ON THIS DAY
February 15, 2017
FEBRUARY 15, 1957
ANY lingering doubts that rock ’n’ roll is non-U were dispelled by Princess Margaret last night. She went in a party of ten people to the Carlton Cinema Haymarket to see The Girl Can’t Help It — a film featuring both rock ’n’ roll and Hollywood’s newest blonde bombshell, Jayne Mansfield. The Princess shook off her shoes, clapped her hands and rock ’n’ rolled with the music. ‘They had a whale of a time,’ said an usherette.
FEBRUARY 15, 1967
ACTRESS Raquel Welch came to Paris for her Valentine’s Day wedding to Mr Patrick Curtis [her manager] yesterday. She wore white — a see-through, lace mini-dress (right). Photographers had been confined by the mayor to the corridors of the town hall, because ‘the last time we had a wedding of personalities they broke up my furniture’, but they pounded so hard on the doors that Miss Welch’s ‘Oui’ to the big question was barely audible. The mayor stopped the ceremony to shout: ‘Silence! This is neither a fair nor a fashion show.’
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
ALI CAMPBELL, 58. The Birmingham-born original lead singer of UB40 has not spoken to his brothers and former bandmates robin and Duncan for years after a court battle over who has the right to use the name UB40. The father-of-eight said: ‘If you put us all in the same room, it would end in a physical fight.’
CLAIRE BLOOM, 86. The English actress has starred in nearly 60 films and been married and divorced three times but says the love of her life was richard Burton, with whom she began a long affair aged 18. He’d tell her how waking up to find Elizabeth Taylor [his wife] in his bed was like having Christmas every morning, which Bloom said ‘raised in me urges akin to murder’.
BORN ON THIS DAY
JEREMY BENTHAM (1748-1832). The philosopher and economist studied latin at the age of three and was sent to Queen’s College, Oxford, at 12. As the founder of utilitarianism, he advocated the principle of ‘the greatest happiness of the greatest number’. HAROLD ARLEN (1905-86). The U.S. Oscarwinning composer is best known for his score for The Wizard Of Oz. Somewhere Over The rainbow was voted song of the century by the recording Industry Association of America. He wrote its melody while on a drive with his wife.
ON FEBRUARY 15 …
In 1952, King George VI was buried at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. It was the first royal funeral to be televised.
In 1965, Canada’s new red maple leaf flag (right) was officially raised for the first time.
In 1989, Soviet troops left Afghanistan, nine years after they’d swept in to support the ailing communist government.
WORD WIZARDRY
NEW WORD OF THE DAY Skirtini: A swimming costume with a skirt.
GUESS THE DEFINITION
Simous (coined 1634)
A) Sullen, shy and repellent in manner.
B) Having a very flat, snub nose or with the end turned up.
C) Of a yellowish golden colour.
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Push the envelope: A modern expression meaning to extend the limits of the possible, originally derived from aviation slang, where an envelope describes the limits of the various factors of flight safety such as speed, engine power, manoeuvrability, wind and altitude.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
IF YOU live to be 90 in England and can still eat a boiled egg they think you deserve the Nobel Prize.
Alan Bennett, English writer
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHAT did the first mind-reader say to the second mind-reader? You’re all right, how am I?
Guess The Definition answer: B