Anniversaries:

TODAY: Births: St Bernadette of Lourdes (Marie-Bernarde Soubirous), 1844; Francis-Jean Marcel Poulenc, composer, 1899. Deaths: Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, 1536; Nicholas Hillyarde, first English miniaturist painter, 1619; Sophia LouisaJex-Blake, physician and champion of women's rights, 1912; John Berryman, poet, 1972. On this day: Glasgow University was founded, 1450; the first woman was elected as foreman of a jury in Britain, 1921; The Forsyte Saga television serialisation

began on BBC1, 1967. Today is Christmas Day in the Orthodox Church and the Feast Day of St Aldric, St Canute Lavard, St Lucian of Antioch, St Raymund of Penafort, St Reinold, St Tillo and St Valentine of Rhaetia.

TOMORROW Births: William Wilkie Collins, novelist, 1824; Elvis Presley, rock singer, 1935. Deaths: Galileo Galilei, astronomer, 1642; Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, 1941; Chou En-lai, Chinese leader, 1976. On this day: Chequers C ourt was occupied by its first prime minister tenant, David Lloyd-George, 1921. Tomorrow is the Feast Day of St Adrian of Canterbury, St Apollinaris the Apologist, St Erhard, St Gudula, St Lucian of Beauvais, St Pega, St Severinus of Noricum Repense, St Severinus of Septempeda, St Thorfinn and St Wulain.