April 17: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 17, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1865, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “Underlying the universal sorrow for the death of President Lincoln, and inspiring the grief which is today everywhere manifested, there is this feeling: the death of Mr. Lincoln renders the pacification of our country more difficult, and more remote than it would otherwise have been. Let our present rulers take this lesson to heart: the dead President is mourned as no other man perhaps ever was by his countrymen, because of the belief which is everywhere felt that in his last days Mr. Lincoln’s thoughts turned to conciliation and peace. We are satisfied that in no way can respect for Mr. Lincoln’s memory be shown more sincerely than by faithfully executing the policy upon which he had determined at the time of his decease. We are certain that the comments upon the recent calamity indulged in by those who assumed that Mr. Lincoln had rounded off and completed his life in the overthrow of the rebellion jar harshly at this time on the public ear. To human eyes it would seem that the period of the President’s usefulness was only beginning. To have controlled the administration which brought the country through a gigantic war was an honor, but it would have been something more to have been at the head of an administration that restored the protection of the government to all our people — united and at peace.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1912, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — A resolution will be introduced in the Senate, probably today, to direct the Commerce Committee or a sub-committee to make a thorough probe of the Titanic tragedy, and to empower the committee to summon witnesses and take any necessary steps. As a complement to the Congressional investigation, the scope of which has not yet been fully determined, Secretary Nagel of the Department of Commerce and Labor will take up at once with President Taft the entire subject of safeguarding ocean travel by more stringent American shipping regulations. The Titanic disaster has aroused Congress, President Taft and the Cabinet to the urgent need for immediate measures of safety for ocean travel. It is believed that laws will be prepared at once in Congress, based on the advice of officials of the Department of Commerce and Labor and American shipping experts, that will insure safety of passengers and crew in cases like the Titanic, where ample time existed for their removal in lifeboats.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1921, the Eagle reported, “ALBANY, APRIL 16 — The Lusk-Clayton bill, to provide for the regulation of movie films and prevent the exhibition of lewd and indecent pictures, passed the Assembly last night by a vote of 102 to 38, after a verbal battle on the floor that lasted for nearly an hour and a half. In the final vote, party lines were broken and many Democrats, particularly from Brooklyn, voted for the bill, although Minority Leader Donohue made a long speech against it, and numerous members of the Democratic delegation took the floor to fight its passage. There were also some notable changes among the Republicans. Two of the members of the Rules Committee, who had refused to commit themselves to it — Majority Leader Simon L. Adler of Rochester and Thomas A. McWhinney of Nassau — fell into line after Governor Miller made representations to the Assembly, insisting upon its passage. Adler made a speech for it on the floor, although he stated that he had grave doubts about the measure and was personally opposed to the idea of ‘censorship.’ The proposal, which was originally introduced by Assemblyman Walter F. Clayton of Flatbush, as a result of stories in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle exposing the indecencies of many of the pictures now shown and disclosing that the present National Board of Review is controlled by the movie producers, had a hard fight. It was opposed bitterly by a strong lobby of producers and movie exhibitors, fought vehemently in the Senate by the Democrats, and when it reached the Assembly was bottled up in the Rules Committee until today, the final day of the session.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “There may be a cloud-seeding experiment late today, it was reported by Dr. Wallace E. Howell, the city’s $100-per-day rain-maker. Dr. Howell told Water Commissioner Stephen J. Carney that if he decides to act, he will fly from Harvard University, where he was early today, to Floyd Bennett Field, where the police plane with dry ice is based. In the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. today, the city reservoirs gained 562,000,000 gallons, bringing the total to 196,656,000,000, or 77.7 percent of capacity. A year ago the percentage was 95.5.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “Walt Alston’s starting Big Four — Carl Erskine, Don Newcombe, Russ Meyer and Billy Loes — makes it easy for the new manager to name his pitchers. Just rotate the quartet and slip in Preacher Roe occasionally. Loes gets his first airing today against Jim Hearn and the Giants at Ebbets Field. Erskine is set for tomorrow against Sal Maglie in a rematch of Tuesday’s opener. Big Newk figures to work Monday night in Philadelphia. Alston admits Roe will start against the Phillies, one of Preach’s ‘certain clubs.’ But the manager isn’t sure whether Roe will pitch Tuesday night in Philadelphia or Wednesday in the first night game at Ebbets Field. Either way, Meyer is the alternate. That leaves Loes for Friday night in Pittsburgh when the Dodgers open a 17-game tour through six cities. They’re not home until May 11 and don’t play the Giants again until May 28 at the Polo Grounds.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, an Eagle editorial said, “Governor Rockefeller has proclaimed April 17 as Verrazano Day. Italian-Americans of this city are marking it today in ceremonies at noon at the foot of the monument to Giovanni Da Verrazano in Battery Park. A review of the list of participants in the ceremony allows one to realize how greatly Italian-Americans have contributed to New York City’s development in recent years. Beginning with the greatest mayor New York ever had, Fiorello LaGuardia, Italian-Americans have done amazing things for this country in the relatively few years — since 1907 — when the tremendous Italian migration began to reach this country.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Romeo and Juliet” star Olivia Hussey, who was born in 1951; “Maniac” singer Michael Sembello, who was born in 1954; “Fever Pitch” author Nick Hornby, who was born in 1957; former N.Y. Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason, who was born in 1961; “Waiting to Exhale” star Lela Rochon, who was born in 1964; “Lost” star Henry Ian Cusick, who was born in 1967; baseball player Marquis Grissom, who was born in 1967; singer-songwriter Liz Phair, who was born in 1967; “Alias” star Jennifer Garner, who was born in 1972; Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who was born in 1974; “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” star Rooney Mara, who was born in 1985; and former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan, who was born in 1989.