January 22: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 22, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1852, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Gen. [Franklin] Pierce has written a letter to the New Hampshire delegates to the Democratic Convention, saying that the use of his name in any event before the Convention is utterly repugnant to his tastes and wishes.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1861, the Eagle reported, “The bill for the admission of Kansas was taken up, and it was finally passed. Yeas 36, nays 16.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1924, the Eagle reported, “MOSCOW (AP) — Nicolai Lenin, Premier of Soviet Russia, is dead. The end came at 5:50 o’clock Monday afternoon, but the death was not announced for some time afterward. Lenin’s death occurred at his country villa near Moscow, where he had been living in retirement. It came after a sudden turn for the worse, culminating in a stroke which paralyzed his respiratory organism. Official announcement of his death was made by the All-Russian Soviet this morning. News of his death, while not unexpected to those who had been closest to him in the Soviet counsels, came unexpectedly at this time to the great majority, as the most recent reports had been that the Premier was considerably improved in health. While there had been continuous anxiety for Lenin’s condition since he was stricken in June, 1922, public attention has lately been more directed to the differences among the Communist party leaders and particularly to the status of Leon Trotsky, who, it was recently announced, was in poor health and had gone away for a rest.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1925, the Eagle reported, “MITCHEL FIELD, L.I. — Lt. G.W. Goddard, chief of the photographic division of the Army Air Service, will make a test flight over Mitchel Field this afternoon to try out the mechanism of the largest air camera in the United States in preparation for the attempt to photograph the eclipse from above the clouds on Saturday. The lieutenant will be accompanied in his flight by Dr. S.M. Burka, Government physicist. The camera has a focal length of 50 inches and a lens that will photograph the design on a suit of clothes from a distance of half a mile.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “‘Lifeboat,’ the Alfred Hitchcock drama of suspense, now in its second week at the Astor Theater, has broken countless house records since its gala opening on the 12th. Acclaimed by both the press and the public, ‘Lifeboat’ thus far shows every indication of surpassing in popularity all of Hitchcock’s previous films. A 20th Century-Fox film, ‘Lifeboat’ was adapted by Jo Swerling from an original story by novelist John Steinbeck. The all-star cast is headed by Tallulah Bankhead, and includes John Hodiak, Henry Hull, William Bendix, Mary Anderson, Hume Cronyn, Canada Lee, Heather Angel and Walter Slezak.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “ALBANY — Governor [Thomas] Dewey announced today that he has approved allocation of $3,200,000 in new funds for veterans’ emergency housing in down-State areas, out of which Brooklyn will receive $1,680,000 for four projects including a large-scale development at Floyd Bennett Field. He disclosed that his administration, pressing its battle against the housing shortage, would convert three unused Brooklyn public school buildings to provide more living accommodations for veterans and their families. The expanded program means that, as soon as the work can be performed, 361 additional units of housing, consisting of one, two, three or four-room apartments, will become available to veterans in the borough. The governor’s approval of the $3,200,000 in new funds means that Brooklyn gets more than half the total. The school buildings to be converted at a cost of about $380,000 are: Public School No. 22, 132 Java St., Greenpoint, which will be turned into 26 housing units; Public School 88, 46 Thames St., 40 new housing units; Public School 101, at 18th Ave. and 86th St., 20 units. Although the State has converted former school buildings upstate for housing purposes, this is the first undertaking of its kind in New York City. The largest single project the Governor announced was the Floyd Bennett Field development which, alone, will cost $1,300,000 and will provide 275 units.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1955, the Eagle’s TV column said, “George Gobel continues his funny pace at 10:00 tonight and Jackie Gleason devotes most of his hour to the Kramdens in a ‘Honeymooners’ sketch.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “The Galloping Gourmet” star Graham Kerr, who was born in 1934; “The New Centurions” author Joseph Wambaugh, who was born in 1937; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Perry (Journey), who was born in 1949; “Night on Earth” director Jim Jarmusch, who was born in 1953; “Exorcist” star Linda Blair, who was born in 1959; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steven Adler (Guns N’ Roses), who was born in 1965; producer and songwriter DJ Jazzy Jeff, who was born in 1965; “Streets of Fire” star Diane Lane, who was born in 1965; celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who was born in 1968; “The Wonder Years” star Olivia D’Abo, who was born in 1969; “7th Heaven” star Beverley Mitchell, who was born in 1981; and Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody, who was born in 1981.