November 12: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 12, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, MONDAY, NOV. 11 (AP) — The Germans were manifestly so glad over the cessation of hostilities that they could not conceal their pleasure. Prisoners taken at Stenay grinned with satisfaction. Their demeanor was in sharp contrast to that of the doughboys, who took the matter philosophically and went about their appointed tasks. The Americans were happy, but quiet. They made no demonstration. The Germans on the other hand were in a regular hysteria of joy. They waited only until nightfall to set off every rocket in their possession. In the evening the sky was ablaze with red, green, blue and yellow flares all along the line.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1938, the Eagle reported, “BERLIN (AP) — Jews today were assessed 1,000,000,000 marks ($400,000,000) as a penalty for the murder of Ernst vom Rath, German diplomat in Paris, it was announced officially. Field Marshal Hermann Wilhelm Goering, as director of Germany’s four-year plan, issued a decree, effective next Jan. 1, prohibiting Jews from conducting retail businesses, mail order and commission houses and independent handicraft enterprises. Goering’s decree further banned Jews from heading any industrial or commercial concern by forbidding them to hold the position of ‘betriebsfuehrer,’ which every factory or similar undertaking must have under the national labor law. At the same time, semi-official sources said that 1,600 Jews had been arrested in Berlin alone. (The United Press estimated 6,000 Jews arrested in Berlin.) These sources said it was impossible to estimate how many other Jews had been seized in the rest of Germany since the killing of vom Rath, secretary of the German embassy in Paris, which incited nationwide burnings of synagogues and destruction of Jewish stores Thursday.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “Veterans, members of the Police Honor Legion and civic leaders yesterday participated in memorial services for Patrolman John Justin Fraser, who was killed while frustrating a holdup in 1934. The rites were held in conjunction with the dedication of Fraser Square, encompassing the area of E. 34th St. and E. 35th Sts. and Avenue M and Kings Highway, and the unveiling of a memorial plaque in honor of the slain patrolman.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “Tim Mara’s grid Giants blew another one. So what? Things could be a lot worse. With one exception, the Giants have practically sold out all of their home engagements at the Polo Grounds to date and if Tim will take the National League standings and turn them upside down, he’ll find the Giants up on top. Unfortunately they’re not judging the National League winner from the upside-down angle this season, but Tim can put those bucks into the bank upside down or sideways and still get credit for them. So this year is far from a total loss for Mara & Co. despite the fact that his team has the worst record in Giant history.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “Ancient pirates and super-modern rocket ships, along with familiar figures out of fairy tales, will ride down Broadway on 17 huge floats in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade Nov. 27. Making the spectacle bigger and better than ever will be six giant balloons instead of the previous five. The parade will start at 10 a.m. from Central Park West and 77th St., Manhattan. The route will be down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, then along Broadway to the store at 34th St., where Santa Claus will greet the crowds and officially unveil the Macy Mechanical windows.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “It would have been a great debut for the Knickerbockers if George Mikan had stayed away from Madison Square Garden last night. The bespectacled giant of the Minneapolis Lakers, who looms as the Babe Ruth of professional basketball, simply overpowered the Knicks the same way he trampled over college opponents at DePaul some years ago. His awesome display of scoring power enabled the Lakers to score by 77-68 before a fine throng of 15,162. When he left the game via personal fouls with 90 seconds to go he had tallied 34 points to set a season’s high in the individual BAA column. Twenty-five of these points were made in the first half when the Western invaders were busy building up a lead that helped them breeze into the clear in the final minutes when the local forces made a determined bid to overhaul the foe. Mikan’s wizardry showed the difference between a team with a powerhouse giant in the keyhole and a team lacking such a sparkplug, like the Knicks. For Mikan is more than a scoring center. He is a polished floorman and playmaker who sets up scoring threats when he is not in a position for a shot. George is an iron man. He played every minute of the game until the personal foul rule chased him out.”

***

Cote de Pablo
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “My Dinner with Andre” star Wallace Shawn, who was born in 1943; sportscaster Al Michaels, who was born in Brooklyn in 1944; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young, who was born in 1945; “Will & Grace” star Megan Mullaly, who was born in 1958; “All My Children” star Vincent Irizarry, who was born in 1959; gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci, who was born in 1961; “Challenger Deep” author Neal Shusterman, who was born in Brooklyn in 1962; singer-songwriter and actor Tevin Campbell, who was born in 1976; “NCIS” star Cote de Pablo, who was born in 1979; “La La Land” star Ryan Gosling, who was born in 1980; Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway, who was born in Brooklyn in 1982; and L.A. Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook, who was born in 1988.