Laurel and Hardy receive anniversary makeover

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It's a decade since classic comic duo Laurel and Hardy were last shown on British TV screens - but now some of their best work has been digitally re-mastered. 

Four films will be shown for the first time in HD across UK cinemas to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Stan Laurel's birth.

During their career, Laurel, who was born in Ulverston, then in Lancashire, and American Oliver Hardy, made 107 films together. 

Comedians including Ricky Gervais, John Cleese, Matt Lucas, Steve Martin and Steve Coogan cite them as influences, while the Homer Simpson catchphrase, "D'oh!", originated in one of their films. 

As late as 1975, one of their songs, Trail of the Lonesome Pine, was at number two in the British charts - nearly 20 years after Hardy died.

"It's time to introduce the next generation to Laurel and Hardy," says Ross Owen, the organiser behind the Laurel and Hardy Roadshow, and the screenings.

"And we want to do it on a big screen, which was what the original films were intended for. 

"Most of them are being re-mastered and restored in the USA, to preserve them for the future."

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The double act's appeal to younger viewers, according to Owen, is that "they are the original Dumb and Dumber". 

"They just pick themselves up and dust themselves down and go on to the next disaster. 

"I don't think kids today would be put off by the films being in black and white at all. Many of us growing up in the 1970s had colour television, and yet I was fixated by them. 

"I don't think there are many other comedians who could make three generations of a family laugh together these days - big belly laughs as well. And yet that's what Laurel and Hardy could, and still can, do."

Both Laurel and Hardy started their careers in silent movies, and were introduced to each other in 1927. 

The duo won only one Oscar, for a short film in 1932 called The Music Box, which memorably saw them trying to lift a piano up a set of stairs. 

However, their catchphrases, such as: "Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into", became as famous as they did. 

When they toured, towards the end of their career in 1950, they were nearly crushed in the streets by fans. 

Despite this, they did not become wealthy. Hardy - who died in 1957 - reportedly had to sell his house to fund his medical bills. 

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Laurel lived in Santa Monica, in California, until his death in 1965. Actor Sylvester McCoy, who has played Laurel twice during his career, says the comedian would have died in poverty had not actor Jerry Lewis fought a legal battle on his behalf to get him TV royalties.

"They really had no idea how big they were, and how much they meant to people, even when they toured," says McCoy. 

"Stan Laurel's phone number was in the telephone book and so fans, as they rediscovered them, would just phone him up for a chat.

"He really was an incredibly humble man, and yet he wrote most of their material.

"Oliver Hardy was a real southern gentleman, who liked to leave work at five and go and play golf with Bing Crosby. It was Stan who was the workaholic genius."

Comedian Vic Reeves believes their unique appeal is the "absolute joy they bring audiences".

"You just can't be sad and watch a Laurel and Hardy film. It's just impossible."

Radio DJ Danny Baker, another fan, adds that they are "the perfect double act - just like Lennon and McCartney". 

"They are just not an acquired taste - it's mass popular comedy, there for everyone. They aren't exclusive to gender or country borders.

"If someone says they don't like Laurel and Hardy, then it's not like saying, 'I don't like football', or 'I don't like Renoir'. If you can't find them funny then I think there's a hole in your soul."

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Ricky Gervais has said Tim, played by Martin Freeman in BBC sitcom The Office, was modelled on the exasperated mannerisms of Hardy, calling the rest of his workplace creations "Stan Laurels".

But comedian and actor Robin Ince believes it's impossible to copy or re-create their personalities "because of the goodness and the depth of the friendship between the originals".

"They are far more than slapstick - even though I can laugh again at something I've seen 50 times before," he says. 

"It's the humanity between them- the relationship between Stan saying: 'I've got an idea', and the inevitable chaos that ensues.

"They really became friends later on in their career, when they spent time together on the road. 

"If you look at the later footage in particular, after Ollie had been very ill, there is something there in their eyes. 

"Even after Ollie died, Stan kept on writing Laurel and Hardy sketches because that was what they did. It was real love between them."

The four re-mastered films - Way Out West, Towed in a Hole, The Music Box and Block-Heads - will be shown at venues throughout the UK and Ireland in October and November. 

