commander of the Constitutional army has given until 4 o’clock this afternoon for a final answer. Yildiz Kiosk is completely surrounded by the men from Saloniki.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1930, the Eagle reported, “CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (AP) — Possibility of the existence of another hitherto unknown trans-Neptunian planet was announced today by Prof. Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard Observatory, following receipt of a telegram from the Dominion Observatory at Ottawa. The possible proof of such a planet’s existence has been hidden away on photographic plates taken at the Canadian Observatory six years ago. ‘A telegraph received from Professor Stewart at Ottawa,’ said Professor Shapley, ‘reports that an object discovered by Henroteau and Miss Burland on plates taken in 1924 is suspected to be a trans-Neptunian planet.’ This is apparently a trans-Neptunian object, or at least far out in the planetary system, but, since no magnitude has been given by observers, it is impossible to say whether this is another trans-Neptunian body like Planet X, recently discovered at the Lowell Observatory, or whether it is the nucleus of some great comet at or near a helion. The position in 1924 shows that it is not the Lowell Observatory object.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — Beer, wine and spirits will flow more freely during Coronation Week in June by special permission of the London police. Regulations announced today will allow the city’s ‘pubs’ to stay open until midnight throughout the holiday period instead of closing at 10:30 or 11 p.m. Afternoon closing rules also will be relaxed, giving customers an extra two hours for pre-sunset quaffing.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “PHOENIX, ARIZ. (UPI) — Western governors yesterday gave New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller a narrow popularity edge in the 1964 Republican presidential race despite a scandal in his administration. The governors, attending their western conference in nearby Scottsdale, agreed the scandal in the New York State Liquor Authority probably would soon be forgotten. The census was 6-4 in Rockefeller’s favor over Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona among the 10 governors who committed themselves. Only one governor, Robert E. Smylie of Idaho, refused to vote. GOP Gov. John A. Love of Colorado was the first governor to raise the question of any possible effect of what he called Rockefeller’s ‘liquor problem.’ He characterized former Vice President Richard M. Nixon as ‘still the titular head of the Republican Party’ despite his defeat by incumbent Democrat Edmund G. Brown for the California governorship last fall. But he said Nixon was ‘no longer available as a political candidate.’ Washington Gov. Albert Rosellini, a Democrat, said Rockefeller was favored by the GOP in his state and described the governor as ‘fairly well divorced’ from the liquor issue. No governor doubted President John F. Kennedy would be the Democratic candidate.”

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Barbra Streisand
John Salangsang/Invision/AP

Kelly Clarkson
Rebecca Cabage/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Oscar-winner Shirley MacLaine, who was born in 1934; Oscar-winner Barbra Streisand, who was born in Brooklyn in 1942; music producer Tony Visconti, who was born in Brooklyn in 1944; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival), who was born in 1945; The Hooters founder Rob Hyman, who was born in 1950; “Law and Order” actor Eric Bogosian, who was born in 1953; Night Ranger singer Jack Blades, who was born in 1954; comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer, who was born in 1964; Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, who was born in 1972; “Lost” producer Damon Lindelof, who was born in 1973; “Supernatural” creator Eric Kripke, who was born in 1974; and “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson, who was born in 1982.

Cedric the Entertainer
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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READ ALL ABOUT IT: The Library of Congress was created on this day in 1800. Congress approved an act providing “for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress … and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them..”

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AN ASSAULT ON HUMANITY: The Armenian genocide began on this day in 1915. Fearing that the long-oppressed Armenian subjects would side with Russia and the Allies in World War I, authorities in the Central Powers-aligned Ottoman Empire rounded up and imprisoned 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in the capital of Constantinople. Over the next six years, beyond the end of the war, between 500,000 and 1.5 million Armenians and other minorities were killed.

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

Quotable:

“Nature makes trees put down deep roots before having them bear fruit, and even this is done gradually.”

— St. Vincent de Paul, who was born on this day in 1581