November 21: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 21, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

Share this:

ON THIS DAY IN 1915, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Tons of scenery have been set, miles of electric wires have been placed, giant oak trees are on the scene and everything is in readiness for the presentation this week of ‘Forest Fires,’ a remarkable fire play, in Keith’s Prospect Theater. It contains what is said to be the most realistic fire scene in a forest, with a trapped multitude of settlers and backwoodsmen, ever presented on any stage. There are four scenes in ‘Forest Fires.’ In the first is shown a telephone exchange at Seven Oaks. In the second, a railway station at the same place, and in the third a beautiful forest, in roaring flames, with an express train that rushes through the blazing wilderness. In the fourth scene fire is seen smouldering in the moonlight. Robert Adamson, Fire Commissioner; Deputy Fire Commissioner Richard Laimbeer of Brooklyn; Fire Marshal Thomas Brophy and other fire officials of the city will witness it.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “School children romping on the streets and soldiers and sailors still enjoying leaves were more or less objects of envy today as the rest of Pa Knickerbocker’s family turned to routine tasks after celebrating Thanksgiving in keeping with its 300-year-old tradition. Succulent dinners of turkey and all the fixin’s, visits to the Macy Parade and other centers of amusement, gay reunions with relatives and friends — all went toward making the holiday an oasis of revelry sorely needed in an America beset with domestic and foreign crises. By far the outstanding event was the Macy parade, and not even an untimely deflation of the monstrous Santa Claus balloon marred the pleasure of the 1,000,000 children and adults who watched the fantastic spectacle wend its course down Broadway, Manhattan, to the 34th St. store.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle said, “By local law this city is to have on Jan. 1 a commission to regulate its traffic. A cheer or two should go up at the prospect, for the bewildering traffic problem has been a thorn in the side of the city and its inhabitants for longer than any inhabitant would care to remember. We may be encouraged to see something done about it. Mayor O’Dwyer is to be congratulated on securing Lloyd B. Reid, former City Traffic Engineer of Detroit, to chair the commission and be its consultant. We will pin our hopes upon him. No commission nor any man will find it easy to unravel the skein that makes a maze of this city’s streets. No sensible citizen will expect the unraveling to be done instantly. When the building of New York City began, its builders had no dreams of the city it was to become, of the terrific beating its old narrow streets would in time have to take. The problem now is to make something new and unprecedently efficient out of something old. How long it will take to do it nobody knows. But at least a start is being made in a practical way with a man of experience in charge.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “TOKYO, NOV. 22 (U.P.) — Communist resistance virtually disappeared on the Korean northeast front today in the wake of the U.S. 7th Division surge to the Manchurian border, but American commanders feared a new assault by 100,000 Reds was building up in the northwest. The South Korean Capital Division, east of the American 7th, broke through the last known Communist defense south of the port of Chongjin and drove to within 15 miles of the city and to within 67 miles of the Russian border. In the center of the peninsula, nearly 100 miles to the south, Chinese and North Korean Communists were pulling back rapidly, apparently in the face of an enveloping threat by American and South Korean forces southwest of the Chosin Reservoir. However, Communist reinforcements once more were pouring across the Yalu River bridgeheads in the northwest, and intelligence reports said the enemy was setting up strong ‘blocking’ points astride main roads leading to the Chinese border on a line running from Chongju near the Yellow Sea coast, through Taechon and Unsan to Huichon. These cities are eight to 25 miles beyond present United Nations lines.”

***

ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle said, “One of President-elect Eisenhower’s major campaign pledges has been advanced far toward fulfillment. He promised that in the event of his election he would place in positions of responsibility men of high character and of notable ability. His first three selections for places in his Cabinet confirm public confidence that his administration will be manned with a view to the national interest and not on the basis of reward for political service. General Eisenhower has announced the selection of John Foster Dulles for Secretary of State, Charles E. Wilson for Secretary of Defense and Governor Douglas McKay of Oregon for Secretary of the Interior. It is assumed that the remaining places will be filled by men of comparable distinction. If so, the new President and the nation will have the benefit of the services of a strong Cabinet.”

***

Michael Strahan
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Star Trek V” star Laurence Luckinbill, who was born in 1934; “That Girl” star Marlo Thomas, who was born in 1937; “Avanti!” star Juliet Mills, who was born in 1941; Songwriters Hall of Famer David Porter, who was born in 1941; Basketball Hall of Famer and N.Y. Knicks legend Earl Monroe, who was born in 1944; Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn, who was born in 1945; journalist and author Tina Brown, who was born in 1953; “24” star Cherry Jones, who was born in 1956; “Knots Landing” star Nicollette Sheridan, who was born in 1963; singer-songwriter Bjork, who was born in 1965; Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, who was born in 1966; Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who was born in 1969; Pro Football Hall of Famer and N.Y. Giants legend Michael Strahan, who was born in 1971; and “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen, who was born in 1985.

***

FOUNDER’S DAY: Josiah Bartlett was born on this day in 1729. The physician and statesman signed the Declaration of Independence (1776) and was New Hampshire’s first governor (1790-94). He died in 1795.

***

BOTH SIDES NOW: The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island opened on this day in 1964. At the time, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was also a source of controversy in the decades before and after its completion. Thousands of Bay Ridge homes were razed to make way for its approaches, and native Staten Islanders were less than pleased with the population boom on their side of the Narrows. And we won’t even mention the tolls.

***

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

Quotable:

“A marriage ends up being a business deal: no matter how long or short it is, somebody owes somebody money.”

— actress Goldie Hawn, who was born on this day in 1945