Birthdays

TODAY: Miss Shirley Bassey, singer, 57; Mr David Bowie, rock singer and actor, 47; Mr John Cahill, chairman, British Aerospace, 64; Mr Stuart Cameron, former chairman, Gallaher Ltd, 70; Sir Maxwell Entwistle, underwriter, 84; Professor Stephen Hawking, mathematician, 52; Maj-Gen John Holden, 81; Lord Hollenden, former chairman, I. & R. Morley, 80; Mr Andrew Hunter MP, 51; The Right Rev Edward Knapp-Fisher, Hon Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Chichester, 79; Air Commodore Joan Metcalfe, former director of RAF Nursing Services, 71; Mr Ron Moody, actor, 70; Mr Robert Parry MP, 61; Mr Kenneth Purchase MP, 55; Miss Imelda Read, MEP, 55; Professor Brian Reddaway, economic consultant to the World Bank, 81; Professor Charles Tomlinson, Professor of English, Bristol University, 67; Miss Galina Ulanova, prima ballerina, 84; Mr Geoffrey Whalen, managing director and deputy chairman, Peugeot Talbot, 58; Professor Alan Wilson, Vice-Chancellor, Leeds University, 55.

TOMORROW: Major Derek Allhusen, farmer and Olympic equestrian, 80; Sir John Alliott, High Court judge, 62; Miss Joan Baez, singer, 53; Mr Hugh Bayley MP, 42; Miss Mary Bennett, former principal, St Hilda's, Oxford, 81; Sir Rudolf Bing, founder of the Edinburgh Festival, 92; Mr Ken Brown, golfer, 37; Sir John Buckley, former chairman, Davy Corporation, 81; Mr Clive Dunn, actor and comedian, 72; Sir Tony Durant MP, 66; Mr Graham Fletcher, show jumper, 43; Mr Michael Gifford, managing director and chief executive, Rank Organisation, 58; Father Benedict Green, theologian, 70; Mr Terry Hands, former artistic director, Royal Shakespeare Company, 53; Mr David Holbrook, author, 71; Mr Leslie Holliday, chairman, John Laing Construction, 73; Mr Raymond Horrocks, chief executive, Chloride Group, 64; Sir Michael Jenkins, ambassador to the Netherlands, 58; Mr Simon Jervis, director, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 51; Mr Herbert Lom, actor, 77; Mr Michael Nicholson, newscaster and reporter, 57; Mr Richard Nixon, former US president, 81; Sir Harry Ognall QC, High Court judge, 60; Mr David Smith, cricketer, 38; Mr Ralph Tubbs, architect, 82; Viscount Ullswater, Under Secretary, Department of Employment, 52; The Right Rev Francis West, former Bishop Suffragan of Taunton, 85; Mr Geoffrey Wragg, racehorse trainer, 64; Miss Susannah York, actress, 52.