October 4th in NYC History:
Posted: Oct 3, 2012 | 11:39 PM
1861: Frederic Remington, the artist who chronicled the conquering of the west and the Spanish-American War, was born. He will live to 48.
1884: Damon Runyon the New York writer of New Yawkas of the gambling world and "Guys and Dolls" was born, dying at 62.
1895: Buster Keaton, the great silent film comedian, born. He will die at 70.
1922: The World Series between the Giants and the Yankees is the first game to be broadcast from the field (Polo Grounds) to NBC by Graham McNamee. Previously, sportscasters called the studio, which rebroadcasted the phone call on other lines. The Giants won 3-2.
1944: Happy Birthday Susan Sarandon.
1955: The Dodger fans' lament: 'Wait 'till next year' becomes "THIS IS NEXT YEAR!" according to the Journal-American as the Dodgers beat the Yankees 2-0 and win the World Series 4-3. The Brooklyn Dodgers previously lost the World Series seven times, five to the New York Yankees. Two years later they moved to L.A. and won the World Series five times more based in California.
1957: Happy Birthday Russell Simons, renaissance man, entrepreneur, philanthropist, hip hop promotion pioneer and producer, music manager, fashion mogul, media impresario, advertising executive, and more! Does he really do all this, or is he a brand that he licenses, like Trump? He's pulling it off for sure.
1958: The first commercial jet route service opens between London and New York.
1965: Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy, and their Sister-in-Law First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy meet Pope Paul VI at the airport so he could address the UN and 90,000 at Yankee Stadium. This was the first Papal visit to the Western Hemisphere!
1967: Happy Birthday Liev Schreibman.
1975: Founding Mets owner and partner in the Greentree Stable Joan Whitney Payson dies in New York at 62.
1976: Barbara Walters becomes the first female co-anchor of a major network evening news broadcast as well as the highest paid journalist then.
1977: President Jimmy Carter and Mayor Beame survey the vast devastation of the South Bronx, block after block of vacant lots where burned down buildings collapsed and the shells of abandoned derelict buildings, suggesting a war zone. The President pledges federal dollars for a large-scale rebuilding of the decaying neighborhood. Four years later, President Reagan will drastically cut this funding delaying rebuilding by around ten years as New York City, local residents, and churches unite to turn the neighborhood around. The difference is dramatic. I've been there.
1991: Mark Messier joins the New York Rangers from the five-time champion Edmonton Oilers. In 1994 Messier led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup since 1940.
That night I was walking from McHale's Bar after a Community Organizing strategy session while watching the game. 7th Avenue was jammed and the fans literally marched over the happily honking cars as they made their way to Madison Square Garden.