Birthdays

TODAY: Lord Attenborough, actor, producer and director, 75; Professor Laing Barden, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, 67; Dr Yvonne Burne, Head, City of London School for Girls, 51; Sir Julius Chan, former prime minister, Papua New Guinea, 59; Mr Michael Clarke, Keeper, National Gallery of Scotland, 46; Mr Robert Cormack, former ambassador to Sweden, 63; Dame Mary Donaldson, former, and first woman Lord Mayor of London, 77; Sir Nigel Foulkes, former chairman, Civil Aviation Authority, 79; Mr Elliott Gould, actor, 60; Mr Thom Gunn, poet, 69; Mr Lenny Henry, comedian, 40; Lord Hussey of North Bradley, former BBC chairman, 75; Miss Angela Huth, writer, 60; Mr Michael Jackson, singer, 40; Lord King of Wartnaby, president of British Airways, 80; Mr John Mackenzie of Mornish, company chairman, 73; Lord Newton of Braintree, former government minister, 61; Mr Denniss Pinn, former chairman, Alcan Aluminium, 84; Mr Norman Platt, former artistic director and founder of Kent Opera, 78; Mr Greg Pope MP, an Assistant Whip, 38; Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, chairman, N.M. Rothschild & Sons, 67; Mr Frank Roy MP, 40; Ms Geraldine Smith MP, 37; Mr Dick Spring, former Deputy Prime Minister, Irish Republic, 48.

TOMORROW: Dr Barbara Ansell, rheumatologist, 75; Sir Harold Atcherley, former chairman, Aldeburgh Foundation, 80; Mr Ben Bradshaw MP, 38; Sir Patrick Branigan QC, former Attorney-General, Gold Coast, 92; Ms Karen Buck MP, 40; Sir Charles Burman, former chairman, Tarmac, 90; Mr Allan Davis, actor, director and producer, 85; Mr Kenneth Gill, former trade union leader, 71; Dr Alan Gilmour, former director, NSPCC, 70; Mr Martin Harris, chartered accountant and company director, 76; Lord Healey, former government minister, 81; Air Marshal Sir Frank Holroyd, former Chief Engineer, RAF, 63; Miss Jayne Irving, television presenter, 42; Lord Keith of Castleacre, merchant banker, 82; Dr Jeremy Lee-Potter, haematologist and former chairman, British Medical Association, 64; The Countess of Longford, writer, 92; Mr Robin Lustig, broadcaster, 50; Mr William McAlister, cultural programme co-ordinator, Soros Foundations, 58; Miss Sue MacGregor, BBC radio presenter, 57; Dr Peter North, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Oxford University, 62; Sir Peter Parker, chairman, Mitsubishi Electric UK, 74; Mr John Peel, broadcaster, 59; Sir Henry Phillips, former colonial administrator, 84; Miss Audrey Scott, former Headmistress, Queen Anne's School, Caversham, 64; Mr George Stevenson MP, 60; Professor John Thoday, geneticist, 82; The Very Rev Professor Thomas Torrance, theologian, 85; Sir Philip Woodfield, former senior civil servant, 75.