Description: 1931 NY Times newspaper WINSTON CHURCHILL nearly killed by an automobile while crossing a street in New York City - inv # 5K-305 Please visit our EBAY STORE for THOUSANDS of HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS on sale or at auction. SEE PHOTO----- COMPLETE, ORIGINAL NEWSPAPER, the NY Times dated Dec 15, 1931. This newspaper contains a prominent front page heading and long report of the near fatal AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT suffered by WINSTON CHURCHILL while he was crossing Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, NY City. How different the course of WW II might have been if Churchill had died in this accident and not been the leader of Great Britain in its fight against Nazi Germany in WW II. Edward F. Cantasano (November 25, 1905 – January 17, 1989) also known as Mario Contasino, was an unemployed mechanic from Yonkers who, on December 13, 1931, accidentally hit the future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, while driving a car. Churchill was attempting to cross a busy New York City street at the time, and forgot to look in the direction of the oncoming traffic. This incident, while only briefly acknowledged by leading historical works about Churchill, has nonetheless provided the inspiration for several counterfactual analyses of Churchill’s role during World War II. Shortly after 10:30 p.m. on December 13, 1931, Churchill attempted to cross Fifth Avenue in New York City and was struck by a car driven by Cantasano. The accident occurred because Churchill apparently forgot that, in the United States, traffic keeps to the right whereas in his native United Kingdom it keeps to the left. Churchill was riding in a taxicab and looking for the home of financier Bernard Baruch, but he did not remember Baruch's address. So that he could check out a particular building that he hoped was Baruch's, Churchill asked his taxicab driver to stop in the middle of Fifth Avenue, between 76th Street and 77th Street. Churchill got out of the cab in the middle of the street and looked to his left. Seeing the headlights of an oncoming car more than 200 yards away, he thought that he was safe and headed across the street, forgetting to look for traffic coming from his right. He was hit by the car driven by Cantasano. The British statesman suffered a serious scalp wound as well as two cracked ribs and was admitted to Lenox Hill Hospital, where he later told police that the accident was entirely his fault. Nevertheless, Cantasano, who felt he was to blame, repeatedly called the hospital to see how Churchill was doing. Concerned that Cantasano would be blamed and then have trouble finding work, Churchill finally arranged to meet him at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Churchill served Cantasano tea and gave him an autographed copy of his book, "The Unknown War." Edward F. Cantasano's name was misreported by journalists at the time as Mario Contasino, and the incident itself eventually faded into the background of Churchill's life. Cantasano himself was nearly forgotten entirely, until interest in the event was revived almost 70 years later. Very good condition. This listing includes the complete entire original newspaper, NOT just a clipping or a page of it. STEPHEN A. GOLDMAN HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS stands behind all of the items that we sell with a no questions asked, money back guarantee. Every item we sell is an original newspaper printed on the date indicated at the beginning of its description. U.S. buyers pay priority mail postage which includes waterproof plastic and a heavy cardboard flat to protect your purchase from damage in the mail. International postage is quoted when we are informed as to where the package is to be sent. We do combine postage (to reduce postage costs) for multiple purchases sent in the same package. We list thousands of rare newspapers with dates from 1570 through 2004 on Ebay each week. This is truly SIX CENTURIES OF HISTORY that YOU CAN OWN! Stephen A. Goldman Historical Newspapers has been in the business of buying and selling historical newspapers for over 45 years. Dr. Goldman is a consultant to the Freedom Forum Newseum and a member of the American Antiquarian Society. You can buy with confidence from us, knowing that we stand behind all of our historical items with a 100% money back guarantee. Let our 45+ years of experience work for YOU ! We have hundreds of thousands of historical newspapers (and their very early precursors) for sale.
Price: 28 USD
Location: Oxford, Maryland
End Time: 2024-11-07T15:14:44.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
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Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
