Today’s birthdays

The Rt Rev Mark Santer, Bishop of Birmingham, 1987-2002, is 87;

Mr Harvey Smith, former show jumping champion, 85; Mr Andrew Bache, former diplomat, 84; Sir David Howard, Lord Mayor of London, 2000-01, 78; Sir Michael Bunbury, Chairman of the Council, Duchy of Lancaster, 2000-05, 77; Miss Marianne Faithfull, singer and songwriter, 77; Sir David Tanner, Performance Director, British Rowing, 1996-2018, 76; Mr Peter Robinson, former Northern Ireland politician; First Minister, Northern Ireland Assembly, 2008-16, 75; Air Vice-marshal Lord Beaverbrook, Commandant General, RAUXAF, 2016-19, 72; Mr Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine; Principal, Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, 2015-21; Editor, The Guardian, 1995-2015, 70; Mr Thomas Bach, President, International Olympic Committee, 70; Prof Michael Gunn, Vice-chancellor and Chief Executive, Staffordshire University, 2011-16, 68; Mr Robin Witt, Founder, CHASE Africa, 64;

Sir Jonathan Thompson, Chief Executive, Financial Reporting Council; CEO and Permanent Secretary, HM Revenue and Customs, 2016-19, 59; Mr Martin Offiah, former England and Great Britain Rugby League player, 58;

Mr Aled Jones, singer and broadcaster, 53; Mr Jude Law, actor, 51; Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director, National Portrait Gallery, 46; and Sir Jake Berry, MP, 45.

Today is the anniversary of the murder of St Thomas à Becket in 1170 and of the launching of HMS Warrior, the world’s first iron-hulled battleship, in 1860. It is also the anniversary of the death of Christina Rossetti in 1894.