George Robey (1869–1954) was an English comedian, singer and actor in
musical theatre, known as one of the greatest music hall performers of
the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Robey mixed everyday situations
and observations with comic absurdity, and was a popular Christmas
pantomime performer. His notable successes during the First World War
included the hit revue The Bing Boys Are Here, in which he sang "If You
Were the Only Girl (In the World)". Born in London to a middle-class
family, he made his debut on stage at age 21 as the straight man to a
comic hypnotist. He soon developed his own music hall act. In 1892, he
appeared in his first pantomime, Whittington Up-to-date. He starred in
the Royal Command Performance in 1912 and regularly entertained before
aristocracy. In 1913 he debuted in film, but with only modest success.
From 1918, he created sketches based on his character,
the Prime
Minister of Mirth. He played Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1 in 1935, and
again in Laurence Olivier's 1944 film. During the Second World War,
Robey raised money for charities and promoted recruitment into the
forces. He was knighted a few months before his death.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Robey>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1781:
The crew of the overcrowded British slave ship Zong killed 133
African slaves by dumping them into the sea to claim insurance.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zong_massacre>
1864:
American Indian Wars: A 700-man Colorado Territory militia
attacked a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho, killing 133 Cheyenne and
Arapaho men, women, and children.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Creek_massacre>
1890:
The Diet of Japan (pictured in session), a bicameral
legislature modelled after both the German Reichstag and the British
Westminster system, first met after the Meiji Constitution went into
effect.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Diet>
1947:
The United Nations General Assembly voted to approve the
Partition Plan for Palestine, a plan to resolve the Arab–Israeli
conflict in the British Mandate of Palestine by separating the territory
into Jewish and Arab states.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Partition_Plan_for_Palestine>
1972:
Atari released Pong, one of the first video games to achieve
widespread popularity in both the arcade and home console markets.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
capacious:
Having a lot of space inside; roomy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/capacious>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Write on my gravestone: "Infidel, Traitor" — infidel to every
church that compromises with wrong; traitor to every government that
oppresses the people.
--Wendell Phillips
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wendell_Phillips>