Birthdays

TODAY: Mr Kenneth Armitage, sculptor, 76; Lady Bingley, Research Social Worker, City Corporation, 67; Mr Edward Bond, playwright and stage director, 58; Mr Richard Branson, founder and chairman, Virgin Group, 42; Mr James Brolin, actor, 52; Mr Dave Cash, disc jockey, 50; Sir Anthony Cox, architect, 77; Mr George Doggart, cricket historian and former headmaster, 67; Sir William Doughty, chairman, North West Thames Regional Health Authority, 67; Viscount Esher, former rector, Royal College of Art, 79; Mr Nick Faldo, golfer, 35; Mr John Fraser, chairman and chief executive, Ciba-Geigy, 61; Senator John Glenn, politician and former astronaut, 71; Professor Herbert Hart, former principal, Brasenose College, Oxford, 85; Mr David Hemery, athlete, 48; Miss Elizabeth Jennings, author, 66; Mr Burt Kwouk, actor, 62; Lord Layton, company director, 45; Vice-Admiral Sir Louis Le Bailly, former Director-General of Intelligence, 77; Mr Dennis Lillee, cricketer, 43; Mr Nelson Mandela, President, African National Congress, 74; Mr Michael Medwin, actor, 63; Mr Anthony Miles, publisher, 62; Mr Richard Pasco, actor, 66; Sir Brooks Richards, former diplomat, 74; Sir Robert Speed QC, former Counsel to the Speaker, 87; Dr Martin Stephen, headmaster, The Perse School, Cambridge, 43; Mr Hugh Stephenson, writer and journalist, 54; Sir Jamie Stormonth Darling, former director, National Trust for Scotland, 74; Mrs Mary Stott, journalist, 85; Lord Strauss, former government minister, 91; Mr Peter Ensor Walters, fund-raising consultant, 80; Dr Basil Weedon, former vice-chancellor, Nottingham University, 69; Mr Yevgeny Yevtushenko, poet, 59.

TOMORROW: Sir Robin Auld, High Court judge, 55; Mr David Bowe, MEP, 39; Sir Norman Brain, former diplomat, 85; Mr John Bratby, painter, 64; Sir Henry Brooke, High Court judge, 56; Mr W. Glanville Brown, barrister and linguist, 85; Mr Simon Cadell, actor, 42; Mr Cameron Cochrane, first headmaster, Prince Willem-Alexander College, Holland, 59; Viscount Colville of Culross QC, 59; Mr Nicholas Danby, organist, 57; Baroness Elles, former Vice-President, European Parliament, 71; Sir Anthony Grabham, chairman, BMA Service, 62; Mr George Hamilton IV, country singer, 55; Maj-Gen Donald Isles, former Director General, Weapons (Army), 68; Dr Mary McGeown, nephrologist, 69; Sir Stephen Miller, former Surgeon Oculist to the Queen, 77; Sir David Money-Coutts, chairman, Coutts & Co, 61; Mr Dominic Muldowney, composer and music director, National Theatre, 40; Mr Ilie Nastase, tennis player, 46; Mr Adrian Noble, artistic director, Royal Shakespeare Company, 42; Sir Frederick O'Brien QC, former Sheriff Principal, Lothian and Borders, 75; Air Chief Marshal Sir David Parry-Evans, Ministry of Defence (Central Staffs), 57; Rear-Admiral Godfrey Place VC, 71; Mr Ivor Roberts, actor, 67; Mr Henry Wendt, chairman, SmithKline Beecham, 59.