ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

ON THIS DAY IN 1849, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle said, “Our musical portion of the community will bear in mind that Handel’s most successful effort, ‘The Messiah,’ is to be performed tomorrow night at the Brooklyn Female Academy. We can venture the assertion that it will be a faultless performance. The principal portions of the music are in the hands of artistes who are in every way competent to do full justice to its rare beauties, and the choral department lacks no requirement it ought to possess. The most attractive feature in the affair is that we are to be favored with the powerful aid of our own Julia Northall, the nightingale of America.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1868, the Eagle said, “One of the two holidays recognized by the laws of the United States — and one of the five holidays observed by law and practice in the State of New York — Christmas Day, occurs tomorrow. Christmas Day and the Fourth of July are the only days in the year, except Sundays, upon which the Executive Departments of the United States are not required to be kept open for the transaction of business. In this State, New Year’s Day, Washington’s birthday and Thanksgiving day are publicly declared holidays, in addition to Christmas and the Fourth of July. Of all these festivals, Christmas is the only one which has a purely religious origin, and the one also which has the most venerable history, and the most widespread celebration. The Fourth and the birthday of Washington are patriotic and peculiarly American anniversaries. New Year’s Day is a celebration originating principally with our own Holland-descended population of Nassau Island and New Amsterdam, while Thanksgiving Day is quite as sectional as New Year’s, and derives its origin here as clearly from New England as the other does from the Dutch settlers of New York. But men do not inquire too closely respecting the origin of a holiday. Like any other benefaction, our curiosity to discover whence it came is lost in our gratification at the too rare enjoyment.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1918, the Eagle reported, “PARIS, DEC. 23 — President Wilson’s plans for visiting American Army Headquarters at Chaumont and then proceeding to England are now complete. He will leave Paris late tomorrow night and will not return until New Year’s Day. His movements while he is with the army, which were at first entirely in the hands of Gen. Pershing, have been changed in one respect. Mr. Wilson insisted upon taking Christmas dinner with the troops and eating from a mess kit with the soldiers about him. He will have formal dinner with Gen. Pershing and his officers later. After reviewing the troops, the President will deliver an address, which he has already prepared.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “Army and navy separation centers moved at top speed today to rush the discharge of servicemen in order that as many as possible may be home for Christmas. Officials said that, in all probability, soldiers arriving at Fort Dix or sailors at Lido Beach by yesterday afternoon will leave camp by nightfall. At the Lido Beach naval discharge center, it was learned that sailors arriving too late for discharge by Christmas would be given liberty to go home. After Christmas Day they are to return for discharge. In accordance with a War Department directive to allow nothing to interfere with the orderly demobilization procedure, however, army men will have to remain at Fort Dix over the holiday. Seventeen troopships are due to enter New York Harbor today from European and Near Eastern ports.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “VATICAN CITY (U.P.) — Pope Pius XII began the 1950 Holy Year of the Roman Catholic Church today by opening the holy doors of St. Peter’s Cathedral while 1,000,000 faithful knelt in prayer in and around Rome’s four basilicas. During the ceremonies a group of 125 landless peasants were arrested when they attempted to stage a rally at the nearby Communist-led Rome Labor Chamber. The chamber proclaimed an immediate general strike in the capital. The strike order was withdrawn 30 minutes later when Interior Minister Mario Scelba said the peasants would be released soon after the religious ceremonies were completed. The quick withdrawal was attributed to the Communist-controlled National Labor Federation, which advised the Rome Labor Chamber to withdraw the strike call because it was ‘ill-advised.’ The holy doors swung open at 10:39 a.m. (4:39 a.m. Brooklyn time) ushering in the yearlong 25th jubilee of the church which the Pontiff, in his Christmas message yesterday, dedicated to the fight against Communism and atheism.”

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Stephenie Meyer.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include sculptor and printmaker Jonathan Borofsky, who was born in 1942; Focus co-founder Jan Akkerman, who was born in 1946; former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was born in 1946; jazz trumpeter Michael Ray, who was born in 1952; economist Gene Sperling, who was born in 1958; “Empire” co-creator Lee Daniels, who was born in 1959; “Prison Break” star Wade Williams, who was born in 1961; 10,000 Maniacs singer Mary Ramsey, who was born in 1963; “Boston Legal” star Mark Valley, who was born in 1964; “The Drew Carey Show” star Diedrich Bader, who was born in 1966; “Prison Break” star Amaury Nolasco, who was born in 1970; “Livin’ la Vida Loca” singer Ricky Martin, who was born

Ryan Seacrest.
Photo: Glenn Francis/Wikimedia Commons

in 1971; “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer, who was born in 1973; “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” host Ryan Seacrest, who was born in 1974; and former N.Y. Jets wide receiver Davante Adams, who was born in 1992.

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WAR IS OVER: The Treaty of Ghent was signed on this day in 1814, ending the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Great Britain. The treaty took effect in February 1815 and ushered in more than two centuries of peace between the two nations.

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Ricky Martin.
Photo: Eva Rinaldi/Wikimedia Commons

HEAVENLY PEACE: “Silent Night” was performed for the first time on this day in 1818. Composed by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr, it debuted at St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, a village in the Austrian empire. The 1935 version by Bing Crosby is the fourth best-selling single of all-time.

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

Quotable

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” — Luke 2:14