November 2: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 2, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1860, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “A correspondent wishes to be informed whether Pennsylvania voted Democratic or Republican at the October election of 1856 — if the Democrats had the majority at the election. The Democrats did carry the October election, but by a very small majority, the average being a little over 5,000. It was almost neck and neck; yet in the Presidential election, the Democrats beat the Fremonters by 83,200. They may carry the State next month, but the hope of such a result is rather slender, as the Douglas men there will vote for Lincoln.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1920, the Eagle reported, “Men and women voters of the 48 sovereign States of the Nation went to the polls today to select a new President for the four years beginning March 4 next. Before the dawn of another day has broken, the country, in all likelihood, will know whether Warren G. Harding, Republican, or James M. Cox, Democrat, has been elected to succeed Woodrow Wilson, for it is generally agreed that, barring a miracle, none of the other five candidates has a chance. This choice, it is estimated, will be registered by a record vote of between 20,000,000 and 30,000,000 persons, many of whom are women who have been enfranchised since the last Presidential election and are voting today for the first time.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Irving Berlin’s ‘This is the Army,’ the Warner Brothers Technicolor production of the famous Broadway musical show, will be held over for a second week at the Strand Theater beginning Thursday. It is being presented at popular prices, with continuous performances daily, plus a late midnight show on Saturday night. Starring the 350 soldier-actors, the film features George Murphy, Joan Leslie and Lt. Ronald Reagan. Others in the cast include George Tobias, Alan Hale, Charles Butterworth, Una Merkel, Kate Smith, Frances Langford and Sgt. Joe Louis.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON (U.P.) — The Secret Service threw extraordinary protection around President Truman today after two Puerto Rican rebels were cut down at his doorsteps in a bold attempt to assassinate him. Mr. Truman himself carried on as usual, calmly accepting yesterday’s flirt with death as one of the dangers of his job. The White House said there will be no changes in the President’s immediate plans or movements. But a heavily-reinforced detail guarded Mr. Truman as he moved to and from his White House offices. Uniformed police and plainclothesmen surrounded his Blair House residence, scene of the wild gun battle in which one of the would-be assassins and a White House guard were killed. Two other White House guards were wounded, one seriously. The second assailant also was shot, but lived to confess that ‘we came here with the purpose of shooting the President.’ Washington police charged the surviving assassin — Oscar Collazo, 37, of New York — with murder and searched the city for possible confederates.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1956, the Brooklyn Spectator reported, “Last Saturday, Senator John F. Kennedy (Dem.-Mass.) arrived here on a flying visit under the sponsorship of the 12th AD Banner Regular Democratic Organization, Ross J. DiLorenzo, leader. At a reception at the Banner clubhouse, 8118 13th Ave., a group of prominent borough Democrats were on hand to greet the Senator. In addition to DiLorenzo and his co-leader Mrs. Catherine Gillespie were County Leader Joseph T. Sharkey, Ralph DiIorio, candidate for Congress, 15th CD, Congressman John J. Rooney, 14th CD, Donald O’Toole, candidate for Congress, 12th CD, State Senator John F. Furey, 14th Senatorial District, State Senator Thomas J. Cuite, 13th SD, Assemblyman Louis Kalish, 7th Assembly District, Assemblywoman Mary Gillen, 3rd AD, Assemblyman Frank Vaccaro, 12th AD, and Everett McGarry, candidate for Assembly, 9th AD. Also, Harry Mortimer, leader of the 9th AD, his co-leader, Mrs. Sarah McDonald, and City Court Judge Roger Brock. A motorcade led by Senator Kennedy, consisting of about 80 cars, 6 sound trucks and the DiIorio campaign trailer, toured the neighborhood, winding up at the corner of 86th St. and 4th Ave., where the Senator delivered an address before a large gathering early Saturday evening. He called for the election of the entire Democratic ticket from Stevenson on down, having special words of praise for the local candidates and Mayor Robert F. Wagner, candidate for the U.S. Senate. From the size of the response accorded the Senator, one party official remarked that he appears to be ‘Bay Ridge’s favorite adopted son.’”

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Marisol Nichols
Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include political commentator Pat Buchanan, who was born in 1938; golfer Dave Stockton, who was born in 1941; “Hart to Hart” star Stefanie Powers, who was born in 1942; Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Little, who was born in 1945; “Dewey Defeats Truman” author Thomas Mallon, who was born in 1951; “Right Back Where We Started From” singer Maxine Nightingale, who was born in 1952; former National League MVP Willie McGee, who was born in 1958; “Constant Craving” singer k.d. lang, who was born in 1961; “Friends” star David Schwimmer, who was born in 1966; “Riverdale” star Marisol Nichols, who was born in 1973; and L.A. Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was born in 1991.

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BREAKING NEWS: The first commercial radio station went on the air on this day in 1920 when KDKA of Pittsburgh broadcast the results of the U.S. presidential election. The station got its license to broadcast on Nov. 7, 1921. By 1922 there were about 400 licensed radio stations in the U.S.

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THE GOOSE IS LOOSE: The mammoth flying boat Hercules made its only trip on this day in 1947. Designed, built and flown by Howard Hughes, the 200-ton plywood craft — nicknamed the “Spruce Goose” — was the world’s largest airplane at the time. It flew for about one mile at an altitude of 70 feet over Long Beach Harbor, Cal.

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

Quotable:

“You have to respect your audience. Without them, you’re essentially standing alone, singing to yourself.”

— singer-songwriter k.d. lang, who was born on this day in 1961