On This Day: Our favourite flying nun turns 80

Before the Oscars and the emotional speeches, there was a young actress wearing television’s most improbable headwear. Today, Sally Field celebrates her 80th birthday.

That enormous white cornette is hard to forget. As Sister Bertrille in The Flying Nun, Sally Field became a familiar face in Australian lounge rooms, playing a novice whose headwear helped her take flight.

Born on November 6, 1946, Field first found television fame in Gidget in 1965. The Flying Nun followed in 1967, but those cheerful sitcom roles made convincing Hollywood she could handle serious drama a struggle.

Her performance in the 1976 television film Sybil helped change that, earning her an Emmy. Then came Norma Rae, with Field playing a factory worker who becomes a union organiser. She won the best actress Oscar in 1980, followed by another in 1985 for Places in the Heart.

For many readers, though, a favourite performance might be her fiercely protective mother in Steel Magnolias, or her exasperated parent opposite Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire. Her career offers plenty of reasons to revisit an old favourite this weekend.

Australia votes on a republic

On November 6, 1999, Australians voted on whether to become a republic, with a president appointed by a two-thirds parliamentary majority replacing the Queen and governor-general. The proposal failed, attracting 45.13 per cent support nationally and no state majority. The debate divided even republicans, with some wanting voters to elect a president directly. A separate proposal to add a constitutional preamble also failed.

Daytime television finds its voice

On November 6, 1967, The Phil Donahue Show began as a local programme in Dayton, Ohio. Its audience participation format helped reshape daytime television, giving ordinary people a microphone alongside the invited guests. Donahue tackled controversial subjects and encouraged viewers to join the discussion, establishing an approach that became familiar to Australians watching American talk shows in the decades that followed.

Born on this day

Glenn Frey, the Eagles co-founder, would have turned 78. The musician died in January 2016.

Ethan Hawke turns 56. His films include Dead Poets Society and Training Day, which earned him his first Oscar nomination.

Do you remember?

Did you first watch Sally Field in Gidget or The Flying Nun, or discover her at the movies?