On this day in Old New York - Old NY Tours

Alice Roosevelt Longworth Born

2/12/2017

On this day, February 12th, 1884, Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth was born to Alice Hathaway Lee and future US President Theodore Roosevelt. She was born in the family home at 6 West 57th St.

Two days after her birth, her mother died of undiagnosed Bright's disease, and the same day, her paternal grandmother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt died of Typhoid. This combination of events caused her father to be extremely distraught and the newborn Alice was taken care of by Theodore's sister, Anna Barnie Roosevelt, who would long be a great influence in her life.

In 1886, Theodore re-married and Alice was then raised by her father and step-mother, though Barnie would continue to be actively involved with raising the independent Alice.

Alice eventually became quite the socialite and during her father's presidency he was said to have commented, "I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both."

Alice eventually married Nicholas Longworth, a Republican US Representative from Cincinnatti, a city for which Alice had little love. Their marriage was far from a happy one, and the two even campaigned on behalf of opposing presidential candidates in the 1912 Presidential Election.

She was a political force in Washington throughout her life, and was even referred to as "The other Washington Monument."

She died in 1980.

First Labor Day in New York

9/5/2015

On this day, September 5th, 1882 the first United States Labor Day parade is held in New York City.

Eastman was On a Roll

9/4/2015

Upload by Dnalor 01 - Own work

On this day, September 4th, 1888, George Eastman of Rochester, New York registers the trademark Kodak and receives a patent for his camera that uses roll film.

The Sun Rises

9/3/2015

New York Sun. See File:TestataSun.jpg for masthead. Date 26 November 1834 Source newspaper Author Defunct publishers

On this day, September 3rd, 1833 in New York, The Sun began publication September 3, 1833, as a morning newspaperedited by Benjamin Day with the slogan "It Shines for All". An evening edition was introduced in 1887.

CBS Gets Ahead in the News On This Day

9/2/2015

On this day, September 2nd, 1963 CBS Evening News located in New York City, becomes U.S. network television's first half-hour weeknight news broadcast, when the show is lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.

Blackbird Breaks Record

9/1/2015

On this day, September 1st, the SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London in the time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds at a speed of 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h).

An Editor is Born

8/31/2015

On this day, August 31st, 1907, William Shaw is born in Chicago, Illinois.
After traveling to Las Vegas and New Mexico as a journalist, Shaw and his wife moved to
New York City in 1932.

Soon after their arrival, Shaw's wife Lucille began a job as a fact checker at the popular magazine, The New Yorker. Shaw became an assitant editor at The New Yorker and oversaw the magazine's coverage of World War II. It was Shaw who persuaded then editor and founder of The New Yorker, Harold Ross, to print John Hersey's Hiroshima. After Ross' death in 1951, Shaw became editor of New York Magazine. He was editor for 53 years.

Leona Helmsley Convicted

8/30/2015

Leona Mindy Helmsley mug shot April 21, 1988

On this day, August 30th, 1989, Leona Helmsley is convicted of tax evasion of more than $1 Million in federal income taxes. Also Known as, "The Queen of Mean", Helmsley serves 18 months in prison.

The hotel magnate was quoted by her housekeeper as saying, "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes.". In an ironic twist Helsmley was to report to prison on April 15th, 1992, which is of course, tax day.

After her prison sentence, Helmsley led a secluded life. She died in 2007 at the age of age of 87.
She left her Maltese dog, Trouble, a $12 million trust fund. This sum was subsequently reduced to $2 million.

Henry Bergh Born

8/29/2015

Henry Bergh, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left, between 1870 and 1888. Courtesy Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-120912

On this day, August 29th, 1813, Henry Bergh was born. Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) on April 10, 1866. In 1875, he went on to be co-founder of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC).

Bergh died on March 12, 1888 and was interred in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

The "Career Girl Murders"

8/28/2015

On this day, August 28, in 1963, Emily Hoffert and Janice Wylie were killed in the Upper East Side apartment that they shared.

The murders were a media spectacle, but the case is best remembered for the fact that the initial person accused was George Whitmore, Jr., a 19 year old with an IQ of less than 100. He had no criminal record, but after 2 days of questioning, he confessed. In the mean time, investigators colected further evidence that exonerated Mr. Whitmore. He also repudiated his confessions three days after he confessed alleging that he had been beaten, and had been denied counsel.

Investigators eventually determined that Mr. Whitmore had actually been in Wildwood, New Jersey at the time of the murder.

In spite of weak evidence, and evidence that directly refuted his guilt, he was eventually convicted in a related case.

Whitmore's wrongful conviction was cited by the US Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 US 436 (1966), as an example of maltreatment by police, and failure of an accused to be advised of his constitutional rights. It also was used by the NY Legislature to restrict and eventually eliminate the death penalty in NY State.