ON THIS DAY
November 17, 2021
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE NOVEMBER 17, 1984
THE death of Baby Fae, the infant with a transplanted baboon’s heart, unleashed a wave of anguished controversy last night.
There were bitter new accusations that American doctors had used her as a human guinea pig. And guilt among laymen over what a tiny child — and her parents — had suffered in the name of science.
Yesterday, after her death, Dr Leonard Bailey, who carried out the transplant in California, grimly defended the operation as a victory which ‘opened new vistas’ in medicine. He described Fae and her parents as ‘pioneers’ and said he would press ahead with similar operations.
NOVEMBER 17, 2010
NINE years after they met in a friend’s university digs, the romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton has finally been sealed with a ring. Yesterday’s longawaited announcement of their engagement came after years of fevered speculation.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
LAUREN HUTTON, 78. The u.S. model-turned-actress starred opposite James Caan in The Gambler and Richard Gere in American Gigolo. In 1973, Hutton, dubbed ‘the original supermodel’, signed a contract with cosmetics giant Revlon worth $250,000 a year for 20 days’ work — a record at that time.
DANNY DEVITO, 77. The 4 ft 10 in u.S. actor starred in the popular TV series Taxi and in films including Matilda. Asked which is the trait he most deplores in himself, he said: ‘I am self-centred. I just adore myself.’ He has also said his height boosted his career prospects: ‘No casting director is gonna forget the 5 ft guy!’
BORN ON THIS DAY
SARAH HARDING (19812021). The Berkshire-born singer and actress was one fifth of Girls Aloud, Britain’s biggest-selling girl group of the 21st century. She wrote in the band’s official book: ‘Dainty blonde I ain’t.’ When the group won their first Brit Award in 2009, seven years after formation, Harding lifted the trophy into the air and shouted: ‘It’s about time!’ She died of breast cancer in September aged 39.
ROCK HUDSON (1925-1985). Described as ‘pure 1950s beefcake’, the u.S. actor starred in Giant opposite Elizabeth Taylor and in a series of films with Doris Day. Born Roy Scherer, he took his stage name from the Rock of Gibraltar and the Hudson river. He married Phyllis Gates, his agent’s secretary, in 1955, but they divorced in 1958 after she learned the romance was arranged to dispel rumours of his homosexuality. He was the first major Hollywood star whose death was publicly attributed to Aids.
ON NOVEMBER 17…
IN 1558, Elizabeth I acceded to the throne after the death of Mary I. IN 1966, the Beach Boys achieved their first UK No 1, with Good Vibrations.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Flitch (c 900) A) A slab of timber cut from a tree trunk. B) An urchin. C) To steal. Answer below.
PHRASE EXPLAINED: Suffer a nose-dive — To go down very abruptly; from the world of flying, relating to any sudden descent of an aircraft’s rounded or pointed nose.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Duty is what no one else will do at the moment. Penelope Fitzgerald, English novelist (1916-2000)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHY did the alien wear a bulletproof vest? Because of all the shooting stars. Guess The Definition answer: A.