But Ross Owen says he's had requests for screenings from as far afield as India and Australia.

"That's what we'd like to do next year if we can," he says. "But I think it's time that Laurel and Hardy were also returned to British TV screens. That type of humour never ages."

Απολυτίκιον Αγίου Δημητρίου

Μέγαν εύρατο εv τοις κιvδύvοις, σε υπέρμαχοv, η οικουμένη, Αθλοφόρε τα έθνη τροπούμενον. Ως ουν Λυαίου καθείλες την έπαρσιν, εν τω σταδίω θαρρύvας τον Νέστορα, ούτως  Άγιε, Μεγαλομάρτυς Δημήτριε, Χριστόν τον Θεόν ικέτευε, δωρήσασθαι ημίν το μέγα έλεος.

Θα σκανάρουν τις πυραμίδες για να εξιχνιάσουν το μεγαλύτερο μυστήριο όλων των εποχών 

Ενα φιλόδοξο πρόγραμμα παρουσίασε η Αίγυπτος με στόχο την

 εξιχνίαση των «μυστικών» των πυραμίδων, με το οποίο

 επιδιώκεται κυρίως να ανακαλυφθούν μυστικοί θάλαμοι σε

 τέσσερα απ'αυτά τα φαραωνικά μνημεία και να ξεκαθαριστεί

 επιτέλους το μυστήριο που περιβάλλει την κατασκευή τους.

Επιστήμονες και αρχιτέκτονες από την Αίγυπτο, τη Γαλλία, τον Καναδά και την

 Ιαπωνία θα χρησιμοποιήσουν την υπέρυθρη τεχνολογία και εξελιγμένους

 ανιχνευτές για να χαρτογραφήσουν τις πυραμίδες του Χέοπα και του Χεφρήνου --

που μαζί μ'αυτή του Μυκερίνου αποτελούν τις διάσημες πυραμίδες της Γκίζας-- 

καθώς και δύο από τις πυραμίδες του Νταχσούρ, νοτίως του Καΐρου.

«Θα μελετήσουν αυτές τις πυραμίδες για να δουν αν περιέχουν μυστικούς θαλάμους

 ή να αποκαλύψουν άλλα από τα μυστικά τους», δήλωσε  σε συνέντευξη Τύπου

 στο Κάιρο ο υπουργός Αρχαιοτήτων Μαμντούχ αλ-Νταμάτι.

«Αυτοί οι μηχανικοί και οι αρχιτέκτονες θα χρησιμοποιήσουν μια τεχνολογία που

 δεν θα προξενήσει ζημιές στις πυραμίδες», διαβεβαίωσε.

Το πρόγραμμα «Scan Pyramids», που πρόκειται να διαρκέσει έως τα τέλη του 2016,

 είναι μια νέα απόπειρα για να αποκαλυφθεί το μυστήριο που περιβάλλει την 

κατασκευή των πυραμίδων.

Διότι παρόλο που πολλές αρχαιολογικές αποστολές επιχείρησαν στο παρελθόν να 

αποκαλύψουν τις κατασκευαστικές τεχνικές που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για να

 ανεγερθούν αυτά τα μνημεία της αρχαίας Αιγύπτου, αρχιτέκτονες και αιγυπτιολόγοι

 δεν έχουν ακόμη εξιχνιάσει το μυστήριο.

Οι δύο πυραμίδες του Νταχσούρ κατασκευάσθηκαν από τον Φαραώ Σνεφρού, πατέρα 

του Χέοπα και ιδρυτή της 4ης δυναστείας (2600 π.Χ.).

Με ύψος 146 μέτρων, η πυραμίδα του βασιλιά Χέοπα, η μεγαλύτερη από τις τρεις

 πυραμίδες της Γκίζας που θεωρείται ένα από τα επτά θαύματα του αρχαίου κόσμου,

 κατασκευάσθηκε πριν από περισσότερα από 4.500 χρόνια. Η πυραμίδα του Χεφρήνου

 κατασκευάσθηκε από τον γιο του Χέοπα.

