January 13: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 13, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1885, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – Schuyler Colfax, ex-Vice President of the United States, dropped dead in the Union Depot at Mankato, Minn., at 1:40 this afternoon.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1898, the Eagle reported, “Charles H. Ebbets has been elected to the presidency of the Brooklyn Base Ball Club, and preparations for the new season have already begun. The meeting of the board of directors, held at the office of the Brooklyn club’s attorneys, Redding, Kiddle & Greeley, in the Potter Building yesterday, was for the purpose of choosing a successor to the late Mr. [Charlie] Byrne and of adopting a set of resolutions in the latter’s memory. Mr. Ebbets’ election was the only definite action taken by the directors, as the remaining officers will not be selected until the annual meeting of the stockholders, which will probably occur early in February.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Brooklyn Spectator reported, “While watching Boris Karloff, the ‘Horror Man’ of films, portray the frightful character he is famous for in ‘The Ghoul,’ on the screen of the Electra Theatre, 75th St. and 3rd Ave., Miss Marie Viedt, 75, of 7614 4th Ave., died in her seat at 5:15 p.m. Monday. ‘White Zombie,’ with Bela Lugosi, another ‘thriller,’ was the other picture on the bill. She was found by the matron, Veronica Stewart, of 6820 Ridge Blvd., and was pronounced dead by Dr. Wallace of the Norwegian Hospital.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “Automobile owners can stop worrying about the nation’s supposedly dwindling gasoline supply. There will be enough liquid fuels to last 1,000 years and even longer if science finds a way to harness atomic power so that it may be used economically. That is the opinion of Arno C. Fieldner, chief of the fuels and explosive branch of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. He believes also that the high cost of producing atomic energy can be lowered through an energetic research program. ‘It is probable that safe and economical central-station power ultimately will be developed on a commercial basis,’ he said, ‘and it also may prove feasible for driving large ships.’ In the meantime the nation should get the most out of its present forms of mineral fuels, he believes.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “GENEVA (U.P.) — The United States accounted for more than 70 percent of all illegal marijuana confiscated during 1951, the United Nations Opium Board reported today. The board’s world-wide survey for 1951 disclosed that 5,487 pounds of marijuana were confiscated in the United States. The world’s total confiscations were 7,773 pounds. One of the most alarming developments, the report said, was that the number of types of narcotic drugs doubled in the past five years, due to the manufacture of 17 new synthetic narcotics. The United Nations also reported the world manufacture of morphine hit a record total of 72 tons in 1951. The highest previous record of 65 tons was produced in 1950.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1961, the Bay Ridge Home Reporter said, “City education officials have completed a plan to integrate Bay Ridge-Sunset Park elementary schools next Fall by providing free bus transportation for students from approximately 10 schools in other sections of Brooklyn to 15 schools in this area. The board has stipulated that students may attend another school if they are no more than five miles away from it. The 15 schools in the area have been listed as ‘receiving’ schools. The 10 ‘sending’ elementary schools will augment the expanded ‘open enrollment’ program already set up in junior high schools. Last week, parents and children in 32 elementary schools in Brooklyn were given application forms. The forms must be returned by Jan. 18. The integration program is open to children who will be in grades three, four and five in September. The program will also be continued in junior high schools, to enable parents whose children attend predominantly Negro or Puerto Rican schools to send them to other schools in white sections of the city.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “One of the last public appearances made by the late Eleanor Roosevelt was at Lafayette High School. Today, the students at that institution are being thrilled by the words of the current First Lady, Jackie Kennedy. The President’s wife has sent school principal Joseph Bellafiore a photo, inscribed ‘To the students of Lafayette High School, with best wishes, Jacqueline Kennedy.’”

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Trevor Rabin (Yes), who was born in 1954; “Bright Lights, Big City” author Jay McInerney, who was born in 1955; World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara, who was born in 1957; “Seinfeld” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was born in 1961; “Kindergarten Cop” star Penelope Ann Miller, who was born in 1964; “Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey, who was born in 1966; “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes, who was born in 1970; “Baywatch” star Nicole Eggert, who was born in 1972; entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who was born in 1975; “Carnival Row” star Orlando Bloom, who was born in 1977; former N.Y. Jets center Nick Mangold, who was born in 1984; “The Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth, who was born in 1990; and “Stranger Things” star Natalia Dyer, who was born in 1995.