ON THIS DAY

In 1932, Australasia’s greatest ever racehorse – Phar Lap – died in California from suspected arsenic poisoning. Phar Lap (above) would win 37 races – including the 1930 Melbourne Cup and the hearts of every depression-era punter. After 78 years of supposition, did the Yanks kill him? We think so!

• 1904 – The first international Rugby League test is played in Wigan, England
• 1955 – Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of Britain at the age of 80 (he had been in politics for 55 years and would remain on the backbench until 1964 before dying on 24 January 1965 at the age of 90)
• 1964 – General Douglas ‘I shall return’ MacArthur dies
• 1976 – Billionaire and playboy, Howard Hughes dies at the age of 70 due to kidney failure (helped along with large amounts of codeine and Valium). Due to years of neglect, Hughes’ body was almost unrecognisable and the FBI had to take fingerprints to identify it
• 2008 – Charlton ‘Ben Hur’ Heston slips from this mortal coil

Birthdays

Spencer Tracy (1900), Film Producer Cubby ‘James Bond’ Broccoli (1909), Gregory Peck (1916)

Quotes 

“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat”

“A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject”

“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on”

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

- Winston Churchill