Anniversaries

Anniversaries

Births: Stendhal (Henri-Marie Beyle), novelist, 1783; Edouard Manet, painter, 1832; Subhas Chandra Bose, politician, 1897. Deaths: William Baffin, explorer, 1622; William Pitt the Younger, statesman, 1806; John Field, pianist and composer, 1837; Charles Kingsley, poet and novelist, 1875; William Whiteley, "The Universal Provider", department-store owner, shot dead 1907; Anna Pavlova, ballerina, 1931; Edvard Munch, painter, 1944; Sir Alexander Korda (Sandor Laszlo Korda), film producer, 1956; Paul Bustill Robeson, actor and singer, 1976. On this day: the Royal Exchange, London, was opened by Queen Elizabeth I, 1571; Fletcher Christian and the Bounty mutineers landed on Pitcairn Island, 1790; the first Labour government was formed, under Ramsay MacDonald, 1924; the proceedings of the House of Lords were televised for the first time, 1985. Today is the Feast Day of St Asclas, St Bernard of Vienne, Saints Clement and Agathangelus, St Emerentiana, St Ildephonsus, St John the Almsgiver, St Lufthildis and St Maimbod.