Brooklyn Boro

June 9: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 9, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1920, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “CHICAGO — Vigorous opposition to Federal legislation, similar to the Kansas Industrial Court measure, to unrestricted immigration and to the use of injunction proceedings in strikes, was contained in a set of ‘demands’ which Samuel Gompers and Matthew A. Woll of the American Federation of Labor submitted today to the Resolutions Committee of the Republican National Convention. ‘Legislation which proposes to make strikes unlawful or to compel the wage earners to submit their grievances or aspirations to courts or to governmental agencies, is an invasion of the rights of the wage earners, and when enforced makes for industrial serfdom and slavery,’ the statement said regarding the Kansas law. Labor pledged itself, it added, to uphold Federal law protecting its rights against ‘unwarrantable issuance of writs of injunction, either prohibitory or mandatory.’ ‘It is essential,’ continued the statement, ‘that additional legislation regulating immigration should be enacted based on two fundamental principles, namely, that the flow of immigration must not at any time exceed the nation’s ability to assimilate and Americanize foreigners coming to our shores and that at no time shall immigration be permitted when there exists an appreciable degree of unemployment.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1935, the Eagle reported, “To the joyous shouts and cheers of 25,000 admirers whose spirits refused to droop under weeping skies, Omaha, the long red train of the turf, proved that he was a streamline express over a distance and carried the white, red spots of William Woodward to victory by a length and a half for the sixty-seventh running of the Belmont Stakes, worth $35,480 net one mile and a half, at Belmont Park yesterday. The time for the course was 2:30 3-5, very fast for the sloppy condition of the track. And that victory brought the winnings of Omaha to $106,935 for the season — the greatest prize winner of 1935 to date. He had previously won $71,455. It made his record for the year three triumphs out of five starts — Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont — with defeats at short distances in the Wood Memorial and the Withers stakes.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (U.P.) — The life expectancy of man has increased to 62 years through public health programs, says Prof. Murray P. Horwood of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He predicts that during the next generation smallpox, typhoid and diphtheria will be exterminated, tuberculosis will decrease 75 percent and infant mortality will be cut in half.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “As City Council Majority Leader Joseph T. Sharkey of Brooklyn conferred today with the Citizens Union on the smoke control agency he is sponsoring, members of the Smoke Prevention Association of America discussed the problem from the point of view of railroads. The Sharkey measure, backed by the City Council majority, was introduced yesterday afternoon. It calls for a new five-man salaried board, consisting of two engineers, a physician, a chemist and a layman, to check pollution of the city’s air. The measure will be given its final draft, Sharkey said, after his conference with the Citizens Union today. While the city made this new attack on pollution of its air by smoke and other nuisances, the Smoke Prevention Association convention at the hotel Commodore pointed out that improved combustion methods could eliminate harbor smoke. John A. Hayes, assistant general manager of the Todd Shipyards Corporation, said that special combustion equipment was needed to counteract the inferior quality of fuel oil obtainable for marine engines. Railroad officials engaged in smoke abatement are to talk at the convention today.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “ST. PAUL, MINN. (U.P.) — R.G. Stewart has organized and become myopic master of the ‘I-Never-Have-Seen-A-Flying-Saucer Society.’ Stewart, Northwest Airlines official, formed the club when, after making cautious inquiries, he learned there were other scattered persons who never had seen the 20th century phenomenon. He hopes to hold the membership to persons who not only never have seen a flying saucer but also hope they never see one.”

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Natalie Portman
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Gloria Reuben
Greg Allen/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Basketball Hall of Famer and sportscaster Dick Vitale, who was born in 1939; Oscar-nominated composer James Newton Howard, who was born in 1951; 1978 National League MVP Dave Parker, who was born in 1951; “Scarpetta” author Patricia Cornwell, who was born in 1956; “Back to the Future” star Michael J. Fox, who was born in 1961; “The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, who was born in 1961; “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Johnny Depp, who was born in 1963; “ER” star Gloria Reuben, who was born in 1964; former Patriots linebacker Teddy Bruschi, who was born in 1973; Olympic gold medal-winning soccer player Heather Mitts, who was born in 1978; Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, who was born in 1981; former NBA point guard Sebastian Telfair, who was born in Brooklyn in 1985; and “Valley Girl” star Mae Whitman, who was born in 1988.

Michael J. Fox
Greg Allen/Invision/AP

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CENTER STAGE: Cole Porter was born on this day in 1891. His career as a Broadway composer and lyricist was launched in 1928 when five of his songs were used in the musical play “Let’s Do It.” His prolific contributions to the stage include “Fifty Million Frenchmen,” “Wake Up and Dream,” “The Gay Divorcee,” “Anything Goes,” Leave It to Me,” “Du Barry Was a Lady” and “Kiss Me Kate.” He died in 1964.

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FOR THE RECORD: Les Paul was born on this day in 1915. The legendary American musician designed one of the first solid-body electric guitars. Though best known for the guitars that bear his name, Paul also made groundbreaking contributions in guitar effects and recording techniques, such as multitrack recording. He died in 2009.

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

 

Quotable:

“To this day, no one has come up with a set of rules for originality. There aren’t any.”

— guitar legend Les Paul, who was born on this day in 1915

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