Anniversaries

Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bt., explorer and genealogist, 49; Miss Beatrice Arthur, actress, 67; Mr Clive Barnes, drama critic, New York Post, 66; Mr Joe Brown, actor and singer, 52; Sir John Cope MP, Paymaster General, 56; Miss Eileen Diss, theatrical designer, 62; Mr Peter Gabriel, pop singer and songwriter, 43; General John Galvin, US Army, former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, 64; Dr Jane Glover, conductor, 44; Sir John Habakkuk, former principal, Jesus College, Oxford, 78; Mr Tony Hide, racehorse trainer, 54; Mr David Hughes, cricketer, 46; Sir John Johnston, former diplomat, 75; Sir Laurence Kirwan, archaeologist, 86; The Earl of Leven and Melville, Lord-Lieutenant of Nairn, 69; Mr Sydney Lipworth, former chairman, Monopolies and Mergers Commission, 62; Sir Paul Osmond, former senior civil servant, 76; The Earl of Perth, former Government minister, 86; Mr Tim Pigott-Smith, actor, 47; Sir Alfred Pugsley, civil engineer, 90; Mr Sanjiva Reddy, former president of India, 80; Gp Capt Dr Michael Richardson, former commandant, Royal Star and Garter Home, 87; Miss Selina Scott, television presenter, 42; Marquess Townshend, former chairman, Anglia Television, 77; Sir William Utting, former chief inspector, Social Services, 62; Miss Zoe Wanamaker, actress, 44; Mr Stevie Wonder, singer, 43.

Births: Dante (Durante) Alighieri, poet, 1265; Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, 1717; Pope Pius IX, 1792; Louis-Leopold Robert, painter 1794; Josephine Elizabeth Butler, social reformer, 1828; Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan, composer, 1842; Georges Braque, Cubist painter, 1882; Dame Daphne du Maurier (Lady Browning), author, 1907; Joe Louis, heavyweight boxing champion, 1914.

Deaths: Sir James Thornhill, painter, 1734; John Nash, architect, planner of Regent's Park and Regent Street, 1835; Joseph Henry, physicist, 1878; James Young, industrial chemist, 1883; Alexander Buchan, meteorologist, 1907; Frances Mary Hodgkins, painter, 1947; (Frank James) Gary Cooper, actor, 1961.

On this day: Mary of Scotland was defeated during the rebellion at the Battle of Langside (Glasgow), 1568; the Presidency of Quito became the Republic of Ecuador, 1830; the US declared war on Mexico, 1846; Igor Sikorsky test-flew a large airliner, 1931; German and Italian forces in Africa surrendered, 1943.

Today Today is the Feast Day of St Andrew Hubert Fournet, St Erconwald, St Euthymius the Enlightener, St Glyceria of Heraclea, St John the Silent, St Mucius or Mocius, St Peter Regalatus, St Servatius or Servais and St Solomon.