ON THIS DAY
April 20, 2021
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE APRIL 20, 1951
HERMIONE BADDELEY, playing the part of a harassed housewife in The Martins’ Nest, at Westminster Theatre, London, last night heard that leading members of the Housewives’ League were in the audience. In sympathy with their protest against food rationing, she burnt her own ration-book in front of them after the show.
APRIL 20, 1978
LIZA MINNELLI, 32-year-old daughter of Judy Garland, is being sued for divorce by her second husband, Jack Haley. They parted three months ago, three years after their marriage. They have no children. Miss Minnelli, who starred in Cabaret, was first wed to Australian singer Peter Allen.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
LESLIE PHILLIPs, 97. The Carry On actor, who married his third wife at 89, is known for his catchphrase ‘Ding Dong!’ He started out winning a beautiful baby contest and soon became a child star, later saying he found acting easy. ‘I was never afraid. We had been through a war. I was in charge of men when I was 19. so all those directors who were terrible bullies never bothered me.’ GRACE CODDINGTON, 80. The former model from Anglesey in Wales (right) was chosen by Vidal sassoon to popularise his iconic five-point haircut. she was a long-time creative director of American Vogue, and in 1976 got Jerry Hall to pose in a red swimsuit on top of a soviet monument in the former USSR before trying to smuggle the camera film out.
BORN ON THIS DAY
JOAN MIRÓ (1893-1983). The spanish surrealist painter briefly gave up art for accountancy after his work was ridiculed and defaced at his first solo exhibition in 1918. He became internationally known in the 1930s, and was a sparring partner of Ernest Hemingway in Paris, where he’d paint all day and box at night to relax. The artist designed propaganda posters during the spanish Civil War, and fled the Nazis on the last train out of Paris for spain, with his paintings under his arm. LUTHER VANDROSS (1951-2005). The American singer- songwriter, dubbed the ‘Pavarotti of pop’ with hits including Never Too Much, learned the piano from the age of three. He started out as a backing singer for Bette Midler, Donna summer and David Bowie, and at one point was earning $500,000 a year writing jingles for Kentucky Fried Chicken and 7-Up.
ON APRIL 20…
IN 1992, Elton John, David Bowie and George Michael took part in a tribute concert for Queen singer Freddie Mercury, aimed at raising awareness about Aids. IN 2016, English comedian, writer, actress and musician Victoria Wood died, aged 62.
WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION: Bubo (14th century)
A) The hooting of an owl. B) A term of endearment. C) The inflamed swelling of a lymph gland. Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED Whipping-boy:
Meaning a scapegoat. It harks back to boys who were educated with a prince and whipped whenever the prince warranted punishment because tutors were not permitted to hit a child of royal blood.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
I ALWAYS count my blessings more than I count my money. Dolly Parton, U.S. singer-songwriter
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHY did the cell cross the microscope? To get to the other slide. Guess The Definition answer: C.