May 24: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

May 24, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1859, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The firing today in New York is in honor of Queen Victoria’s birthday. All the British shipping in the harbor are decorated with flags, and the Union Jack is flying from many of the prominent buildings in the city, and many loyal Britons are engaged celebrating the occasion in becoming style.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1873, the Eagle reported, “Gov. [John Adams] Dix has issued a proclamation recommending that the 30th day of May ‘be solemnized by the people of this State.’ Decoration Day has recently been made a legal holiday.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Eagle reported, “Three million persons, or more than the entire population of the eight States of Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Montana and New Mexico, enter and leave the Boro of Manhattan south of 59th st. during a 24-hour period, according to a comprehensive survey of the New York traffic situation presented to the International Police Conference by Deputy Chief Inspector William A. Coleman … The actual count made by the police reveals that 2,849,000 persons and 233,450 vehicles enter Manhattan south of 59th st. every day. Of the pedestrians it is estimated that 1,352,500 come from the Bronx, Westchester and other points north; 1,116,900 come from Brooklyn and Queens; and 30,000 come from New Jersey. From this great ebb and flow of humanity arise all of the many and varied traffic and transit problems of the world’s largest city.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1933, the Eagle reported, “The golden jubilee anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge was celebrated today on land and water and in the air. Across the span which became a public highway exactly 50 years ago today Mayor John P. O’Brien and a citizens’ committee rode in automobiles, halted at the highest point and, while airplanes hummed in circles overhead and boat whistles on the East River shrieked, the Mayor snipped a red-white-and-blue ribbon, much as a ribbon had been cut half a century ago. After that symbolic gesture, the Mayor spoke of ‘this great structure, the Brooklyn Bridge, which has bound together the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan in commercial, municipal and social progress.’ Later, from the steps of Borough Hall, the Mayor, Borough President Henry Hesterberg and Commissioner Albert Goldman of the Department of Plant and Structures, which has charge of the city’s bridges, spoke jubilantly of that opening on May 24, 1883, which started a period of growth and expansion for a united City of New York.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “INDIANAPOLIS, MAY 23 (U.P.) — Five ‘old-timers’ and two newcomers qualified for the Indianapolis 500-mile Memorial Day race today at speeds up to nearly 138 miles per hour. In three hours, veterans Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Duane Carter, 1950 winner Johnnie Parsons and Gene Hartley got into the race, along with Don Freeland and Cal Niday, 1953 rookies. Parsons’ 137.667 mph average was the best of the first seven qualifiers today. The poorest speed of the first 14 qualifiers was Niday’s 134.927.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “Brooklyn College will graduate the largest class in its 33-year history when it confers 2,971 graduate and undergraduate degrees and diplomas at its commencement exercises June 2 at 4:00 p.m., on the college quadrangle. Dr. Samuel B. Gould, president of the Educational Broadcast Corp., WNDT, Channel 13, will deliver the commencement address and Dean of Administration Francis P. Kilcoyne will officiate and confer degrees and honors in the absence of Pres. Harry D. Gideonse, who is currently a visiting professor at the Free University of West Berlin … Baccalaureate degrees will be conferred upon 2,293 students, while Masters degrees will go to 431 students, among whom approximately 310 will be awarded their graduate degrees in teacher education … Lt. Col. Emanuel Glickman, chairman of the Department of Air Science, will award commissions as second lieutenants in the Air Force during the ceremony to seven of the graduates.”

***

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, who was born in 1937; “Up in Smoke” star Tommy Chong, who was born in 1938; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Dylan, who was born in 1941; “M*A*S*H” star Gary Burghoff, who was born in 1943; “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle, who was born in 1944; “The Naked Gun” star Priscilla Presley, who was born in 1945; Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent, who was born in 1949; “Spider-Man 2” star Alfred Molina, who was born in 1953; “The Wheel” singer Rosanne Cash, who was born in 1955; “The English Patient” star Kristin Scott Thomas, who was born in 1960; Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, who was born in 1963; “Step Brothers” star John C. Reilly, who was born in 1965; former N.Y. Mets and Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon, who was born in 1973; Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, who was born in 1979; and “One Voice” singer Billy Gilman, who was born in 1988.

***

MESSAGE SENT: The first U.S. telegraph line was formally opened on this day in 1844. Samuel F.B. Morse sent the first officially telegraphed words — “What hath God wrought?” — from the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Md. Earlier messages had been sent during testing, and one, sent May 1 from a meeting in Baltimore, contained the news that the Whig Party had nominated Henry Clay for president. This message reached Washington one hour before a train carrying the same news.

***

ABOVE AND BEYOND: The Aurora 7 Mercury space capsule was launched on this day in 1962. Astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times.

***

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

Quotable:

“He not busy being born is busy dying.”

— Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Dylan, who was born on this day in 1941