March 16: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

March 16, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1846, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle said, “Twenty seven stars counted we on the blue ground of the American flag, flying from the staff at the Battery yesterday. How many more will be added before many of us, now throbbing and breathing, will be laid away in our graves?”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1885, the Eagle said, “Persons who are given to fault finding of course embrace the occasion of a solar eclipse to grumble at the sun. They cannot understand why the center of the shadow almost invariably elects to make its passage over the most inaccessible portions of the earth. It seems to them nothing more nor less than a personal slight. You find such people every where — people who seem born to better things but who never neglect a chance to obtrude the ragged edges of their nature.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1896, the Eagle reported, “The snow fall in Brooklyn, New York and vicinity today was the heaviest that has been experienced since the blizzard of 1888. By an ingenious method of calculation Weather Prophet Dunn estimated for the Eagle reporter this afternoon the actual fall of snow in this vicinity had been thirteen inches, and of sleet and rain one and a half inches … The shamrock in Brooklyn and New York will be drowned tomorrow by the weather. Farmer Dunn is sorry but he can’t help it.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1900, the Eagle reported, “LONDON — The Prince and Princess of Wales opened the sale organized by the Irish Industries Association at the Mission House this afternoon. Enormous crowds lined the streets and the houses and stores displayed flags. Their royal highnesses received an ovation. Lord Mayor Newman and the sheriffs received the royal party. Sprigs of shamrock were presented to the visitors by Lady Aberdeen. The Prince of Wales, in declaring the sale opened, expressed the deep interest which he and the Princess took in the welfare of the Irish people.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1914, the Eagle reported, “One hundred and fifty graduates of West Point, including army officers stationed in and about New York, and civilian residents of the city, will celebrate the 112th anniversary of the founding of the United States Military Academy at a dinner to be given at the Hotel Astor this evening.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1928, the Eagle said, “Three German scientists are going to try to split the atom. And for a good many years lots of us over here have been splitting hairs.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1942, the Eagle reported, “ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. (U.P.) — The Yankees were down for a day’s rest from the Spring exhibition schedule today and devoted the time to hitting and fielding drills. The Yanks lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3, for the second straight day yesterday as rookie Stan Musial clubbed a two-run triple off Spud Chandler in the eighth to win the game for the Red Birds.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “STOCKHOLM (U.P.) — The Swedish general staff fears a blitzkrieg attack by Russia and has asked the government for large military appropriations to speed a four-point defense program, it was disclosed yesterday. The request for more defense appropriations was made yesterday by Chief of Staff Gen. Helge Jung and approved by the Swedish military staff of defense. General Jung said Sweden was unprepared for a lightning attack and urged: 1. More fortifications; 2. Swifter construction of military airfields; 3. Complementary military training for certain age groups of conscripts; 4. Improvement of civilian defense and creation of stockpiles of scarce military supplies. General Jung said the possibilities of armed conflict had grown so great that Sweden must reorganize her defenses. He asserted a survey for a full defense plan now was being worked out by the high command. The Swedish Defense Council, approving General Jung’s proposals, insisted there was little possibility of imminent armed conflict but indicated it thought war had drawn much closer to Scandinavia since events in Czechoslovakia and Finland. ‘It is obvious the Soviet Union very purposefully is busy knitting together its own system of security in Europe and it seems likely the Soviet Union will not hesitate to resort to very brusque methods,’ a council statement said. ‘As far as Sweden is concerned, the increasing aggressiveness must be considered to mean the possibilities of war have increased.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “Joseph P. Marcelle, U.S. Internal Revenue Collector for the 1st (Brooklyn-Long Island) New York district, said today that his office at 210 Livingston St. took in about $75,000,000 in income taxes yesterday, the last day for payments. More than 750,000 unopened returns confronted the collector’s 250-man staff when they came to work today, and it will take a week to go through them and add up their contents. Up to yesterday, 1,670,000 returns had been received and $89,000,000 of inclosed checks deposited — for an average of about $50 a taxpayer. The Brooklyn district handles 55 percent of the city’s tax returns. The 2nd and 3rd New York districts, below and above 23rd St., Manhattan, took in an estimated total of $400,000,000, bringing the aggregate collected in the city to just below a round half billion. All figures are the collectors’ estimates based in part on the number of as yet unopened returns received. And, of course, Uncle Sam had already collected a large chunk of the 1949 income tax from individuals by the withholding device. An expanded force of 342 agents worked at the collector’s office on Livingston St. yesterday and last night, helping last minute citizens to make out their returns.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.I.) — President Kennedy got his annual gift of St. Patrick’s Day shamrocks from the Irish ambassador yesterday, along with a reminder that it was the British who burned the White House in 1814. Ambassador Thomas J. Kiernan, who had on a blue polka dot necktie and wasn’t sporting a bit of green, presented the shamrocks to Kennedy in an elegant 12-inch-high vase of Waterford glass. It bore engravings of the White House and its Irish architect, James Hoban.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “MIAMI BEACH — On the entertainment front, Ben Novack, owner of the Fontainebleau, brought Sammy Davis, Jr., in ahead of schedule, packing the La Ronde twice a night … At the Deauville, ‘Camelot’ star Robert Goulet is in the top spot, with comic Allen Drake rounding out the bill … A first local appearance is on tap for Bob Newhart, who opened at the Diplomat’s Café Cristal … After a fortnight’s run in Palm Beach, Jack Carter has moved into the Coconut Grove Playhouse with Herb Gardner’s comedy, ‘A Thousand Clowns’ … Into the Eden Roc Café Pompei, Barbra Streisand, who clicked on Broadway in ‘I Can Get It For You Wholesale.’ She is co-starred with Sergio Franchi, the Italian baritone-tenor who scored recently at Waldorf’s Empire Room.”

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Curtis Granderson
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include financier Sanford I. Weill, who was born in Brooklyn in 1933; original “Wheel of Fortune” host Chuck Woolery, who was born in 1941; “CHiPs” star Erik Estrada, who was born in 1949; “Alias” star Victor Garber, who was born in 1949; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nancy Wilson (Heart), who was born in 1954; Pro Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome, who was born in 1956; “Ray” star Clifton Powell, who was born in 1956; comic book creator Todd McFarlane, who was born in 1961; “Mother Mother” singer Tracy Bonham, who was born in 1967; “Gilmore Girls” star Lauren Graham, who was born in 1967; former N.Y. Yankees and Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, who was born in 1981; former Brooklyn Nets forward Blake Griffin, who was born in 1989; and Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was born in 1999.