May 7: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

May 7, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “LAKEHURST, N.J. — As the burnt, twisted hunk of metal that was the proud Hindenburg lay on the ground here today, and the Navy searched for bodies, sabotage was darkly hinted as the cause of the explosions and fire which wrecked the dirigible. Tearfully, in Berlin, Dr. Hugo Eckener, her designer, prepared to sail for America on the Europa today, declaring that sabotage must be considered when the explosions are investigated. In Washington, Senator Royal S. Copeland, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that Harold E. Hartney, committee investigator, had been instructed specifically to determine whether sabotage was responsible for the destruction. The explosions and fire on the giant dirigible, ‘the perfect airship,’ late last evening, just as she was putting into port on her first transatlantic flight of 1937, left this unofficial toll: Known dead or missing — 32. Injured — 50. Delay in release of the complete list of dead and missing, it was explained by press representatives of the Zeppelin Company, was caused by the lack of an official passenger list. That was destroyed by the flames.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1937, Eagle columnist Paul Mallon wrote, “Latest check indicates Mr. Roosevelt cannot get six justices, no matter what he does. Even the House is against this. Many think the best he can get there is two justices and a constitutional amendment providing automatic retirement of judges over 70 or 75. The president, however, has given no indication that he would compromise even to the extent of half an eyelash of the sixth judge. The truth is most legislators wish the court packing plan had never been offered. They would like to forget about it. They feel that it is only a personal issue with the president, and less important than he seems to believe it. Rumor also persists at the Capitol that two court members intend to resign after the present term ends. If that should develop, then all the hard feelings engendered by the court fight would have accomplished minus zero.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (UP) — A German broadcast said today that all remaining German forces in Europe have surrendered, and there were indications here that an Allied proclamation on the end of the war will be made today. There was no confirmation from Allied sources that the Germans have surrendered, but every sign in London was that the end of the war is near. Some sources here said the Allied proclamation may be issued by 6 p.m. double British summer time (noon Brooklyn time). A speaker identified as German Foreign Minister County Ludwig Schwerin von Krosigk announced over the Flensburg radio at 2:09 p.m. (8:09 Brooklyn time) that the high command of the German armed forces have surrendered unconditionally all ‘fighting German troops’ today. The order for surrender was given by Fuehrer Grand Adm. Karl Doenitz, the broadcast said. It came on the 2,074th day of the European war.”

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ON MAY 9, 1963, the Eagle reported, “INDIANAPOLIS (UPI) — At least four cars, two of them rear-engined English Lotuses, appeared to be ready today to challenge for the pole position when time trials begin May 18 for the Memorial Day 500-mile auto race. And any one of the four conceivably could break the qualification record set last year by Parnelli Jones of Torrance, Calif., in winning the pole position for the 1962 ‘500.’ … Monday’s practice session was marred by an accident in which rookie Bobby Unser of Albuquerque, N.M., lost control on the southeast turn and smacked the inside retaining wall. Unser, whose brother, Jerry, was killed in practice for the 1959 ‘500,’ escaped injury.” Bobby Unser, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1968, ’75 and ’81, was inducted into the International Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1990. He died May 2, 2021 at age 87.

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Sydney Leroux
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “One Life to Live” star Robin Strasser, who was born in 1945; Grammy-winner Thelma Houston, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), who was born in 1946; boxer and actor Randall “Tex” Cobb, who was born in 1950;

“Fast Times at Ridgemont High” director Amy Heckerling, who was born in 1954; former SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson, who was born in 1957; “All My Children” star Michael E. Knight, who was born in 1959; Trans-Siberian Orchestra bassist Johnny Lee Middleton, who was born in 1963; four-time NBA All-Star Shawn Marion, who was born in 1978; former Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith, who was born in 1984; “Saturday Night Live” star Aidy Bryant, who was born in 1987; and soccer player and World Cup champion Sydney Leroux, who was born in 1990.

Michael E. Knight
Debra/Wikimedia Commons

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EASING THE PAIN: Mary Eliza Mahoney was born on this day in 1845. She was the second African-American to work as a professionally trained nurse in the U.S., graduating from nursing school in 1879. In 1908 she co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, an organization that played a large part in fighting racial discrimination in the nursing profession. She was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 1976 and the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. She died in 1926.

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MOTHER COUNTRY: On this day in 1914, a resolution was introduced by Rep. James T. Heflin of Alabama and Sen. Morris Sheppard of Texas providing that the second Sunday in May be designated as Mother’s Day. It passed both Houses. Two days later, President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother’s Day a national holiday.

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

Quotable:

“Work more and better the coming year than the previous year.”
— nursing pioneer Mary Eliza Mahoney, who was born on this day in 1845