Anniversaries

Anniversaries

Births: Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, physician and politician, 1738; William Pitt the Younger, statesman, 1759; Ian Lancaster Fleming, writer and creator of "James Bond", 1908; the Dionne Quintuplets, Cecilie, Yvonne, Annette, Emilie and Marie, 1934. Deaths: Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1089; Jan van der Meer (Jan Vermeer van Haarlem the Younger), painter, buried 1705; Anne Bronte, novelist, 1849; John Russell, first Earl Russell, statesman, 1878; Sir John Lubbock, first Baron Avebury, banker and writer, 1913; Edward, Duke of Windsor, 1972; Eric Morecambe (Eric Bartholomew), comedian, 1984. On this day: the English defeated the Dutch at the Battle of Southwold Bay, 1672; Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister, 1937; the Orient Express train, Paris-Bucharest, ceased running after 78 years, 1961; Francis Chichester arrived home at Plymouth after his round-the-world voyage, 1967. Today is the Feast Day of St Germanus of Paris, St Ignatius of Rostov, St Justus of Urgel, St Senator of Milan and St William of Gellone.