ON THIS DAY
October 10, 2016
IT’S DAY 284 . . .
NuMBER 10 Downing Street has been home to prime ministers since George II offered it as a gift to Sir Robert Walpole 284
years ago. Nothing is known about the last private resident of Number 10, apart from his name — Mr Chicken. THE world record for the fastest escape from a straitjacket is just 2.84 seconds, achieved two years ago by the Italian escapologist, Danilo Audiello. NuMBER 23 is the most commonly picked ball in the National Lottery Lotto draw, having been picked 284 times as of the beginning of this year. In second place was number 40 (picked 282 times), followed by 33 (picked 277 times).
THERE ARE 82 DAYS LEFT
THIEvES in Turkey managed to make off with an entire bridge in one night in 2013. It is assumed that the gang, who stole the 22-ton, 82ft structure from the province of Kocaeli, sought to sell it as scrap metal. The theft left villagers who wanted to reach their orchards having to paddle across barefoot. A FIAT 500L used by Pope Francis on a visit to Philadelphia in the u.S. last year was auctioned for $82,000 in January — the money raised was split between several church charities in the city.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
CHARLES DANCE, 70. The Worcestershire-born actor’s first name is actually Walter (Charles is his middle name). Despite his plummy voice, the Game Of Thrones star and former grammar school boy grew up in a terrace house with an outdoor loo and says: ‘People think I have the benefit of a public school education. I have this debonair label, but really I’m as common as muck.’ NICHOLAS PARSONS, 93. The presenter of Radio 4’s Just A Minute first appeared on our screens in the Sixties with Benny Hill and hosted the Tv game show Sale Of The Century for 12 years. Parsons says he keeps all his ties, even the ones from school, adding: ‘You’re never fully dressed without a cravat. I hate the open-neck shirt: the Adam’s apple is a very ugly part of the anatomy.’
BORN ON THIS DAY
KIRSTY MacCOLL (19592000). The Croydon- born singer- songwriter is most famous for duetting with Shane MacGowan on The Pogues’ Christmas hit Fairytale Of New York (though like many famous duets, the pair recorded their vocals in different recording studios). The man at the controls of the powerboat that killed her while she was diving with her teenage children in Mexico walked free from court after being fined just £61. GIuSEPPE vERDI (1813-1901). The Italian opera composer was born in the same year as his arch rival, German composer Richard Wagner. verdi’s state funeral in Milan remains to this day the largest public assembly in Italian history.
ON OCTOBER 10th . . ..
In 1975, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton secretly married for the second time at a game park in Botswana — 16 months after getting divorced.
In 1980, Margaret Thatcher famously declared in a speech at the Tory Party conference: ‘To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the u-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.’
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Should your riches increase, let your mind keep pace with them. Sir Thomas Browne, English author and polymath (1605-1682)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHO was the first person to wear a shell suit? humpty dumpty.