Anniversaries

Anniversaries Births: Il Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola), painter, 1503; Adam Frans van der Meulen, painter, 1632; John Payne Collier, Shakespearean critic, 1789; Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University, New York, 1807; Henry Gordon Selfridge, foun der of the London department store, 1864; Maurice Durufle, organist and composer, 1902; Manfred Bennington Lee (Lepovsky), author, of the "Ellery Queen" partnership, 1905; Pierre Mendes-France, politician, 1907.

Deaths: Sir Hans Sloane, physician and naturalist, 1753; Louis-Francois Roubillac (Roubiliac), sculptor, 1762; Francis Scott Key, attorney and poet, author of "The Star Spangled Banner", 1843; Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann, rebuilder of Paris, 1891; Thomas Hardy, poet and novelist, 1928; Galeazzo Ciano, Conte di Cortellazzo, former Italian foreign minister, shot by pro-Mussolini fascists, following a show trial when he was condemned to death, 1944; Caradoc Evans, novelist, 1945; Alberto Giacometti, scu lptor and painter, 1966; Richmal Crompton (Lamburn), author of Just William, 1969; Padraic Colum, poet and founder of the Irish National Theatre, 1972; Barbara Mary Pym, novelist, 1980; Jack LaRue (Gaspare Biondolillo), actor, 1984.

On this day: the Dutch surrendered Trincomalee, Ceylon, to the British, 1782; Matthew Flinders and George Bass returned to Port Jackson, having proved that Tasmania was an island, 1799; Charing Cross station, London, was formally opened, 1864; Major Esterhazy, on trial for forgery in the Dreyfus case, was acquitted, 1898; the Representation of the People Bill was passed, giving votes to women, 1918; the first women jurors were sworn in at the Old Bailey, 1921; King Zog was dethroned, and Albania was dec lared a republic, 1946; the Open University awarded its first degrees, 1973.

Today is the Feast Day of St Theodosius the Cenobiarch and St Salvius or Sauve of Amiens.