Anniversaries

Births: Arcangelo Corelli, composer, 1653; Horace Benedict de Saussure, geologist, 1740; John Pinkerton, historian, 1758; Henri Vieuxtemps, violinist and composer, 1820; Ronald Arbuthnott Knox, theologian and essayist, 1888.

Deaths: Tamerlane the Great, Mongol leader, 1405; Moliere (Jean- Baptiste Poquelin), playwright, 1673; (Harry) Heinrich Heine, poet, 1856; Geronimo (Goyathlay - 'One Who Yawns'), Apache chief, 1909; Sir Donald Wolfit, actor, 1968; Graham Vivian Sutherland, painter, 1980; Lee Strasberg, actor and founder of the Actors' Studio, 1982.

On this day: the Yorkists were defeated by the Lancastrians at the Battle of St Albans, 1461; the inner tomb of Tutankhamun was opened at Luxor by the team led by Lord Carnarvon, 1923; a majority in the House of Commons decided that Britain should join the Common Market, 1972.

Today is the Feast Day of St Evermod, St Finan of Lindisfarne, St Fintan of Cloneenagh, St Loman, The Seven Servite Founders and Saints Theodulus and Julian.