History Brooklyn Boro

December 9, birthdays for McKayla Maroney, Kirsten Gillibrand, Felicity Huffman

Brooklyn Today

December 9, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Former U.S. Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney celebrates her birthday today. Photo stylized by August Gibbs

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 344th day of the year.

Notable people born on this day include John Milton and Donny Osmond, among others.

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Brooklyn Cop Bets Einstein Will Answer Letter — and Wins.”

The article focused on Brooklyn Lieutenant Edward J. Shea, who sent a letter to Albert Einstein about his political beliefs and received a reply.

“Shea said the question of Einstein’s political beliefs came up at a social gathering last month after the mathematician had stated that he might prefer to be a plumber rather than a scientist if he were to start over in today’s world,” the Eagle reported.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include singer and songwriter JOAN ARMATRADING, who was born in 1950; actress REIKO AYLESWORTH, who was born in 1972; Emmy Award-winning actor BEAU BRIDGES, who was born in 1941; Mississippi Gov. PHIL BRYANT, who was born in 1954; Hall of Fame football player DICK BUTKUS, who was born in 1942; former U.S. Sen. THOMAS DASCHLE, who was born in 1947; actress JUDI DENCH, who was born in 1934; songwriter, record producer and TV personality KARA DIOGUARDI, who was born in 1970; actor KIRK DOUGLAS, who was born in 1916; Oklahoma Gov. MARY FALLIN, who was born in 1954; U.S. Sen. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, who was born in 1966; actor SIMON HELBERG, who was born in 1980; actor DAVID ANTHONY HIGGINS, who was born in 1961; actress FELICITY HUFFMAN, who was born in 1962; golfer TOM KITE JR., who was born in 1949; actor JOE LANDO, who was born in 1961; actor JOHN MALKOVICH, who was born in 1953; Olympic gymnast MCKAYLA MARONEY, who was born in 1995; actress DINA MERRILL, who was born in 1925; actor JESSE METCALFE, who was born in 1978; actor MICHAEL NOURI, who was born in 1945; and actor and singer DONNY OSMOND, who was born in 1957.

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JOHN MILTON WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1608. The English poet, historian, civil servant and defender of freedom of the press is considered one of the greatest poets of the English language, second only to William Shakespeare. He is best-known for his great verse epics “Paradise Lost” and “Paradise Regained.”

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TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY. The General Assembly adopted the U.N. Convention Against Corruption and designated this day to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the convention in combating and preventing it. For more information, visit un.org.

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GRACE HOPPER WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1906. The New York-born U.S. Navy officer was the oldest naval officer ever on active duty when she retired at 79. She attained the rank of rear admiral and was a leader in the computer revolution, having developed the computer language COBOL. She died in West Virginia in 1992.

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AMERICA’S FIRST FORMAL CREAMTION WAS PERFORMED on this day in 1792. Colonial statesman and signer of the Treaty of Paris Henry Laurens requested in his will that he be cremated. It was performed at his plantation in South Carolina.

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CLARENCE BIRDSEYE WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1886. The Brooklyn-born industrialist developed a way to deep-freeze foods. He was marketing frozen fish by 1925 and was one of the founders of the General Foods Corporation. He died in New York in 1956.

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

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“Following one’s curiosity is much more fun than taking things easy.” — Brooklyn-born industrialist Clarence Birdseye, who was born on this day in 1886