November 17: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 17, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1931, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “During the first six months of operation of the Municipal Airport at Floyd Bennett Field, 17,904 passengers took airplane rides, bringing in a revenue estimated at $50,000. The City receives ten percent of this amount. These figures do not include the number of persons who have used the Municipal Air Ferry between the field and the airports at North Beach and Newark, which has been in operation since Sept. 3. The number of visitors to the airport is estimated at about 500,000.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1933, the Eagle reported, “VIENNA (AP) — George H. Earle 3rd, United States Minister to Austria, has received more than 80 threatening letters since last Tuesday when he advised Austrians to avoid anti-Semitic feelings. Some of the letters threatened him with death. All the authors are anti-Jewish: some, apparently, are Nazis.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, Home Talk/The Item reported, “The contending forces in the battle of sites for the high school proposal for the Fort Hamilton district will come together for a final test of strength at the hearing to be held before the Board of Estimate on Friday next, Nov. 19. It is expected that the board will then make its final selection of a site. Indeed, the Bay Ridge-Fort Hamilton High School Committee at its meeting last Monday evening expressed the hope that the hearing would result in the definite choice of a site. This hearing before the Board of Estimate on Friday will be of vital importance to the entire question of a site because then will be received the report of the committee appointed to investigate the various locations that have been proposed. All that have been brought forward have their backers who have presented their advantages both as to cost involved in acquiring the site by the city and as to transit facilities.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Eagle reported, “With the completion at the Walt Disney studios of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ the first full-length animated feature in the history of motion pictures, all hands are concentrating on the production of 20 short subjects. Five of these 20 shorts will star Donald Duck; two will introduce Donald’s young nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Two will star Mickey Mouse, who will appear in five with his gang, Donald, Pluto and Goofy. First starring short for Goofy will be ‘Goofy and Elmer.’ Seven Silly Symphonies are in production. One of them serves to bring back the three little pigs and the big, bad wolf.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “The Giants astounded everyone — including themselves — by nearly winning a National Football League game at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, yesterday. But Jock Sutherland’s Steelers recovered quickly from their surprise to score three touchdowns in one minute and 38 seconds in the fourth quarter for a 24 to 7 triumph. The rally sent 35,000 fans into a frenzy and kept the home club at the top of the Eastern Division.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “KANSAS CITY, MO. (U.P.) — Arnold Johnson, owner of the Kansas City Athletics, was expected to name a field manager today at a press conference called for 11:30 p.m. Brooklyn time. There was no hint from the new management of the former Philadelphia major league team as to who it would be, but the name of Lou Boudreau, former Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox pilot, was getting the most prominent mention from observers. Nor did Johnson say specifically a field manager would be named. Earlier, he had said he might have a selection by today. His calling of a press conference indicated he would have an important announcement. Among those reported under consideration were Eddie Joost, who piloted the Athletics last season, and Phil Cavarretta, former Chicago Cubs manager.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “The Brooklyn Citizens for Medicare today pledged to ‘flood Washington with a torrent of mail’ urging the next session of Congress to approve President Kennedy’s hospital and nursing care programs for the aged under social security. Assemblyman Stanley Steingut, D-Brooklyn, declared that the recent elections, in which the Democrats gained seats in the Senate and ‘more than held their own in the House,’ brightens prospects for passage of medicare. Steingut said committee members would write to local Congressional leaders asking them to lead an all-out drive for the measure, ‘to help rescue countless aged from financial ruin which can be caused by the high cost of hospitalization.’ The close Senate vote on medicare in the last session of Congress ‘refutes those who tried to distort the truth and claim that most Americans were against medicare under social security,’ Steingut said. ‘Medicare must be passed and passed quickly,’ the lawmaker said. ‘A senior citizen who has worked diligently all his life may discover overnight that his savings have been wiped out by hospital or nursing home care costs.’ The vast majority of older Americans, he claimed, would certainly be willing to contribute small amounts into social security so that they can be protected in their old age.”

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Rachel McAdams
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Martin Scorsese
John Furniss/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Gaudio (the Four Seasons), who was born in 1942; Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese, who was born in 1942; actress and model Lauren Hutton, who was born in 1943; Basketball Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, who was born in 1944; “Taxi” star Danny DeVito, who was born in 1944; “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels, who was born in 1944; Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, who was born in 1946; former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who was born in 1949; “NewsRadio” star Stephen Root, who was born in 1951; “Scarface” star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who was born in 1958; “Falcon Crest” star William R. Moses, who was born in 1959; actress and model Daisy Fuentes, who was born in 1966; “Popular” star Leslie Bibb, who was born in 1974; “Eurovision Song Contest” star Rachel McAdams, who was born in 1978; and former NFL wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who was born in 1978.