March 11: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

March 11, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1846, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Mrs. Ann Gourlay, aged 99, breathed her last on Friday, in Charleston, S.C. It is stated by the Charleston papers that this ancient lady has been a widow for half a century, and has outlived all her children and grandchildren except one. In early life she had, at a ball in Maryland, her native state, danced with Gen. Washington; and, perhaps, was the last female in the United States who could claim this honor.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1921, the Eagle reported, “ALBANY, N.Y. — Governor [Nathan] Miller today signed the bill repealing the State Daylight Saving Law. Municipalities will be allowed to operate under daylight saving by local ordinance under the new law if they so desire. The Governor made no comment on signing the bill. Repeal of the Daylight Saving Law, accomplished with the Governor’s signature to the measure today, brought to an end a two-year fight over daylight saving in which cities were opposed to rural districts. The Legislature passed a repeal bill last year, but it was vetoed by Governor [Al] Smith, who said ‘a vast majority of the people of the State approved daylight saving.’ The fight on behalf of the farmer for a return to standard time by the State for the entire year was begun early in the present session of the Legislature, five or six Assemblymen from rural districts introducing repeal measures. The bill which became a law today was sponsored in the Assembly by the Committee on Agriculture and in the Senate by Senator Lowman. Daylight saving probably will become effective in this city on Easter Sunday, March 27, despite signing today by Gov. Miller of the bill repealing the State Daylight Saving law. There is a possibility, however, that clocks may not be shifted here until the last Sunday in April. The Board of Alderman is expected to take action next week on an amendment to the Daylight Saving ordinance passed last year. This amendment would shorten the period prescribed for Daylight Saving, lopping off a month in the spring and another in the fall. The stock exchanges, banks and other business institutions will adhere to local time as they have for two summers. Railroads entering the city will provide communication service on daylight time. Supporters of daylight saving said they expected virtually all neighboring cities and towns would set their timepieces by New York local time.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1932, the Eagle reported, “The 71st Infantry Regiment, National Guard, paid tribute to the late John Philip Sousa in the Armory at Park Ave. and 34th St., Manhattan, this morning. The band played ‘Nearer My God to Thee’ and many of the stirring marches which helped win fame for the March King, including ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1933, the Eagle reported, “At the Brooklyn Paramount this week Mae West is again the major attraction, both on the stage in her own revue and on the screen in her successful picture, ‘She Done Him Wrong.’ Miss West returns to the big playhouse at Flatbush Ave. and DeKalb following a re-booking at the Manhattan Paramount. ‘She Done Him Wrong’ is also the screen attraction at the newly reopened Rialto Theater this week.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “With the withdrawal of Japan and Germany from the League of Nations and the consequent weakening of the purposes of the League, the three Scandinavian countries, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, are considering a Scandinavian tariff and trade union and a defensive military alliance.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1935, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — The Roosevelt Administration today surrendered in its fight to oust Robert Moses from the Triborough Bridge Authority or his park commissionership. Secretary [Harold] Ickes, the PWA administrator, announced that $1,600,000 had been sent to the Bridge Authority despite the fact that Mr. Moses has retained his two positions. Mr. Ickes explained that his famous order No. 129, issued Dec. 29, is not retroactive and therefore does not affect either Mr. Moses or Tenement House Commissioner Langdon Post, who is a member of the Housing Authority, which borrows Federal funds. Although Mr. Ickes denied himself to newspapermen, he did make public correspondence between himself and Mayor LaGuardia showing that the Mayor had ‘suggested’ that the order might not be retroactive, and that Mr. Ickes had accepted the Mayor’s suggestion. The sending of additional funds to New York for the bridges ends one of the most bitterly fought controversies in which the Roosevelt Administration has been engaged. It began when Mr. Ickes issued his order blocking further funds to municipalities or authorities where a member of the authority held another city job. Mr. Ickes accepted full responsibility for the order and said he had not discussed it with the President. Later, Mr. Roosevelt contradicted his Cabinet member, declaring he had been talking the matter over with Mr. Ickes for months. It was generally accepted as a fact at that time that Mr. Roosevelt had inspired the order. The Roosevelt people have long been enemies of Moses, whom they charged with having started the Roosevelt-[Al] Smith feud.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “A record 132-game television schedule for the 1963 baseball season was announced by the New York Yankees. The total is one over the 1962 total and is accounted for by five spring training TV contests, the most ever scheduled from Florida by the World Champions. All 81 home games will be televised as in the past, plus 46 American League road games of the defending champions and the five Florida exhibitions. All games will be TV’d over Station WPIX, Channel 11, New York … The Yankees’ outstanding broadcasting team will be augmented this year with the addition of former Yankee infield star Jerry Coleman. The personable Coleman joins veteran sportscasters Mel Allen, Red Barber and Phil Rizzuto in bringing Yankee games and pre- and post-game shows to fans of the home area.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who was born in 1931; journalist Sam Donaldson, who was born in 1934; “Animal House” star Mark Metcalf, who was born in 1946; Vanilla Fudge co-founder Mark Stein, who was born in 1947; “Don’t Worry Be Happy” singer Bobby McFerrin, who was born in 1950; producer and director Jerry Zucker, who was born in 1950; music producer Jimmy Iovine, who was born in Brooklyn in 1953; “ER” star Alex Kingston, who was born in 1963; “Patriots Day” director Peter Berg, who was born in 1964; “Stay” singer Lisa Loeb, who was born in 1968; “Empire” star Terrence Howard, who was born in 1969; former N.Y. Yankees outfielder Bobby Abreu, who was born in 1974; Basketball Hall of Famer Becky Hammon, who was born in 1977; basketball player Elton Brand, who was born in 1979; “American Beauty” star Thora Birch, who was born in 1982; and “Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer, who was born in 1993.