ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

ON THIS DAY IN 1876, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “William M. Evarts is the grandson of Roger Sherman, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1876, the Eagle said, “Mr. Longfellow will be sure to give us a fine Centennial poem, though the Quaker bard might have given us a Whittier one.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1903, the Eagle reported, “PUERTO CABELLO, VENEZUELA, JAN. 3 — The blockading warships of the Powers took all the Venezuelan vessels from the inner harbor here this morning. They landed forces on the wharf but there was no firing and their occupation of the place was temporary. The incident caused great excitement among the population.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1914, the Eagle said, “Gorgeous as have been previous automobile shows, the scene which greeted the eyes of the visiting throng last evening far exceeded in beauty anything before attempted in the decorative line in Manhattan. The Grand Central Palace, under the direction of the Automobile Chamber of Commerce, has been transformed from a modern pile of cement and mortar to a vast Corinthian court, which might well have served as a scene of some conquering Roman general’s triumph. While the formal opening took place at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon and thousands availed themselves of the opportunity afforded to catch a glimpse of the beautiful interior and to make an early examination of the newest devices in motoring, it was not until last night that the real enthusiastic outpouring of New York’s motor lovers took place. Shortly after the doors were thrown open at 8 o’clock every available space was filled to overflowing. So great has been the demand for exhibition space that the committee has been hard pressed to find room for everybody who desired to participate. Every conceivable model of car, from a $7,200 limousine down to a $395 cycle car, is represented. The total number of exhibitors is 352.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Brooklyn Spectator reported, “While all New York listened attentively on New Year’s day to the radio transmission of the inauguration ceremonies at City Hall of Mayor William O’Dwyer, Bay Ridge had a special interest, as the Mayor has been for many years a resident of this section … Mayor O’Dwyer had arrived on schedule at 11 o’clock and had been greeted by former Mayor LaGuardia on the steps of City Hall and escorted to his office at the southwest corner of the building. There the government of the city was turned over to him, with wishes from Mr. LaGuardia for the best of luck, to which Mayor O’Dwyer responded that he hoped he would do as well as Mr. LaGuardia had done.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “LOS ANGELES (U.P.) — The annual Pro Bowl All-Star football game to be held Jan. 17 in Memorial Coliseum will be televised from coast to coast, excluding Los Angeles, Paul J. Schissler, game director, announced today. The game, which will bring together 62 top-rated National Football League players divided into East and West squads, is sponsored by the Los Angeles Newspaper Publishers Association. It is the first time in the contest’s four-year history that the game will be televised. Previous games were held on Saturday and officials were unable to obtain a television cable.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1955, the Eagle reported, “Paul Newman makes his film debut in ‘The Silver Chalice’ in CinemaScope and WarnerColor at the N.Y. Paramount.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “Three Kings Day will be celebrated Saturday in Brooklyn under the sponsorship of the Council of Brooklyn Organizations. This centuries-old festive day is celebrated in Puerto Rico and many other lands on the 12th day after Christmas. It commemorates the visit of the Magi, the Three Wise Men of the East, to present symbolic gifts to the Prince of Peace in a stable in Bethlehem. Celebration plans include a parade, many local festivities and the distribution of toys to children by the Council. In countries where traditionally celebrated, the day of Three Kings is eagerly anticipated by children as the day on which they receive their Christmas gifts.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “NBC has quietly begun negotiations with Jack Paar in a deal that can only make Johnny Carson very unhappy, but certainly indicates how much trouble Carson’s ‘Tonight Show’ is in. The network asked Paar to take over the Friday night 11:15 p.m. to 1 a.m. time slot for a weekly ‘special,’ but all they’re actually saying is that they want him to replace Carson at least on Friday nights. So far, Paar has said no.”

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Julia Ormond.
Photo: Greg Allen/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Heaven Can Wait” star Dyan Cannon, who was born in 1937; historian and commentator Doris Kearns Goodwin, who was born in Brooklyn in 1943; businesswoman and fashion designer Tina Knowles, who was born in 1954; actress and performance artist Ann Magnuson, who was born in 1956; country singer Patty Loveless, who was born in 1957; “Max Headroom” star Matt Frewer, who was born in 1958; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), who was born in 1960; former NBA player Sidney Green, who was born in Brooklyn in 1961; “NewsRadio” star Dave Foley, who was born in 1963; “Sabrina” star Julia Ormond, who was born in 1965; country singer Deana Carter, who was born in 1966; former N.Y. Yankees pitcher Ted Lilly, who was born in 1976; and “Sex Education” star Emma Mackey, who was born in 1996.

Dave Foley.
Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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HIGHER LEARNING: Sir Isaac Newton was born in England on this day in 1643. The chief figure of the scientific revolution of the 17th century, he laid the foundations of calculus, studied the mechanics of planetary motion and discovered the law of gravitation. He died in 1727.

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Michael Stipe.
Photo: Matt Licari/Invision/AP

IT’S A HIT: The pop music chart was introduced on this day in 1936 when Billboard magazine published a list of bestselling records for the week that ended Dec. 30, 1935. It included songs by the Tommy Dorsey and Ozzie Nelson orchestras.

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

Quotable

“Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck.” — Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, who was born on this day in 1930