History Brooklyn Boro

May 11, birthdays for Cam Newton, Jonathan Jackson, Louis Farrakhan

Brooklyn Today

May 11, 2015 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

NFL quarterback Cam Newton celebrates his birthday today. Mike McGinnis/AP Images for Panini

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 131st day of the year.

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ON THIS DAY in 1917, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “State Railways in 6-Cent Fare Plea.”

The article focused on a railway petition that was being drafted calling for lower fare.

“Every railway of importance in the state was represented at a meeting called by the New York State Electrical Railway Association today, in the Hotel Astor,” the Eagle reported. “Ways and means of obtaining concessions from the Railroad Commission to cover the increased coast of operation were discussed, and the president, James P. Barnes, was authorized to name a committee of 10.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include Nation of Islam leader LOUIS FARRAKHAN, who was born in 1933; “Bewitched” and “Titanic” actor BERNARD FOX, who was born in 1927; multiple Tony Award-winner BOYD GAINES, who was born in 1953; “Nashville” actor JONATHAN JACKSON, who was born in 1982; the inventor of the artificial heart ROBERT JARVIK, who was born in 1946; football player MATT LEINART, who was born in 1983; football player CAM NEWTON, who was born in 1989; and comic actor MORT SAHL, who was born in 1927.

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SALVADOR DALI was born on this day in 1904. Dali was a leading painter in the surrealist movement who was equally well known for his baffling antics and attempts to shock his audiences. He died in 1989.

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NATIONAL STUTTERING AWARENESS WEEK, annually the second full week of May, begins today. To learn more about stuttering, visit stutteringhelp.org.

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“ONLY THE STRONG” — a debut historical novel by Jabari Asim — will be featured at the powerHouse Arena tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. Asim is the author of multiple works in fiction, nonfiction, essays, poetry and drama. He is the executive editor of The Crisis.

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