Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays

Mr Zaheer Abbas, cricketer, 50; Mr John Ambler, vice-president, Texaco, 63; Mr Robert Bauman, chairman, British Aerospace, 66; Baroness Blatch, former government minister, 60; Mr Julian Brazier MP, 44; Miss Lynda Carter, actress and singer, 46; Sir Trevor Chinn, chairman and chief executive, Lex Service, 62; Mr Anthony Colman MP, 54; Mr Robin Cutler, former Director- General, Forestry Commission, 63; Lord Digby, Lord-Lieutenant for Dorset, 73; Mr Robert Farnon, composer, 81; Sir Edward Ford, Secretary and Registrar, the Order of Merit, 87; M Jacques Fouroux, rugby player, 50; Professor Derek Fraser, Vice-Chancellor, Teesside University, 57; Lord Hambro, chairman, Hambros, 67; Mr James Hele, former High Master, St Paul's School, 71; Mr Wilfred Josephs, composer, 70; Vice-Admiral Sir David Loram, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, 73; Mr Edwin Mirvish, proprietor, the Old Vic, 83; Mr Les Reed, songwriter, 62; Mr Ruggiero Ricci, violinist, 79; Sir David Simon (life peer), Minister for European Trade and Competitiveness, 58; Mr Christopher Smith MP, Secretary of State, Department of Media, Culture and Sport, 46; Sir Colin Southgate, chairman, Thorn EMI and PowerGen, 59; Miss Nora Swinburne, actress, 95; Professor Frank Thistlethwaite, founding Vice-Chancellor, East Anglia University, 82; Mr Peter Yates, film director and producer, 68.

Anniversaries

Births: Alexandre Dumas pere (Davy de la Pailleterie), author, 1802. Deaths: Peter Sellers, actor, 1980. On this day: Britain's first speaking clock (TIM) began operating, with the voice of Jean Cain, 1936. Today is the Feast Day of St Boris or Romanus, St Christina of Bolsena, St Christina the Astonishing, St Declan, St Gleb or David and St Lewinna.