August 15: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 15, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1846, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “The people of West Neck South, near Huntington, on this island, have had a meeting and resolved that the name of their village be changed to that of Amityville.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1867, the Eagle reported, “Although the pre-announced grand meteoric display was postponed, there was still observed an unusual number of these eccentric members of the celestial system. At Central Park there were seen, from 9 p.m. of the 11th until 4 a.m. of the 12th, one hundred and ninety-eight meteors, some very brilliant.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The world today entered a new era of peace in which Gen. Douglas MacArthur summarily ordered Japan to send representatives to Manila to receive Allied surrender terms. He acted as supreme Allied commander. MacArthur is expected to announce that Japan will sign on her home soil or in territorial waters — perhaps Tokyo Bay. Radio Tokyo announced the resignation of Premier Kantaro Suzuki’s war cabinet shortly before MacArthur’s order was dispatched. Suzuki’s war minister already was a suicide. American forces were ordered to cease offensive action last night. Tokyo broadcast to Japanese troops at midnight (1 p.m. Wednesday Japanese time) the announcement of agreement to surrender. MacArthur’s message also ‘directed’ the Japanese immediately to cease hostilities. But Admiral Chester W. Nimitz announced that Japanese planes approached the U.S. 3rd Fleet after 3 a.m. Wednesday. Five were shot down. It was not immediately clear whether the attacks were continuing. Nimitz asked MacArthur to tell the Japs that we will shoot down any planes approaching our fleet. President Truman announced Japan’s agreement to unconditional surrender last night at 7 o’clock. There arose from the vast homelands of those who love democracy a shout heard round the world.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (U.P.) — Princess Elizabeth today gave birth to a girl who is third in line of succession to the British throne. The official bulletin said: ‘Her Royal Highness, the Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, was safely delivered of a Princess at 11:50 a.m. (6:50 a.m. Brooklyn time). H.R.H. and her daughter are both doing well.’ The bulletin was signed by Sir William Gilliatt, Sir John Weir and Drs. John Peel and V.F. Hall. Guns boomed royal salutes and a crowd of thousands standing in a chill drizzle outside Clarence House, Elizabeth’s home near Buckingham Palace, raised a cheer as the bulletin was posted on the gates. Queen Elizabeth drove to Clarence House from Buckingham Palace as soon as the baby was born. The child ranks after her mother and her brother, Prince Charles, in the line of succession to the throne. Charles was born Nov. 14, 1948. Princess Margaret, an aunt for the second time, moves back to fourth place in the line. Her chances of ever wearing the crown had become so remote as to be practically non-existent.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Brooklyn Spectator reported, “Ten million vehicles have used the New Jersey Turnpike since it was opened nine months ago, Paul L. Troast, chairman of the Turnpike Authority, reported today. He said travel and revenues for first-year operations were about double the estimates of engineers. Average daily travel is 46,000 vehicles, he said, but in July a record 1,932,352 vehicles, or an average of 62,300 a day, passed the toll booths. From Nov. 5 through Aug. 5, Mr. Troast reported, the turnpike was used by 10,040,125 vehicles. The shortest route to the N.J. Turnpike from Bay Ridge is the 69th St. Ferry.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “‘Space Ships on Parade’ will be the theme of the weekly fireworks show at Coney Island Tuesday evening starting at 9 o’clock. Flaming rockets will flash through Coney Island skies in multiple streaks, while red and green fleets of space ships will spread out in great aerial convoys. A storm in space, with a deluge of meteorites cutting swaths of gold in the path of the ships, will light up the Coney skies in a spectacular bombardment. Thunderous volleys of green and blue fire will ricochet into outer space.”

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Anthony Anderson
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who was born in 1938; Songwriters Hall of Famer Jimmy Webb, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Johnston (The Doobie Brothers), who was born in 1948; former Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly, who was born in 1950; Anne, Princess Royal, who was born in 1950; Space Shuttle astronaut Scott Altman, who was born in 1959; philanthropist Melinda Gates, who was born in 1964; “Veronica Mars” creator Rob Thomas, who was born in 1965; N.Y. Yankees World Series hero Scott Brosius, who was born in 1966; “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing, who was born in 1968; “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson, who was born in 1970; Oscar-winner Ben Affleck, who was born in 1972; “Species” star Natasha Henstridge, who was born in 1974; singer and actor Joe Jonas, who was born in 1989; and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, who was born in 1990.

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SHIP-SHAPE: The Panama Canal officially opened on this day in 1914 after 10 years of construction and much multinational diplomacy. A self-propelled crane boat had made the first passage through the canal, a 50-mile waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, on Jan. 7, 1914. The first ocean steamer, the SS Ancon, passed through on Aug. 3, 1914.

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HIGH TIMES: The Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened on this day in 1969. The three-day rock concert, which took place in an alfalfa field in Bethel, N.Y., featured more than 30 acts and drew a crowd of more than 400,000 people. Performers included Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Who.

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

Quotable:

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”

— writer Walter Scott, who was born on this day in 1771