January 27: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

January 27, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1907, Brooklyn Daily Eagle columnist Frederick Boyd Stevenson said, “Taft — is he a presidential possibility? Did he mean what he said when he said he was not, or is he still stacked up with the other available presidential timber in the Republican woodshed? That is the riddle which the political seers are trying to rede aright, which the Sphinx in the White House is determined shall continue to furnish incidental gayety to nations and substantial substance for intermural guessing contests. Taft, on his face is frank, but beneath the skin he is more or less a conundrum. Then let us look at him over at long and short range. Just because a man is big and good natured and popular is no reason why one should fit a halo to his head. Therefore, suppose we analyze Taft — the man — as he is.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1915, the Eagle reported, “CAIRO, EGYPT, VIA LONDON — An engagement occurred yesterday to the eastward of El Kantara, in Egypt, presumably with the advance guard of a Turkish army, although details are lacking. The Egyptian losses were one officer and four men slightly wounded. Only a comparatively small number of men were engaged in the fighting, which was in the nature of skirmishes. Detachments of Turkish troops have been sighted at three other points to the east of the Suez Canal, but no fighting has resulted, except that in the vicinity of El Kantara. In this engagement the Turks opened fire at long range with mountain guns. The British replied with machine guns and rifles. A British seaplane dropped bombs upon the Turkish forces near Birmurhadad, inflicting losses. Fighting in this locality indicates that not only has a Turkish invasion of Egypt been begun, as was reported in an earlier dispatch from Athens, but that Turkish forces have penetrated a considerable distance into Egypt. El Kantara is 28 miles south of Port Said, and is on the Suez Canal, which, it is assumed, is the immediate objective of the Turkish advance. The territory to the east of El Kantara referred to in the foregoing dispatch is the north part of the Sinai Peninsula, which extends to the Turkish frontier.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1924, the Eagle reported, “PARIS – Competitions in the Eighth Olympic Games in Paris this year will occupy the greater part of May, June and July, according to the revised schedule just published by the French Olympic Committee. Beginning in May with the Rugby and association football trials, the culminating point of the Olympics will come with the great athletic week, July 5 to 13.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Eagle reported, “MEXICO CITY, JAN. 26 (AP) — Efforts by the United States to limit immigration from Mexico have dovetailed with the Mexican Government’s own vigorous campaign to stem the northward flow of citizens. The recent wholesale exodus of Mexican citizens has created a grave problem. In calling the matter to the attention of his cabinet, President Portes Gil pointed out that emigration of Mexicans is no more desirable to Mexico than it is to the country of their destination. He outlined a plan for stemming the outflow, and various of the government departments have set to work on the project. The president penetrated directly to the roots of the problem and found that lack of employment on this side of the Rio Grande is its principal cause. He gave orders that the cause by combated. It is hoped that by creating new industries and rearranging the tariffs so as to give Mexican production a maximum protection, the field for employment will be greatly expanded.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The President’s flying trip to Africa breached the Secret Service’s longstanding policy of objection to air travel by the nation’s chief executives. Mr. Roosevelt’s last previous plane trip was in 1932, when he flew from Albany to Chicago to accept the Democratic Presidential nomination.”

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James Cromwell
Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Babe” star James Cromwell, who was born in 1940; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), who was born in 1944; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nedra Talley (The Ronettes), who was born in 1946; dancer and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov, who was born in 1948; former “Saturday Night Live” bandleader G.E. Smith, who was born in 1952; U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who was born in 1955; “The Rapture” star Mimi Rogers, who was born in 1956; Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers, who was born in 1957; comic book writer and film director Frank Miller, who was born in 1957; sportscaster Cris Collinsworth, who was born in 1959; “Single White Female” star Bridget Fonda, who was born in 1964; “Cabaret” star Alan Cumming, who was born in 1965; Faith No More singer Mike Patton, who was born in 1968; former NFL running back Fred Taylor, who was born in 1976; and “Gone Girl” star Rosamund Pike, who was born in 1979.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“Anytime you get nine people together, whether it’s at a party or it’s in the conference room of the Supreme Court, you do have to maintain some order, or it does kind of degenerate into squabbling.”

— Chief Justice John Roberts, who was born on this day in 1955