December 20: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 20, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1913, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Many well-known men and women interested in education attended the entertainment given last night at Public School No. 155, Herkimer street and Eastern parkway. The affair was a success. An admission fee was charged for the purpose of buying a moving picture machine for the school. Every seat in the auditorium was occupied. The feature was a performance of ‘Snow White,’ given by the Junior Dramatic Club of the school. This club rehearsed for a long time under the direction of Misses Nally, Mabel and Moehring. The youngsters did splendidly.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Eagle reported, “One of the first industries to feel the effect of the removal of war-time restrictions is the electric light companies. Few people would look in that direction for such a development, but the situation was outlined interestingly yesterday by one of the leading officials of the New York & Queens Electric Light & Power Company. This company supplies light and power for four of the five wards in Queens, and therefore its activities affect by far the largest percentage of the residents of the borough. The Government has removed the restrictions that were placed upon the use of light, and consumers have not been slow to take advantage of the situation. ‘This Christmas will be one of the brightest in many years throughout Queens,’ said the official. ‘Released restrictions, renewed business activity and popular optimism following the ending of the war are making for a holiday season that is demanding increasing display and lighting both in business houses and in homes. After a long season of lightless nights and daylight-saving, the people in the homes, the shoppers and merchants are calling for added holiday brilliance that is taxing the resources of our company. Returning soldiers and sailors are promptly returning to their old, or better jobs, while every effort is being made by our company to procure more coal to meet the holiday demands of a peace-time public that has been cheered up by developments since the armistice.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “PARIS (U.P.) ― American reserves went into action on the fluid 70-mile Belgian-Luxembourg front today, fighting desperately to halt the greatest German offensive since Marshal Rommel drove into Egypt, but still were giving ground in what may prove to be the decisive and most bloody battle of the war.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “A statement by City Housing Commissioner Joseph Platzker that the city may soon be forced to commandeer homes to meet the critical housing shortage today brought a counter-proposal from the Brooklyn Real Estate Board that financing should be made available to the owners of such homes so that they may rehabilitate the dwellings themselves. ‘You simply can’t just walk into these old homes which need remodeling to make them habitable and to meet the requirements of the multiple-dwelling law,’ declared George H. Gray, president of the real estate group. ‘The State and the City, perhaps even the Federal Government should give serious thought as to how to provide money for this work. Houses which have been vacant any length of time might need new heating equipment, remodeling and fire escapes and additional exits, especially if one or two family homes were to be used for three or more families.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “Mr. and Mrs. Alex Stewart, mother and dad of James Stewart, will attend the benefit showing of their son’s first post-war starring picture, Frank Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ at the Globe Theater tonight. The showing will be for the Boys Club of New York.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “4,000 GIs of Jewish faith volunteered for extra duty at Fort Dix so their buddies could go home for Christmas.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle said, “If you doubt that General Motors made 50 million cars, try driving crosstown in Manhattan.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Peter Criss (Kiss), who was born in 1945; illusionist Uri Geller, who was born in 1946; “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf, who was born in 1946; musician and record producer Alan Parsons, who was born in 1948; “Logan’s Run” star Jenny Agutter, who was born in 1952; “The Practice” star Michael Badalucco, who was born in Brooklyn in 1954; “Ring My Bell” singer Anita Ward, who was born in 1956; Minutemen co-founder Mike Watt, who was born in 1957; Runaways bassist Jackie Fox, who was born in 1959; former N.Y. Knicks shooting guard Trent Tucker, who was born in 1959; AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Freddie Spencer, who was born in 1961; Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson, who was born in 1966; former N.Y. Mets third baseman David Wright, who was born in 1982; “Moneyball” star Jonah Hill, who was born in 1983; singer and actress JoJo, who was born in 1990; and “Awkward” star Jillian Rose Reed, who was born in 1991.

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IT’S A DATE: “The Dating Game” premiered on TV on this day in 1965. Developed by Chuck Barris, it typically featured a “bachelorette” who questioned three men who were hidden from her view and decided, based on their answers, which guy appealed to her the most. The couple was then sent on a date, courtesy of the show. Occasionally, a bachelor would question three women.

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POEM OF THE BRAVE: The position of America’s poet laureate was established on this day in 1985. In return for a stipend as poet laureate and a salary as the consultant in poetry, the appointee must present at least one major work of poetry and appear at selected national ceremonies. The first poet laureate was Robert Penn Warren, whom the Library of Congress appointed on Feb. 26, 1986.

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

Quotable:

“Never surrender opportunity for security.”

— Baseball Hall of Famer Branch Rickey, who was born on this day in 1881