ON THIS DAY

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

SEPTEMBER 30, 1964

RED China is likely to explode her first nuclear device very soon. The forecast was made in Washington today by Dean Rusk, secretary of state. Mr Rusk said US detection systems would record the occurrence of the blast and that the information would be made public.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

JACK Grealish may have lost the majority of his Irish supporters, but the footballer’s Kerry granny is still a big fan. The Aston Villa star, right, announced on Monday that he is pledging his allegiance to England, the country of his birth, instead of the Republic of Ireland, which he represented at youth level. And last night his grandmother Margaret, originally from Sneem, Co. Kerry, said her grandson’s decision was his own to make. ‘Did he do the right thing?’ she said. ‘I mean at the end of the day it’s his choice. It’s Jack that has to play the football and it’s up to Jack who he chooses.’

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

KIERAN CULKIN, 40. The US star, right – brother of fellow actor Macaulay – starred in seven films, including Home Alone, before he turned 13, but has made his name more recently as ‘deviantly charismatic youngest son’ Roman Roy in TV series Succession. Co-star Matthew Macfadyen said: ‘I love being on set with Kieran. It’s always exciting and unpredictable and fascinating and funny.’ ANGIE DICKINSON, 91. The US actress starred alongside Marlon Brando in The Chase and Frank Sinatra in Ocean’s Eleven. She was the daughter of a cinema projectionist, ‘so we got in for free’. She sparked a surge in female applications to the police force after she became Sgt Pepper Anderson in the popular 1970s TV series Police Woman.

BORN ON THIS DAY

GUS DUDGEON (1942-2002). The English record producer was behind some of Elton John’s biggest hits, from Your Song to Rocket Man. Dudgeon said: ‘Whatever you hear on the records that’s over and above the essential construction of the song is down to myself and whoever else was working in the studio.’ FRANKIE LYMON (1942-1968). The US songwriter was the lead singer of The Teenagers, who had hits including Why Do Fools Fall in Love – also the name of the 1998 Halle Berry film about Lymon and the band. Ronettes singer Ronnie Spector said, ‘Frankie had the greatest voice I’d ever heard’ and Diana Ross admitted to emulating him. He died of a heroin overdose aged just 25.

ON SEPTEMBER 30. . .

IN 1994, Michael Flannery, a republican who fought in the Irish War of Independence and Civil War, dies in New York aged 91. IN 2001, Ireland begins its presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION: Empyrean (early 1600s)

A) The beginning of anything. (Typically of a speech.) B) The entirety. C) The highest heaven. Answer below

PHRASE EXPLAINED

Keep the flag flying: meaning to represent your country or organisation, typically when abroad; it comes from the naval practice in warfare of lowering the flag to signify surrender.

QUOTE FOR TODAY

The best of healers is good cheer. Pindar, Greek poet (522-443BC)

JOKE OF THE DAY

DID you hear about the crow and the telegraph pole? He wanted to make a long distance caw. Guess The Definition answer: C.