ON THIS DAY
September 30, 2022
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE SEPTEMBER 30, 1964
RED China is likely to explode her first nuclear device very soon. The forecast was made in Washington today by Mr Dean Rusk, Secretary of State. Mr Rusk said that American detection systems would record the occurrence of the blast and the information would be made public.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2002
JOHN MAJOR fears his affair with Edwina Currie has wrecked his ambition to become a Knight of the Garter, the highest honour the Queen can bestow. All other surviving former Prime Ministers are members of the Order. The ex-Premier said the affair ‘is the event in my life I am most ashamed of’.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
KIERAN CULKIN, 40, the u.S. actor and brother of fellow actor Macaulay, starred in seven films — including Home Alone — before he turned 13, but has made his name as ‘the deviantly charismatic youngest son’ Roman Roy in TV series Succession. British co-star Matthew Macfadyen said: ‘I love being on set with Kieran. It’s always exciting and unpredictable and fascinating and funny.’
ANGIE DICKINSON, 91. The u.S. actress starred alongside Marlon Brando in The Chase and Frank Sinatra in Ocean’s Eleven. She was the daughter of a cinema projectionist, ‘so we got in for free’. She sparked a surge in female applications to the police force after she became Sgt. Pepper Anderson in 1970s TV series Police Woman.
BORN ON THIS DAY
GUS DUDGEON (1942-2002). The Surreyborn record producer was behind some of Elton John’s biggest hits, from Your Song to Rocket Man. Dudgeon said: ‘Whatever you hear on the records that’s over and above the essential construction of the song is down to myself and whoever else was working in the studio.’
FRANKIE LYMON (19421968). The u.S. singersongwriter was the lead singer of The Teenagers, who had hits including Why Do Fools Fall in Love — recorded when he was just 13. Ronettes singer Ronnie Spector said ‘Frankie had the greatest voice I’d ever heard’. Diana Ross admitted to emulating his sound when she started out. He died of a heroin overdose aged 25.
ON SEPTEMBER 30. . .
IN 1946, Nazi architect, Minister of Armaments and War Production and war criminal Albert Speer was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. IN 1972, David Cassidy had his first UK number one, How Can I Be Sure.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Empyrean (early 1600s) A) The beginning of anything. (Typically of a speech.) B) The entirety. C) The highest heaven. Answer below.
PHRASE EXPLAINED Keep the flag flying: meaning to represent your country or organisation most typically when abroad; it comes from the naval practice in warfare of lowering the flag to signify surrender.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
The best of healers is good cheer. Pindar, Greek poet (522-443BC)
JOKE OF THE DAY
DID you hear about the crow and the telegraph pole? He wanted to make a long distance caw. Guess The Definition answer: C.