ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

ON THIS DAY IN 1876, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle said, “As yet the ice men have been unable to make preparations for the great demand that will be made of them next season for ice. During the Summer the Centennial at Philadelphia will bring thousands of people from all parts of the country to New York and Brooklyn, and ice will be the one luxury that will be indispensable. Unless we should have a very cold spell before the 20th of the present month, there will be no opportunity to secure a supply and then ice will be more expensive in cities than will be a season in the mountains.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1877, the Eagle reported, “‘La Voyage Dans la Lune’ (‘A Trip to the Moon’) will be brought out at Niblo’s Garden before long.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1906, the Eagle reported, “The wedding of Miss Anna Valentine, of St. Mark’s avenue, and James Willets, of Glen Cove, will take place on St. Valentine’s Day, February 14.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1934, the Eagle reported, “Moderation of the cold spell which sent the mercury down to 4 degrees at 8 a.m. yesterday, making the day the coldest Feb. 3 on record in New York, is forecast for today. Today should be fair and warmer, according to the official prognostication. The previous low record for Feb. 3 in New York was five degrees in 1881. Yesterday was the third coldest day this Winter. The lowest was six below on Dec. 31 and three below on Dec. 30. The continued cold which followed Thursday’s snowstorm made more difficult the work of 4,100 snow removal workers because much of the closely packed snow had been compressed into solid ice. The Salvation Army reported that the city coffee bars opened by order of Mayor LaGuardia last Monday had met 87,694 applications for food and coffee up to noon yesterday.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1941, the Eagle reported, “CHICAGO (AP) — Professional football has a new boss — scholarly, 37-year-old Elmer Layden — and Notre Dame is looking for a new gridiron coach. Layden accepted a five-year contract at $20,000 annually yesterday as commissioner and resigned as head coach and athletic director of the institution where he was an All-America halfback, one of the famed ‘four horsemen’ 17 years ago. The Rev. Hugh O’Donnell, C. C. S., president, accepted Layden’s resignation, but issued no statement as to his successor for the job, considered one of the choicest coaching positions in the collegiate football world.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951, the Eagle reported, “CHICAGO, FEB. 3 (U.P.) — The spreading rail strike tied up food shipments to military bases today and forced the most drastic cut ever ordered on mail. As the strike hit three more railroads and six additional cities, the National Mediation Board met representatives of the carriers and the Big Four railroad brotherhoods in Washington in an effort to settle the strike. In Chicago, Federal Judge Michael L. Igoe ordered the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen to court to explain why it should not be cited for contempt. Shipments destined for U.S. fighting forces in Korea were delayed and the nation’s rearmament drive was slowed as the wildcat walkout of 10,000 switchmen went into its fifth day. The strike has thrown at least 170,000 industrial employees out of work and closed coal mines, steel mills, automotive plants, flour mills and other industries. In Washington, the Post Office department stopped the movement of all mail except 1st class mail weighing less than eight ounces, daily newspapers, emergency items and mail for local delivery. A partial embargo was imposed on some areas Thursday, but today’s new order blanketed the nation.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “Making salt water usable for irrigation and other industrial purposes is the aim of a U.S. program, a $1,232,000 contract awarded to a firm which is now building a plant in North Carolina for the conversion project. The firm, Struthers Scientific and International Corp., will have the plant ready by November. Using a freezing process, it is hoped that salt water can be converted for productive use especially for underdeveloped desert areas.”

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Alice Cooper. Photo: Chris Carlson/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include former New York Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine, who was born in 1939; 5th Dimension singer Florence LaRue, who was born in 1944; former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle, who was born in 1947; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper, who was born in 1948; Kansas drummer Phil Ehart, who was born in 1951; N.Y. Giants legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who was born in 1959; “Burn Notice” star Gabrielle Anwar, who was born in 1970; “Hot Tub Time Machine” star Rob Corddry, who was born in 1971; boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who was born in 1973; “Torn” singer Natalie Imbruglia, who was born in 1975; “I Don’t Want to Be” singer Gavin DeGraw, who was born in 1977; and gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Carly Patterson, who was born in 1988.

Gabrielle Anwar. Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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FRONT AND CENTER: Rosa Parks was born on this day in 1913. Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery, Ala., who was active with the NAACP. In 1955, when African-Americans were obligated by law to ride in the back of the bus, she refused to give up her seat to a white man during a ride home from work. She was arrested, found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined $14. This sparked the modern civil rights movement, leading to a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system, lawsuits and a Supreme Court decision decreeing segregation to be unconstitutional. Parks died in 2005 and is the only American woman to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

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Natalie Imbruglia. Photo: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

WELCOME NEWS: The United Service Organization was founded on this day in 1941. The civilian agency provides support worldwide for U.S. service people and their families. USO centers have served as a home away from home for hundreds of thousands of Americans.

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

Quotable

“No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” — civil rights leader Rosa Parks, who was born on this day in 1913