History At Home: This Day In The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

As we wander about our modern neighborhood, caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to ignore the long and vibrant history of our community. Let’s remedy that. Every weekend, we’ll take a step back, with the help of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle archives, and explore what was happening around South Slope over a century ago.

Ever wonder why the kids have a day off from school the first Thursday in June? Anniversary Day, which according to a 2005 New York Times article, “dates to 1829, when Brooklyn was a separate city. A holiday was established to recognize Protestant Sunday schools in general and the Brooklyn Sunday School Union Society, founded in 1816, in particular.”

In addition to enjoying a day off from school, children from across the borough would join together for Anniversary Day celebrations and marches, such as the one that took place in Prospect Park on May 24, 1901.

Click here for a full account of the day’s festivities.

Have an interesting bit of South Slope history to share? Email us at editor@bklyner.com, and we’ll include it in our weekly History At Home segment.