April 15, 2021 ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE aPRIl 15, 1948
THE death penalty for murder is to go. In a free vote, the House of Commons last night suspended it for five years. The voting was 245 to 222. Violent cheering swept a tense House when the result was announced. [Hanging resumed until the mid-1960s.]
aPRIl 15, 1983
THE biggest crowd of the tour yesterday in Melbourne sealed Princess Diana’s conquest of Australia. More than 200,000 people lined the streets of the Victorian capital to welcome the royal couple. Last night, they attended a Royal Command Performance at the new Melbourne Concert Hall. Prince William, who has learned to talk Down Under, is making his own ‘thank you’ to the Australian people.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
EMMA WATSoN, 31. The Paris-born British actress (pictured) was only nine when she auditioned for the role of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. She is worth £52 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, and made £17million from 2017’s Beauty And The Beast. In 2019, she said she was happy being single: ‘I call it being self-partnered.’ CRESSIDA CoWELL, 55. The UK’s Children’s Laureate, and daughter of the 2nd Viscount Blakenham, is the author of the How To Train Your Dragon books, which have sold 11 million copies and been turned into three animated blockbusters.
BORN ON THIS DAY
KIM IL-SUNG (1912-94). The founding father and Eternal President of North Korea is the grandfather of leader Kim Jong-un. His birthday is celebrated as the Day of the Sun public holiday, with big military parades, at which soldiers chant ‘We will die for you!’ at their leader. It is one of the only times in the year when children are given sweets. ELIzABETH MoNTGoMERY ( 1933- 1995). The U. S. actress ( pictured) made her name as housewife and witch Samantha Stephens in Sixties sitcom Bewitched. Montgomery, whose four husbands included oscarwinning actor Gig Young, counted Elvis Presley among her admirers.
ON APRIL 15 . . .
IN 1755, Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of The English Language was first published. IN 1990, Swedish film star Greta Garbo died aged 84.
WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION: Turbid (c1620s)
A) Mentally/physically inactive; lethargic. B) Cloudy, thick (of air or liquid). C) A dull, indescribable colour.
answer below. PHRASE EXPLAINED — To sign one’s own death-warrant: meaning to bring about one’s own destruction or collapse; in former times, before the execution of a convicted murderer, it was necessary for the responsible authority to sign the death-warrant.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Three groups spend other people’s money: children, thieves, politicians. all three need parental supervision. Dick Armey, American economist
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHY don’t composers use email? They write notes. Guess The Definition answer: B