August 10: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 10, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1939, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (AP) – “Gen. George C. Marshall, the Army’s new chief of staff, reported today after inspecting preparations for another ‘Battle of Manassas’ that the troops need more training for large scale operations. He said the Army suffers by comparison with foreign forces, and with the Navy and Air Corps, because of lack of opportunity for war games such as will be waged in Virginia and New York State next week. At the same time Marshall noted that the smooth mobilization of nearly 20,000 National Guardsmen at Manassas, Va., for the mass maneuvers of the First Field Army, disclosed ‘impressive advances’ in fighting efficiency in the four years since similar maneuvers were staged in the East. ‘These large scale operations,’ he said, ‘are the most valuable training the Army can receive and there should be more of it by all means.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — Princess Elizabeth is expecting her second child ‘any minute now, her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, said today as he paced the floor inside Clarence House, their town mansion, while crowds were gathering outside to await the royal birth. American tourists were among them. The baby will be third in line of succession to the British throne, preceded only by Elizabeth herself and her firstborn, Prince Charles. She and the Duke are hoping for a daughter this time. Everything was ready for the birth. Sir William Gilliatt and Sir John Weir, the Royal obstetricians, moved into Clarence House last night. So did Sister Helen Rowe, the maternity nurse who attended the arrival of Prince Charles. For the first time Elizabeth did not take her usual walk in the enclosed lawn of her mansion today. Instead, she spent the morning in her second-floor room overlooking the gardens of St. James Palace.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “Undefeated Sha-Wan-Ga and once defeated Kutsher’s head the Eastern and Western divisions, respectively, in the Sulco Hotel Basketball Association. Kutsher’s, in the Western Division, has been overwhelming the opposition by 38.6 points per contest while Sha-Wan-Ga has beaten its opposition by an average of 23 points per game. Tall, lean Wilt Chamberlain of Kutsher’s continues to pace the loop in scoring with 246 points in eight contests. His game average has moved over the 30-point mark with a 30.8 average for each tilt. He is followed by two recent high school graduates, Tom Kearns of the Almanac, who is scoring at the rate of 25.7 points a game, and George Henry of the Delano, who has an even 20-point average for six contests.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1956, the Brooklyn Record reported, “Henry Q. Middendorf, President of the Brooklyn Borough Council, Boy Scouts of America, has announced that the 35,500 Brooklyn Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorer Scouts and Scout Leaders will participate in the ‘Get-Out-The-Vote’ campaign. Brooklyn Scout Commissioner John E. Cohn and Borough Activities Chairman Julius Loewenthal will head up the borough project in which 726 Scout Units will distribute 15,000 posters locally prior to registration and 500,000 doorknob hangers just before the election. Lt. General Willis D. Crittenberger, president of the Greater New York Fund, has accepted the post of chairman of the 1956 ‘Get-Out-The-Vote’ campaign of New York City Scouting, it was announced by Charles B. McCabe, President of the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America. The Scouts, in joint sponsorship with the Freedoms Foundation, Inc., of Valley Forge, are again undertaking the nationwide effort to urge citizens to register and vote in the elections this fall. The total national Scout membership of over 1,175,000 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorers and adult leaders will take part in the campaign.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1956, the Record reported, “From Brooklyn to Montauk Point, Red Cross chapters on Long Island are ready for hurricane-caused disaster activities, a survey of Red Cross preparations in the area indicated recently. Thousands of Red Cross disaster workers are ready for emergency service if needed. According to Charles Riedel, Chairman of Disaster Services for the Brooklyn Chapter, the Brooklyn Red Cross is ready to assist city agencies in caring for persons evacuated from shorefront areas in advance of the storm or who have to leave their homes after a hurricane or abnormally high tides make them untenable. The Chapter is prepared to assist with shelter and mass feeding operations and to mobilize medical care, as well as to meet post-hurricane rehabilitation needs should a major disaster occur.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include nine-time MLB All-Star Rocky Colavito, who was born in 1933; fashion designer Betsey Johnson, who was born in 1942; Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson, who was born in 1947; “Baby, Come to Me” singer Patti Austin, who was born in 1950; “Hardcastle and McCormick” star Daniel Hugh Kelly, who was born in 1952; “Desperately Seeking Susan” star Rosanna Arquette, who was born in 1959; “Spy Kids” star Antonio Banderas, who was born in 1960; “Babylon 5” star Claudia Christian, who was born in 1965; former N.Y. Knicks shooting guard John Starks, who was born in 1965; former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, who was born in Brooklyn in 1967; “Rizzoli & Isles” star Angie Harmon, who was born in 1972; and media personality Kylie Jenner, who was born in 1997.

Antonio Banderas
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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NATIONAL TREASURE: The Smithsonian Institution was founded on this day in 1846. The collection of museums and research centers is named for British scientist James Smithson (1765-1829), who left most of his wealth to his nephew. After his nephew died childless, the estate passed to the U.S. “to found, at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”

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HOLDING COURT: Red Holzman was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1920. In 1957, he was hired as a scout by the N.Y. Knicks. He served as head coach from 1967 to 1982, leading the team to its only two championships in 1970 and 1973. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986 and died in 1998.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“[Hitchcock] told me I was going to play a nymphomaniac. I remember rushing home to look it up in the dictionary and being quite shocked.”

— “Spellbound” star Rhonda Fleming, who was born on this day in 1923