MILESTONES: February 9, birthdays for Tom Hiddleston, Mia Farrow, Michael B. Jordan

Brooklyn Today

February 9, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Tom Hiddleston. Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 40th day of the year.

On this day in 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page featured the obituary of Julia Jay Pierrepont, half of “the Misses Pierrepont” in one of Brooklyn’s most distinguished families. She died at age 79 in her home at 1 Pierrepont Place. She was the daughter of Henry Evelyn Pierrepont and Anna Mary Jay Pierrepont, and was a great-granddaughter of John Jay, former chief justice of the Supreme Court. The Pierrepont name dates back to the Norman French ancestry. Hezekiah Beers Pierrepont established the firm of Leffingwell & Pierrepont and purchased land spanning from the river to Borough Hall, which became the Pierrepont farm. Miss Julia’s father Henry Evelyn Pierrepont was his generation’s version of urban planner, and laid out the streets of Brooklyn. The Pierrepont family was very active in donating to and operating the Girls Friendly Society of Grace Church, as well as other activities at the historic Episcopal parish. The parish at Hicks and Grace Court bears memorial plaques of the Pierreponts.

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On this day in 1904, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported on a key Japanese attack on Russian ships in Port Arthur in which a cruiser was sunk and three others damage. Both the expansionist empires of Russia and Japan coveted control of Port Arthur, a military base in a strategic location that China had leased to Russia. Both Russia and Japan trained their sights on gaining control of Manchuria in the far northeastern section of China, as well as on Korea. Another article on that Eagle front page discussed the letters that Secretary of State John Hay had sent out to the other powers, asking them to protect China’s neutrality during the Japanese-Russian conflict. A few years earlier, Hay had established China’s Open-Door Policy.

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On this day in 1910, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page carried the obituary of Peter Wyckoff, “one of the very last of the descendants of the original Dutch farmers to follow the occupation of his forefathers.” Moreover, the Wyckoff farm was one of the few that had not been cut into smaller parcels and sold. At the time of the story, the old Wyckoff homestead on Flushing Avenue was among the longest-standing in the city, dating back to 1751. The Wyckoff family married into the Rapelje and Suydam families. Streets and avenues throughout Brooklyn still carry these families’ namesakes. Peter Wyckoff was also a lifelong Republican, casting his vote on more than one occasion for Gov. Theodore Roosevelt, who later became president.

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On this day in 1943, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle front page reported on Japan’s retreat from Guadalcanal, which was part of the Solomon Islands archipelago. The Guadalcanal Campaign ran from August 1942 to Feb. 9, 1943 and marked a turning point for the Allies. Originally having to defend the Pacific Islands against Japanese attacks, the Allies overpowered the Japanese on Aug. 7 and then launched a series of offensives. The Feb. 9 Eagle page ran confirmations that Tokyo had confirmed evacuating. The U.S. was then able to concentrate its efforts in defeating the enemy in other parts of the Pacific theater.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actress MIA FARROW, who was born in 1945; baseball player VLADIMIR GUERRERO, who was born in 1946; actor TOM HIDDLESTON, who was born in 1981; actor MICHAEL B. JORDAN, who was born in 1987; singer and songwriter CAROLE KING, who was born in 1942; actress JUDITH LIGHT, who was born in 1949; journalist ROGER MUDD, who was born in 1928; basketball player JAMEER NELSON, who was born in 1982; actor JOE PESCI, who was born in 1943; artist GERHARD RICHTER, who was born in 1932; actor CHARLES SHAUGHNESSY, who was born in 1955; actress MENA SUVARI, who was born in 1979; actress JANET SUZMAN, who was born in 1979; country singer TRAVIS TRITT, who was born in 1963; author ALICE WALKER, who was born in 1944; and actress ZIYI ZHANG, who was born in 1979.

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THE BEATLES APPEARED ON “THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW” ON THIS DAY IN 1964. The band began the “British Invasion” of America with their appearance on the American top TV variety show. They performed five songs before a screaming studio audience of 728. The estimated viewership for that night’s show was 73 million people — making it the most-viewed U.S. TV program in history up to that time.

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WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1773. The ninth president of the U.S. served the shortest term in American history at 30 ½ days. He was the first president to die in office and the last to have been born a British subject. As a military officer, he gained hero status for his leadership in the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811) and the Battle of the Thames (1813). He died in Washington, D.C. in 1841. His grandson Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president of the U.S.

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TODAY IS READ IN THE BATHTUB DAY. It is a day to be spent in the bathtub reading a novel.

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BILL VEECK WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1914. The Baseball Hall of Fame executive was baseball’s premier promoter and showman as an owner of several teams. He integrated the American League and sought to provide fans with entertainment in addition to baseball. Veeck was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991 and died in Chicago in 1986.

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AMY LOWELL WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1874. The American poet was one of the early adherents of free verse poetry. She posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926. Lowell died in 1925 in Massachusetts.

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THE BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETY (BHS) will host: “Free Friday: Free Love!” tonight at 5 p.m. Set yourself free from the Valentine’s Day routine and join BHS for a “Free Love” Free Friday! Between visits to the society’s current exhibitions, grab a beer and join the discussion. BHS will probe the history and future of idiosyncratic approaches to romance in the borough and beyond through a series of talks and provocations. For more information, visit brooklynhistory.org.