When Gilda and I stepped out of the Madison Jewish Center on Brooklyn’s Nostrand Avenue an hour or so after the clock chimed 12 times heralding a new day—January 29, 1973–we hugged each other ever so tightly, surely because we were now husband and wife but, equally important, the ground was covered in several inches of fresh snow, the first measurable snowfall in 320 days.
Until this week, the end date for the longest number of days New York City went without measurable snow of at least 0.1 inches in Central Park was January 29, 1973. We newlyweds were among the first to slush our way through the first snow of the season.
Seems our fiftieth wedding anniversary is linked to some other auspicious micro and macro happenings that day. Did you know that “CBS Sunday Morning” debuted that day? (Perhaps that’s part of the karma that makes the newscast one of our favorite TV shows.)
On a more global level, the front page of The New York Times on January 28, 1973, our wedding day, was entirely devoted to the cease fire agreement signed by the United States, South Vietnam, the Vietcong and North Vietnamese, ending what had been America’s longest war. Concurrently, the military draft was ended, replaced by an all volunteer force.
One of the mementos of our anniversary celebration Saturday night was a bound volume displaying the front pages of The Times for each of the last 50 January 28s. Purists might argue that the news reported those days actually transpired a day earlier, but let’s not look this gift horse in the mouth.
Reading through the year by year front pages revealed how similar news can be. “Scores dead and thousands stranded as Midwest faces more snow” was the headline in 1978.
A headline four years later could just as well be from a few days ago: “City will add 400 to night patrols in subway trains.”
Thomas L. Friedman was reporting from the Mideast in 1983. His front page report: “The ordeal of Lebanon goes on as three foreign armies dig in.”
Jump to 1989 for stories that evoke news of today: “Effort to ban assault rifles gains momentum,” while two headlines spoke to Afghanistan’s hold on our attention: “Bush says U.S. will seek a role in Kabul’s post-Kremlin stability,” and, “Rough road out of Kabul for Soviets.”
The Super Bowl this year is nearly two weeks away, but in 1991 The Times trumpeted, “Giants win Super Bowl with nail-biting finish.”
Progressives have lamented Supreme Court rulings in 2013 and 2021 gutting major portions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Here’s a headline from 1992: “In retreat, Supreme Court limits scope of ’65 Voting Rights Act.”
Electric cars are now in demand, but in 1994 the paper reported, “Expecting a fizzle, G.M. puts electric car to test.” Nine years later, the headline purred, “Hybrid autos quick to pass curiosity stage.”
For the first time, as noted in 1998, “First Lady {Hillary Rodham Clinton} attributes inquiry {into President Bill Clinton} to ‘right-wing conspiracy.’”
2003 was the year The Times warned, “College loans rise, swamping graduates’ dreams.”
New technology in 2010: “With its tablet {the iPad} Apple blurs line between devices.”
No resolution yet, but in 2013, “Senators offer a new blueprint for immigration.” A year later, “Backing in G.O.P. for legal status for immigrants.” 2021 update: “Immigration plan raises hope, but reality cools expectations.”
Our wedding date comes the day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 2016, “Letter reveals plea for mercy by (Adolph) Eichmann,” an architect of the Final Solution. He was sentenced to death by an Israeli court. Four years later: “Auschwitz survivors warn against silence in face of new perils.”
2020 was Year 1 of Covid: “Feeble health system in China strains to combat deadly virus.”
Though this year’s front page could not make it into the bound volume, the lead headline for January 28, 2023, expresses the sadness, anger and, yes, unimaginable depravity, engulfing our nation: “Held and beaten by Memphis police as he cried, ‘Mom.’”
It has been a truly momentous 50 years.
