6th March

My favourite swordsman of all time was born today in 1619. He was Hercule-Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, novelist, playwright, poet, scientist and owner of the largest nose in showbiz. He is said to have fought over 1000 duels over insults to his hooter and won them all. As a very young teacher I once played him in a school production and judging by Nolan's prowess with a (mercifully plastic!) blade, he might yet follow in his dad's footsteps in the same role.
If you haven't seen the Jose Ferrer film about the guy, made back in the Fifties, make sure you do. If you haven't seen the Gerard Depardieu remake - keep it that way!

In other news ...
Oscar Strauss was born on this day in 1870. His birthplace was Vienna and he wrote the opera The Chocolate Soldier. But he was totally eclipsed by his Jewish cousin, Levi, who invented jeans.

3rd March

I'm writing this one in a whisper so that I don't upset the cat. You see, on this day in 1848, his namesake, Count Metternich, was overthrown by rebels in Vienna during the Year of Revolutions. All Hell was let loose all over Europe in fact by people demanding the vote, more food, the setting up of republics, more food, the end of aristocracy and the power of the church and more food. Louis Philippe's palace was destroyed the previous month in France. Venice broke away from Austrian control. There were barricades and burnings and running battles in just about every European capital.

Except London. To be fair, we did have a Chartist rally (the Chartists were those lunatics who wanted the vote and five other ludicrous demands) but it was typically British. The petition of 5 million names demanding reform actually contained less than 2 million and they included the Duke of Wellington (who would have put himself through the shredder before allowing any kind of reform) and Victoria Rex (King Victoria). Others were Pug Nose, Big Ears etc. All of which goes to show how seriously we British took our politics. Incidentally, in this rally, there were far more policemen than protesters (David Cameron, are you listening?)

In other news ...

Jean Harlow, the platinum blonde star of the new talkie screen was born today in 1911. Margot Asquith, when addressed by the star as Margotte, replied, 'the "t" is silent, as in Harlot [pronouncing it Harlow, of course].'  But as Temperance Brennan of Bones would say, there is no 't' in Harlow, so that is not only illogical but it is non-consequential and ultimately unamusing. Although we at Maxwell Towers have been known to double up over it. It is one up on the 'pee is silent as in the bath' joke - but not by much.

4th February

There was outrage today in Vienna back in 1928 because of the naughty stage act of Josephine Baker. The forerunner in many ways of Rihanna and Lady Gaga by way of Madonna, 'Hot Jazz' Josephine upset Viennese Nazis because of her skimpy banana skin costume. Apparently, it upset them because it was indecency in public. Actually of course it showed far too much of her dark skin for their liking and must have upset their delicate Aryan sensibilities.

In other news ...
Back in 1861 the greatest nation on earth (according to some definitions) almost destroyed itself by an illegal opt-out clause. On this day, seven of the soon-to-be United States met in Montgomery, Alabama (curiously, named after a British general who hadn't been born yet) and agreed to set up the Confederate States of America. Apart from causing the deaths of more Americans than in any of their conflicts before or since, it produced some worthless currency, rather nice French grey uniforms, a plethora of Southern Belles, some great marching tunes and one of the worst films ever made - Gone With the Wind.

Thanks, guys.

And by the way, the list of girl (and rather mature lady, in the case of Madonna) singers above is courtesy of the boys of Eleven Emm Oh. So please be reassured that the sentence represents their tastes, not mine! I am more an Enya or Hayley Westenra kind of chap.