«Η ιδέα είναι να βρεθεί μια λύση στο μυστήριο των πυραμίδων», δήλωσε στο Γαλλικό 

Πρακτορείο ο Μέχντι Γαγιούμπι, ιδρυτής του γαλλικού ινστιτούτου HIP (Heritage

, Innovation Preservation) που συμμετέχει στο πρόγραμμα.

«Είχε γίνει μια παρόμοια απόπειρα πριν από 30 χρόνια, όμως σήμερα είναι το πρώτο

 πρόγραμμα σε διεθνή κλίμακα που καταφεύγει σε τεχνολογία αιχμής», υπογράμμισε.

Οι εξελιγμένοι ανιχνευτές που θα χρησιμοποιηθούν για να εξερευνηθούν οι τέσσερις

 πυραμίδες μπορεί επίσης να χρησιμεύσουν για να ανιχνευθεί ο τάφος του

 Τουταγχαμών και να ελεγχθεί η θεωρία του Βρετανού αρχαιολόγου Νίκολας Ριβς, 

ο οποίος πιστεύει πως η βασίλισσα Νεφερτίτη είναι θαμμένη εκεί σ'έναν μυστικό

 θάλαμο.

Οι αιγυπτιολόγοι δεν έχουν ανακαλύψει μέχρι σήμερα τη μούμια της βασίλισσας αυτής με τη θρυλική ομορφιά, η οποία διαδραμάτισε θεμελιώδη πολιτικό και

 θρησκευτικό ρόλο τον 14ο αιώνα π.Χ.

ΝΑΝΑ ΜΟΥΣΧΟΥΡΗ ΣΤΟ MEΓΑΡΟ ΜΟΥΣΙΚΗΣ

Σήμερα γιορτάζει ο πολιούχος και προστάτης της Θεσσαλονίκης, ο Μεγαλομάρτυρας Άγιος Δημήτριος, ο Άγιος που με τη ζωή του και με τη θυσία του έγινε σύμβολο και ασπίδα της Ορθοδοξίας. Με την ύστατη θυσία του, αψήφησε τον μεγάλο διώκτη της Χριστιανοσύνης, τον Γαλέριο, και έδωσε τη ζωή του για την Ορθοδοξία, κερδίζοντας την Αιωνιότητα. Είναι αδιάσπαστη και πραγματικά μεταφυσική η σχέση του Αγίου με την πόλη, που τον αγαπά και τον τιμά σε κάθε περίσταση και κάθε ευκαιρία.

Με τη σκέψη μας  στους συμπολίτες μας που δοκιμάζονται σκληρά, στις θυσίες τους, τους διαβεβαιώνουμε ότι θα κάνουμε ό,τι είναι ανθρωπίνως δυνατό για να οδηγήσουμε τον τόπο σε ένα καλύτερο αύριο για όλους μας.

Όπως ο μαθητής του Αγίου Δημητρίου, ο μικροκαμωμένος Νέστορας, νίκησε με την ευλογία του Θεού και του Αγίου τον Ρωμαίο γίγαντα Λυαίο, έτσι με τη βοήθεια του Θεού θα σταθούμε και εμείς νικητές, απέναντι σε κάθε εμπόδιο, όσο τεράστιο και αν φαίνεται. Θα τα καταφέρουμε.

[edit]

