ON THIS DAY

FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE

JANUARY 6, 1916 MR ASqUITH introduced the Compulsion Bill for single men in Parliament yesterday. They have the option of joining the Derby groups, or of being taken in about six weeks’ time if the Bill passes within the next week. The exemptions are important, especially those for conscientious objectors and a last son left to a mother.

JANUARY 6, 1971 CIGARETTE manufacturers have been asked by Sir Keith Joseph, Secretary for Health and Social Security, to print warnings about the dangers of smoking on cigarette packets. An anti-smoking campaign is planned following the report, which shows that about 30,000 people under 65 are dying each year as a direct result of smoking.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

NIGELLA LAwSoN, 60. The TV cook said she loathed being a child: ‘I did feel guilty having children. I thought I was joining the enemy camp by becoming a parent.’ She has said her last meal would include: guacamole and blue cheese with tortilla chips, linguine with clams and white truffle risotto, roast chicken with roast potatoes, mash, chips, petits pois a la francaise and fennel salad, steak bearnaise, with English mustard and more chips, roast grouse, Korean barbecue, sushi, slow-cooked pork belly, a bacon sandwich, lemon meringue pie, passionfruit pavlova and zabaglione, muscat grapes and gorgonzola.

SyLVIA SyMS, 86. The London-born actress, star of Ice Cold In Alex, also played the queen Mother in The queen. She has been working since the 1950s, but insists: ‘I don’t think anyone sits in a casting and says, “Sylvia Syms, my God!” I’m too ordinary. They just think, “She’ll do.”’ She says she has turned down offers to write her autobiography because she is not interesting enough.

BORN ON THIS DAY

MICKEy HARGITAy (19262006). The Hungarian-born bodybuilder became an actor after moving to the U.S., winning Mr Universe 1955 and joining Mae west’s troupe of musclemen for her Las Vegas show. on seeing Hargitay, and asked what she’d like for dinner, star Jayne Mansfield reportedly said: ‘I’ll have a steak and the man on the left.’ The couple (above) married in 1958, but divorced six years later.

LoRETTA yoUNG (1913-2000). The U.S. actress made her screen debut at four but waited until the age of 35 before she won a best actress oscar for The Farmer’s Daughter, saying ‘At long last’ as she collected her statuette.