History Brooklyn Boro

December 28, birthdays for John Legend, Denzel Washington, Joe Manganiello

Brooklyn Today

December 28, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Singer John Legend celebrates his birthday today. Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 362nd day of the year.

Notable people born on this day include Nichelle Nichols and Denzel Washington, among others.

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Gift of Health is Her Goal as Linda Takes ‘Holiday Trip.’”

The article focused on a Brooklyn girl who traveled to Maryland to get treatment for her rare disease.

“At five o’clock this morning while most of Brooklyn still slept, seven-year-old Linda Puentes started on a special journey that may add years to her lifetime and perhaps will ultimately enable her to live like a normal child,” the Eagle reported.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include singer and television personality DAVID ARCHULETA, who was born in 1990; tennis player JAMES BLAKE, who was born in 1979; actor MALCOLM GETS, who was born in 1964; golfer HUBIE GREEN III, who was born in 1946; U.S. Sen. JOHNNY ISAKSON, who was born in 1944; TV host DON FRANCISCO, who was born in 1940; R&B singer JOHN LEGEND, who was born in 1978; actor JOE MANGANIELLO, who was born in 1976; actress SIENNA MILLER, who was born in 1981; actress NICHELLE NICHOLS, who was born in 1932; Hall of Fame tennis player PATRICK RAFTER, who was born in 1972; Olympic snowboarder TODD RICHARDS, who was born in 1969; Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor MAGGIE SMITH, who was born in 1934; Oscar Award-winning actor DENZEL WASHINGTON, who was born in 1954; and singer and musician EDGAR WINTER, who was born in 1946.

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PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1856. The 28th president of the U.S. was twice elected in 1912 and 1916, and it was Wilson who said, “The world must be made safe for democracy,” as he asked Congress to declare war on Germany in 1917. In 1919, he suffered a paralytic stroke and never regained his health. There were many speculations about who was running the government during his illness. His second term of office ended in 1921, and he died in Washington, D.C. in 1924.

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THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS RECOGNIZED ON THIS DAY IN 1945. The U.S. Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and urged its frequent recitation in America’s schools on this day. The pledge was composed in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister. At the time, Bellamy was chairman of a committee of state school superintendents of education, and several public schools adopted his pledge as part of the Columbus Day quadricentennial celebration that year. In 1954 the Knights of Columbus persuaded Congress to add the words “under God” to the pledge. In 2002 a federal appeals court found the pledge unconstitutional for use in public schools due to the “under God” phrase, but the Supreme Court reversed the case for procedural reasons and did not comment on the issue of constitutionality.

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THE FIRST MOVIE THEATER OPENED ON THIS DAY IN 1896. The Lumière brothers —Louis and Auguste — projected short films for paying customers on this date at the Grand Café in Paris, France. This was the first time this had ever been done and is considered a key moment in film history.

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THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT WAS SIGNED ON THIS DAY IN 1973. The act provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. It was signed by President Richard Nixon.

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TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE MESSINA EARTHQUAKE. The ancient town of Messina, Sicily was struck by an earthquake in 1908 that killed nearly 80,000 persons and destroyed half of the town’s buildings.

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TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF “POOR RICHARD’S ALMANACK.” The Pennsylvania Gazette carried the first known advertisement for the first issue of “Poor Richard’s Almanack” by Richard Saunders (Benjamin Franklin) for the year 1733. The advertisement promised “many pleasant and witty verses, jests and sayings, new fashions, games for kisses, men and melons, breakfast in bed, &c.” America’s most famous almanac, “Poor Richard’s” was published through the year 1758 and has been imitated many times since.

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VICE PRESIDENT JOHN CALHOUN RESIGNED ON THIS DAY IN 1832. Calhoun, who had served as vice president of the U.S. under two presidents (John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson) from 1825—1832, finding himself in growing disagreement with President Jackson, resigned the office of vice president, the first to do so. He spent most of his subsequent political life as a U.S. senator from South Carolina.

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

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“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud, too. That’s a part of it.” — actor Denzel Washington, who was born on this day in 1954