Brooklyn Boro

May 21: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

May 21, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1882, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “The causes that are operating to keep up the present high price of meat are producing effects almost unparalleled in the past twenty years. The shipping interests are suffering greatly. The Anchor line of steamers have taken off their London boat for want of freight, and the minor lines have been keeping vessels in port for weeks awaiting whatever may turn up in the way of freights. Bacon sent to England is being reshipped to New York and sold at a profit after paying freight twice, and flour and other provisions are following suit. But for the enormous number of immigrants from Europe and of pleasure seekers leaving this country for the summer months, the carrying trade on the Atlantic would be almost at a standstill. The present month promises to see the largest number of immigrants ever shipped to this country, the arrivals for May exceeding those of last year by thousands. This would be very well if these people were producers within twelve months. As it is, this year a million more mouths will be added to consume the products of last year. It has been stated that meat will not come down in price until the end of July. If it does even then it will show that the causes assigned for the present famine are not the true ones — namely, that the young cattle were killed by the severity of the winter. The high price of living may ultimately affect the amount of travel on the ocean steamers.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1912, the Eagle reported, “The suggestion made by one of the superintendents that an examination be given to all the graduating classes in the city is being seriously considered by the City Superintendent and the Board of Examiners. Some of the latter are known to favor this plan, which was formerly the way in Brooklyn. Many of the graduating class teachers, especially those in schools which still retain the old method of teaching and in which the departmental system has not been adopted, are favorable to the proposition. It is claimed by some persons that under the present method of passing upon those who are fit to graduate there are great inequalities, and that many are passed by principals who are not ready for graduation. It would also be a test of the teachers as well as of the pupils. And it is this, as much as to ascertain whether the children are fit for graduation that the examiners desire to test. The proposition is made that the papers of the children be sent to a central school in each district where the teachers can meet and mark them. The teachers would learn a good deal by the intercourse.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “DALLAS, TEX. (U.P) — A Virginia allergist says pollen shots properly administered bring relief to 80 percent of patients. Dr. Oscar Swineford Jr. of the University of Virginia was one of several speakers attending the Dallas Southern Clinical Society’s 17th annual conference. A great deal of all hay fever, Dr. Swineford said, is caused by sensitiveness to a specific pollen, the invisible fertilizing dust which drifts through the air while a plant is going to seed.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1957, the Bay Ridge Home Reporter said, “Billy Graham, who is out to bring God back to New York City, took time out Sunday from his Madison Square Garden crusade to invade Bay Ridge. He warned an estimated 60,000 Norwegian-Americans jammed into Liev Eiriksson Park to observe Norway’s Independence Day, that both Norway and American ‘will surely perish unless we have a moral revival’ to provide strength to combat ‘the forces that are arrayed against us.’ He meant Communism. The handsome evangelist with the magnetic voice stood on the reviewing stand in front of the Norwegian Ev. Lutheran Free Church, 649 66th St., and joined a host of local and Scandinavian community leaders in watching the Sytende Mai (17th of May) parade go by. Dr. Graham told the cheering crowd that he had been in Oslo, the capital of Norway, for an evangelistic meeting two years ago and said: ‘Norway is a beautiful country. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a place in the world that is so beautiful.’ He told of his struggles in an Oslo restaurant, trying to explain to the Norwegian waitress — with gestures — that he wanted a cup of coffee, eggs and cereal. After several minutes of watching his gesticulations, Dr. Graham said, the waitress asked him in perfect English: ‘Is it breakfast you want, sir?’ ‘All of us Americans,’ he said, ‘are thankful for the contributions that Norwegians have made to the American way of life.’”

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Lisa Edelstein
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Mr. T
Chris Pizzello/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Baseball Hall of Famer Bobby Cox, who was born in 1941; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ronald Isley, who was born in 1941; “Bobby’s Girl” singer Marcie Blane, who was born in Brooklyn in 1944; Chicago singer Bill Champlin, who was born in 1947; “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” singer Leo Sayer, who was born in 1948; “The A-Team” star Mr. T, who was born in 1952; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stan Lynch (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), who was born in 1955; “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” star Judge Reinhold, who was born in 1957; former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who was born in 1959; “Family Guy” producer Richard Appel, who was born in 1963; My Bloody Valentine founder Kevin Shields, who was born in 1963; “House” star Lisa Edelstein, who was born in 1966; “The Craft” star Fairuza Balk, who was born in 1974; and former N.Y. Yankees pitcher Andrew Miller, who was born in 1985.

Andrew Miller
Chris O’Meara/AP

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HOPE SPRINGS: Alexander Pope was born on this day in 1688. The English poet, critic and satirist gained fame with “The Rape of Lock” (1712-14), which established him as the foremost poet of the time. He is also the author of the unfinished “An Essay on Man,” which features the line “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” He died in 1744.

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LIFEBLOOD: Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross on this day in 1881. Originally established in Switzerland in 1864 by representatives of 16 European nations, the Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization governed and directed by volunteers and provides disaster relief at home and abroad. Its 1.1 million volunteers are involved in community services such as collecting and distributing donated blood and blood products, teaching health and safety classes and acting as a medium for emergency communications between Americans and their armed forces.

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

 

Quotable:

“Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.”

— poet Alexander Pope, who was born on this day in 1688

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