November 13: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Representative Frederick C. Hicks of Long Island has introduced a bill to make November 11 a national holiday, to be known as Victory Day. Up to the present time Congress has never created a national holiday by legislation. It is Mr. Hicks’ idea that November 11, which marks the surrender of Germany, should always be celebrated in commemoration of the achievements of the American Army. His bill is as follows: ‘That in recognition of the glorious victory won for human liberty by the American forces in the conflict against Germany and her Allies and to perpetuate for all time the bravery, courage and valor of those forces, by which a complete and absolute victory was obtained, November 11 is hereby declared to be in each succeeding year a national holiday throughout the United States, its possessions and the territories thereof. That this national holiday shall be designated Victory Day.’”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1938, the Eagle reported, “BERLIN (AP) — Nazi Germany today practically wiped out Jewish business, barred the nation’s 500,000 Jews from public entertainments and fined them $400,000,000 for the slaying of a German diplomat by a young Polish-German Jew in Paris. In addition, the government required that Jews whose 1,000 Berlin shops were wrecked or looted Thursday in mass demonstrations must pay for the damage themselves. Insurance claims by Jews for demolition of their properties must be paid to the state. Officials promised ‘further decisive measures’ and Jews feared that the Ghetto, unemployment or concentration camps were in store for them as the result of the most violent government and private anti-Semitic actions Nazi Germany yet has seen. Police made wholesale arrests among Jewish moneyed, educated and cultured classes, 1,600 being taken in Berlin alone. In Vienna it was estimated that between 18,000 and 20,000 Jews had been arrested since Thursday. Many of them were released but thousands still were in custody. While the anti-Semitic campaign was intensified, there were new manifestations against Catholics. Aroused Nazis at Munich shattered many windows in the palace of Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber.”
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.