Brooklyn Boro

May 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

May 3, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1916, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Fulton Street got a shock today. The first straw hat of the season did it. The straw had a pretty band, a high crown and a cute little feather tucked away in the bow. The man who wore it was with a woman and at Borough Hall he first gained fame. ‘Pleased to meet you stranger,’ said one wag as he raised his hat. The man under the straw raised his warm weather helmet and the ball was on. The couple walked on down Fulton Street, followed by a crowd.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “ST. WOLFGANG, AUSTRIA (A.P.) — Edward of Windsor bade this Austrian beauty spot goodbye today and hastened toward his newly-freed betrothed in France. Wallis Simpson told him by telephone: ‘Hurry up!’ When the express pulled out of Salzburg toward France, at 4:45 p.m., the Duke was on it. He had motored over from St. Wolfgang. The train is due in Paris tomorrow morning. Just before noon, the telephone rang in the remodeled pension, Appesbach, where the former King of England has spent the last of the lonely exile that began last December. Edward was putting on his mountain climbing togs. He went to the telephone and learned Mrs. Simpson had been finally divorced from Ernest Aldrich Simpson in London. Immediately he called the Chateau de Cande in France, and in a few minutes he was speaking to his fiancée.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “HOLLYWOOD (A.P.) — Six thousand studio workers were swept into the spreading film industry strike today as Guild actors arranged a week’s delay in joining the walkout. The 6,000 members of 11 unions of the Federated Motion Picture Crafts were ordered not to report to work this morning and 3,500 of them were assigned picket duty. The basis of the dispute, which flared into a strike last Friday night, is the Federated Crafts demand on nine major companies for sole bargaining rights. Two thousand actors and actresses, some unknown, others famous, but all aligned with the Screen Actors Guild, attended a meeting last night to vote on strike questions. Like the Federated Crafts, the Guild is seeking a closed shop. It hesitated, however, at a decision which would throw 40,000 persons out of work and stop a weekly payroll of $1,500,000.” Instead, Secretary Aubrey Blair announced, the Guild instructed its directors to begin conferences with producers on Wednesday and report results to a general meeting Sunday. The producers have already agreed to negotiate.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, Eagle sports columnist Tommy Holmes said, “The 74th Run for the Roses, which will be remembered by posterity as the baking powder derby, unfolded as expected. Four horses of noble birth who pursued Citation and Coaltown for a mile and a quarter didn’t know which way the Calumet colts went. As competition, Col. Matt Winn’s latest production wasn’t expected to provide much and didn’t. But it did contribute to the memories and the experience of those who like to watch the best because there is little doubt today that Citation, barring injury, will ultimately be accepted as one of the greatest race horses of our time … Whirlaway set the Derby record — 2:01 2-5 — in 1941, but the track was lightning fast that afternoon at Churchill Downs in contrast to the slop through which Citation splashed Saturday to win laughing in time four seconds slower. The manner in which Citation won made it seem likely that Eddie Arcaro, who on Saturday became the first rider to steer four Derby winners home, will become the first to pilot two horses to the triple crown. The cowboy from Kentucky was also Whirlaway’s jockey.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (UPI) — The House Ways and Means Committee, by a 15-10 party line vote, approved a bill yesterday that would boost the legal limit on the national debt to a record $309 billion during July and August. Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon has indicated the debt ceiling will have to be boosted to about $320 billion after August to cope with the red-ink spending in prospect during the new fiscal year starting July 1.”

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Christina Hendricks
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Dule Hill
Ed Rode/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Frankie Valli, who was born in 1934; former baseball player and manager Davey Lopes, who was born in 1945; sportscaster Greg Gumbel, who was born in 1946; “Think of Laura” singer Christopher Cross, who was born in 1951; comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz, who was born in 1958; former N.Y. Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, who was born in 1963; former N.Y. Islanders goalie Ron Hextall, who was born in 1964; “Morning Joe” co-anchor Willie Geist, who was born in 1975; “Psych” star Dule Hill, who was born in 1975; “Mad Men” star Christina Hendricks, who was born in 1975; former N.Y. Giants placekicker Lawrence Tynes, who was born in 1978; “The Gift” star Rebecca Hall, who was born in 1982; and former NFL running back Joseph Addai, who was born in 1983.

Frankie Valli
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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RAY OF HOPE: Sugar Ray Robinson was born on this day in 1921. The Detroit native is generally considered “pound for pound the greatest boxer of all time.” A welterweight and middleweight champion, he won 175 professional fights and lost only 19. After retiring at age 45, he dabbled in show business and established the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation to counter juvenile delinquency. He died in 1989.

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ON THE AIR: “CBS Evening News” premiered on this day in 1948. The program began as a 15-minute telecast with Douglas Edwards as anchor. Walter Cronkite succeeded Edwards in 1962 and expanded the show to 30 minutes. Dan Rather took over for Cronkite in 1981 and anchored the newscasts until 2005. Katie Couric assumed the anchor seat in 2006 and Scott Pelley came to the helm in 2011. Norah O’Donnell replaced Jeff Glor in 2019 and the show moved from New York City to Washington, D.C.

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

 

Quotable:

“I grew up beyond proud. We didn’t have much, but we had a lot of love.”

— Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Frankie Valli, who was born on this day in 1934

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