ON THIS DAY
January 17, 2017
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE
JANUARY 17, 1907 EVERYONE in France is in favour of the Channel Tunnel, our Paris correspondent writes. If the scheme were presented afresh for the approval of the French Parliament, it would be passed without any opposition.
A great French manufacturer welcomed the idea of the link, saying: ‘The English have always shown a pronounced taste for French wines, champagne, liqueurs, foodstuffs, dress fabrics, instruments of music, toys, jewellery, works of art and plays.’ [Construction finally began 81 years later, in 1988.] JANUARY 17, 1967 CLIFF RICHARD has passed his O-level in the Oxford GCE examination for religious instruction. But the ‘when-will-he-give-upshowbusiness’ question remains unanswered. People in the business expected him to announce when he would start his three-year training course to become a teacher of divinity. It seems they will have to wait.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
MICHELLE OBAMA, 53 (pictured). The U.S. First Lady — until Friday — grew up in a one-bedroom flat, sleeping in the living room with her brother. A lawyer, she was assigned to be Barack’s mentor when he joined her firm. At 5ft 11in, she is the joint tallest First Lady — sharing the honour with Eleanor Roosevelt. The new First Lady, Melania Trump, a former model, will soon be making it a trio. JIM CARREY, 55. The Canadian actor began his career at 15, attempting stand-up at a local comedy club. His act was so bad that he was taken off-stage mid-performance. Once engaged to Renée Zellweger, he says that Peter Sellars was his inspiration. KEITH CHEGWIN, 60. The Lancashire-born TV presenter started out as a child actor before finding fame hosting children’s shows Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore. Notoriously, in 2000 he presented Channel 5’s Naked Jungle game show wearing nothing but a hat.
BORN ON THIS DAY
MUHAMMAD ALI (1942-2016). Along with his stellar boxing career, he was a lifelong civil rights campaigner. In 1990, six years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he flew to Iraq and met Saddam Hussein, successfully negotiating the release of 15 U.S. hostages. DAVID LLOYD GEORGE (1863-1945). The Liberal was the first and only Welshman to serve as British prime minister. Known as ‘the Goat’ for his womanising, his son once said that ‘with an attractive woman, he was as much to be trusted as a Bengal tiger with a gazelle’.
ON JANUARY 17...
IN 1983, Britain got its first breakfast news programme, when the BBC’s Breakfast Time — hosted by Frank Bough and Selina Scott (right) — aired at 6.30am. IN 1997, the first divorce in Ireland’s history was granted, a year after residents of the Roman Catholic country held a referendum on changing the law.
WORD WIZARDRY
NEW WORD OF THE DAY Sticker-licker — an official who issues parking tickets. GUESS THE DEFINITION Dormition (coined 1483) A) A falling asleep; death of the righteous B) A state of depression of spirits C) A good disposition towards something (Answer below) PHRASE EXPLAINED Round robin — a petition or protest letter with signatures arranged in a circle, so that no name headed the list and no one seemed to be the author (the robin does not refer to the bird but to the French rond for round and ruban for ribbon)
QUOTE FOR TODAY
It hAS to be admitted that we English have sex on the brain, which is a very unsatisfactory place to have it.
Malcolm Muggeridge, writer (1903-1990)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHAT was Camelot famous for? Its knight life. Guess the Definition answer: A