Anniversaries

Births: Chang and Eng - the original Chinese Siamese twins, 1811; Irving Berlin, 1888; Dame Margaret Rutherford, actress, 1892.

Deaths: Sir John Frederick Herschel, astronomer, 1871; Juan Gris, Cubist painter, 1927; Harold Adrian Russell 'Kim' Philby, spy for the Soviet Union, 1988.

On this day: Peter Stuyvesant, explorer, arrived at New Amsterdam (New York), 1647; Siam changed its name to Thailand, 1949; the musical show Cats was first produced, London 1981.

Today is the Feast Day of St Ansfrid, St Asaph, St Comgall, St Francis di Girolamo, St Gengulf or Gengoul, St Ignatius of Laconi, St Mayeul or Majolus, St Mamertus, St Richard Reynolds, St Tudy or Tudec of Brittany and St Walter of L'Esterp.