ON THIS DAY
IT’S DAY 245
inVEStor Warren Buffett, who is worth $70 billion, sold more than 245 million shares in tesco in 2014. the american’s company had owned 3.7 per cent of the supermarket — a stake worth about £1 billion — but its share price went on to plummet by 50 per cent. SUCCESSFUL — and aptly named — lawyer, the Guyana-born politician Sir Lionel Luckhoo, achieved 245 consecutive murdercharge acquittals between 1940 and 1985. He also practised as a barrister in the UK. MorE than 24.5 million of us tuned in to watch the royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on tV in 2011.
THERE ARE 121 DAYS LEFT
a BEaVEr’S lodge and dam is the largest structure built by any animal. the creatures gather mud, vegetation and stones to dam up water and then build a lodge for refuge during the winter. the largest recorded was 12.1m (40ft) across. ZEn and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance holds the record for being the most-rejected manuscript, after it was shunned 121 times before being published — and going on to sell five million copies.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
GLoria EStEFan, 59. the Cuban-american singer, songwriter and actress struggled to conceive after breaking her back in a tour bus accident. She had two children after taking advice from tV presenter Paula Yates to stand on her head after making love. BarrY GiBB (pictured), 70. the last surviving Bee Gee, is the second most successful songwriter in history behind Paul McCartney. as well as a stellar career with his own band, he wrote hits for everyone from Barbra Streisand ( Woman in Love) and Diana ross (Chain reaction) to Dionne Warwick (Heartbreaker). LiLY toMLin, 77. the american actress and comedian was the first woman to appear solo in a Broadway show, with appearing nitely in 1977. in 1993, the star of 9 to 5 and tea With Mussolini gave away locks of her own hair to anyone who bought her video collection.
BORN ON THIS DAY
EnGELBErt HUMPErDinCK (1854-1921). the German composer, who produced his first composition aged seven, is best known for his opera Hansel and Gretel — and for posthumously inspiring the stage name of English crooner Engelbert Humperdinck (born arnold Dorsey). EDGar rice Burroughs (1875-1950). the american writer was a cowboy and stationery salesman before writing the tarzan stories ( Johnny Weissmuller, pictured with Maureen o’Sullivan as Jane, being one film incarnation). He wrote the tales of the son of a British lord raised in the african jungle despite never visiting africa or the UK. VioLEt CarSon (1898-1983). the Manchester-born actress was recruited to play hairnet-wearing Ena Sharples in Coronation Street for 13 weeks but stayed for 20 years.
ON SEPTEMBER 1 . . .
IN 1939, World War ii began when Germany invaded Poland.
IN 1960, the British government gave the go-ahead for betting shops to open and slot machines to be installed in pubs. the following year, bookmakers were opening at a rate of 100 a week and there were 1,000 casinos within the first five years.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Any idiot can face a crisis. It’s this day-to-day living that wears you out. Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright (1860-1904)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHat lies down 100 feet in the air? A centipede.