Birthdays

Today: The President of South Africa is 66.

Prof Sir Ravinder Maini, rheumatologist, 81; Field Marshal Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, Chief of the Defence Staff, 1997-2001, 80; Prof Sir Partha

Dasgupta, Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge, 1994-2010, 76; Prof Dame Lesley Rees, endocrinologist, 76; Mr Martin Scorsese, film director, 76; Mr

Gordon Page, Chairman, Cobham plc, 2001-08, 75; Lord Beecham, Chairman, Association of Metropolitan Authorities, 1991-97, 74; Lord Bruce of Bennachie, former Liberal Democrat MP, 74;

Sir Jeremy Hanley, former Conservative Government Minister, 73; Miss Lesley Abdela, journalist and broadcaster; founder, All-party 300 Group for Women in Politics, 73; Gen Sir

John Reith, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, 2004-07, 70; Prof Roger

Ainsworth, Master of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, 67; Mr

Jack Vettriano, artist, 67; Mr Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, 1998-2008, 67; Sir Dominick Chilcott,

Ambassador to Turkey, 59; Mr Jonathan Ross, broadcaster, 58;

Mr Michael Adams, chess grandmaster, 47; and Mr Greg

Rutherford, track and field athlete; Olympic gold medallist, long jump, London 2012; World Champion 2015, 32. Tomorrow: The Sultan of Oman will be 78. Sir Murray Stuart-smith, a former Lord Justice of Appeal, 91; Mr Hugh Wyatt, Lord-lieutenant for West Sussex, 1999-2008, 85; Lord Cullen of Whitekirk, Lord Justice General and Lord President, Court of Sessions, 2001-05, 83; Baroness Jay of Paddington, Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women, 1998-2001, 79; Prof John O’keefe, joint winner, Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, 2014, 79; Sir Francis Richards, Governor and C-in-c, Gibraltar, 2003-06, 73; Lord Justice Gillen 71; Mr Robert Swannell, Chairman, Marks and Spencer, 2011-17, 68; the Duke of

Roxburghe 64; and Mrs Iona Mcdonald, Lord-lieutenant for Ayrshire and Arran, 64. Today is the anniversary of the death of Auguste Rodin, sculptor, in 1917. Tomorrow will be the anniversary of the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty by the United States and Panama in 1903.