April 23: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 23, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — The Duke of Windsor, thoroughly angry after months of critical and intimate discussion of his life in British publications, has demanded withdrawal of the newest best seller about him. The senior partner of the Duke’s solicitors, Allen and Overy, told the United Press that they had demanded that the leading publishing firm of William Heinemann, Ltd., publishers of ‘Coronation Commentary,’ by Geoffrey Dennis, withdraw the book from circulation and publish a suitable apology on the ground that it libels the Duke. ‘Coronation Commentary’ will be published in the United States Monday and the publishers, Dodd, Mead & Co., of New York, said today they had received no protest from London regarding its release. Copies have been distributed to book sellers, the publishers said, and there was no plan to recall them.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “Sale of the New York Yankees, current world champions, seems nearer completion than at any previous time since Col. Jacob Ruppert’s death early in 1939 … Postmaster General James A. Farley and James M. Cox, former Governor of Ohio, Presidential candidate and now a newspaper owner, were the men who seemed intent on closing a deal for organized baseball’s most extensive empire. Farley and Cox, reported interested in the Yankees some time ago, have submitted a more recent offer that may be acted upon this week, the Eagle learned. The extensive Yankee holdings, including the capacious Stadium in the Bronx and assorted minor league holdings, have been valued at from $4,000,000 to $9,000,000.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “SHANGHAI (U.P.) — A Communist fifth column seized control of Nationalist-abandoned Nanking today and set the stage for a triumphant Communist military march into China’s capital at 7 a.m. tomorrow (6 p.m. Brooklyn time today). Nationalist resistance on the approaches to Shanghai, China’s largest city, collapsed as Communist columns continued their lightning drive to the South with government garrisons fleeing headlong from their path. All cities north of Shanghai were reported abandoned by the Nationalists. The Communist radio said 1,000,000 troops had been thrown across the Yangtse on an 850-mile front. Nanking was in a state of anarchy, abandoned by Nationalist forces and still waiting for the Communists to enter. Water and electric services were stopped and waves of looters still swarmed through the streets after a full day of pillage. Telephoned reports from Nanking said wild mobs began looting the city’s business district at dawn after Nationalist troops and police fled. The mobs did not attack the foreign sections or residential areas.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “HOLLYWOOD (U.P.) — Shirley Temple turned 21 today — but it didn’t make any difference in her bank book. She came into all those millions she earned as a baby star three years ago. How many there are exactly she isn’t telling. She thinks it’s bad taste. But people who know say it could be anywhere up to $5,000,000. ‘But nothing’s going to be changed,’ she said. ‘I didn’t turn into a millionairess overnight. It’ll be the same as it was when I was little.’ Legally, Shirley’s been in control of her millions ever since she turned 18. She’d been Mrs. John Agar for seven months by that time, and in California, a girl is considered ‘of age’ if she’s married and 18. ‘So Shirley’s had her money all this time,’ her mother, Mrs. George Temple, explained. ‘All those people who think she suddenly comes into it now that she’s 21 are three years behind time.’ ‘Actually my father and I handle my investments together,’ Shirley said. ‘He advises me and I make up my mind. He’s a business manager and a good one. I have no intention of firing him.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (UPI) — President Kennedy dialed ‘1964’ on a push button telephone yesterday to activate a second-by-second countdown for the opening of the New York World’s Fair a year from now. The president, speaking from the White House by telephone to Fair officials and some 1,000 other persons in a tent at Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, said the exposition there would show what the United States can do ‘if given an opportunity to work in a world of peace and understanding.’… ‘We have a deadline to meet, and by dialing 1964 I launch the first phase of this great effort,’ the president said. He then pushed four buttons on the modern white ‘touch tone dialing’ telephone — the numbers 1-9-6-4 — and then, with a big smile, placed the receiver back on its hook.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “The Six Million Dollar Man” star Lee Majors, who was born in 1939; “Fringe” star Blair Brown, who was born in 1946; “One Day at a Time” star Valerie Bertinelli, who was born in 1960; actor and comedian George Lopez, who was born in 1961; windsurfing legend Robby Naish, who was born in 1963; “Providence” star Melina Kanakaredes, who was born in 1967; “House” star Kal Penn, who was born in 1977; “Hart of Dixie” star Jaime King, who was born in 1979; “Slumdog Millionaire” star Dev Patel, who was born in 1990; “American Idol” winner Caleb Johnson, was born in 1991; and supermodel Gigi Hadid, who was born in 1995.