Today’s birthdays

Sir David Smith, President of Wolfson College, Oxford, 1994-2000, is 88; Prof Sir Stanley Wells, Shakespearean scholar; Chairman, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, 1991-2011, now Honorary President, 88; Lord Greenway 77; Sir Bill Connor, General Secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, 1997-2004, 77; Lord Hunt of Wirral, Chairman, Press Complaints Commission, 2011-14, 76; Mrs Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1997-2002; President of the Republic of Ireland, 1990-97, 74; Mr Richard Peskin, Chairman, Great Portland Estates, 1986-2009, 74;

Mr James Cochrane, Chairman, British Red Cross, 2007-12, 74;

Mr John Burton, Surveyor to the Fabric, Canterbury Cathedral, 1990-2014; Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey, 1999-2012, 73; Sir Peter Lampl, Founder and Chairman, the Sutton Trust and Education Endowment Foundation, 71; Dr Denis Macshane, former Labour Minister, 70; Mr Leo Sayer, singer and songwriter, 70; Sir Denis O’connor, Chief Inspector of Constabulary, 2009-12, 69; Mr Andrew Neil, media executive and broadcaster, 69; Mr Will Hutton, Principal of Hertford College, Oxford, 68; Mr Justice Mann 67; Sir Jonathan Phillips, Warden of Keble College, Oxford, 66; Mr Jonathan Jones, HM Procurator General, Treasury Solicitor and Head of Government Legal Service, 56; Mr Stewart Cink, golfer; Open Champion 2009, 45; Mr Stuart Bingham, snooker player; World Champion 2015, 42; Mr Mark Cavendish, professional road racing cyclist, 33; Ms Alex

Danson, GB field hockey player; Olympic gold medallist, women’s tournament, Rio 2016, 33; Ms Claire Cashmore, swimmer; Paralympic gold medalist, Rio 2016; two silver medals and one bronze, London 2012, 30; and Mr Tom Daley, diver; Olympic bronze medallist, 10 metre platform, London 2012; 2009 and 2017 World Champion, 10 metre platform, 24.

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer, in 1780.