ON THIS DAY
November 4, 2021
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE NOVEMBER 4, 1939
THE Spanish government today launched an offensive against profiteers, speculators and hoarders, following a radio warning by the Ministry of the Interior. Persons guilty of ‘hoarding with intent to disturb the economy’ are liable to the death penalty, or to 30 years’ imprisonment.
NOVEMBER 4, 1975
FIVE years and 14 days after the discovery of the Forties Field in the North Sea, the Queen yesterday inaugurated Britain’s oil era. In the spotlessly clean control room at dyce, near Aberdeen, she pressed a single, symbolic button and sent the oil flowing south to BP’s Grangemouth refinery.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
LOUISE REDKNAPP, 47. the singer (right), from London, found fame with girl group Eternal, who had hits with Stay and I Wanna Be the only one. She divorced footballer Jamie redknapp in 2018 after 19 years. She said that after giving up her career to bring up her children: ‘I was lonely and I felt like I had nothing to say.’
LORETTA SWIT, 84. the U.S. actress won two Emmy awards for her role as Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan on tv’s M*A*S*H — which ran for 11 years though the korean war, during which it was set, lasted only three. She had to master a Scouse accent for her role as Shirley valentine in more than 700 stage performances.
BORN ON THIS DAY
WILLIAM III (1650-1702). the dutch-born king of England, Ireland and Scotland, known as William of orange, was crowned jointly alongside his wife and cousin Mary II. they signed the Bill of rights after their coronation in 1689, which established the principles of frequent parliaments, free elections and free speech within Parliament.
LENA ZAVARONI (19631999). the singer (right) from the Isle of Bute, Argy ll, shot to fame aged ten on opportunity knocks. She had a top-ten hit with Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me) at 12. Aged 13, she developed anorexia, which affected her for the rest of her life. Zavaroni, who worked with Frank Sinatra, died aged 35 after contracting pneumonia.
ON NOVEMBER 4…
IN 1918, English soldier Wilfred owen — the poet who wrote dulce Et decorum Est and Anthem For doomed Youth — was killed aged 25, a week before World War I came to an end. IN 1963, John Lennon told the audience at the royal variety Performance: ‘those in the cheap seats clap your hands, the rest of you can just rattle your jewellery.’
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Philter (c1580s) A) the space under the nostrils. B) An ascetic. c) A magic potion. (Answer below) PHRASE EXPLAINED Kick-back: refers to the commission paid to someone for introducing a client and is often an illegal or improper payment; the phrase comes from football when a player kicks the ball back to a player on his side to prevent the other side gaining possession.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
I NEVER drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake in the afternoon Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. president (1911-2004)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHY did the vampire’s wife leave him? He was a pain in the neck. Guess The Definition answer: C. Compiled by ETAN SMALLMAN and ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD