ON THIS DAY
IT’S DAY 231 OF 2016
THE world’s most expensive sheep sold for £231,000 in 2009. Named Deveronvale Perfection, he was bred in Banffshire and bought at a sale in Lanark. The eight-month-old’s high price was put down to his strong physical attributes, including the substantial width of his loin — the muscle that runs up the back of the sheep and makes lamb chops. A RARE copy of William Shakespeare’s First Folio — the first compilation of the Bard’s plays — was found in a library in France in 2014 after lying undiscovered for 400 years. The 231st copy found in the world, it is thought it was overlooked for so long by French readers because it is in English, but was valued at £3.5 million.
THERE ARE 135 DAYS LEFT
SHIRLEY TEMPLE received 135,000 birthday presents for her ninth birthday in 1937. The film star’s gifts included a baby kangaroo from Australia and a prize Jersey calf from schoolchildren in Oregon in the U.S. THE world record for the longest ears on a dog belongs to bloodhound Tigger, who died in 2009. His right ear measured 13.5in while his left was 13.75in. Bloodhounds’ long ears don’t just help their hearing, but aid their sense of smell — by dragging them along the ground, they sweep up particles that make up a scent trail.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
VICTORIA Coren Mitchell, 44 (right). The presenter of BBC quiz Only Connect and also a professional poker player, she developed a fear of flying, and went to see a counsellor who specialised in the phobia. Coren said: ‘He then died in a plane crash. So I think I have a lifelong fear of flying now.’ EDWARD NORTON, 47. The actor, who starred in Fight Club, was dubbed The Incredible Sulk when — instead of promoting The Incredible Hulk, in which he starred in 2008 — he took a month-long holiday in Africa.
BORN ON THIS DAY
MAX FACTOR JR (1904-96). The son of Max Factor, the Polish businessman who founded the cosmetics empire, he was born Francis but changed his name after his father’s death in 1938. He helped to develop Pan-Cake, a make-up originally for use with the newly developed Technicolor film, but which went on to be one of the fastest and largest selling single make-up items of all time.
PATRICK SWAYZE (19522009, right). The star of Dirty Dancing and Ghost broke both legs in a horseriding stunt in 1996 while making the movie Letters From A Killer. He filmed an entire series of a TV drama while undergoing treatment for the pancreatic cancer that killed him. He said: ‘How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you’re a dead man? You go to work.’
ON AUGUST 18 . . .
IN 1964, South Africa was banned from participating in the Tokyo Olympics because of its refusal to renounce all racial discrimination in sport. IN 1969, the Woodstock music festival in New York State — whose bill included The Who and Jimi Hendrix — came to a close. About 400,000 people attended, many not having bought a ticket. It was held at (Max) Yasgur’s farm, immortalised in the song Woodstock by Joni Mitchell, who wasn’t at the festival. IN 1989, Manchester United was sold for £20million to property tycoon and former footballer Michael Knighton (the takeover deal would fall through later that year). The club is now worth about £1.8 billion
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do. Bruce Lee, martial arts film star (1940-73)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHAT did one shooting star say to the other? Pleased to meteor!