Rasputin was murdered today in 1916 by Prince Felix Yusopov at the nobleman's house in St Petersburg. 'Rasputin' means the debauched one and he certainly enjoyed the company of titled ladies (even, it was rumoured, the Tsarina), drank like a fish and exposed himself in various restaurants. The stories of his death were much exaggerated. Allegedly, he was poisoned (in his wine and cakes), shot, bashed with chains, tied up and thrown into the frozen river Neva. When they pulled him out two days later, it was said that he still had had the strength to snap the rope.
Wow.
In other news ...
Anita Loos got it right today in the Observer in 1973 when she wrote 'I'm furious about the Women's Liberationists. They keep ... proclaiming that women are brighter than men. That's true, but it should be kept very quiet or it ruins the whole racket.'
