ON THIS DAY
April 8, 2021
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE APRIL 8, 1947
AMERICAN warships used in the Bikini Atoll atom bomb tests nine months ago are still radioactive. the U.s. navy has been unable to find a decontaminating agent powerful enough to make them safe.
APRIL 8, 1986
ELECTRONICS genius sir Clive sinclair has sold off his troubled computer business to wipe out his debts. He has handed it over to dynamic entrepreneur Alan sugar, boss of the Amstrad hi-fi, video and computer firm, for a paltry £5 million.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DAME Vivienne Westwood, 80. the primary school teacher-turned-punk fashion designer from Derbyshire once said of her career: ‘i’ve known from the beginning that time is on my side. it’s all about stamina, really.’ Her 12in blue lace-up mockcroc platform shoes, which caused a stir in 1993 when naomi Campbell tumbled on the catwalk, are in the V&A.
PATRICIA ARQUETTE, 53. the U.s. actress, star of true romance and ed Wood, made headlines with her speech about equal pay when she collected her Oscar for Boyhood in 2015. she said: ‘i thought how different my character’s life would have been if she had made an extra 30 cents on every dollar,’ but later revealed that the words had cost her roles. Arquette became a single mother at 20 before marrying and divorcing actors nicolas Cage and thomas Jane.
BORN ON THIS DAY
MARY PICKFORD (18921979). the silent film star was nicknamed ‘America’s sweetheart’, even though she was born in Canada. she had little time for ‘talkies’, insisting: ‘Adding sound to movies would be like putting lipstick on the Venus de milo.’ she was 40 years into her career before she made a tV appearance, presenting an award to Cecil B. Demille at the first televised Oscars.
IAN SMITH (1919-2007). the last prime minister of white-ruled rhodesia unilaterally declared independence from Britain in 1965. He declared: ‘i don’t believe in black majority rule over rhodesia — not in a thousand years,’ and his war against African nationalist guerrillas cost up to 40,000, mainly black, lives.
ON APRIL 8. . .
IN 1838, isambard Kingdom Brunel’s ss Great Britain left Bristol for her maiden voyage to new york. IN 1995, take that went to number one with their biggest-selling single, Back For Good.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Apophthegm (1500s) A) the contemplation of death. B) A slight, tickling cough C) A concise saying, a maxim. Answer below
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Aladdin’s cave — meaning a place full of riches and good things; from the Arabian story of Aladdin in the thousand And One nights, first published in english in the 18th century, in which Aladdin obtains a magic lamp from a cave full of treasures.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
The thing about sport, any sport, is that swearing is very much part of it. Jimmy Greaves, ex-Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham and England footballer
JOKE OF THE DAY
i CAME second in my astronomy quiz... I got a constellation prize.
Guess The Definition answer: C.