Today’s birthdays:

Syd Jensen, New Zealand Grand Prix motorcycle and car racer (192299); Austen Gittos, New Zealand fencer (192386); John Blumsky, New Zealand broadcast journalist (19282013); Katerina Mataira, New Zealand Maori language proponent/artist/ writer (19322011); Peter Arnett, New Zealandborn journalist (1934); Kamahl, Australian singer (1934); Ross Jennings, New Zealand television producer (19442016); Alexander (Lockwood) Smith, New Zealand politician/diplomat (1948); Frances Conroy, US actress (1953); Chris Noth, US actor (1954); Whoopi Goldberg, US actress (1955); Neil Flynn, US actor (1960); Gerard Butler, Scottish actor (1969); Noah Hathaway, US actor (1971); Devon Bostick, Canadian actor (1991).