May 19, 1971 — Ogden Nash, the American poet famous for his short, whimsical verse, died on this day at the age of 68.
Described by Atlantic Monthly magazine as “God’s Gift to America,” his work ranged from a warning to children: “If called by a panther/Don’t anther” . . . to his ‘Reflections on Ice-Breaking’ for young men wishing to woo:
Candy
Is dandy
But liquor
Is quicker.And if the ice-breaking was successful and marriage followed, Nash had further advice:
Pastafarian Woman Wears Colander in Driver's License Photo
November 16, 2015 11:50 AM EST
A woman who belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has won the right to wear a colander on her head in her Massachusetts driver’s license photo. Her initial attempts were denied.
“As a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, I feel delighted that my Pastafarianism has been respected by the Massachusetts RMV,” the woman, Lindsay Miller, said in a press release from the American Humanist Association.
Police, JTF raid criminal den, rescue kidnapped victims in Anambra.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the rescue in a statement on Tuesday. Ikenga said the victim was rescued after operatives busted a criminal den at Umuduru, Ihiala Local Government Area of the state. He said that the feat was achieved following the arrest of a suspect(name withheld) a few weeks ago. Ikenga noted that the arrested suspect confessed to being a member of a notorious kidnap gang, terrorising the Ihiala area of the state.
Prince William Poses on a Motorcycle in Photo
February 21, 2018 11:36 AM EST
Prince William may be a married man and a father of two (soon to be three), but that doesn’t mean he can’t dabble in the wild side. The motorcycle-riding side, that is.
On Tuesday, the Duke of Cambridge dropped by Triumph Motorcycles and the HORIBA MIRA Technology Park in Hinckley, England. Technically, the royal visit was intended to be a chance for the future king to “learn more about world-class British vehicle manufacture and research in the East Midlands,” according to the Kensington Palace Instagram caption that documented his experience.
Religion: Naked Hatred | TIME
TIME
November 28, 1955 12:00 AM GMT-5
While preparing to return to England on his superiors’ orders, Anglican Father Trevor Huddleston, South Africa’s great enemy of apartheid (TIME, Nov. 14), showed newsmen a remarkable document. It was a letter from a government official named Hertzog Biermann, and it typified the bitterness which, in the name of God, many white South Africans harbor against an outspoken man of God. Excerpts:
“You have left nothing undone to provoke the most un-Christian feelings through the mischief you have worked here .
Richie Ashburn (Baseball Player) - On This Day
Full Name: "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash" and "Whitey"
Profession: Baseball Player
Biography: An outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies and veteran sportscaster, Ashburn is one of the most beloved sports figures in Philadelphia history. In 1995, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Born: March 19, 1927
Birthplace: Tilden, Nebraska, USA Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rabbit
Star Sign: Pisces
Died: September 9, 1997 (aged 70)
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Star Wars Episode VIII: Mystery Surrounds Filming in Ireland
It could be the Millennium Falcon or it could be a Jedi temple, but the residents of Malin Head in the most northerly part of Ireland have never seen anything like it. Some residents may know what set designers from Lucasfilm are building on a remote clifftop for filming scenes of Star Wars Episode VIII next week, but they have signed confidentiality agreements and no one is inclined to break them.
Stars Who Were Once Homeless
In the 1990s, actor and movie mogul Tyler Perry was living in Atlanta, trying to stage the play that would get him famous, “I Know I’ve Been Changed.” After using up all of his savings, he became homeless, on and off for a period of 6 years, living in his car, or as he as he told Oprah, living in a “pay-by-the-week hotel that was full of crackheads.” In 1998, his hard work paid off when “I Know I’ve been Changed” became a hit, setting Perry on the path to stardom.
State Stamps Out Small 'Jasmine' Protests in China
The anonymous call for a “jasmine revolution” in China’s major cities was made online, first on a website run by overseas dissidents, then on Twitter, which despite being blocked is still widely used by activists in China. But unlike what happened in Tunisia and Egypt, where such efforts prompted massive street protests that eventually toppled both governments, the biggest response in China was from the state. Over the weekend the government rounded up lawyers, activists and dissidents, increased online censorship and deployed massive numbers of police to quash any demonstrations.