Weekend birthdays

Today: Wg Cdr John Bell, RAF World War 2 veteran; President of the 617 Squadron Association. is 100; Sir Humphrey Burton, writer and broadcaster, 92; Maj Gen Sir Martin White, Lord-lieutenant for the Isle of Wight, 2006-19, 79; Sir Elton John, musician, 76; Mr Mike Whitlam, Director-general, British Red Cross, 1991-99, 76; Mr William Taylor, Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland, 1999-2001, 76; Sir William Charles, a former High Court Judge, 75; Sir Ronald Flanagan, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, 2005-08, 74; Mr Robert Balfour, Lord-lieutenant for Fife, 71; Mr Stephen Dorrell, former Conservative Cabinet Minister, 71; Mr Robert Fox, theatre, film and television producer, 71; Lord Justice Bean 69; Air Marshal Sir Christopher Harper, Director General, Nato International Military Staff, Nato HQ, 2013-16, 66; Prof Jonathan Michie, President of Kellogg College and Director, Department for Continuing Education, Oxford, 66; and Mr James Male, World Rackets Champion, 1988-99 and 2001-05, 59. Tomorrow: Mrs S.C. Cruickshank, Lord-lieutenant for Clackmannanshire, 2001-11, will be 87; Lord Chetwode 86; Prof Norman Ackroyd, artist, painter and etcher, 85; the Rt Rev William Ind, Bishop of Truro, 1997-2008, 81; Sir Stephen Silber, a former High Court Judge, 79; Miss Diana Ross, singer, 79; Dame Vivien Duffield, arts patron, 77; Miss Kyung-wha Chung, concert violinist, 75; Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker, 2006-11, 74; Mr Richard Foster, Chairman, Criminal Cases Review Commission, 2008-18, 73; Adml Sir Mark Stanhope, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, 2009-13, 71; Prof Jane Stapleton, KC, Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge, 2016-22, 71; Lord Hague of Richmond, former Conservative Cabinet Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party, 1997-2001, 62; the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, 61; Ms Maria Miller, MP, 59; Mr Patrick Mcfadden, MP, 58; Mr Christopher Ward, chess grandmaster, coach and author, 55; Ms Megan Giglia, cyclist; Paralympic gold medallist, Rio 2016, 38; and Miss Keira Knightley, actress, 38.

Today is the anniversary of the signature of the Treaty of Rome in 1957.

Tomorrow will be the anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven in 1827 and of Cecil Rhodes in 1902.