ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE
JANUARY 20, 1937 EnglishmEn can no longer claim to be the world’s best-dressed men, according to the largest importer of British textiles in Finland. ‘Oxford bags, ill-fitting tweed jackets, pullovers and unpressed trousers have combined to deteriorate their dress,’ he says. ‘The bestdressed men are found in scandinavia.’ JANUARY 20, 1947 hOusEwivEs are annoyed at the view of sir Thomas and lady Bennett, who say: ‘housework is not drudgery. no woman need work more than eight hours a day in the house.’
scores telephoned the Daily mail to protest, and their chief question was: ‘how can a woman get her housework done in good time when she has to queue up most of the morning for scarce and rationed foodstuffs, then do all the washing and clean greasy plates without soapflakes?’
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
will YOung, 38. The pop star and actor triumphed over gareth gates on the first-ever Pop idol back in 2002, with his first single, Evergreen, becoming the fastest-selling British debut single. last year, he was a contestant on strictly Come Dancing (right), but quit mysteriously after a row with head judge len goodman. Buzz AlDrin, 87. The astronaut (who was named Edwin) was watched by 600 million people in 1969 when he became the second man to step on the moon, following neil Armstrong. The nickname ‘Buzz’ originated in childhood when his sister mispronounced ‘brother’ as ‘buzzer’, and this was shortened to Buzz. in 1988, Aldrin made it his legal first name.
BORN ON THIS DAY
FEDEriCO FEllini (1920-1993). italy’s most celebrated director and screenwriter is most famous for the 1963 film 8½ and 1960’s la Dolce vita (which gave us the word ‘paparazzi’, meaning ‘buzzing insects’). his films won eight Oscars. hArOlD grAY (1894-1968). The u.s. cartoonist created the comic strip little Orphan Annie. it became a radio show, a Broadway musical and five films — the most famous in 1982 starred Aileen Quinn (pictured) and Albert Finney. he based Annie on a Chicago street urchin he’d met.
ON JANUARY 20
IN 1936, King george v died — overshadowing the death of his friend rudyard Kipling two days earlier. Kipling wrote the first ever Christmas speech, broadcast by the King over the radio in 1932. IN 1942, the ‘Final solution’ to exterminate the 11 million Jews of Europe was decided by nazi officials at a villa beside lake wannsee in Berlin. IN 1961, John F. Kennedy, 43, was sworn in as the youngest-ever elected u.s. president. Donald Trump today becomes the oldest first-time President to take office, aged 70.
WORD WIZARDRY
NEW WORD OF THE DAY Nomophobia: the fear of being without one’s mobile phone. GUESS THE DEFINITION Arms and legs (coined as 19th-century slang) a) A game that involves knocking on a door and rushing away as it opens. b) words used to start boys off in a race. c) weak beer or tea. PHRASE EXPLAINED Waifs and strays: Both words come from Anglonorman. A waif is unclaimed property that has been ‘waived’ or abandoned, and ‘strays’ are animals that have wandered off.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
BoRedom is . . . a vital problem for the moralist, since half the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it. Bertrand Russell, British philosopher (1872-1970)
JOKE OF THE DAY
hOw did dinosaurs pass their exams? With extinction. Guess The definition answer: C (as in a drink with no body).