June 29: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 29, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1858, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “COMMON COUNCIL — The Special Committee to whom was referred the subject of making suitable arrangements for the laying of the cornerstone of the Brooklyn City Armory, and the celebration of the 82nd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, report, ‘That your Committee take pleasure in informing your Hon. Body that they have been fortunate to secure the services of the Hon. E.T. Wood to read the Declaration of Independence, and the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher to deliver the oration on that occasion.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1877, the Eagle reported, “Mayor [Smith] Ely, of New York, yesterday approved the ordinance passed by the Common Council on Tuesday, permitting the general explosion of fireworks, firecrackers, etc., on the 3rd and 4th of July. The small boy will have unlimited opportunity to do all the damage he may, both to himself and others.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1912, the Eagle reported, “L.P. Jacks, dean of Manchester College, Oxford, editor of the Hibbert Journal and author of ‘Among the Idolmakers’ and other works published by Henry Holt & Co., has received an honorary degree from Harvard. While in Boston, Professor Jacks went into the offices of the Atlantic Monthly and was immediately taken to task for not returning his proofs of a story for that magazine. He had sent them back promptly, and after comparison of dates it was discovered that they had been sent by the Titanic.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1919, the Eagle reported, “BERLIN, JUNE 28 (A.P.) — Meager editorial reference is made in the German papers this morning to the ceremony of signing the treaty at Versailles. The Pan-German Deutsch Zeitung, however, prints the following across its front page: ‘German honor today will be carried to its grave in the Hall of Mirrors in which, in the glorious year of ’71, the German Empire was resurrected in all its former splendor. Lest we forget in restless labor, the German people will again strive to attain that place among the nations of the world to which it is entitled. Then vengeance for the disgrace of 1919.’ The Tageblatt says: ‘The German people reject the treaty which its delegates are signing today, and it does not believe for a single moment that it will endure. Despite the fact that it is written on parchment, it remains a scrap of paper because it is a mockery of all the laws of reason and morals as the most disgraceful exhibit in the museum of civilization.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “James S. Doyle, 62, assistant general manager of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, originator of the automatic turnstile and many other important devices which have improved rapid transit operation in many countries, died yesterday in Post-Graduate Hospital of a heart weakness following a minor operation performed on Monday … Born in Marquette, Mich., Mr. Doyle’s education did not extend beyond grammar school. His first important job was that of assistant in charge of an electric elevated railway, then a novelty, at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. His work attracted attention and he was brought to New York to help in the electrification of the old elevated railways here. Not long afterward the subways were introduced and he was placed in charge of supplies and equipment. For many years he rode in the subways every day, always on the lookout for new ideas to improve service. One of his inventions was the enamel-covered straphanger, which most standees have pronounced superior to the old-fashioned leather strap.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1961, the Brooklyn Heights Press reported, “Prominent citizens from all walks of life will meet today in Borough Hall to discuss proposals for a memorial to the late John Cashmore, who died May 7 while serving in his 21st year as Brooklyn Borough President. According to a spokesman for Acting Borough President John F. Hayes, in whose offices the meeting will be held, the memorial will most likely be in the Civic Center area. The group, made up primarily of Brooklynites, is expected to form a committee which will be expanded to include friends of the late Mr. Cashmore from other parts of the city, the spokesman said.”

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Nicole Scherzinger
Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Lethal Weapon” star Gary Busey, who was born in 1944; “Anything but Love” star Richard Lewis, who was born in Brooklyn in 1947; “The Love Boat” star and former U.S. Rep. Fred Grandy, who was born in 1948; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ian Paice (Deep Purple), who was born in 1948; “Alone Again” singer Don Dokken, who was born in 1953; Men at Work founder Colin Hay, who was born in 1953; “Moscow on the Hudson” star Maria Conchita Alonso, who was born in 1957; “NYPD Blue” star Sharon Lawrence, who was born in 1961; “Lost” star Zuleikha Robinson, who was born in 1977; Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, who was born in 1978; “American Horror Story” star Lily Rabe, who was born in 1982; L.A. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, who was born in 1991; and “Riverdale” star Camila Mendes, who was born in 1994.

Maria Conchita Alonso
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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BY GEORGE: George Washington Goethals was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1858. The engineer and Army officer led the construction of the Panama Canal and was the first civil governor of the Canal Zone. The Goethals Bridge between Staten Island and New Jersey is named for him. He died in 1928.

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MONSTER-SIZED TALENT: Ray Harryhausen was born on this day in 1920. The special effects wizard perfected the stop-motion animation he learned from mentor William O’Brien and created what he called “Dynamation.” He thrilled moviegoers in the 1950s and ’60s with realistic, rampaging monsters and alarming skeletal warriors in such films as “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms,” “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” and “Jason and the Argonauts.” He died in 2013.

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GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNIN’: The Interstate highway system was born on this day in 1956 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill providing $33.5 billion for construction. It was the biggest public works program in history.

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

Quotable:

“Knowledge of our duties is the most essential part of the philosophy of life. If you escape duty, you avoid action. The world demands results.”

— engineer George Washington Goethals, who was born on this day in 1858