November 29: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 29, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Navy’s poor old goat is shivering in the cold this morning. For as though it was not bad enough for the Army mule to kick him around yesterday at the Polo Grounds to the tune of a 10 to 3 victory for the gray-clad West Pointers, some exuberant cadet even went so far as to steal the goat’s blue blanket. That seems to be enough to get the nanny of any self-respecting Navy goat. It was a grand and glorious victory for the Army. And by the same token it was a sad day for the somber hued boys from Annapolis. As the final whistle blew the historic struggle into history, the Army cohorts literally poured on the field and after a turn at pitching their caps over the Navy goal-posts, paraded in great and unconstrained glee past the silent Navy stands. But as they passed that silent band of misery a feeling of pity must have come over the future generals. They generously came to a halt and let forth a booming cheer for their vanquished opponents. And the Navy proved its traditional gallantry by answering that cheer with an even greater one. Practically all of the 65,000 persons who witnessed the combat remained to watch the Cadets celebrate their victory.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Eagle reported, “To the droning tune of rubber tires, humming along the surface of a great pine saucer, and to the chorus of howls from the same old mob, a bigger and better Madison Square Garden officially sprang into being last night. Eager to get their first eyeful of Tex Rickard’s colossal new indoor temple of sport, 15,000 enthusiastic bugs crowded most of the available seats in the mighty arena, two mezzanine tiers that extend along the longer two sides of the building and an immense gallery that exceeds anything in the way of galleries ever seen in this fair city or anywhere else. Nobody seemed to be disappointed. The new Garden excels the old one in size, general splendor and everything except tradition, which may come later. But somehow the old six-day atmosphere didn’t seem to be there. The bike bugs, out in force, waxed highly enthusiastic over the exciting series of dashes that featured the preliminary sprint program which is the time-honored preliminary of the annual December edition of that form of insanity called the Six-Day Race. Somehow it seems that the new Garden is too darned clean for a six-day race. But everything else was fitting to the grand and glorious occasion, including the blaring band in the infield, which was comparatively empty, wraiths of smoke drifting all over the premises and a general all-around display of spasmodic excitement among the customers.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Eagle reported, “Rockefeller Center, ‘the largest privately owned building project in the world,’ which, up to now, has cost more than $100,000,000, is visited by persons who are 95 percent out-of-towners, Miss Caroline Hood, lecturer, representing the Center’s public relations department, said last night in an illustrated lecture on this ‘City Within a City,’ in the lecture hall of the Old First Reformed Church, Carroll St. and 7th Avenue. Miss Hood, who is the niece of the late Raymond M. Hood, one of the architects of Rockefeller Center, spoke under the auspices of the Church League for Service of the Old First Reformed Church. … Miss Hood recalled that the Center, which daily attracts from 125,000 to 130,000 persons, including the 25,000 to 30,000 workers in the various buildings, now stands on what was the site of New York’s first Botanical Garden 135 years ago. Miss Hood presented a bird’s eye view of the Center’s activity, including interesting features of its 14 buildings, two miles of shops, sky gardens, underground trucking area, life in Radio City, the exhibition of home furnishings and the ’amazing art program incorporated in the Center.’ She predicted that the eventual cost of the Center would ‘probably be $150,000,000.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “Famed wherever folks gather to hear good singing is the von Trapp family, baronial Austrians, who lifted up their voices back home to amuse themselves and lived to become popular with American concert-goers. The baron and baroness, accompanied by their five daughters (Johanna, Hedwig, Agatha, Maria and Martina) and three sons (Rupert, Werner and Johannes) and their priest-conductor, Father Franz Wasner, reported at the Philadelphia Red Cross the other day to donate to the blood bank. Maria was turned down because of a subnormal blood count. So was Johannes (he was only 3). Little daughters Rosemarie and Eleanore, 13 and 11, were also ruled out. Rest of family gave eight pints. It was the largest single family donation on the books of the American Red Cross. The baron commanded Austro-Hungary’s submarine fleet in the last war. Coldly refused to do the same thing for Adolf Hitler and lost his estates.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “That ‘A Christmas Carol’ is on the screen at the Guild Theater in Rockefeller Center sounds like the jolliest kind of pre-Christmas film news. But I am afraid that only those who approach this British import with a tincture of literary passion for Dickens will find the picture at all rewarding, for not even the presence of the justly famous actor Alastair Sim, as Old Scrooge, can mask the fact that this picture is essentially depressing for nine-tenths of its footage. In fact, so deep is the gloom which pervades most of the film, as it takes Scrooge — and the movie audience — through a series of flashbacks depicting his dreary life, that his sudden reformation at the end, marked by gibbering exuberance, creates the impression that the old fellow has finally become touched in the head.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Blues Hall of Famer John Mayall, who was born in 1933; “Rambling Rose” star Diane Ladd, who was born in 1935; trumpeter and composer Chuck Mangione, who was born in 1940; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), who was born in 1942; National Ski Hall of Famer Suzy Chaffee, who was born in 1946; “Lost” star Jeff Fahey, who was born in 1952; writer and activist Chirlane McCray, who was born in 1954; “St. Elsewhere” star Howie Mandel, who was born in 1955; former N.Y. Mets third baseman Howard Johnson, who was born in 1960; “Raging Bull” star Cathy Moriarty, who was born in 1960; “NYPD Blue” star Kim Delaney, who was born in 1961; “St. Elmo’s Fire” star Andrew McCarthy, who was born in 1962; “Iron Man” star Don Cheadle, who was born in 1964; former “Saturday Night Live” star Ellen Cleghorne, who was born in 1965; Baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, who was born in 1969; “Scary Movie” star Anna Faris, who was born in 1976; and Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who was born in 1988.