ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE SEPTEMBER 5, 1941
TO have a child by a soldier is ‘a duty outside marriage’, and any girl evading it is a traitor, according to Germany’s Nazi rulers. These statements are contained in an article in the Schwarze Korps, newspaper of the SS. Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler said: ‘For pure-blooded German girls there exists a war duty outside marriage . . . this consists of becoming a mother by soldiers going to the front.’
SEPTEMBER 5, 1967
BRITAIN’S pirate disc jockeys have come ashore and captured plum jobs with their greatest rival — the BBC. Seventeen former pirate DJs, have now been given two-month contracts with the Corporation. They include John Peel, Tony Blackburn, David Cash and Kenny Everett. They will help launch Radio 1.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
RAQUEL WELCH, 78. The actress and singer, right, has always refused to take all her clothes off on screen or pose naked throughout her six- decade career, even saying no to Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, who said: ‘ She declined to do complete nudity, and I yielded gracefully.’ JOHNNY VEGAS, 48. The stand-up comic and star of sitcoms Benidorm and Still Open all Hours (real name: Michael Pennington) wanted to become a priest before studying for a pottery degree. He can still produce a teapot in 60 seconds, and one he knocked up on stage in less than a minute is in the permanent collection of the V&a museum.
BORN ON THIS DAY
LOUIS XIV (1638-1715). The French monarch is the longest-serving in the country’s history. He ascended the throne aged four and stayed for 72 years and 110 days. The ‘Sun King’ was said to have terrible breath — one mistress sprayed perfume at regular intervals to deal with the smell. FREDDIE MERCURY (1946-1991), right. The Zanzibar- born Queen frontman (originally Farrokh Bulsara) befriended Princess Diana and once dressed her as a male model in army jacket, cap and shades and took her for a night out in a London gay bar with TV stars Kenny Everett and Cleo Rocos. They got all the attention — and Diana went to the bar to get the drinks.
ON SEPTEMBER 5…
IN 1972, Black September Palestinian terrorists murdered two Israeli Olympic team members during the Munich Games and took nine more hostage. They massacred the coaches and athletes hours later after a botched rescue attempt by German police.
IN 1997, Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa died, aged 87.
WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION: Wanion (1557)
a) Waning of the moon. B) Container for wafers used in Holy Communion. C) Strong tendon in an animal’s neck. Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED
To foot the bill: Meaning to pay a large sum; the ‘foot’ refers to adding up a column of figures with the total at the bottom.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
IF YOU can’t annoy somebody with what you write, I think there’s little point in writing. Kingsley Amis, novelist (1922-1995)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHO is the king of the pencil case? The ruler. Guess the Definition answer: A.