Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays

The Duchess of Gloucester, 50; Professor William Balchin, geographer, 80; Sir Brian Barder, former High Commissioner to Australia, 62; Professor Arthur Bell, former director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 70; Lord Brightman, former Judge of Appeal, 85; Dame Catherine Cookson, novelist, 90; Miss Wendy Craig, actress, 62; The Earl of Cranbrook, chairman, English Nature, 63; Brigadier Jill Field, former director, Army Nursing Services, 62; Mr Stephen Frears, film director, 55; Mr David French, director, Relate, 49; Mr Ronald Hines, actor, 67; Mr Richard Hornby, former chairman, Halifax Building Society, 74; Sir Westrow Hulse Bt, barrister, 87; Mr Alan Lamb, cricketer, 42; Mr Stanley Metcalfe, former chairman, Ranks Hovis McDougall, 64; Sir David Mitchell MP, 68; Mr Johnny Morris, broadcaster, 80; Sir Antony Pilkington, former chairman, Pilkington plc, 61; Mr Paul Ramirez, tennis player, 43; Mr Lionel Richie, singer and songwriter, 47; Mr Budge Rogers, rugby player, 57; Professor Sir Richard Southwood, zoologist, and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Oxford University, 65; Mr John Taylor, rock musician, 36; Miss Claire Tomalin, writer, 63; Sir Haydn Tudor Evans, former High Court judge, 76; The Right Rev John Waine, Bishop of Chelmsford, 66; Mr Brian Wilson, rock singer and composer, 55.

Anniversaries

Births: Dr George Hickes, theologian, 1642; Jacques Offenbach (Jakob Levy Eberst), composer, 1819; George Edmund Street, architect, 1824; Leon- Joseph-Florentin Bonnat, painter, 1833; Errol Flynn, actor, 1909. Deaths: Willem Barents, explorer, in the Arctic, 1597; Jules-Alfred Huot de Goncourt, writer, 1870; Francisco (Pancho) Villa (Doroteo Arango), South American revolutionary, assassinated 1923. On this day: the first municipal fire brigade in Britain was founded at Beverley, Yorkshire, 1726; the Oath of the Tennis Court (French Revolution) was made by the French National Assembly, 1789; the paddle-wheel steamer Savannah arrived at Liverpool under sail, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, 1819; Queen Victoria ascended the throne, 1837; a new Tay Railway Bridge was opened for public traffic, 1887; the first trolley-bus service in Britain was opened in Leeds, 1911; greyhound racing was commenced at the White City, London, 1927. Today is the Feast Day of St Adalbert of Magdeburg, St Bain or Bagnus, St Goban, Saints John Fenwick and John Gavan, St Silverius, Pope.