September 5: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1901, the Eagle reported, “BUFFALO — President’s Day at the Pan-American Exposition dawned bright and clear, with temperature sufficiently low to make the day all that could be desired. It was evident from the crowds on the streets early in the morning that the attendance would be large. Business houses and private residences were gaily decorated with flags and bunting, and banners were stretched from windows and across streets, bearing words of welcome to the president and expressive of the sentiment which the great fair is designed to foster: ‘Peace to Pan-America.’ … Promptly at 10 o’clock, the president emerged from the home of Mr. Milburn, Mrs. McKinley accompanying him, walking by his side without assistance. A great burst of cheers greeted them, which the president acknowledged by bowing and raising his hat … A president’s salute of twenty-one guns was fired. The president was at once escorted to the stand erected in the Esplanade. What was probably the greatest crowd that has assembled on the Esplanade greeted Mr. McKinley.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1929, the Eagle reported, “Publication of the new 14th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica was announced today, and according to the announcement, it’s a bigger and better and more tremendously astounding Encyclopedia Britannica than ever. Despite the name, the encyclopedia is now under American ownership, and the statistics issued by the publication office indicate, in the best American statistical tradition, that nothing like this has ever seen the light of print before. There are 24 volumes in the new Britannica, and there are 1,000 pages in each. The complete text has more than 35,000,000 words — count ’em if you doubt it — written by more than 3,500 authors … It is the first complete revision since 1911 and the third since the Civil War.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1938, the Eagle reported, “School registration will begin throughout the city Wednesday when principals, assistant principals and clerks will be at their desks ready to receive new children into the ranks of the school system and to direct last year’s students to their classes. Registration will continue through Thursday and Friday in the regular day schools in which classes begin on Monday, Sept. 12. Officials pointed out that children under 6 will not be received except in kindergarten classes, and children under 5 will not be admitted to kindergarten classes until all older children have been accommodated. Children who have never attended public school in the City of New York will be required to furnish a satisfactory certificate of vaccination. It is estimated that about 40,000 children will come to school for the first time on Sept. 12.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Seems that even the telegraph companies have trouble finding their way around the War Dept.’s mammoth Pentagon Building … Acting War Sect’y John J. McCloy learned last week that a telegram had been returned to the sender with this notation: ‘Message sent to John J. McCloy, Assistant Secretary of War, is undelivered. He is unknown.’”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “RIO DE JANEIRO (U.P.) — President Truman said today the United States is determined to support the United Nations with ‘all the resources at our command,’ but warned it will take steadfastness of purpose, unremitting toil and infinite patience to make the U.N. work. Mr. Truman, speaking to a joint session of the Brazilian Congress, said the nations of the Western Hemisphere have demonstrated to the world that right-thinking men can submerge their ‘individual prejudice and their individual aims’ to an agreement that will bring ‘great benefit’ to the world.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “TAIPEI, FORMOSA, SEPT. 4 (U.P.) — Shells from Russian-made artillery killed two American lieutenant colonels during a two-hour Chinese Communist barrage of Nationalist-held Quemoy Island yesterday, Nationalist headquarters announced. Communist artillery pounded the Nationalists’ biggest and most important outpost again today in what appeared to be a ‘softening-up’ process. The threat against the island, seven miles off the Chinese mainland, was considered so great that top-level Nationalist Chinese leaders held two urgent meetings in 16 hours. Unconfirmed reports said Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek attended the second conference. In Washington, both the State and Defense Departments confirmed that two officers were killed in yesterday’s attack on Quemoy. Informants said the men were assigned to the U.S. Military Advisory Assistance Group, headquartered on Formosa.”
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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include actress and singer Carol Lawrence, who was born in 1932; Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski, who was born in 1936; civil rights activist Claudette Colvin, who was born in 1939; “24” star William Devane, who was born in 1939; “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” star George Lazenby, who was born in 1939; “Fitzcarraldo” director Werner Herzog, who was born in 1942; “Year of the Cat” singer Al Stewart, who was born in 1945; “Happy Gilmore” director Dennis Dugan, who was born in 1946; singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, who was born in 1946; cartoonist Cathy Guisewite, who was born in 1950; “Birdman” star Michael Keaton, who was born in 1951; historian and journalist Victor Davis Hanson, who was born in 1953; En Vogue co-founder Terry Ellis, who was born in 1963; “Charmed” star Rose McGowan, who was born in 1973; and former NBA shooting guard Lance Stephenson, who was born in Brooklyn in 1990.
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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.
Quotable:
“After September 1939, perhaps one billion of the world’s roughly two billion population were soldiers, partisans, and producers engaged in trying to kill people.”
— historian and journalist Victor Davis Hanson, who was born on this day in 1953
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