Birthdays

Today: Prof Antony Hewish, joint winner, Nobel Prize for physics, 1974, is 95; Prof Michael

Hamlin, Principal and Vicechancellor, University of Dundee, 1987-94, 89; the Very Rev Stephen Smalley, Dean of Chester, 1987-2001, 88; Mr Ian

Redpath, former Australia cricketer, 78; Ms Susan

Crawford, artist and equestrian portrait painter, 78; Lady Rachel Billington, writer, 77; Sir

Gordon Langley, Chairman, Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, 2010-16; former High Court Judge, 76; Sir Denis Desmond, Lord-lieutenant for Co Londonderry, 2000-18, 76; Sir

David Varney, Chairman, HM Revenue and Customs, 2004-2006, 73; Mr Jeremy

Paxman, journalist, author and broadcaster, 69; Miss Judith

Weir, composer; Master of the Queen’s Music, 65; Lord Justice

Flaux 64; Mr John Parrott, former snooker player; World Champion 1991, now commentator, 55; Mr Jason

Queally, track cyclist; Olympic gold and silver medallist, Sydney 2000, 49; and Mr Tim Baillie, former canoeist; Olympic gold medallist, London 2012, 40. Tomorrow: Mr Burt Bacharach, pianist and composer, will be 91; Mr Robert Dickinson, Chairman, Northern Rock plc, 1992-99, 85; Dr Miriam Stoppard, writer and broadcaster, 82; Miss Susan Hampshire, actress, 82; Sir Terry Farrell, architect, 81; Prof Paul Huxley, painter, 81; Prof Sir Cyril Chantler, Chairman, Great

Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, 2000-08, 80; Sir Dominic Cadbury,

Chairman, The Wellcome Trust, 2000-2006; Chairman, Cadbury Schweppes, 1993-2000, 79; Lord

Sawyer, former trades unionist,

76; Lord Patten of Barnes,

Chancellor of Oxford University; Chairman, BBC Trust, 2011-14; 75; Mr Daniel Libeskind, architect, 73; Mr Steve Winwood, singer and songwriter, 71; Mrs Justice Slade 70; Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, QC, Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford, 2011-18, 69; Dame Jenni Murray, broadcaster, 69; Dame Rosalind Savill, Director, The Wallace Collection, 1992-2011, now Curator Emeritus, 68; Lord

Justice Underhill 67; Mr Justice

Goss 66; Miss Deborah Warner, theatre and opera director, 60;

Ms Jane Gandee, Headmistress, St Swithun’s School, Winchester, 51; Lt Col Mark Lancaster, MP,

Minister of State for the Armed Forces, 49; Mr Graeme Dott, snooker player; World Champion 2006, 42; and Ms Sophie Bray,

Great Britain field hockey player; Olympic gold medallist, women’s tournament, Rio 2016, 29. Today is the anniversary of the assassination of Spencer Perceval, First Lord of the Treasury, by John Bellingham in 1812. Tomorrow will be the anniversary of the birth of Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1828. It will also be the anniversary of the collapse of the General Strike in 1926.