Every weekend Spectator Life brings you doses of topical trivia – facts, figures and anecdotes inspired by the current week’s dates in history …
July 18
(Getty)
In 1872 the Ballot Act introduced the secret ballot to UK elections. The word ‘poll’ comes from the days when votes were cast in public – it means ‘head’, as voters stood together and their heads were counted.
Nick Faldo (born 1957). On a trip to Florida, the golfer asked his Swedish caddy Fanny Sunesson if she would mind buying him a toothbrush, as he’d forgotten to bring one. She returned with two, saying: ‘I did not know if you wanted the hard bristols or the soft bristols.’
July 19
In 1900 the Paris Metro opened. The system has only one station that shares a name with a London Underground station – Temple.
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