ON THIS DAY
April 18, 2024
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE APRIL 18, 1990
THE ultimate in Buddy holly memorabilia has been gathering dust for 32 years on a most unlikely shelf. After completing his only British tour, the rock legend presented his guitar to Des O’Connor, a support act on the bill, who was with holly when he bought the guitar in London — he died a year later. The guitar could fetch £60,000 at auction on Monday.
APRIL 18, 2003
A CONTROVERSIAL new stun gun that can paralyse a suspect was launched by British police yesterday. senior officers hope the Taser, which delivers a high-voltage shock, will reduce the number of suspects shot dead by police marksmen.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
RICK MORANIS, 71. The Canadian actor starred in two Ghostbusters and three honey, i shrunk The kids movies. Asked if he minded being pigeonholed as the nerd, he replied: ‘When you’re 5ft 5in, have a round Jewish face and wear glasses, you’re going to get offered certain parts.’ DAVID TENNANT, 53. The scottish actor was voted the best Doctor Who of all time. he had grown up as an avid fan of the Time Lord, and met Tom Baker in a bookshop in Glasgow, ‘wearing a scarf my granny had knitted me’. his real name is McDonald, but he took his stage name from Pet shop Boys’ neil Tennant.
BORN ON THIS DAY
VIRGINIA O’BRIEN (1919-2001). The U.s. actress and singer starred in MGM musicals including Ziegfeld Follies and Till The Clouds roll By. she starred opposite Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and the Marx Brothers. nicknamed The Diva of Deadpan, one critic sniped that she had all the ‘expression of a wall clock’. LUCREZIA BORGIA (1480-1519). The italian noblewoman was the illegitimate daughter of Cardinal rodrigo Borgia ( later Pope Alexander vi). she has been accused over the centuries of collaborating in her family’s crimes, but historians now argue she was actually one of the victims.
ON APRIL 18…
IN 1946, the international Court of Justice was established. IN 2019, journalist Lyra Mckee was fatally shot in Londonderry.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION Morling (coined 1448)
A) A hedgehog. B) Wool taken from a dead sheep. C) The soft hair of a rabbit. answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Down to earth: meaning honest and open; alludes to angels coming down to earth, or being cast down, to join mortal humans.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Our memories are cardindexes consulted, and then put back in disorder by authorities whom we do not control.
Cyril Connolly, English writer (1903-1974)
JOKE OF THE DAY
i LOVE jokes about the eyes…
The cornea the better.
Guess The Definition answer: B.