Anniversaries

Anniversaries

Births: Pope Gregory XIII, 1502; James Harrington, political theorist, 1611; Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples, 1768; Eilhard Mitscherlich, chemist, 1794; Millard Fillmore, 13th US President, 1800; Sigismond Fortune Francois Thalberg, pianist and composer, 1812; Robert Nicoll, poet, 1814; Heinrich von Stephan, politician and pioneer of the UPU, 1831; Titus Charles Constantin, conductor, 1835; St Bernadette of Lourdes (Marie-Bernarde Soubirous), 1844; Carl Laemmle, film producer, founder of Universal Pictures, 1867; Felix-Edouard Justin-Emile Borel, mathematician, 1871; Charles-Pierre Peguy, poet and socialist, 1873; Adolph Zukor, film magnate, 1873; Albert Alick (Al) Bowlly, singer, 1899; Francis-Jean Marcel Poulenc, composer, 1899. Deaths: Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, 1536; Nicholas Hillyarde, first English miniaturist painter, 1619; Francois de Salignac de la Mothe-Fenelon, priest and author, 1715; Allan Ramsay, poet, 1758; Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, engraver and painter, 1801; Sir Thomas Lawrence, painter, 1830; John Hookham Frere, author and poet, 1846; Thomas Waghorn, traveller, 1850; Sophia Louisa Jex-Blake, physician and women's rights champion, 1912; Henry Arthur Jones, playwright, 1929; Nikola Tesla, inventor, 1943; Sir Arthur Keith, anthropologist, 1955; John Berryman, poet, 1972; Alvar Lidell, broadcaster, 1981; Dr Alfred Kastler, physicist, 1984; Trevor Wallace Howard, actor, 1988. On this day: Glasgow University was founded, 1450; Calais, held by the English, was recaptured by France, 1558; Galileo discovered the four satellites of Jupiter, 1610; Jean-Pierre Blanchard, with Dr John Jeffries, crossed the Channel by balloon from England to France, 1785; the London General Omnibus Company started operating, 1857; the first woman was elected as foreman of a jury in Britain, 1921; a picture- by-wire service was established between Britain and Germany, 1930; Princess Juliana of the Netherlands married Prince Bernhard at the Hague, 1937; the television serialisation of The Forsyte Saga began on BBC1, 1967. Today is the Feast Day of St Aldric, St Canute Lavard, St Lucian of Antioch, St Raymund of Penafort, St Reinold, St Tillo and St Valentine of Rhaetia.