• 312 – Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross.
• 710 – Saracen invasion of Sardinia.
• 939 – Æthelstan, the first King of England, died and was succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund I.
• 1275 – Traditional founding of the city of Amsterdam.
• 1524 – Italian Wars: The French troops lay siege to Pavia.
• 1553 – Condemned as a heretic, Michael Servetus is burned at the stake just outside Geneva.
• 1644 – Second Battle of Newbury in the English Civil War.
• 1682 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is founded.
• 1795 – The United States and Spain sign the Treaty of Madrid, which establishes the boundaries between Spanish colonies and the U.S.
• 1806 – The French Army enters Berlin, following the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt.
• 1810 – United States annexes the former Spanish colony of West Florida.
• 1827 – Bellini's third opera, Il pirata, is premiered at Teatro alla Scala di Milano
• 1838 – Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issues the Extermination Order, which orders all Mormons to leave the state or be exterminated.
• 1870 – Marshal François Achille Bazaine surrenders to Prussian forces at the conclusion of the Siege of Metz along with 140,000 French soldiers in one of the biggest French defeats of the Franco-Prussian War.
• 1904 – The first underground New York City Subway line opens; the system becomes the biggest in United States, and one of the biggest in world.
• 1907 – Černová massacre: Fifteen people are killed in the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary when a gunman opens fire on a crowd gathered at a church consecration. This would led to protests over the treatment of minorities in Austria-Hungary.
• 1914 – The British lose their first battleship of World War I: The British super-dreadnought battleship HMS Audacious (23,400 tons), is sunk off Tory Island, north-west of Ireland, by a minefield laid by the armed German merchant-cruiser Berlin.The loss was kept an official secret in Britain until November 14 1918. The sinking was witnessed and photographed by passengers on RMS Olympic sister ship of RMS Titanic.
• 1916 – Battle of Segale: Negus Mikael, marching on the Ethiopian capital in support of his son Emperor Iyasu V, is defeated by Fitawrari abte Giyorgis, securing the throne for Empress Zewditu I.
• 1922 – A referendum in Rhodesia rejects the country's annexation to the South African Union.
• 1924 – The Uzbek SSR is founded in the Soviet Union.
• 1930 – Ratifications exchanged in London for the first London Naval Treaty, signed in April modifying the 1925 Washington Naval Treaty and the arms limitation treaty's modified provisions, go into effect immediately, further limiting the expensive naval arms race among its five signatories.
• 1936 – Mrs Wallis Simpson files for divorce which would eventually allow her to marry King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, thus forcing his abdication from the throne.
• 1944 – World War II: German forces capture Banská Bystrica during Slovak National Uprising thus bringing it to an end.
• 1948 – Léopold Sédar Senghor founds the Senegalese Democratic Bloc.
• 1953 – British nuclear test Totem 2 is carried out at Emu Field, South Australia.
• 1954 – Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. becomes the first African-American general in the United States Air Force.
• 1958 – Iskander Mirza, the first President of Pakistan, is deposed in a bloodless coup d'état by General Ayub Khan, who had been appointed the enforcer of martial law by Mirza 20 days earlier.
• 1961 – NASA tests the first Saturn I rocket in Mission Saturn-Apollo 1.
• 1961 – Mauritania and Mongolia join the United Nations.
• 1962 – Major Rudolf Anderson of the United States Air Force becomes the only direct human casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis when his U-2 reconnaissance airplane is shot down in Cuba by a Soviet-supplied SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile.
• 1962 – A plane carrying Enrico Mattei, post-war Italian administrator, crashes in mysterious circumstances.
• 1964 – Ronald Reagan delivers a speech on behalf of Republican candidate for president, Barry Goldwater. The speech launched his political career and came to be known as "A Time for Choosing".
• 1967 – Catholic priest Philip Berrigan and others of the 'Baltimore Four' protest the Vietnam War by pouring blood on Selective Service records.
• 1971 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo is renamed Zaire.
• 1973 – A 1.4 kg chondrite-type meteorite strikes in Cañon City, Colorado.
• 1979 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1981 – The Soviet submarine U 137 runs aground on the east coast of Sweden.
• 1986 – The British government suddenly deregulates financial markets, leading to a total restructuring of the way in which they operate in the country, in an event now referred to as the Big Bang.
• 1988 – Ronald Reagan decides to tear down the new U.S. Embassy in Moscow because of Soviet listening devices in the building structure.
• 1991 – Turkmenistan achieves independence from the Soviet Union.
• 1992 – United States Navy radioman Allen R. Schindler, Jr. is brutally murdered by shipmate Terry M. Helvey for being gay, precipitating first military, then national, debate about gays in the military that resulted in the United States "Don't ask, don't tell" military policy.
• 1994 – Gliese 229B is the first Substellar Mass Object to be unquestionably identified.
• 1995 – Latvia applies for membership in the European Union.
• 1995 – Former Prime Minister of Italy Bettino Craxi is convicted in absentia of corruption.
• 1997 – October 27, 1997 mini-crash: Stock markets around the world crash because of fears of a global economic meltdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummets 554.26 points to 7,161.15.
• 1999 – Gunmen open fire in the Armenian Parliament, killing Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Parliament Chairman Karen Demirchyan, and six other members.
• 2005 – Riots begin in Paris after the deaths of two Muslim teenagers.

