December 17: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 17, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1922, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle said, “Uncle Sam must get busy on one of two things — peace or war. War is brewing in Europe. But if war comes to Europe, it will not be confined to Europe. It will spread all over the world. The United States cannot escape it, despite the rhetorical theorists who confidently cling to the poetic idea of ‘magnificent isolation.’ Even now the trouble pots are a-boiling. Here’s the news: The French seem determined to enter the Ruhr district, unless the Germans meet their indemnity payments. The Germans say they cannot meet them. The French are eager to occupy German territory. There are two reasons for such occupations, which eventually would result in an actual annexation of parts of Germany to France. One reason is the acquisition of rich German territory. Another reason is to make the increasing German population in these German districts French and turn them from the increasing tide of fighting men for the future. Clemenceau in his first speech in America said: ‘If we had known that the peace conditions would not be kept, we would have gone to Berlin.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “Quonset hut developments in a 100-acre tract in Canarsie, 20 acres in Ulmer Park, Gravesend, more than 100 acres of Idlewild Airport property and a large area in the North Bronx were envisioned today as the city’s solution to the housing problem for veterans and their families. Suggestion that 5,000 of the rounded-roof metal huts, used in the Aleutians and the Pacific Islands by the services, be acquired by the city for temporary housing came in a comprehensive report prepared by Mayor-elect William O’Dwyer’s Emergency Committee on Housing. The report, which estimated the Quonset hut developments, to house 10,000 families, would cost about $26,000,000 was studded with other proposals for easing the housing crisis … In all, the report accounted, through its various proposals, for housing 43,000 families, or 140,000 persons, in temporary dwelling units until permanent homes can be provided.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “WASHINGTON, DEC. 16 (U.P.) — Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters said today Christmas gifts will be distributed not only to dependent children and military hospitals in the Far East, but to fighting troops in Korea. The date of delivery of presents in Korea will depend on the tactical situation at the time, a spokesman said. MacArthur’s headquarters, in a message to the Pentagon here, said more than 500,000 pounds of Christmas gifts from the United States organizations are expected to be delivered in the Far East command in time for distribution on Christmas Day. Gifts for United States and United Nations personnel in Far East hospitals will be distributed by the Red Cross. Military personnel and chaplains of the various services will handle the distribution of gift parcels in Korea and to Naval personnel in the fleet on duty in Korean waters, MacArthur’s headquarters said.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “(UPI) — Y.A. Tittle, the Bald Eagle with the strong wing, threw six touchdown passes to set a National Football League season record of 33 yesterday in leading the playoff-bound New York Giants to a 41-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The 35-year-old Giant quarterback, who had been sidelined for a rest but was sent back into the game when reserve quarterback Ralph Guglielmi was injured, set up his record-breaking touchdown pass by running 19 yards on a ‘bootleg’ play. He then completed an 8-yard T.D. toss to Joe Walton with 1:08 left to play. A crowd of 62,694 at Yankee Stadium chanted, ‘Beat Green Bay’ as the Giants wrapped up their ninth straight victory. They now go into the Dec. 30 championship game against the Green Bay Packers with the longest winning streak in the modern history of the club. The huge crowd at Yankee Stadium, representing the Giants’ seventh straight home sellout of the year, jubilantly swarmed onto the field and tore down the goal posts at both ends of the gridiron.”

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Ernie Hudson
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Avalon” star Armin Mueller-Stahl, who was born in 1930; Pope Francis, who was born in 1936; “Ghostbusters” star Ernie Hudson, who was born in 1945; “American Pie” star Eugene Levy, who was born in 1946; Oscar-winner Wes Studi, who was born in 1947; Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers, who was born in 1949; “Independence Day” star Bill Pullman, who was born in 1953; former N.Y. Mets pitcher Bob Ojeda, who was born in 1957; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mike Mills (R.E.M.), who was born in 1958; “The Walking Dead” star Laurie Holden, who was born in 1969; “American Horror Story” star Sarah Paulson, who was born in 1974; “Saving Private Ryan” star Giovanni Ribisi, who was born in 1974; “Resident Evil” star Milla Jovovich, who was born in 1975; boxer Manny Pacquiao, who was born in 1978; and “Raising Hope” star Shannon Woodward, who was born in 1984.

Milla Jovovich
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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IN THE SPIRIT: “A Christmas Carol” debuted on this day in 1843. The Charles Dickens classic was published in a print run of 6,000 copies that sold out in one week. By Jan. 6, 1844, an additional 2,000 were sold. The reformation of Ebenezer Scrooge has remained immensely popular.

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THE WRIGHT STUFF: On this day in 1903, after three years of experimentation with kites and gliders, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first documented successful powered and controlled flights of an airplane. The flights, near Kitty Hawk, N.C., were sustained for less than one minute but represented the beginning of a new era in history.

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

Quotable:

“God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it.”

— Pope Francis, who was born on this day in 1936