November 16: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 16, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1907, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON — A new star was added to the American flag today by the admission formally into the Union of the State of Oklahoma. President Roosevelt, at 10:16 o’clock this morning, signed the proclamation admitting the Territories of Oklahoma and Indian Territory jointly as one of the American states. Little formality attended the ceremony, which meant much to the people of the two territories. In appending his signature to the proclamation the President used a pen formed from a quill plucked from the wing of an American eagle. The pen will be deposited with the Oklahoma Historical Society.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1943, the Eagle reported, “Wearing the Air Medal with nine clusters, Staff Sgt. Edmund T. Pepper, of 20th St., a veteran of 50 flight missions over Europe, recently arrived in Atlantic City, N.J., for reassignment to further duties. Sergeant Pepper, waist-gunner in a Flying Fortress, saw 309 hours of combat service. He took part in the bombings of Tunisia, Sicily and Italy and participated in sea sweeps and raids over France. A graduate of St. Francis High School, the 29-year-old sergeant entered the army in May, 1942, and went overseas last January.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “KEY WEST (U.P.) — President Truman said today this country is standing pat on its policy of no four-power negotiations on the Berlin situation until Russia lifts its blockade. The President also told a press conference at his Key West vacation headquarters: 1. He is not planning any meeting with Soviet Premier Josef Stalin or sending any special emissary to Moscow. 2. He will review the entire international picture in a conference with Secretary of State George C. Marshall and roving Ambassador W. Averell Harriman in Washington Monday, the day after his return from the Florida vacation. Harriman arrived in Washington today. Marshall is still at the U.N. meeting in Paris. Asked about reports that Marshall intends to resign, the President said he wouldn’t comment on that until their Nov. 22 meeting. He took occasion to pay tribute to Marshall, however, and to assert again that he and the Secretary of State are in complete agreement on everything. A special conference of the Big Four powers on the Berlin dispute was recommended last week by Trygve Lie, secretary general of the United Nations, and Australia’s H.V. Evatt, president of the General Assembly. The President said Marshall had prepared an answer to that suggestion and he (Mr. Truman) had approved it. But he wouldn’t release it at this time.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “HOLLYWOOD (U.P.) — Lionel Barrymore, 76, the crotchety and lovable head of the theater’s ‘Royal Family,’ died last night of a heart attack. His last words were Shakespeare’s immortal lines in ‘Macbeth,’ about ‘the way to dusty death.’ The gruff-voiced old man, known to millions through motion pictures, radio and the theater for half a century, was stricken at his home Sunday night as he sat in his familiar wheelchair reciting his favorite Shakespeare soliloquy. The patriarch of American actors suddenly could not catch his breath. Mrs. J.E. Wheeler and her family, with whom Barrymore had lived since his second wife died 18 years ago, helped him to the door for fresh air. They called his doctor, John Ewing, who rushed the veteran actor to Valley Hospital. At midnight he sank into a coma, then he suffered a second heart attack. He died at 10:15 (Brooklyn time) last night with the Wheeler family and his doctor at his bedside. His sister, Ethel, was too shocked to comment and withdrew into seclusion.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “Joe Torre, former Cadet ace swatter, batted .375 in a pinch-hitting role for the Milwaukee Braves. Joe shared the backstopping assignment with Del Crandall, quite a feat considering that Del is considered the premier mask and mitt man in the league. Torre’s only experience in the sandlots as a catcher came during his last year in the Parade Grounds when he donned the heavy glove for the first time on the advice of Jim McElroy.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Cry Baby” singer Garnet Mimms, who was born in 1933; singer-songwriter Troy Seals, who was born in 1938; singer-songwriter Chi Coltrane, who was born in 1948; “CSI” star Marg Helgenberger, who was born in 1958; former N.Y. Mets and Yankees pitcher Dwight Gooden, who was born in 1964; singer-songwriter Diana Krall, who was born in 1964; “The Bold and the Beautiful” star Maeve Quinlan, who was born in 1964; “The Cosby Show” star Lisa Bonet, who was born in 1967; “The Goonies” star Martha Plimpton, who was born in 1970; singer-songwriter Allison Crowe, who was born in 1981; former N.Y. Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire, who was born in 1982; former “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson, who was born in 1993; and “Heroes” star Noah Gray-Cabey, who was born in 1995.

Marg Helgenberger
John Shearer/Invision/AP

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BREAKING NEWS: The New York Evening Post was first published on this day in 1801. Founded by Alexander Hamilton, it is one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in the country. Today, the Post is owned by News Corp and has the fourth largest distribution in the U.S.

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A TOAST TO THE COAST: The Lewis and Clark expedition reached the Pacific Ocean on this day in 1805. Their Corps of Discovery had glimpsed it on Nov. 7, moving Clark to write in his journal, “Great joy in camp! We are in view of the Ocean, this great Pacific Ocean which we have been so anxious to see. And the roaring or noise of the waves breaking on the rocky shores … may be heard distinctly.”

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

Quotable:

“Life is like a trumpet. If you don’t put anything into it, you don’t get anything out of it.”

— Blues legend W.C. Handy, who was born on this day in 1873