ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE DECEMBER 28, 1939
A MODEL backyard is to be built at London Zoo to show suburban householders how to keep chickens, rabbits, bees, and even pigs. Called the War Utility Exhibition, it will also include goats, pigeons and silkworms.
DECEMBER 28, 1977
STAr WArS, that intergalactic blockbuster which will become the film phenomenon of 1978, exploded on to the big screen yesterday in London, England, Earth. And by last night it had left thousands of people stumbling around the West End exclaiming every superlative in the dictionary.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
SIENNA MILLEr, 39. The New York- born English actress starred in the 2004 remake of Alfie and played Tippi Hedren in 2012’s The Girl. Her first paid work was in a German Coke advert when she was 17. She said: ‘I quite successfully, I think, attempted to speak German. And then they dubbed me.’ Miller has a daughter with actor Tom Sturridge.
JOHN LEGEND, 42. The American singersongwriter and actor (born John roger Stephens) won an Oscar for the song Glory from the film Selma and starred in the Oscar-winning La La Land. His song All Of Me spent 92 weeks in the UK singles chart and has been streamed online more than a billion times.
BORN ON THIS DAY
WOODrOW WILSON (1856-1924). The 28th U.S. president led his country into WWI. During his time in office, women were given the vote, sheep grazed on the White House lawn to help the red Cross raise wool for the war effort and Wilson played nearly 1,200 rounds of golf. He was the first president to deliver what is now known as the State of the Union Address.
BrIAN rEDHEAD (19291994). The broadcaster from Newcastle presented the BBC’s Today programme for 18 years. He said: ‘The pleasure of Today is that if you want to drop a word in the ear of the nation, this is the place.’ redhead liked to j oke on air: ‘ Now t he weather; bright in the north, dull in the south. Just like the people, really.’
ON DECEMBER 28…
IN 1956, a 15,000-gallon vat of vinegar at the HP Sauce factory in Birmingham exploded sending a river of ‘malten lava’ into nearby homes, flooding cellars and carrying away furniture. Fortunately no one was hurt. IN 1966, the BBC broadcast Jonathan Miller’s production of Alice In Wonderland, starring Alan Bennett, Peter Sellers and John Gielgud.
WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION: wafers (c1635)
A) small low clouds in a clear sky B) gummed seals for letters C) small worthless apples on the tree after the crop has been gathered ( Answer below) PHRASE EXPLAINED Shot across the bows — meaning a warning signal; in the history warfare it was a cannon-ball shot, warning a ship either to surrender or to turn about.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair George Burns, American comedian (1896-1996)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHICH playwright was terrified of Christmas? Noel Coward.
GUESS The Definition answer: B