Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays

Miss Joan Aiken, author of novels, plays and poetry for children, 73; Professor Anthony Atkinson, Warden, Nuffield College, Oxford, 53; Sir Hubert Bennett, architect, 88; Mrs Ann Burdus, director, Dawson International, 64; Sir John Charnley, techological consultant, 75; Air Marshal Sir John Cheshire, former UK Military Representative, HQ NATO, 55; Sir Michael Day, former chairman, Commission for Racial Equality, 64; Mr Peter Drew, former chairman, Taylor Woodrow, 70; Mrs Ann Dummett, former director, Runnymede Trust, 67; Mr Mike Gapes MP, 45; Miss Mitzi Gaynor, actress and dancer, 67; Lord Howell, former government minister, 74; Sir Nicholas Jackson, organist, harpsichordist and composer, 63; Mr Bill Kenwright, theatrical impresario, 52; Mr Dinsdale Landen, actor, 65; Air Chief Marshal Sir David Lee, 85; Sir William Mars-Jones, former High Court judge, 82; Lord Sandhurst, wartime RAF bomber commander, 77; Mr Michael Stean, chess player, 44; Mr Tom Watson, golfer, 48.

Anniversaries

Births: Robert Raikes, publisher and founder of Sunday Schools, 1736; Francois-Rene, Vicomte de Chateaubriand, author and politician, 1768; Anton Bruckner, composer and organist, 1824; Dadabhai Naoroji, first Asian member of parliament, 1825; Daniel Godfrey, composer and bandmaster for the Grenadier Guards, 1831; Albert Joseph Moore, painter, 1841; Antonin Artaud, playwright and director, 1896; Mary Renault (Mary Challens), novelist, 1905. Deaths: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, 1588; James Wyatt, architect, 1813; Edvard Hagerup Grieg, composer, 1907; Walford Graham Robertson, playwright and artist, 1948; Robert Schuman, statesman, 1963; Albert Schweitzer, organist, doctor and missionary, 1965. On this day: the Battle of Montaperti was fought between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, 1260; in France, Emperor Napoleon III was deposed, and the Third Republic proclaimed, 1870; the world's first rally of Boy Scouts was held at the Crystal Palace, near London, 1909; the Germans retreated to the Siegfried Line, 1918; the Cambridge Theatre London, opened, 1930; a demonstration of colour television was given on station W2XAB by the Columbia Broadcasting System, US, 1940; Antwerp was liberated by the Allies, 1944; Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands abdicated in favour of her daughter, Juliana, 1948; the Forth Road bridge was opened by HM the Queen, 1964. Today is the Feast Day of St Boniface I, pope, St Ida of Herzfeld, Saints Marcellus and Valerian, St Marinus of San Marino, St Rosalia, St Rose of Viterbo and St Ultan of Ardbraccan.