ON THIS DAY IN 1918The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported: “WASHINGTON — The sinking of the American Navy coal ship Cyclops remains the mystery of the war. Secretary Daniels told newspaper correspondents today when asked about reports that a message had been found in a bottle floating at sea stating that the Cyclops had been captured by a German submarine. Mr. Daniels said the Navy Department had no information on such a message. Mr. Daniels personally believes that the Cyclops, while coming up the West Indies coast with only one engine, ran into rough weather which caused her cargo of manganese to slip and capsize.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1920The eagle reported: “BOSTON — Charles Ponzi, whose spectacular investment banking career was ended by authorities, turned himself in to the U.S. Marshal today and was arrested. He was accused of using the mail in a fraud scheme. With federal action against him expected, the young Italian financier resorted to a ruse by turning himself into federal custody when state police asked a city court judge to issue a warrant for his arrest. Apparently aware of what was coming, Ponzi left his Lexington Avenue home early in the afternoon, rushed to the Marshal’s office and asked to be arrested.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1932The eagle reported: “The Jamaica Police are searching for the persons who smashed a pane of glass valued at $450 in the Montgomery Ward store, 150-18 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, and then stole a tray containing fifty George Washington quarters which were part of a display. A security guard in the store heard the shattering of the pane and ran into the street to investigate shortly after 4 a.m. yesterday. When the security guard found the pane broken and the money stolen, no person was in sight.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945The eagle reported: “WASHINGTON (UP) — By cable and radio, the Allied powers informed defeated Japan tonight that it could keep its emperor for now, but that he, as well as its government and people, would be under the command of a Supreme Allied Commander who would accept and enforce an unconditional surrender. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Charles G. Ross announced at 6 p.m. that there would be no further news of a Japanese surrender at the White House tonight… The day of Japan’s liberation was imminent – perhaps not more than 72 hours away – because Japan had no choice but to accept the Japanese surrender. And it was confidently expected here that the Supreme Commander who would accept the Japanese surrender would be General of the Army Douglas MacArthur… Few doubted that it would be the man who promised when he left the Philippines for Australia in 1942: ‘I will return.'”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946The eagle reported: “WASHINGTON (UP) — The Navy said last night that World War III – if and when it happens – will be a Buck Rogers-style war of the air, with unguided missiles carrying nuclear warheads zooming through the air at thousands of miles an hour to ‘track down’ targets. Captain Steadman Teller, chief of the Navy’s guided missile division, reported that the Navy now has weapons ‘that would have seemed fantastic even to a cartoonist with a great imagination a few years ago.’ An intensive guided missile development program was launched because it was recognized that the huge U.S. fleet that was driving Japan out of the Pacific would not be sufficient to defend the United States in a few years.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1951The eagle reported: “WASHINGTON (UP) — The number of arrests and detentions of persons involved in threats against President Truman’s life doubled during the first year of the Korean War, Secret Service chief UE Baughman said today. The increase from 44 in fiscal year 1950 to 85 last year is quite natural in a time of world unrest, he said. More people are writing more letters to the president, and the number of threats is rising accordingly. Seven of the arrests were the result of the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Truman on Nov. 1, 1950. Oscar Collazo, one of the two Blair House assassins, was sentenced to death for killing a White House security guard. Baughman said the increase was “due to tense times of world unrest due to widely differing opinions and ideologies.”

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Notable people born on this day Including the star of “Love at First Bite” George Hamiltonborn 1939; member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), born 1949; “Supernatural” star Jim Beaverborn 1950, jazz guitarist and composer Pat Methenyborn 1954; Star of “Thirteen Days” Bruce Greenwoodborn 1956; rapper and producer Sir Mix-a-Lotborn 1963; star of “Mother and Child” Peter Krauseborn 1965; member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Pete Samprasborn 1971; NY Giants Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burressborn 1977; “Psych” star Maggie Lawsonborn 1980; “Face/Off” star Dominique Swainborn 1980; and “Margo’s Traces” star Cara Delevingneborn in 1992.

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AMERICAN EPIC: On this day in 1881, Cecil B. DeMille was born. He was an extraordinary film actor known for his lavish screen spectacles. He produced more than 70 major films, including “Cleopatra,” “The Plainsman,” “Reap the Wild Wind” and “The Ten Commandments.” He won an Oscar in 1953 for “The Greatest Show on Earth.” He died in 1959.

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PC CULTURE: On this day in 1981, IBM launched its personal computer, costing the equivalent of $3,000 in today’s currency. Although IBM was a pioneer in the manufacture of mainframes and other large computers, this was the company’s first foray into the desktop computer market. Eventually, the company’s competitors produced more IBM-compatible computers than IBM itself.

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

Quote:

“When the freedom they most desired was freedom from responsibility, Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.”

— Author and educator Edith Hamilton, who was born on this day in 1867