ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE NOVEMBER 11, 1930
THREE elephants taking part in the Lord Mayor’s Show stampeded through a crowd of spectators on Victoria Embankment yesterday in their efforts to reach a red painted mascot lion held aloft by students of King’s College. Nearly 50 people were injured and 20 received hospital treatment.
NOVEMBER 11, 1959
MoRE than 100 lorry drivers have been banned from the M1, Britain’s new motorway, because it is considered too dangerous. James Shirley & Sons issued the ban following a five-vehicle accident on Friday, when two of their drivers died at the wheel.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DEMI MooRE, 57. The U.S. actress, star of Ghost and Disclosure, worked as a debt collector before finding fame on the big screen. Early in her career, she was nicknamed ‘Gimme Moore’ — reportedly, she once told a studio to provide a bigger private plane because the one it had sent was too small for all her luggage. She is a big fan of Scottish singer Susan Boyle and cried when she first saw her perform. LEoNARDo DICAPRIo, 45. The star of Titanic received his first oscar nod at just 19, but had to wait till he was 41 to win, for The Revenant. He was in contention for the lead role in Moulin Rouge! that eventually went to Ewan McGregor. But when director Baz Luhrmann heard DiCaprio’s voice — which the actor himself describes as ‘atrocious’ — he said: ‘Yes, D, I don’t know if this conversation should continue.’
BORN ON THIS DAY
DAME JUNE WHITFIELD ( 1925- 2018). The Radatrained comic actress from South London starred in Terry And June and Absolutely Fabulous. Dame June, who once dated Dallas star Larry Hagman, ended up marrying a chartered surveyor. She almost always got second billing, leading Barry Took to quip that she had supported more actors than the Department of Health and Social Security. JACK KELLER (1936-2005). The U.S. songwriter penned music for Ray Charles, Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka and The Everly Brothers. He also worked as a producer for The Monkees and wrote the theme music for TV shows Bewitched and Gidget.
ON NOVEMBER 11…
IN 1918, World War I — ‘the war to end all wars’ — came to an end as Germany signed an armistice with the Allies.
IN 1923, Adolf Hitler was arrested in Munich for high treason for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed attempt to take over the government in Bavaria. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but served less than a year and was pardoned.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Lambent (coined 1640)
A) Reclining. b) Radiant. c) Frolicking.
Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Hedge one’s bets — meaning to select more than one option to reduce the chance of losing; from the late 1600s; ‘hedge’ comes from the noun for a fence made of shrubbery, so hedging offers protection and security.