BORN ON THIS DAY

GEORGE STUBBS (1724-1806). The Liverpool-born artist is best known for his large paintings of horses — pictures that were so accurate because of his study of anatomy at the York County Hospital. He also dissected horses, suspending them from the ceiling so he could adjust their postures to make them look as if they were alive.

KENNY BAKER (1934-2016). The Birmingham-born actor, who stood at just 3ft 8in, played r2-D2 in the Star Wars films. The noise inside his costume was so loud that someone had to knock on it with a hammer to let Baker know that the director had shouted ‘Cut!’.