Oct. 29, birthdays for Gabrielle Union, Randy Jackson, Winona Ryder

October 29, 2014 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

SuperStorm Sandy hit the area two years ago today. AP photo

SuperStorm Sandy hits DUMBO. AP photo

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Good morning, Brooklyn. Today is the 302nd day of the year.

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ON THIS DAY in 1909, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Fourth Avenue Subway Fight Ends at Last in a Great Victory for Brooklyn.” The article focused the Board of Estimate voting unanimously to authorize about $2 million to begin construction work for a Fourth Avenue subway line. The comptroller at the time, Metz (no first name given), then passed a resolution requesting about $13 million.

“‘As long as we started the work we should see that it won’t be held by any future board,’ said Mr. Metz,” the Eagle reported. “‘This board here should authorize the balance of the money covering the entire cost of construction so the work won’t be stopped after it has once been started.’”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include Brooklyn-born Oscar Award-winner for “The Goodbye Girl” Richard Dreyfuss, who was born in 1947; “General Hospital” actress Finola Hughes, who was born in 1960; “Charlie’s Angels” actress Kate Jackson, who was born in 1948; Jackson 5 singer Randy Jackson, who was born in 1961; New York City-born singer and actress Melba Moore, who was born in 1945; “Girl, Interrupted” actress Winona Ryder, who was born in 1971; “Dark City” actor Rufus Sewell, who was born in 1967; and “Bring It On” actress Gabrielle Union, who was born in 1972.

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SUPERSTORM SANDY SLAMMED into the U.S. on this day in 2012. The superstorm, almost 900 miles in diameter at landfall in the U.S., hit Atlantic City, N.J., on the evening of Oct. 29, 2012, and wreaked havoc across the northeastern U.S. The storm was classified as a 1 hurricane. The loss of life in the U.S. was more than 125 people; the damages were estimated at almost $50 billion. More than 8 million people were left without power.

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THE INTERNET was created on this day in 1969. The first connection was made on this day when bits of data flowed between computers at UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute. This was the beginning of ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet developed by the Department of Defense.

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THE STOCK MARKET Crash of 1929’s 85th anniversary is today. Prices on the New York Stock Exchange plummeted and virtually collapsed four days after President Herbert Hoover had declared, “The fundamental business of the country … is in a sound and prosperous basis.” More than 16 million shares were dumped, and billions of dollars were lost. The nation faced nearly a decade of depression.

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