Sydney Newman (April 1, 1917 – October 30, 1997) was a Canadian film and television producer who played a pioneering role in British television and Canadian cinema. During the 1950s and 60s, he held the role of Head of Drama at ABC Weekend TV and later at the BBC. During this time, he created the spy-fi series The Avengers and co-created the science-fiction series Doctor Who. After his return to Canada in 1970, Newman was appointed acting director of the Broadcast Programs Branch for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and then head of the National Film Board of Canada. He also occupied senior positions at the Canadian Film Development Corporation and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as acting as an advisor to the Secretary of State. His obituary in The Guardian declared that "for ten brief but glorious years, [he] ... was the most important impresario in Britain", and that his death marked the "laying to rest of a whole philosophy of popular art".

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Newman

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1924:

The New York Times published evidence from Edwin Hubble stating that the Andromeda Nebula, previously believed to be part of the Milky Way, is in fact another galaxy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Hubble

2003:

Rose Revolution: Eduard Shevardnadze resigned as President of Georgia following weeks of mass protests over disputed election results. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Shevardnadze

2009:

A crowd of people on their way to register Esmael Mangudadatu's candidacy for governor of Maguindanao, Philippines, were kidnapped and killed by supporters of his rival, resulting in 58 deaths. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maguindanao_massacre

2011:

Arab Spring: After months of protests in Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to transfer power to Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdrabbuh_Mansur_Hadi

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

rachitic: 1. (pathology) Of or pertaining to, or affected by, rickets (“a disorder of infancy and early childhood due to a deficiency of vitamin D, causing soft or weak bones”). 2. (figurative) In a precarious or weak condition; likely to break down or collapse; feeble, rickety. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rachitic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.   --Alfonso X of Castile https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfonso_X_of_Castile