June 14: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 14, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1922, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “ST. LOUIS, MO. — Denial that the late Adolphus Busch ‘was possibly the Kaiser’s closest friend in America,’ as charged by Chairman Lasker of the Shipping Board, was made at the offices of Anheuser Busch Inc., today with the announcement that a second letter was in preparation to the Shipping Board on the subject of liquor sales on Shipping Board vessels, and answering Mr. Lasker’s charges of the Busch connections with Germany. The letter will state that the Anheuser Busch organization reserves the right ‘to protest when the United States Government buys German beer to sell on its ships, and will not let American beer be made,’ the announcement said. The announcement declared that ‘if the Government decides to make an investigation of this matter, we will establish, by a reliable witness, that Mr. Lasker has said that he went to President Harding with this whole matter, and told him that the sale of liquor on the Shipping Board ships would help to solve the Board’s financial problems, and that he said that President Harding replied to him: ‘Mr. Lasker, you are chairman of the Shipping Board, you know what to do.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Eagle reported, “American Flag proved worthy of his name at Belmont Park yesterday. Before a crowd of 30,000, an attendance second only to that of Memorial Day, the handsome three year old chestnut colt by Man o’ War-Lady Comfy proved that he is a stayer of the first water, probably a Cup horse of the future, by winning the Belmont Stakes, worth $38,000 net, plus a silvery trophy worth $500 donated by the estate of the late Major Augustus Belmont as a tribute to him. ‘Young Glory’ ran the mile and three furlongs without being fully extended at any stage of the game in 2:16 4-5, which equaled the mark hung up by Grey Lag when he won in 1921 but which was 2 3-5 seconds slower time than that made by Man o ‘War when he won in 1920, establishing a world’s record of 2:14 1-5.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1935, the Eagle reported, “Moving with almost unprecedented speed, the Board of Estimate today voted unanimously to condemn the land needed for the long discussed and much delayed new approach to Brooklyn Bridge and to go forward with the development of the proposed plaza at once. Within the space of a few minutes, the board approved, first the map of proposed street changes; second, the condemnation of the land; third, a technical description of the property to be taken, and, fourth, the transfer of title to the city as soon as the Supreme Court formally approves the application to condemn. Three-quarters of the cost of acquiring the land is to be assessed against the city as a whole and one-quarter against the entire borough of Brooklyn. There is to be no local assessment. An unusual array of leading Brooklyn civic, business and political figures were present to urge speedy action on the proposal, but Mayor LaGuardia, faced with an extremely heavy calendar of controversial matter, ordered immediate consideration of the plaza project, knowing that most of the members of the Board needed no persuasion to favor the project.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — Dr. Frank F. Oppenheimer admitted today that he had been a Communist Party member for three years prior to his wartime employment as a research worker on the atom bomb. Oppenheimer is a brother of the famed physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was one of the top figures in development of the bomb.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, Eagle editor and columnist Robert M. Grannis said, “Today is Flag Day and a lot of Americans won’t bother to pay any attention to it. Others will explore the attic and drag out the banner which guarantees their freedom. It will be dusty and worn and there will be moth holes here and there but the colors will remain intact. Nothing ever happens to the significance of this emblem and nothing ever will so long as folks retain even an ounce of appreciation. I decided to write about the flag today to answer a neighbor who thinks that nationalism is something to be ashamed of. Personally, I think he is an ass and I hope he reads this.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “The Jeffersons” star Marla Gibbs, who was born in 1931; former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who was born in 1939; former President Donald Trump, who was born in 1946; Country Joe and the Fish co-founder Barry Melton, who was born in Brooklyn in 1947; Culture Club singer Boy George, who was born in 1961; journalist and school choice activist Campbell Brown, who was born in 1968; Tennis Hall of Famer Steffi Graf, who was born in 1969; “Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody, who was born in 1978; “Glee” star Kevin McHale, who was born in 1988; “Pretty Little Liars” star Lucy Hale, who was born in 1989; and former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson, who was born in 1991.

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HOT AND COLE: Nat King Cole recorded “The Christmas Song” on this day in 1946. Mel Torme and Robert Wells wrote the song during a blistering heat wave in July 1945. Cole’s original recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974.

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BROOKLYN BENCHMARK: President Bill Clinton nominated Brooklyn native Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the U.S. Supreme Court on this day in 1993. On Aug. 3, the Senate confirmed her by a vote of 96-3. Ginsburg served until her death on Sept. 18, 2020 and was succeeded by Amy Coney Barrett.

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

Quotable:

“Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

— John Adams’ resolution to Congress, June 14, 1777