December 9: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 9, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1844, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The Board of Managers of the Washington National Monument Society have determined to expend the fund at present standing to the credit of the society (about $49,000) in the erection of a monument to the Father of his country, at the seat of Government.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1921, the Eagle reported, “In the rising sun of turf expectations of 1922 there shines this significant announcement: August Belmont, chairman of the Jockey Club, will race a string of thoroughbreds. This is as it should be. With the chairman of the Jockey Club’s racing colors, maroon and scarlet, absent from the track the sport has been much like Hamlet with the moody Dane left out. After America entered the war Mr. Belmont withdrew his horses from the tracks. He placed his country’s welfare first and his pleasures last. On behalf of the Government he took an active part in war conditions and rendered valuable service. Now that the war is over and peace firmly established and vested interests on a firm foundation, Mr. Belmont feels that he can devote time to his racehorses. He has 22 yearlings in training, the majority of which will carry his racing silks next year.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1923, the Eagle reported, “Special agents of the Surveyor of the Port’s staff, after a raid on the Fabre liner Braga last night which resulted in the arrest of one of the crew and the discovery of $30,000 worth of prepared opium in the chief cook’s quarters, declared that they believe they have made the first step in breaking up an international drug smuggling ring which planned to smuggle $1,000,000 worth of opium into the United States within the next few weeks. The Braga is tied up at the foot of 31st St. Diani Radiabon, a steward on the vessel, was arrested by the agents when he was found with several pounds of opium concealed about his person in the crew’s quarters. The special agents, who are known as the ‘flying squadron,’ and operate from the Barge Office, will continue a search of the ship today to find one of the crew who escaped after being arrested and is believed to be hiding on the ship.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1928, the Eagle reported, “The Fifth Avenue Association, through its midtown committee, yesterday indorsed the work of the East River-38th St. tunnel committee, which is urging upon city authorities the construction of a vehicular tunnel under Manhattan, the East River, Brooklyn and Queens. The association plans, if necessary, to introduce legislation in Albany to bring about speedy construction of this project. The association also supports the tunnel committee’s plan for financing this and other interboro projects through the creation of a Bridge and Tunnel Authority for the City of New York with powers similar to those of the successful Port of New York Authority body. Philip Le Boutillier, president of Best & Co., who is chairman of the midtown committee of the association, issued a statement calling attention to the vast losses suffered by midtown businessmen daily through traffic congestion. ‘Firms, forced by traffic delays literally to throw away money in the daily conduct of business,’ declared Mr. Le Boutillier, ‘are fully in accord with the plans of the tunnel committee, to take 50 percent of our heavy traffic from the streets and route in underground to its destination.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, DEC. 8 (U.P.) — North Pole Nellie takes off on a Christmas errand Monday to drop a real pole on the top of the world and with it thousands of children’s letters to Santa Claus. A gala civic demonstration capped by a parade to the airport will precede the flight to the North Pole. Forty dog teams stretched out for more than a mile will lead the parade. Then Santa’s self-appointed chief helper will board the Alaska Airlines specially equipped DC-4 with her bulging sacks of letters and a big candy-striped pole. The original idea of the flight belongs to Stan Garson, a Point Barrow oil worker. He brooded about the fact that there was no pole at the North Pole, and got the Northern Commercial Company here to build him a nine-foot, 300-pound steel pole similar to a barber pole.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. (UP) — President Eisenhower’s invitation to Russia to become the West’s partner in an atomic pool won the support of most world capitals today, but Moscow remained silent. The President’s urgent appeal for peaceful atomic development in a personal appearance before the United Nations General Assembly yesterday crossed the Iron Curtain over the Voice of America. Soviet Delegate Andrei Y. Vishinsky, whose boasts that Russia has exploded a hydrogen bomb and developed secret atomic weapons partly were responsible for the President’s decision to make his unprecedented speech, applauded Mr. Eisenhower frequently and joined other delegates in a standing ovation. Vishinsky, who often conferred with Jacob A. Malik, his Soviet colleague, during the address, later said only that ‘there is a necessity for a careful study of this speech.’ Vishinsky’s reticence indicated he would reserve further comment until the Kremlin’s experts had studied the speech thoroughly. It was considered a certainty Vishinsky would not reply before the 60-member General Assembly adjourns its eighth annual session late today. Thus it was apparent the next steps taken by the world’s big powers would be conversations behind locked doors at UN Headquarters overlooking the East River.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench, who was born in 1934; “Stargate SG-1” star Beau Bridges, who was born in 1941; Jay and the Americans co-founder Kenny Vance, who was born in Brooklyn in 1943; World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Kite, who was born in 1949; “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star Michael Dorn, who was born in 1952; basketball player and former Brooklyn resident World B. Free, who was born in 1953; “Dangerous Liaisons” star John Malkovich, who was born in 1953; “Donny & Marie” star Donny Osmond, who was born in 1957; U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who was born in 1966; “Shark Tank” star Lori Greiner, who was born in 1969; musician Kara DioGuardi, who was born in 1970; “24” star Reiko Aylesworth, who was born in 1972; “Hide and Seek” singer Imogen Heap, who was born in 1977; and Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast McKayla Maroney, who was born in 1995.