ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE
SEPTEMBER 2, 1939
THE greatest organised movement of a human population in the world’s history started yesterday. As if by some quiet smooth-working machine, nearly 1,000,000 children, mothers, blind and maimed people were taken from danger to safety. Nearly half of the 3,000,000 are being evacuated from the Greater London area.
Officials everywhere said ‘the children behaved simply marvellously’.
SEPTEMBER 2, 1969
LIByA became a Socialist republic last night after an officers’ coup ousted proWestern King Idris. The bloodless coup opens the door for Egypt or Russia to gain a strategic foothold in the booming oil State.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
SALMA HAyEK, 54, pictured. The Mexican- born actress, whose mother was an opera singer, was Oscar-nominated for her role as artist Frida Kahlo in 2002’s Frida. She was expelled from her Catholic boarding school in New Orleans, aged 12, for playing pranks on the nuns, including setting back the clocks. She is married to French luxury goods billionaire François-Henri Pinault. SIR KEIR STARMER, 58. The Labour leader and former director of public prosecutions was named after the founder of the party, Keir Hardie. His concentration on his work was so intense as a young barrister that a burglar managed to come into his flat and steal his TV without his noticing.
BORN ON THIS DAY
DEREK FOWLDS (1937-2020). The London-born actor, who appeared as ‘Mr Derek’ in eight series of The Basil Brush Show, played Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley in yes Minister and yes, Prime Minister. He also played Oscar Blaketon (pictured) in Heartbeat, saying that he based the character on his drill instructor in the RAF during national service days. ‘I just cut my hair shorter, slicked it back and shouted a lot.’ FRANCIS MATTHEWS (1927-2014). The actor from york played the title role in the BBC’s lavish detective series Paul Temple and was cast as the voice of Captain Scarlet in Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons — after producer Gerry Anderson heard him do a jokey impression of Cary Grant in an interview. He had an affair with Ava Gardner after appearing with her in his first film, Bhowani Junction in 1956. ON SEPTEMBER 2…
In 1968, The Morecambe & Wise Show first ran on BBC 2, marking the duo’s return to the corporation after 13 years, having defected to ITV.
In 1973, The Lord Of The Rings author JRR Tolkien died, aged 81.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: bashaw (coined c1530)
A) A person who is important, imperious or self-important B) At full gallop C) A framework of hoops, usually of whalebone, worn under a dress to spread it wide
PHRASE EXPLAINED: Angry young man — refers to anyone fighting the system or the establishment; it first appeared in 1941 but was used most famously by John Osborne in his play Look Back In Anger first performed in 1956.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
I try to stand apart . . . The critic must be prepared to sacrifice even his closest friends.
Brian Sewell, art critic (1931-2015)
JOKE OF THE DAY
People ask me why I collect shovels . . . It is because they are such a groundbreaking invention. Guess The Definition answer: A