Days Like These
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.9 January 1965
RICHARD NIXON,
politician (pictured),
writes in his memoirs:
"After a small party to celebrate my 52nd birthday, I sat in my study to look back on the past year and look ahead into the future. I reflected on the fact that Winston Churchill had been in his mid-fifties when he lost his position of leadership in the House of Commons in 1929, and most of his contemporaries had then written him off as a political leader. But Churchill refused to write himself off. I took heart from the example of his refusal to give up... I wrote down some `new year's resolutions for 1965': Set great goals; Daily rest; Brief vacations; Knowledge of all weaknesses; Better use of time; Begin writing book; Golf or some other kind of daily exercise; Articles or speeches on provocative new international and national issues.
I put down my yellow pad, turned out the light and stared into the fire"
10 January 1969
RICHARD BURTON,
actor, notes in his journal:
"Elizabeth [Taylor, his wife] was astonishingly drunk even as I got to lunch. I don't recollect her before being incoherent from drink. I expect it's from the drugs she's forced to take, not the booze. Christ, I hope she's all right. It would be frightful to live the rest of our lives in an alcoholic haze, seeing the world through fumes of spirits and cigarette smoke. never quite sure what you did or said the day before, what you read, whether wise or foolish, tardy or soon. God, I'm going to have a whisky and soda right now."
11 January 1942
IAN MORRISON,
journalist, observes Kuala Lumpur awaiting the
arrival of the Japanese:
"Civil authority had broken down. The European officials and residents had all evacuated. There was looting in progress such as I have never seen before. Most of the big department stores had already been whistled clean. There was now a general sack of all shops and premises. The streets were knee-deep in boxes and cardboard cartons and paper.
Looters could be seen carrying every imaginable prize away with them. Here was one man with a Singer sewing-machine over his shoulder, there a Chinese with a long roll of linoleum tied to the back of his bicycle, here two Tamils with a great sack of rice suspended from a pole, there a young Tamil struggling with a great box of the best Norwegian sardines."
Ian Irvine
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments