History Brooklyn Boro

May 16, birthdays for Janet Jackson, Matt Ryan, David Boreanaz

Brooklyn Today

May 16, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Singer Janet Jackson celebrates her birthday today. Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 135th day of the year.

Notable people born on this day include Janet Jackson and Pierce Brosnan, among others.

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Bakery Strike Ends, Ovens Fired.”

The article focused on the negotiations reached after a two-week Brooklyn bakery strike.

“Negotiators for both sides agreed Friday on a settlement giving a wage increase of 6 cents an hour, a 1 1/2-cent-an-hour hike in managements’ contribution to the union’s health and welfare fund and a 1-cent-an-hour increase in night differential rate,” the Eagle reported.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actor DAVID BOREANAZ, who was born in 1971; actor PIERCE BROSNAN, who was born in 1953; U.S. Sen. DANIEL R. COATS, who was born in 1943; former hockey player JEAN-SEBASTIEN GIGUERE, who was born in 1977; actress TRACEY GOLD, who was born in 1969; singer JANET JACKSON, who was born in 1966; Olympic gymnast OLGA KORBUT, who was born in 1955; former baseball player JOHN MORRIS, who was born in 1955; football player MATT RYAN, who was born in 1985; Hall of Fame baseball player GABRIELA SABATINI, who was born in 1970; Olympic runner JOAN SAMUELSON, who was born in 1957; actor BILL SMITROVICH, who was born in 1947; TV personality and actress TORI SPELLING, who was born in 1973; actor JIM STURGESS, who was born in 1981; and actress MARE WINNINGHAM, who was born in 1959.

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STUDS TERKEL WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1912. The Chicago-based radio interviewer-turned-oral historian was a self-described “guerrilla journalist” who authored dozens of books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Good War: An Oral History of World War II” (1984), as well as the similarly structured “Working” (1974). Terkel died in 2008 in Illinois.

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JUNKO TABEI CLIMBED MOUNT EVEREST ON THIS DAY IN 1975. The Japanese climber lead an all-female expedition to Mount Everest and became the first woman to reach the summit. Taking the South-East Ridge route, Tabei was delayed by an avalanche before her last leg up the mountain.

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MARGRET REY WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1906. The children’s author, together with her illustrator husband H.A. Rey, produced the “Curious George” series. She died in Massachusetts in 1996.

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THE FIRST ACADEMY AWARDS WERE HELD ON THIS DAY IN 1929. About 270 people attended a dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel at which the first Academy Awards were given in 12 categories. The silent film “Wings” won Best Picture. A committee of only 20 members selected the winners that year. By the third year, the entire membership of the Academy voted. The Academy Awards were first televised in 1953.

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WOODY HERMAN WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1913. The legendary jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer and bandleader formed his first band in 1936. For 50 years, he continued to form and front talented ensembles that played in a variety of jazz styles — from blues and improvisation to bop and jazz-rock. Herman died in 1987 in California.

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

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“In complete darkness, it is only knowledge and wisdom that separates us.” — Janet Jackson, who was born on this day in 1966