| Monday, October 5, 2009 |
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| 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' |
Answer of the DayWhat do "Gwen Dibley's Flying Circus," "Owl-Stretching Time," "Bun, Whackett, Buzzard, Stubble and Boot," "A Toad Elevating Moment," "Sex and Violence" and "A Horse, a Bucket and a Spoon" have in common? They were all bandied about as possible names for the show that aired forty years ago today on BBC-TV — Monty Python's Flying Circus. Comic writers and actors Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin brought a new level of outrageous, bawdy and often tasteless satire to British television. The TV show spawned movies, albums and a wildly successful Broadway musical, Spamalot. The members of the Python troup became so popular that each one was honored with his own asteroid: 9617 Grahamchapman, 9618 Johncleese, 9619 Terrygilliam, 9620 Ericidle, 9621 Michaelpalin, and 9622 Terryjones.
Quote"No day of my life passes without someone saying the words 'Monty Python' to me. It's not bad."
Word of the dayscrumpy
Rough, unsweetened cider.
George Bernard Shaw pithily observed, "England and America are two countries separated by a common language." For the next fortnight, we'll examine words that are current in the UK but may be unfamiliar to the average American.
Today's History
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Dan Quayle (not Jack Kennedy) |
- Jarrow March: 200 protesters set out on a walk from Jarrow in northeastern England to Parliament in London in a bid to draw attention to their unemployment and poverty (1936)
- PBS: nonprofit TV network began broadcasting (1970)
- Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy: political putdown was uttered by Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle during a vice-presidential candidates' debate (1980)
Today's Birthdays
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| Kate Winslet |
- Denis Diderot (1713-1784): Enlightenment philosopher, Encyclopédie editor
- Raymond A. Kroc (1902-1984): fast-food pioneer, who set up first franchise of McDonald's
- Bil Keane (87): cartoonist, The Family Circus
- Václav Havel (73): writer, political dissenter, first president of the Czech Republic; US president Chester A. Arthur (1830-1886) shares this birth date
- Bob Geldof (58): singer and political activist, Live Aid; plus, musicians Richard Street (67), Steve Miller (66) and Brian Johnson (62)
- Kate Winslet (34): Oscar-winner for The Reader; also, actors Glynis Johns (86), Diane Cilento (76), Karen Allen (58), Bernie Mac (1958-2008), Daniel Baldwin (49), Guy Pearce (42) and Parminder Nagra (34)
- Mario Lemieux (44): hockey player; NHL colleague Patrick Roy also turns 44 today
