Today’s birthdays

Sir Paul Girolami, Chairman, Glaxo Holdings, 1985-94, is 92; Mr John Calder, publisher, 91; Sir David Nicholas, Chairman, 1989-91, Editor and Chief Executive, 1977-91, Independent Television News, 88; Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, a former Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, 85; Prof Sir Geoffrey Lloyd, Master of Darwin College, Cambridge, 1989-2000, 85; Miss Angela Thorne, actress, 79; the Rt Rev Dr Anthony Russell, Bishop of Ely, 2000-10, 75; Dame Marjorie

Scardino, Chief Executive, Pearson plc, 1997-2012, 71; Sir

Paul Nurse, President, Royal Society, 2010-15; joint winner Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, 2001, 69; Mr Tom Paulin, poet and critic, 69; Dr

John Landers, Principal of Hertford College, Oxford, 2005-11, 66; Sir Tom Shebbeare,

Chairman, Royal Parks Foundation; Director, The Prince’s Charities, 2004-11, 66; Dr

Sir Mark Walport, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, 2013-17, 65; Dame

Hilary Boulding, President of Trinity College, Oxford, 61; Miss Emma Freud, broadcaster, 56;

Mr Alex Partridge, rower; Olympic silver medallist, men’s eight, Beijing 2008, and bronze medallist, London 2012, 37; and

Ms Sophie Hosking, former rower; Olympic gold medallist, London 2012, 32. Today is the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns in 1759, and of William Somerset Maugham, author and playwright, in 1874.