Births[edit]

• 921 – Chai Rong, Chinese emperor (d. 959)
• 1156 – Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse (d. 1222)
• 1335 – Taejo of Joseon (d. 1408)
• 1401 – Catherine of Valois (d. 1437)
• 1703 – Johann Gottlieb Graun, German violinist and composer (d. 1771)
• 1744 – Mary Moser, English painter (d. 1819)
• 1760 – August Neidhardt von Gneisenau, Prussian field marshal (d. 1831)
• 1766 – Nancy Storace, English soprano (d. 1817)
• 1782 – Niccolò Paganini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1840)
• 1806 – Juan Seguín, American colonel, judge, and politician, 101st Mayor of San Antonio (d. 1890)
• 1811 – Stevens T. Mason, American politician, 1st Governor of Michigan (d. 1843)
• 1811 – Isaac Singer, American businessman, founded the Singer Corporation (d. 1875)
• 1814 – Daniel H. Wells, American religious leader and politician, 3rd Mayor of Salt Lake City (d. 1891)
• 1838 – John Davis Long, American lawyer and politician, 34th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1915)
• 1842 – Giovanni Giolitti, Italian politician, 13th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1928)
• 1844 – Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Swedish journalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1916)
• 1854 – William Alexander Smith, Scottish religious leader, founded the Boys' Brigade (d. 1914)
• 1858 – Theodore Roosevelt, American colonel and politician, 26th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)
• 1858 – Saitō Makoto, Japanese naval officer and politician, 30th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1936)
• 1865 – Charles Spencelayh, English painter (d. 1958)
• 1869 – Viola Allen, American actress (d. 1948)
• 1872 – Emily Post, American author, founded The Emily Post Institute (d. 1960)
• 1873 – Malcolm Shepherd, Australian public servant (d. 1960)
• 1877 – Walt Kuhn, American painter (d. 1949)
• 1877 – George Thompson, English cricketer and umpire (d. 1943)
• 1884 – Shirō Takasu, Japanese naval officer (d. 1944)
• 1885 – Sigrid Hjertén, Swedish painter (d. 1948)
• 1890 – Toshinari Shōji, Japanese general (d. 1974)
• 1894 – Agda Helin, Swedish actress (d. 1984)
• 1894 – Oliver Leese, English-Welsh general (d. 1978)
• 1894 – Fritz Sauckel, German sailor and politician (d. 1946)
• 1896 – Edith Haisman, South African-English survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic (d. 1997)
• 1904 – Riho Lahi, Estonian journalist and author (d. 1995)
• 1906 – Peter Blume, American painter (d. 1992)
• 1906 – Earle Cabell, American banker and politician, Mayor of Dallas (d. 1975)
• 1906 – Kazuo Ohno, Japanese dancer (d. 2010)
• 1908 – Lee Krasner, American painter (d. 1984)
• 1910 – Jack Carson, Canadian-American actor and singer (d. 1963)
• 1911 – Leif Erickson, American actor and singer (d. 1986)
• 1913 – Joe Medicine Crow, American anthropologist, historian, and author
• 1913 – Luigi Piotti, Italian racing driver (d. 1971)
• 1914 – Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet and playwright (d. 1953)
• 1914 – Ahmet Kireççi, Turkish sports wrestler (d. 1979)
• 1915 – Harry Saltzman, Canadian-French production manager and producer (d. 1994)
• 1917 – Augustine Harris, English bishop (d. 2007)
• 1917 – Oliver Tambo, South African lawyer and politician (d. 1993)
• 1918 – Mihkel Mathiesen, Estonian engineer and politician (d. 2003)
• 1918 – Teresa Wright, American actress and singer (d. 2005)
• 1920 – Nanette Fabray, American actress, singer, and dancer
• 1920 – K. R. Narayanan, Indian politician, 10th President of India (d. 2005)
• 1921 – Warren Allen Smith, American journalist, author, and activist
• 1922 – Poul Bundgaard, Danish actor and singer (d. 1998)
• 1922 – Ruby Dee, American actress, singer, and poet (d. 2014)
• 1922 – Michel Galabru, Moroccian-French actor
