ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE OCTOBER 19, 1944
HITLER last night finally dropped the pretence that Germany has any hope of winning the war. Instead, he indicated to the people that the most they could hope and fight for was to keep German soil clear of British, American and Russian forces ‘until a peace is guaranteed which safeguards the future of the Reich’.
OCTOBER 19, 1965
AN AppEAL for smoking to be banned in airliners has been sent to the Government by the National Society of Non-smokers. It claims the habit makes air travel ‘intolerable and impossible’.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
MAvIS NICHOLSON, 87. The Welsh writer and broadcaster, Britain’s first female chatshow host, has been described as the ‘goddess of television’ by Eamonn Holmes. The host of Mavis On Four, she has quizzed everyone from Margaret Thatcher to David Bowie. She was discovered, aged 40, after appearing on the BBC Tonight programme to debate against a private school headmaster complaining about ‘immigrant pupils’ being taught in the state school next door (attended by her children). TRACy CHEvALIER, 55. The Americanborn English novelist is best known for Girl With A pearl Earring, which has sold five million copies and was turned into a film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. She writes most of her novels in longhand, using disposable fountain pens, while sitting on sofa in her living room.
BORN ON THIS DAY
LEIGH HUNT (1784-1859). The English Romantic poet was a friend and key supporter of John Keats and percy Bysshe Shelley. In 1813, he and his brother John were imprisoned for their criticism of the prince Regent in print. He also advocated reform of parliament, Catholic emancipation and the abolition of the slave trade. SIR THOMAS BROWNE (1605-1682). The English physician and author, who died on his 77th birthday, was hugely influential on leading writers. virginia Woolf said he led the way for all psychological novelists. He coined words including electricity, hallucination and carnivorous. His coffin was accidentally broken open by workmen in 1840 and his skull was removed and displayed in a hospital museum for 80 years.
ON OCTOBER 19…
IN 2003, Mother Teresa was beatified by pope John paul II at a ceremony in Rome. IN 2005, Saddam Hussein pleaded not guilty as he went on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.
WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION Jentacular (coined 1721)
a) pertaining to breakfast b) In the opposite direction c) Anything badly formed or out of shape
PHRASE EXPLAINED
BISH-bash-bosh — describing something done quickly and well, it derives from the Eighties and was promulgated by comedian Harry Enfield in the Nineties as a catchphrase for his character Loadsamoney (right).