October 16: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

October 16, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1923, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “Since the World’s Series, as distinguished from other baseball games, has come to be regarded as a great occasion calling for the most profound psychological and esthetic analysis, we are impelled to draw the obvious moral lesson from the victory of the Yankees. As the idol of the populace it was altogether appropriate that ‘Babe’ Ruth should swat one of our oldest fallacies over the fence and into oblivion. Several of our most original litterateurs, turning sports writers for the occasion, have employed the devastating pun ‘Ruth crushed to earth,’ etc. to express the idea that springs to every subconscious mind in reflecting upon the contest just concluded. What they mean to imply is that while the sages have told us that opportunity knocks but once at every door, ‘Babe’ Ruth knocks regularly. He demonstrated not only that opportunity comes around with the regularity of income tax installments, but that one may get on very good terms with opportunity any time it calls. ‘Babe’ certainly came back and brought the Yankees with him. He proved to the satisfaction of every one that it is always possible to begin anew, that defeat is a relative term applicable only to those who do not care to go on with the fight, and that success is quite as contagious as the inclination to quit. The comforting thing about all this is that it should keep the Giants and their supporters from throwing themselves over the precipice of melancholia into the abyss of despair.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “There appeared reason to hope for settlement of the seven-month Hollywood film strike. Film Czar Eric Johnston scheduled a meeting today with Federal conciliators as Strike Leader Herbert Sorrell listed conditions for a return to work. Sorrell’s proposals included reinstatement of strikers, reinstatement of collective bargaining agreements in effect March 12 and prompt recognition of a National Labor Relations Board decision naming the Painters Local 1421 bargaining agent for 78 set decorators.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “TEL AVIV (U.P.) — Israeli government sources said today that a fierce ground and air battle has been going on in the southern Palestine desert region for the past 12 hours. Israeli air and land forces have cut lines of communications to Egyptian forces in the Negeb, the southern desert region, an official announcement claimed. Two air raids have been carried out against three Egyptian-held towns since last night, Israeli sources said. The towns were identified as Gaza, Tel-Arish and Majdal. One Egyptian plane was shot down in dogfights between an Israeli fighter patrol and three Egyptian Spitfires, an Israeli army spokesman claimed. Egyptian artillery heavily shelled the Jewish settlement of Nir Aam, southeast of Beersheba, Israeli sources said. The fighting was said to have broken out in the wake of heavy air blows by both sides. Israeli authorities ordered the blackout reimposed throughout Jewish-held areas of Palestine, apparently in fear that full scale warfare between Arabs and Jews was on the verge of starting again. The Israeli radio issued repeated warnings for all citizens to observe the blackout.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The C.I.O. and A.F. of L. today moved quickly to carry out an agreement by their leaders to merge the nation’s two largest labor organizations. A subcommittee has been appointed to draft a blueprint for the new organization. Leaders of both groups were optimistic that the long-sought merger would be achieved soon.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, an Eagle editorial said, “A custom as American as the World Series now has been forbidden in parts of New Jersey. Booing has been banned at athletic events in eight Jersey high schools. Now, we here in Brooklyn are particularly incensed and upset by a regulation that forbids the free and good-natured expression of booing. We like to think the boo was born in Brooklyn. Certainly it was heard at its loudest and happiest at Ebbets Field when the Dodgers were still here. Yet these boos were good-natured, whether aimed at the umpire or a member of the opposing team. The fact that they often were heaped upon one of the beloved Bums proved that the boo is merely the crowd’s way of expressing its mild dislike of what appears to it to be unfair play. And who ever was hurt by the boo? Only the rare prima donna on the field who was too immature to accept criticism. The boo is Brooklyn’s, just as the Bronx cheer belongs to that other borough. Ban it? Not here. If you try, your eardrums will be split by a chorus of You-Know-What!”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Cablevision and HBO founder Charles Dolan, who was born in 1926; “Northern Exposure” star Barry Corbin, who was born in 1940; Bachman-Turner Overdrive founder Fred Turner, who was born in 1943; “Three’s Company” star Suzanne Somers, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), who was born in 1947; “Airplane!” director David Zucker, who was born in 1947; Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins, who was born in 1958; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), who was born in 1962; “For Keeps” star Randall Batinkoff, who was born in 1968; former NFL quarterback Kordell Stewart, who was born in 1972; “Life Goes On” star Kellie Martin, who was born in 1975; former WNBA star Sue Bird, who was born in 1980; and tennis champion Naomi Osaka, who was born in 1997.