• 1922 – Ralph Kiner, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2014)
• 1923 – Roy Lichtenstein, American painter and sculptor (d. 1997)
• 1923 – Ned Wertimer, American actor (d. 2013)
• 1925 – Warren Christopher, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 63rd United States Secretary of State (d. 2011)
• 1925 – Jane Connell, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
• 1925 – Paul Fox, English broadcaster
• 1925 – Monica Sims, English radio host and producer
• 1926 – Boris Chetkov, Russian artist (d. 2010)
• 1926 – H. R. Haldeman, American businessman and diplomat, 4th White House Chief of Staff (d. 1993)
• 1926 – Takumi Shibano, Japanese translator and author (d. 2010)
• 1927 – Dominick Argento, American composer and educator
• 1928 – Gilles Vigneault, Canadian singer-songwriter and poet
• 1929 – Maurice Robert Johnston, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
• 1930 – Leo Baxendale, English cartoonist
• 1930 – Myra Carter, American actress
• 1930 – Barry Supple, English historian and academic
• 1931 – David Bryant, English bowls player
• 1931 – Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian physician, psychiatrist, and author
• 1931 – Anatoliy Zayaev, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 2012)
• 1932 – Jean-Pierre Cassel, French actor and singer (d. 2007)
• 1932 – Harry Gregg, Northern Irish footballer and manager
• 1932 – Dolores Moore, American baseball player (d. 2000)
• 1932 – Sylvia Plath, American poet and novelist (d. 1963)
• 1933 – Valentin Boreyko, Russian rower (d. 2012)
• 1933 – Floyd Cramer, American singer and pianist (d. 1997)
• 1933 – Ryō Hanmura, Japanese author (d. 2002)
• 1934 – Giorgos Konstantinou, Greek actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1935 – Frank Adonis, American actor and screenwriter
• 1935 – Maurício de Sousa, Brazilian cartoonist
• 1935 – Charlie Tagawa, Japanese-American entertainer and banjoist
• 1936 – Neil Sheehan, American journalist and author
• 1937 – Lara Parker, American actress
• 1939 – John Cleese, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1939 – Suzy Covey, American scholar and academic (d. 2007)
• 1940 – John Gotti, American mobster (d. 2002)
• 1940 – Maxine Hong Kingston, American author and academic
• 1941 – Dave Costa, American football player (d. 2013)
• 1941 – Dick Trickle, American race car driver (d. 2013)
• 1942 – Lee Greenwood, American singer-songwriter
• 1942 – Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Polish journalist and politician
• 1943 – Carmen Argenziano, American actor and producer
• 1943 – Jerry Rook, American basketball player and coach
• 1944 – J. A. Jance, American author and poet
• 1945 – Arild Andersen, Norwegian bassist and composer (Masqualero)
• 1945 – Dick Dodd, American drummer and actor (The Bel-Airs, The Standells, and Eddie & the Showmen) (d. 2013)
• 1945 – John Kane, Scottish actor and screenwriter
• 1945 – Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazilian politician, 35th President of Brazil
• 1946 – Peter Martins, Danish dancer and choreographer
• 1946 – Steven R. Nagel, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (d. 2014)
• 1946 – Ivan Reitman, Czech-Canadian actor, director, and producer
• 1946 – Carrie Snodgress, American actress (d. 2004)
• 1949 – Clifford Antone, American businessman (d. 2006)
• 1949 – Garry Tallent, American bass player and producer (E Street Band)
• 1950 – Michael Driscoll, English economist and academic
• 1950 – Fran Lebowitz, American author and actress
• 1950 – Július Šupler, Slovak ice hockey player and coach
• 1950 – A. N. Wilson, English journalist, historian, and author
• 1951 – K. K. Downing, English guitarist and songwriter (Judas Priest)
• 1951 – Carlos Frenk, Mexican-English physicist, cosmologist, and academic
