Brooklyn Today: Oct. 15, 2012
Good morning. Today is the 289th day of the year. On Oct. 15, 1863, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reprinted an article from the London Standard about the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher’s trip to England. At the time, Beecher was probably the most famous Brooklyn resident in the world. The article described how Beecher met with the leading ministers of London, and how he gave an impassioned speech on the issues of the Civil War and slavery.
Well-known people who were born today include Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York; former automobile executive Lee Iacocca; singer Tito Jackson of the Jackson 5; and director-actress Penny Marshall (“A League of Their Own,” “Laverne and Shirley”).
This evening at 7:30 p.m., Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren will speak at Congregation Beth Elohim, 724 Garfield Place, Park Slope. RSVP is required on Beth Elohim’s website. The appearance is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council and several other Brooklyn synagogues. … Today, Pratt Institute will kick off its 125th anniversary week with a gala at the famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which was designed in 1929 by Pratt alumnus Lloyd Morgan. The event will honor the Pratt Family; Maximilian Josef Riedel of Riedel Crystal; director Julie Taymor and artist Kehinde Wiley.