October 7 birthdays
1931 DESMOND TUTU Anglican Archbishop
Tutu was an influential antiapartheid and human rights activist in South Africa. He was the first black South African to be Bishop of Johannesburg and was later the first black Archbishop of Cape Town.
1935 THOMAS KENEALLY Australian writer
Keneally is a prolific writer, best known for his novel, Schindler’s Ark, a story about the rescue of Jews during the Holocaust. He won a Booker
Prize for the novel, which was adapted into Schindler’s List.
1943 OLIVER NORTH US Marine
North, a Vietnam War veteran, was a member of the US National Security Council at the time of the Iran-contra affair in the late 1980s, involving the illegal sale of weapons to the regime to encourage the release of US hostages.
1951 JOHN MELLENCAMP
American musician
Also known through his career as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar and John Cougar Mellencamp, he shot to fame in the 1980s with a string of hits including Hurts So Good, Jack & Diane and Cherry Bomb. He has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, and won one.
1952 VLADIMIR PUTIN Russian President
A former intelligence officer, Putin has been president since 2012. He previously held the role from 1999 to 2008. He also served as prime minister from 1999 to 2000, and again from 2008 to 2012. He is Europe’s second-longestserving president.
1957 JAYNE TORVILL English ice skater
Torvill was one half of the famous ice dancing duo Torvill and Dean. The pair won gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics and bronze at the 1994 Winter Olympics, as well as five World Professional Championships.
1959 SIMON COWELL
English recording executive Cowell made his name as a
television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He has judged on the British television talent competition series Pop Idol, The X Factor UK and Britain’s Got Talent. He has also judged on a television talent series in the US.