ON THIS DAY
August 11, 1969
FILM director Roman Polanski left Heathrow for his Los Angeles home yesterday in a state of shock over the ritual killing of his actress wife, Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, and four other people.
Mr Polanski, 36, under heavy sedation after hearing the news by transatlantic phone call from his agent, had to be helped up the ramp of the airliner.
August 11, 1984
ZOLA BUDD’S Olympic dream died in controversial fashion early today when she was disqualified in the 3,000m final. Her moment of disaster was a collision with her great American rival Mary Decker (on the left of Zola) which caused Decker to crash out. Zola, 18, who came to Britain from South Africa four months ago, had been leading, but was never a force in the race again.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
CHRIS HEMSWORTH, 37. The Australian star of Thor was named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine in 2014. He quipped: ‘I can say to [my wife]: “Now remember, this is what the people think, so I don’t need to do the dishes any more.” ’ IAN McDIARMID, 76. The Scottish actor is best known for playing Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films. In 2008, West End theatre staff thought he was having a heart attack during a performance and called an ambulance. But McDiarmid insisted paramedics wait until he had taken his bow.
BORN ON THIS DAY
SIR AARON KLUg (1926-2018). The Lithuanian-born biophysicist was brought up in South Africa before making his career in Britain. He won the 1982 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his pioneering work on the structure of genes. ENID BLyTON (1897-1968). The London-born children’s writer created Noddy (right) and sold more than 600 million books worldwide. In 2016, the Royal Mint decided not to feature her on a commemorative 50p coin, deeming her a ‘racist, sexist, homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer’.
ON AUGUST 11 . . .
IN 1984, testing a microphone, President Ronald Reagan was recorded joking: ‘My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I have signed legislation to outlaw Russia for ever. We begin bombing in five minutes.’
IN 2000, Madonna gave birth to son Rocco by director guy Ritchie. Despite living in the UK, the baby was born in the U.S., after Madonna said: ‘Have you been to hospitals in England? They’re old and Victorian.’
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Antinomian (coined 16th century)
A) A vague unwell feeling. B) A person who maintains that Christians are freed from the moral law by virtue of grace as set forth in the gospel. C) Relating to things that are spiritual and mystical. Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED To tilt at windmills: Meaning to fight imaginary enemies, hence to squander one’s energy. It comes from Cervantes’ Don Quixote, in which an elderly knight attacked windmills, believing they were giants who had imprisoned innocent girls.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Patriotism is a lively sense of collective responsibility. Nationalism is a silly cock crowing on its own dunghill.
Richard Aldington, poet (1892-1962)
JOKE OF THE DAY
HOW do you make a hotdog stand? take away its chair. guess the Definition answer: B.