March 21: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

March 21, 2024 Dozier Hasty

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1872, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The fact is to be recorded that today, March 21, 1872, skating is to be had not only at the Rink, but at the Capitoline Lake and the Prospect Park ponds, though the latter localities are not open to the public. Such an average of cold weather as we have had this month has not been equalled in forty years. Today, at 8 a.m., the thermometer was down to 18 degrees. There is good skating at the Rink, and apparently it will be so for several days yet.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1885, the Eagle reported, “The Mayor of Cork, Paul J. Madden, declares that he will ignore the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1912, the Eagle reported, “The educational value of moving pictures was demonstrated last night in the assembly room of the Brooklyn Club on Pierrepont street. Pictures were shown of whale fishing in the Arctic regions and fox hunts in the woods of England. Perhaps the most interesting of all was the first demonstration here of Edison’s latest invention, in which by means of the X-ray were shown the chicken growing in the shell, the heart developing, the head growing, and all the stages of development until the chick starts scratching for a living. The pictures were thrown on a screen erected in the dining hall, where a large number of the members were assembled.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1926, the Eagle reported, “Herbert Brenon’s film production of the stage success ‘Dancing Mothers,’ a sophisticated drama of New York society, will be shown beginning Thursday. It centers about a charming woman battling to save her jazz-mad flapper daughter and night-club-habitue husband from the vortex of fast life. Conway Tearle, Alice Joyce, Norman Trevor and Clara Bow are the principals in the cast.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “ON THE SLOPES OF MT. VESUVIUS (U.P.) — A 70-foot wall of molten lava obliterated the village of San Sebastian on the upper slopes of Mount Vesuvius today, only a few hours after Allied military authorities had removed its 6,000 inhabitants. The great stream of lava, spewed out of the volcano’s cone in the worst eruption of modern times, moved down the northwest slope with inexorable force and by mid-afternoon had traveled 500 yards beyond San Sebastian to cover three-quarters of the neighboring town of Massa Di Somma. It appeared doubtful that anything would be left of the latter village by nightfall.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “As Mother Nature slammed the door on Winter’s cold blasts, the first day of Spring yesterday (one day early because of leap year) brought with it a beaming sun, gentle breezes and topcoat-shedding temperatures. Smiles, too, reappeared on the faces of Brooklynites as they sauntered along, luxuriating in the warmth. Even the Weather Bureau had Spring fever. Benjamin F. Parry, Weather Bureau chief, spent part of the day tramping about in the hills of New Jersey. ‘Spring came at 11:57 a.m.,’ he said before taking off on his jaunt, thereby confirming and making official what most everybody who had just stuck his nose out the window had already found out. Cautiously, however, he wouldn’t say that we’d seen the last of the snow this year.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “New York City paid $3,516,446 during 1947 for personal injury and property damage incurred along the subway and surface transportation systems … Contested and settled claims were paid for anything from a torn dress to loss of life, in amounts ranging from $5 to more than $87,000. Of the total amount paid during the year, $1,000,750 was given to 4,496 claimants in out-of-court settlements with the Board of Transportation. This is an average of about $223 per uncontested claim. Some $2,515,696 was paid out to injured persons or property owners as a result of court fights. One example was an $87,500 award given about a month ago by a jury to six-year-old Harold Rood, who lost both legs under a trolley. The Claims Division of the Board of Transportation is headed by Edward A. Gobel, special assistant corporation counsel, with offices in the Brooklyn Paramount Building, 385 Flatbush Extension. It is constantly besieged by citizens who think they have been mistreated in some way on a city vehicle. However, there are thousands of legitimate gripes. The Claims Division must separate the good from the bad and, if necessary, go into court to save the city from being unjustly sued.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “LAKELAND, FLA. (U.P.) — George Kell, 1949 American League batting champion, was starting to get his bat tuned up for 1950 today. Kell cracked a home run yesterday as the Tigers trounced the New York Yankees, 9 to 4, the blow highlighting a seven-run rally in the third inning against Yank rookie Whitey Ford. After that the Tigers were held to two singles in the final four frames by Duane Pillette.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “PARIS (U.P.) — Reliable sources said today that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower probably will return to the U.S. between mid-May and June 1 as a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. Within the next few weeks, they believed, he will ask to be relieved as supreme commander of the North Atlantic Pact forces to pave the way for his return. Eisenhower said yesterday that the big votes he received in the New Hampshire and Minnesota primaries were ‘forcing me to re-examine my personal position and past decision.’ To most observers, that meant he believes he has received the ‘clear-cut call to political duty’ without which, as he stated on Jan. 7, he would continue to devote his full attention to his job as supreme NATO commander.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, MARCH 19 (U.P.) — The Census Bureau today estimated there were 161,331,000 Americans on Feb. 1, including members of the Armed Forces overseas. This was an increase of 1.7 percent over Feb. 1, 1953, and 6.7 percent over April, 1950, when the last census was taken.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “Jackie Gleason, star of Jack Rose’s ‘Papa’s Delicate Condition,’ has been named 1963 Laugh King and will serve as National Chairman of the 19th Annual National Laugh Week, April 1-8. National Laugh Week has been held annually since 1945 to pay tribute to the laugh-makers of America — past, present and future — and to help promote a national sense of humor. Previous Laugh Kings include Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante, Jerry Lewis and Phil Silvers.”

***

Matthew Broderick
Andy Kropa/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Flores, who was born in 1937; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rose Stone (Sly and the Family Stone), who was born in 1945; “License to Kill” star Timothy Dalton, who was born in 1946; Supertramp co-founder Roger Hodgson, who was born in 1950; The Stylistics singer Russell Thompkins Jr., who was born in 1951; former “Saturday Night Live” star Brad Hall, who was born in 1958; Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, who was born in 1958; Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom, who was born in Brooklyn in 1961; “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” star Matthew Broderick, who was born in 1962; TV personality Rosie O’Donnell, who was born in 1962; former N.Y. Mets shortstop Shawon Dunston, who was born in Brooklyn in 1963; writer and political commentator Jonah Goldberg, who was born in 1969; former MTV veejay Ananda Lewis, who was born in 1973; rapper and record producer Large Professor, who was born in 1972; former N.Y Rangers captain Ryan Callahan, who was born in 1985; and “Henry Danger” star Jace Norman, who was born in 2000.