ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE
AUGUST 22, 1941 PRINCeSSeS Margaret and elizabeth sang duets in French and english to a few young friends yesterday, part of an impromptu concert arranged by Margaret to entertain guests at her 11th birthday tea-party. Her cake with no icing conformed strictly to rationing requirements. AUGUST 22, 1964 A GIRl in a black topless dress, who stood under the statue of Boadicea on london’s Westminster Bridge, made legal history yesterday when she appeared at Bow Street in Britain’s first topless dress case.
Diana Gorton, 28, told the court: ‘My aim was certainly not to do anything indecent, but merely to be a trend setter.’ She was conditionally discharged for 12 months. Magistrate Mr A. Babington said: ‘A considerable number of rational, ordinary and logical people would still be annoyed by the sight of a woman in a topless dress.’
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HoNoR BlACKMAN, 93. The actress, who played Pussy Galore (pictured) in the James Bond film Goldfinger, said Sean Connery was ‘the sexiest creature I ever met’, but nothing happened ‘because I was married’. With Connery knighted and living as a tax exile in the Bahamas, Blackman, a republican who turned down a CBe, says she now disapproves of the 007 star ‘because I don’t think you should accept a title from a country and then pay no tax towards it’.
JAMeS CoRDeN, 40. The British co-creator of Gavin & Stacey, who has his own chat show in the U.S., was a compere at Harry and Meghan’s wedding reception, and turned up dressed as Henry VIII, saying he ‘didn’t know what to wear to a royal wedding’. Corden is celebrating his milestone birthday in Mexico with friends, including pop star Harry Styles.
BORN ON THIS DAY
DoRoTHY PARKeR (1893-1967). The writer (pictured) was dubbed the ‘wittiest woman in America’ and coined some of the 20th century’s most-quoted wisecracks. They included: ‘You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make her think.’ Parker, who was just 4ft 11in tall, was an uncredited screenwriter on the film It’s A Wonderful life and wrote lyrics for Bing Crosby. She married three times — twice to the same man.
ON AUGUST 22...
IN 1485, the War of the Roses ended when Richard III died at the Battle of Bosworth Field. IN 1902, Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to ride in a car in public on a parade in Connecticut.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Girandola (1670) A) The song of a gondolier. B) A revolving wheel for firing rockets. C) An ornamental stand in the shape of ship. Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Blot one’s copy book: To commit an error that spoils one’s record. The phrase was first used in the 1870s and the idea of smearing ink on one’s copybook suggested clumsiness or inferior penmanship.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
ThoSe who stand for nothing fall for anything. Alex Hamilton, British broadcaster (1930-2016)
JOKE OF THE DAY
MY FRIeND was addicted to eating frozen poultry. he had to quit cold turkey. Guess The Definition answer: B. Compiled by ETAN SMALLMAN and ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD