June 1: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 1, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1867, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Fishing has commenced at Canarsie. Sheeps Head, Blue, Weak and Black Fish, and also Bass are being caught daily. Boats and Yachts are ready for hire.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1902, the Eagle reported, “Greatest of all days in the annals of the United States Military Academy at West Point is to be June 11. On that day will be celebrated with extraordinary pomp and under the inspiration of the presence of the President of the nation, his cabinet members, high officials of the Army and Navy, men of prominence in education and other walks of life, the centennial anniversary of the academy. From every section of the country and from lands far away will hurry men whose experience at the post many, many years ago, has been a memory almost as dear as their thoughts of home or the earliest recollection of maternal presence.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1908, the Eagle reported, “GRAVESEND RACE TRACK, L.I. — The running of the 1908 Brooklyn Handicap bid fair to be seen either under threatening skies this afternoon or in a rainstorm. At 2 o’clock there was a slight shower at the track, and at that time cloud banks all around the horizon gave promise of more rain. The hour or so of sunshine in town about noon probably added 5,000 to the attendance, and had the weather stayed bright, without a doubt 35,000 persons would have seen the running of the big race. As it was, it was expected between 20,000 and 30,000 would be on hand at 4 o’clock, when the barrier is due to go up.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1914, the Eagle reported, “The annual rush of the June brides and bridegrooms to procure their marriage licenses almost swamped the Marriage License Bureau at the Borough Hall today. June 1 is always the banner day at the bureau, and today was no exception to the rule. Deputy City Clerk Joseph V. Sculley and his assistant, Thomas Maher, estimated that the number of licenses issued today would exceed 100. Last year on June 1 it was 109.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Eagle reported, “The cooling systems in all Radio-Keith-Orpheum theaters throughout Greater New York are now in operation and the patrons express much satisfaction. A complete air-conditioning plant was installed in the Palace last year, but in many neighborhood theaters the new system of ventilation added to the equipment during the winter is now being used for the first time.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “Now is the time of year when life with father becomes complicated by the perennial gift season problem, what to get for Dad if he already has all the neckties he needs. Father’s Day, it was announced by the National Father’s Day Committee, will be June 15. It will be celebrated not only throughout this country but also in Mexico, Canada, Hawaii and India. Contrary to a common belief, Father’s Day is not an innovation of recent years, designed to serve as a fitting anti-climax after Mother’s Day. This year, the committee discloses, will see the 31st celebration. Father’s Day was started in 1910 by Mrs. John Bruce Dodd of Spokane, Wash., in memory of her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran, who had been both father and mother to his large family of children after the death of his wife.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “The Rockaways are ready for the Summer season and expect it to be a banner one. The beachfront has been cleaned up by Park Department crews and the debris left by the Winter waves has been removed from the white sand. The first representatives of the biggest lifeguard crew in the world — 192 — are already on duty, 27 more will report for duty on June 21 and the remaining 128 will report on June 28. Rockaways’ Playland, the heart of the peninsula’s amusement area, has 35 rides in operation.”

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Morgan Freeman
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Gospel Music Hall of Famer Pat Boone, who was born in 1934; Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, who was born in 1937; “Brazil” star Jonathan Pryce, who was born in 1947; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones), who was born in 1947; Country Music Hall of Famer Ronnie Dunn, who was born in 1953; “Knots Landing” star Lisa Hartman Black, who was born in 1956; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode), who was born in 1959; supermodel Heidi Klum, who was born in 1973; “You Oughta Know” singer Alanis Morissette, who was born in 1974; “The Walking Dead” star Sarah Wayne Callies, who was born in 1977; former N.Y. Jets wide receiver Santana Moss, who was born in 1979; “Trainwreck” star Amy Schumer, who was born in 1981; and “Spider-Man” star Tom Holland, who was born in 1996.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU: Marilyn Monroe was born on this day in 1926. The actress and sex symbol was born Norma Jean Baker in Los Angeles. Her film career, which included roles in “Bus Stop,” “Some Like it Hot” and “The Seven Year Itch,” came to epitomize Hollywood glamour. In 1954 she married New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, but they divorced in 1955. She was married to playwright Arthur Miller from 1956 to 1961. Monroe died of a drug overdose on Aug. 5, 1962.

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U.S. STEEL: Superman debuted on this day in 1938. Ohio teenagers Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel wowed the comic book world with a new kind of pulp hero, a refugee from the planet Krypton, who made his first appearance in “Action Comics #1.” The character was such a smash hit that he ushered in an era of fantastical superheroes.

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

Quotable:

“The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit.”

— actor Morgan Freeman, who was born on this day in 1937