BORN ON THIS DAY

DAvID BEn-GuRIOn (1886-1973). Israel’s first prime minister delivered the country’s declaration of independence in 1948. The former farmer resigned as PM in 1953, saying he was ‘spiritually weary’ — but enjoyed just 14 months of retirement before returning as minister of defence and starting a second term as prime minister in 1955. EuGEnE O’nEILL (1888-1953). The nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning u.S. dramatist wrote 38 plays, including The Hairy Ape, almost all of which were filled with tragedy and pessimism. In 1943, the hard-drinking O’neill disowned his daughter Oona for marrying the English actor and director Charlie Chaplin when she was 18 and Chaplin was 54. He never saw Oona again.