ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE APRIL 11, 1938
‘THEy kicked me, spat at me, screamed insults and threatened to duck me in the Serpentine. I was not afraid.’ The Hon. Unity Mitford, 23, a personal friend of Herr Hitler, made this statement to a Daily Mail reporter yesterday shortly after being chased out of Hyde Park by a crowd taking part in a Socialist ‘Save Peace, Save Spain’ rally. Miss Mitford was wearing a swastika badge.
APRIL 11, 1966
FrANCE is winning the Battle of the Beatniks. The flow of long-haired, money-short youths through the Customs at Calais has almost stopped. The few still coming make sure they have enough money to satisfy the authorities. Last week, several were turned back because they had less than £10.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
BOB HArrIS, 71. The music broadcaster (right), known as Whispering Bob, started out as a policeman, following in the footsteps of his father, who once rushed on stage to arrest singer P.J. Proby after his trousers split. GUy VErHOFSTADT, 64. The European Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator. Described by Nigel Farage as ‘a fanatic’. Last year, he told the former Ukip leader: ‘Finally, we will be getting rid of the biggest waste in the EU budget that we have paid for 17 years — your salary.’ Last week, he called Brexit a ‘stupidity’.
BORN ON THIS DAY
GEOrGE CANNING (1770-1827). Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister — he died of pneumonia after just five months in office. When he was foreign secretary, he was challenged to a duel by political rival Lord Castlereagh in 1809. Canning, who had never fired a pistol, missed and was wounded in the thigh by Castlereagh. GUSTAV VIGELAND (1869-1943). The Norwegian sculptor designed the Nobel Peace Prize medal and the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, which contains ‘the weirdest statues in the world’ — including one of a naked man throwing and kicking babies.
IN 1689, the joint coronation took place of husband and wife William III and Mary II.
IN 1961, the trial of Adolf Eichmann began in Israel. The leading Nazi (right, in 1942), who was accused of helping Hitler carry out his plan to exterminate the Jewish people, faced 15 charges, including crimes against humanity.
IN 1979, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was deposed and fled to Libya. NEW WORD OF THE DAY
Catfishing — lying about oneself online to impress others (especially to lure someone into a relationship).
GUESS THE DEFINITION Belomancy (coined 1646)
A) Divination by picking a passage of poetry at random. B) Divination by tossed pebbles. C) Divination using arrows marked with symbols or questions. Answer below. PHRASE EXPLAINED Early hours: rhyming slang for flowers, as buyers have to keep very early hours to buy their produce at Covent Garden.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
If Any of you cry at my funeral, I’ll never speak to you again. Stan Laurel, English comic actor (1890-1965)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHy did the coffee file a police report? Because it was mugged. Guess The Definition answer: C