August 3: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 3, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1923, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — The National Capital stands bowed in grief today awaiting the homecoming of its dead President. A numbing sorrow, born of this great tragedy, pervades all life here, and everything is at a standstill. As the various officials in the city slowly recover from the staggering effect of the President’s death, the detailed arrangements for the funeral are taking shape. The body of the Chief Magistrate is expected to arrive here aboard the train from San Francisco late next Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning. It will probably be taken directly to the Capitol, where it will lie in state in the great rotunda. A proclamation will be issued by President Coolidge naming a day of public morning. The funeral ceremony will probably be held Thursday or Friday, with the interment at Marion later. A proclamation is now being prepared at the State Department by Secretary Hughes which will announce to the American people the loss of their President. Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States, will arrive here late this evening from New England. He will be met at the station by a special guard of honor and escorted to his suite in the New Willard Hotel. It will be some time before he and his family will move officially into the White House.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1931, the Eagle reported, “WEST ORANGE, N.J. (AP) — Thomas Alva Edison continued to display a marked improvement in his condition today. Dr. Hubert S. Howe, the 84-year-old inventor’s personal physician, after spending the night at the Llewellyn Park home of the Edisons, said his patient’s condition was ‘satisfactory.’ He added, however, ‘I don’t think he’ll ever be out of danger.’ ‘He looked fairly well,’ Dr. Howe said, ‘and seems to realize his condition. Still, it would not take much to roll the balance. A collapse, ill as he is, might be serious.’ Charles, the inventor’s son, said his father was in ‘good spirits and feeling very chipper.’ Mr. Edison was up a bit yesterday and discussed his treatment and diet with his physician, members of his family revealed. Dr. Howe has described Mr. Edison’s symptoms as a combined attack of Bright’s disease and diabetes.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “It has taken lamp designers a long time to discover that lamps are no longer candle-holders or oil-burners. Now that they are free of the idea of the candle socket and the oil vessel, lighting is developing entirely new effects, strikingly beautiful and novel. Since lighting often makes a room, we may look forward to ‘new’ rooms. The new lighting fixtures are now sources of light, rather than lamps. There is a central source — the electric light bulb — and some kind of diffusing medium to enlarge and soften the light. This makes for more scientific and effectively comfortable lighting.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (AP) — Senator Hatch (D., N.M.), smiling because President Roosevelt signed his bill to curtail political activities of Federal employees, said today he would try during the next Congressional session to extend the law to State workers. Hatch is studying a suggestion advanced by Mr. Roosevelt yesterday that Congress might have the power to prevent ‘pernicious political activities’ by State and local employees who engage actively in Federal election campaigns. The New Mexico Senator, who brought the measure over several Congressional hurdles before it was approved, said that Congress certainly can enact legislation to forbid political activity by State workers who are paid in part from Federal funds. These employees include many of those working for State road and unemployment compensation departments. Senator Minton (D., Ind.), on the other hand, said there would be ‘substantial opposition’ to extending the law to State employees.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “FORT WORTH, TEX. (U.P.) — Poochie, the peregrinating pup, nearly drives her owners, Mr. and Mrs. T.L. Pearson, out of house and home. She has a habit of bringing home dog friends. In the past five years, the brown and white rat terrier has brought home 32 stray dogs.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, AUG. 2 (U.P.) — New flying saucer reports kept pouring in from across the nation today, even from the Air Force, which has been trying mightily to kill off the ‘fad.’ An Air Force spokesman said the latest ‘mystery object’ was sighted zipping over the sands near the atomic bomb laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M. A report from the Los Alamos interceptor wing said witnesses saw a ‘shining metallic’ object flying through the air for more than 30 minutes last Tuesday. The Air Force said the object, spotted while fighter planes were in the area, made a 360-degree turn before disappearing. It did not attempt to evaluate the report. A deputy sheriff in Lancaster, Cal., reported sighting two flying saucers and interceptor planes were sent aloft to investigate. A Pasadena couple spotted a ‘formation’ of saucers.”

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Evangeline Lilly
Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

Isaiah Washington
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Pro Football Hall of Famer Marv Levy, who was born in 1925; “The West Wing” star Martin Sheen, who was born in 1940; businesswoman and TV personality Martha Stewart, who was born in 1941; “Animal House” director John Landis, who was born in 1950; “Dennis the Menace” star Jay North, who was born in 1951; “Scrubs” star John C. McGinley, who was born in 1959; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer James Hetfield (Metallica), who was born in 1963; “The 100” star Isaiah Washington, who was born in 1963; Salt-N-Pepa member DJ Spinderella, who was born in Brooklyn in 1970; seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who was born in 1977; “Ant-Man and the Wasp” star Evangeline Lilly, who was born in 1979; and model Karlie Kloss, who was born in 1992.