Professor Hamilton's Diary: May 19, 1935

Mary Elizabeth suffers a relapse; Lawrence of Arabia dies from motorcycle injuries

Margaret Hamilton noticed this Sunday morning that the mastoid scars on one side of Mary Elizabeth’s head looked swollen. A visit with her doctor resulted in her ears being lanced again and instructions for the application of ice packs. “We were quite worried lest it develop further,” her father wrote.

If you have ever seen the epic film Lawrence of Arabia — and who hasn’t seen at least part of it — you might remember the opening sequence in which T.E. Lawrence (played by Peter O’Toole) is in a motorcycle wreck. Today is the day he died of his injuries at an English hospital, age 46. Paid subscribers can read on about this remarkable Englishman and his adventures in the Middle East.

The photograph of Lawrence, taken in 1919, was accessed from Wikimedia Commons.