Day Tripping: December 28

The Original Showstopper

Dame Margaret Natalie Smith was born in 1934 and began her acting career on stage at the Oxford Playhouse while a student in 1952. She has appeared in over 70 plays, 60 films, and widely successful television shows including Downton Abbey.

Maggie Smith debuted professionally on the London stage in 1956 and has since won a Tony Award, two Oscars, and four Primetime Emmys. Add seven BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, and five SAG Awards and it’s clear Dame Maggie is a force to be reckoned with.

She is often cast as the irreverent maternal figure whose one-liners often stole the show.

“It’s true I don’t tolerate fools but then they don’t tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that’s why I’m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.”

Maggie Smith has appeared in some of the most acclaimed films of the last half-century including the Harry Potter series. But one of her most memorable is in a lesser-known gem called Keeping Mum, a dark comedy with Rowan Atkinson where she plays a murderous nanny. As usual, her understated charm and grace steal the film.

Today is:

National Chocolate Day — I could swear we’ve seen this before but hey…it’s chocolate.

Musical Ride

In a London newspaper interview in 2003, guitarist and composer Peter Townshend of The Who revealed he seriously considered suicide after his arrest the year before. Townshend was charged after being caught on child pornography websites, although he insisted he was researching a book to deal with his own sexual abuse history when he was a child.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Upon hearing of her daughter Carrie Fisher’s death, actor and singer Debbie Reynolds suffered a heart attack and passes away the next day in 2016. Debbie Reynolds was 84.

Notable Births

1932 — Nichelle Nichols: “Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going. Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain’t stopped yet. There’s more exploration to come.”

1954 — Denzel Washington: “Why do we close our eyes when we pray, cry, kiss, or dream? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen but felt by the heart.”

K. Barrett Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr. Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Terry Trueman Dr. Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Holly Kellums Michael Burg, MD Lucy Dan Dave Logan

All previous Day Tripping entries are available at the following links:

The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present

A comprehensive directory for Day Tripping