ON THIS DAY
December 11, 2018
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE DECEMBER 11, 1947
FIFTEEN of Britain’s leading film directors, producers and stars yesterday sent a letter to Hollywood protesting against the un-American Committee’s recent probe into alleged communist activities in the film industry. Sir Alexander Korda, Sir Michael Balcon, the Hon Anthony Asquith, Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Robert Donat are among the signatories.
DECEMBER 11, 1970
SINGER Shirley Bassey has fractured a rib — by singing too hard. She was rehearsing the Tom Jones Show last Friday when, in the middle of one of her high- powered songs, she felt a pain in her side. Two days later an X-ray revealed the broken rib.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
JERMAINE JACKSON, 64. The second lead singer of The Jackson Five (after his brother Michael) has been married three times, including to Hazel, daughter of Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records. He is now reported to be engaged to a woman 40 years his junior. He is a father of seven: Jermaine Jr, Autumn, Jaimy, Jeremy, Jourdynn, Jaafar and Jermajesty. BEN SHEPHARD, 44. The Essex- born TV presenter shares hosting duties on Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan. Shephard, who also hosts ITV quiz Tipping Point, was on the books of Everton FC as a teenager. He says he doesn’t understand why viewers always assume he’s short: ‘People meet me and always say, “You’re much taller than I expected.” I’m 5ft 10½. The half’s very important!’
BORN ON THIS DAY
CLIFF MICHELMORE (1919-2016). The Isle of Wight-born host of the BBC’s Tonight programme was known for his sign-off: ‘And the next Tonight will be tomorrow night. Goodnight.’ He also presented the Apollo Moon landings and told the nation of the assassination of President Kennedy. His career did not start well. An unimpressed BBC Light Programme executive once wrote a memo that said: ‘This man must never be let near a microphone again.’ CHRISTINA ONASSIS (1950-88). Only daughter of the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and his first wife, Tina Onassis Niarchos, could hardly speak a word of Greek, having been born in the U.S. and educated in Britain. Despite four failed marriages and struggles with weight and prescription drugs, she was seen as an astute steward of her late father’s businesses.
ON DECEMBER 11…
IN 1931, the Statute of Westminster gave legislative independence to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and Newfoundland. In 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. In 2017, TV presenter Keith Chegwin died, aged 60.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Clerihew (1905) A) Four-line poem in irregular meter. B) Decorative curl or twist in a design. C) Diagonally across from something. Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED Part and parcel:
Vital or essential element; from 15th- century legal term, with part meaning ‘portion’ and parcel ‘something integral with a whole’.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
EConoMiC forecasters exist to make astrologers look good. Robert Reich, U.S. political commentator
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHY did Finland keep winning the race? They owned the Finnish line. Guess The Definition answer: A.