Anniversaries

Births: William Pitt the Younger, statesman, 1759; Ian Lancaster Fleming, author and creator of 'James Bond', 1908; the Dionne Quintuplets, Cecilie, Yvonne, Annette, Emilie and Marie, 1934.

Deaths: Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1089; Noah Webster, lexicographer, 1843; Anne Bronte, novelist, 1849; Edward, Duke of Windsor, 1972; Eric Morecambe (Eric Bartholomew), comedian, 1984.

On this day: Hernando de Soto landed in Florida, 1539; 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 and St Ignatius of Rostov.

Dinners

HAC Active Officers' Dinner

The Active Officers of the Honourable Artillery Company held a dinner held yesterday evening at Armoury House, London EC1. The Commanding Officer, Lt-Col OJ Wingate, was in the chair.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mr Douglas Hurd MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, held a dinner yesterday evening, at Carlton Gardens, London SW1, in honour of Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman.