ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE
FEBRUARY 6, 1946 TWO patients in a nursing home were reported to have died from shock after an over-realistic ‘atom-bomb terror’ radio play nearly caused a panic in Paris last night. The play, Platform 70, told of a professor’s dream that uncontrollable atomic energy had thrown the Atlantic into a turmoil and was rapidly approaching France. It was also reported that several children were born prematurely as a result of the broadcast. FEBRUARY 6, 1964 THESE girls are determined to see The Beatles, whatever the cost. So they climb on the luggage belt at London Airport to crawl into the customs hall. Pandemonium broke out when they conquered their quarry there yesterday. The Beatles had just flown in from Paris. First through customs was Paul McCartney. Five hairs disappeared in the melee — torn from his celebrated mop. ‘Ow,’ said Paul. ‘Wow,’ said the lucky girl.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
ALICE EvE, 37. The actress is the daughter of Waking The Dead actor Trevor Eve and Sharon Maughan, who starred in the Nineties Gold Blend ads. The trio played father, mother and daughter in 2010 romcom She’s Out Of My League. Alice has heterochromia iridum — one eye is blue, the other green — but she once had a boyfriend who took nine months to notice. RICK ASTLEy, 53. The Lancashire crooner started as a teaboy for pop impresario Pete Waterman, serving the likes of Bananarama and Dead Or Alive. He retired at 27, but made a successful comeback in the Noughties, partly fuelled by the internet prank ‘Rickrolling’ in which unsuspecting users would click on a link and be sent to a video of Astley’s 1987 hit Never Going To Give you Up. His album 50, released to mark his landmark birthday, topped the UK charts.
BORN ON THIS DAY
DENIS NORDEN (1922-2018). With writing partner Frank Muir, the comedy legend came up with the line ‘Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me’ for radio show Take It From Here — later reused in Carry On Cleo. Describing bloopers Tv show It’ll Be Alright On The Night, which he fronted for 29 years, he said: ‘It’s like running a farm where the manure is worth more than the cattle.’ RONALD REAGAN (19112004). The 40th U. S. president and former Hollywood star survived being shot in an assassination attempt in 1981. Jerry Parr, the Secret Service agent hailed a hero for saving his life, was inspired to join the service as a child after watching Code Of The Secret Service — which starred a young Ronald Reagan.
ON FEBRUARY 6…
IN 1685, King Charles II died aged 54. IN 1952, King George vI was found dead in bed by a servant aged 56. Princess Elizabeth, 25, acceded to the throne.
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Woonerf (2017)
A) Wool from a dead sheep. B) Anything badly formed. C) A road shared by drivers, pedestrians and residents. Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Riff-raff: Disreputable or worthless people or the lowest classes; from the French rifler, meaning to spoil or strip; and raffler, meaning to carry off, especially those plundering booty from soldiers fallen in battle.