November 21: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 21, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1924, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “MARION, OHIO (AP) — Florence Kling Harding, widow of Warren G. Harding, 29th Chief Executive of the United States, died here today. The end came at 8:55 a.m. at the White Oaks Sanitarium of Dr. Carl W. Sawyer, where she had been fighting for life for the last few weeks. Mrs. Harding’s death was due directly to a kidney ailment, from which she had suffered for years and which nearly resulted fatally while she was mistress of the White House. She died peacefully, Dr. Sawyer said.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Eagle reported, “HARVARD STADIUM, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (AP) — A half century of football rivalry was celebrated in Soldier’s Field today when Harvard and Yale faced each other on the gridiron. Yale went into the game the favorite, although many experts conceded to the Crimson a psychological advantage by virtue of her defeat of Brown last week and Yale’s crushing defeat at the hands of Princeton. All the historical color, glamour and drama of this classic of football classics greeted the 53,000 persons who swarmed to the stadium. More than an hour before time for the opening kickoff the thousands started their unbroken march across Lars Anderson Bridge to the scene of action. Half an hour before the game started there were few empty seats in the stands.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1926, the Eagle reported, “Thousands and thousands of Brooklyn boys and girls extended Santa Claus and his eight reindeer a royal welcome to Brooklyn yesterday, on their first visit to the boro in broad daylight. The chief officials of Brooklyn stopped their work for a while to greet the round-faced little man, who has filled all good children’s stockings to the brim since the beginning of the world. The Eagle sought and found him in his cold, wintry home and persuaded him to come to Brooklyn in broad daylight, as the Eagle’s guest, before Christmas, with all his reindeer … Santa was welcomed yesterday by Boro President James J. Byrne, Park Commissioner James J. Browne, and Herbert F. Gunnison, president of the Eagle. A host of happy boys and girls followed him on his triumphant entry, all the way from Prospect Park to Boro Hall, where he stopped to meet the reception committee and — most important of all — his own boys and girls, for whom he works day and night all the year.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — American servicemen from Korea to Berlin will feast on turkey tomorrow. The Defense Department said today that the Army Quartermaster Corps, which buys perishable food for all the services, began shipping turkeys overseas last May so that the armed forces everywhere will have traditional turkey dinners on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Quartermaster Corps contracted for a total of 12,000,000 pounds of turkeys. The first shipments went to remote Arctic posts in Newfoundland, which can be supplied by ship only during July and August. The Far East command got 500,000 pounds of turkeys by Nov. 1, with another 900,000 pounds on the way. Meanwhile, the chief Army and Navy chaplains called for special Thanksgiving prayers.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, an Eagle editorial said, “The Miami News says a substantial number of offensive medium-range missiles have been hidden in Cuba. The News’ sources proved reliable in reporting the construction of Soviet missile bases in Cuba before Washington confirmed them. Further, the newspaper reports that President Kennedy has received ‘hard intelligence’ on the hiding of the rockets (Soviet army T-1 ballistic missiles) in subterranean bases in the hills of Soroa in Pinas Del Rio province. If this is true (White House denials sound rather restrained), then it is an added reason for refusing any kind of plan that would allow the Soviet Union to renege on its promise of permitting United Nations ‘verification’ of the removal of the Red rockets. Further, it suggests that the UN ‘verification’ that is Secretary General Thant’s chief aim in the negotiations must not be watered down to only a cursory examination of the sites already dismantled. The United States position is and should remain that all offensive weapons in Cuba (whether missiles or bombers) must be removed and proof must be provided by the Soviet Union. Washington cannot permit stalling tactics of the Communist to continue.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “Harry Wismer, owner of the New York Titans, said today that former Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy is representing one of four groups seeking to buy the Titans, and will become the Titans’ head coach and general manager if his group is the successful bidder. Wismer, who is selling the AFL club after suffering losses he estimates at $1,750,000 in three years of operation, did not identify the other groups seeking the club or say which group has the inside track. However, he did say that agreement on the sale could be reached ‘by Friday of this week or Monday of next week.’”

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Michael Strahan
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Star Trek V” star Laurence Luckinbill, who was born in 1934; “That Girl” star Marlo Thomas, who was born in 1937; “Avanti!” star Juliet Mills, who was born in 1941; Songwriters Hall of Famer David Porter, who was born in 1941; Basketball Hall of Famer and N.Y. Knicks legend Earl Monroe, who was born in 1944; Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn, who was born in 1945; journalist and author Tina Brown, who was born in 1953; “24” star Cherry Jones, who was born in 1956; “Knots Landing” star Nicollette Sheridan, who was born in 1963; singer-songwriter Bjork, who was born in 1965; Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, who was born in 1966; Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who was born in 1969; Pro Football Hall of Famer and N.Y. Giants legend Michael Strahan, who was born in 1971; and “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen, who was born in 1985.