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MILESTONES: September 5, birthdays for Rose McGowan, Yuna Kim, Elena Delle Donne

Brooklyn Today

September 5, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Rose McGowan. Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 248th day of the year.

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On this day in 1939, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that British ocean liners Athenia and Bosnia and had been torpedoed by German submarines. There were heavy casualties on the Athenia. The crew of the Bosnia were rescued.

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On this day in 1947, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle covered President Harry Truman’s pledge of full aid to the United Nations, established on Oct. 24, 1945. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, a local counterpart to the U.N. was apparently needed to stop the gang wars that had erupted in Bensonhurst and Bath Beach.

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On this day in 1950, a front-page article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that a Russian bomber had attacked the U.N. naval forces in waters off Korea. U.N. fighter plans shot down the bomber plane. Meanwhile, this attack was seen as a move by the Russians to aid North Korea.

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On this day in 1953, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that the worst heat wave in recent times would end during the Labor Day Weekend with rain and cool air moving in. Labor Day that year fell on Sept. 7.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actress Kristian Alfonso, who was born in 1964; basketball player Elena Delle Donne, who was born in 1989; actor William Devane, who was born in 1939; actor and director Dennis Dugan, who was born in 1946; cartoonist Cathy Lee Guisewite, who was born in 1950; Olympic figure skater Kim Yuna, who was born in 1990; singer and actress Carol Lawrence, who was born in 1935; actress Rose McGowan, who was born in 1973; comedian Bob Newhart, who was born in 1929; poet and physicist Nicanor Parra, who was born in 1914; actress Raquel Welch, who was born in 1942; and singer and actor Dweezil Zappa, who was born in 1969.

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DARRYL F. ZANUCK WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1902. The celebrated and controversial movie producer was also a co-founder of Twentieth Century Studios, which later merged with Fox. His film credits include “The Jazz Singer” (the first full-length sound picture), “Forever Amber,” “The Snake Pit” and “The Grapes of Wrath.” Zanuck died in 1979 in California.

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BABE RUTH HIT HIS FIRST HOME RUN ON THIS DAY 1914. He hit the home run as a professional while playing for Providence in the International League, a type of minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

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LOUIS XIV WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1638. Louis the Great, or the Sun King, centralized state power into his person, directing able ministers and controlling the nobility. Abroad, he extended the borders of France in a series of wars, but his influence extended beyond politics into all spheres of life. He was a patron of writers, painters and architects, and his court at Versailles is a masterpiece of baroque architecture. He died at Versailles in 1715.

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JESSE JAMES WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1847. The notorious bandit and his gang (including his brother Frank) were known for robbing banks, stagecoaches and trains. On Sept. 7, 1876, every member of the original gang except for the James brothers was killed or captured while attempting to rob a bank in Minnesota. The brothers formed a new gang and resumed their criminal careers in 1879. In 1882, Robert Ford, a new gang member, shot James in the back of the head in order to claim a $10,000 reward in St. Joseph, Missouri.

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JOHN CAGE WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1912. The avant-garde American composer pioneered the experimental music and performance art schools. He used nontraditional instruments such as flowerpots and cowbells in innovative situations, such as performances governed by chance, in which the I Ching was consulted to determine the direction of the performance. In 1978, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 1982 was awarded France’s highest honor for cultural contributions, Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Cage died in New York in 1992.

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TODAY, CHINA AND TAIWAN CERLEBRATE THE FESTIVAL OF HUNGRY GHOSTS.  According to Chinese legend, during the seventh lunar month, the souls of the dead are released from purgatory to roam the earth. Joss sticks are burned in homes, and prayers, food and “ghost money” are offered to appease the ghosts. Market stallholders also join together to hold celebrations to ensure that their businesses will prosper in the coming year. Wayang (Chinese street opera) and puppet shows are performed, and fruit and Chinese delicacies are offered to the spirits of the dead.

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

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“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” — John Cage, who was born on this day in 1912

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