• 1951 – Nancy Jacobs, American politician
• 1951 – Jayne Kennedy, American model, actress, and sportscaster
• 1951 – Éric Morena, French singer
• 1952 – Roberto Benigni, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1952 – Francis Fukuyama, American political scientist, economist, and author
• 1952 – Atsuyoshi Furuta, Japanese footballer
• 1952 – Topi Sorsakoski, Finnish singer-songwriter (Agents) (d. 2011)
• 1953 – Peter Firth, English actor
• 1953 – Robert Picardo, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1954 – Jan Duursema, American illustrator
• 1954 – Chris Tavaré, English cricketer and biologist
• 1955 – Debra Bowen, American lawyer and politician, 31st Secretary of State of California
• 1956 – Veronica Hart, American porn actress and director
• 1956 – Babis Tsertos, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player
• 1957 – Jeff East, American actor and singer
• 1957 – Glenn Hoddle, English footballer and manager
• 1957 – Peter Marc Jacobson, American writer, producer, director and actor
• 1958 – Lee Carter, American judge
• 1958 – David Hazeltine, American pianist and composer
• 1958 – Simon Le Bon, English singer-songwriter (Duran Duran and Arcadia)
• 1958 – Felix Wurman, American cellist and composer (d. 2009)
• 1959 – Rick Carlisle, American basketball player and coach
• 1960 – Tom Nieto, American baseball player, coach, and manager
• 1960 – Vangelis Trigas, Greek bouzouki player
• 1961 – Carl, Prince of Wied (d. 2015)
• 1963 – Marla Maples, American model and actress
• 1963 – Tom McKean, Scottish runner
• 1964 – Mark Taylor, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
• 1964 – Ian Wells, English footballer (d. 2013)
• 1966 – Matt Drudge, American blogger, founded the Drudge Report
• 1966 – Kit Malthouse, English accountant and politician
• 1966 – Hege Nerland, Norwegian politician (d. 2007)
• 1966 – Masanobu Takashima, Japanese actor
• 1967 – Steve Almond, American author and educator
• 1967 – Simone Moro, Italian mountaineer and pilot
• 1967 – Dejan Raičković, Montenegrin footballer and manager
• 1967 – Scott Weiland, American singer-songwriter (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, The Wondergirls, and Camp Freddy)
• 1968 – Dileep, Indian actor and producer
• 1968 – Alain Auderset, Swiss author and illustrator
• 1968 – Vinny Samways, English footballer and manager
• 1969 – Peter O'Meara, Irish actor
• 1970 – Karl Backman, Swedish guitarist and songwriter (AC4)
• 1970 – Felix Bwalya, Zambian boxer (d. 1997)
• 1970 – Adrian Erlandsson, Swedish drummer (Cradle of Filth, At the Gates, Nemhain, The Haunted, Nifelheim, and Brujeria)
• 1970 – Alama Ieremia, New Zealand rugby player and coach
• 1970 – Jonathan Stroud, English author
• 1970 – Ruslana Taran, Ukrainian sailor
• 1971 – Stefano Guidoni, Italian footballer
• 1971 – Jorge Soto, Peruvian footballer
• 1971 – Theodoros Zagorakis, Greek footballer
• 1972 – Lee Clark, English footballer and manager
• 1972 – Elissa, Lebanese singer
• 1972 – Evan Coyne Maloney, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1972 – Maria Mutola, Mozambican runner and coach
• 1972 – Brad Radke, American baseball player
• 1973 – Jason Johnson, American baseball player
• 1973 – Semmy Schilt, Dutch kick-boxer and mixed martial artist
• 1975 – Nicola Mazzucato, Italian rugby player and coach
• 1975 – Aron Ralston, American mountaineer and engineer
• 1975 – Elias Toufexis, Canadian actor
• 1976 – Maneet Chauhan, Indian-American chef and author
• 1976 – Wilson Raimundo Júnior, Brazilian footballer
• 1977 – Jiří Jarošík, Czech footballer
• 1977 – Sheeri Rappaport, American actress
• 1977 – Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lankan cricketer
• 1978 – Stephanie Abrams, American meteorologist
• 1978 – Manami Konishi, Japanese actress and singer
• 1978 – Sergei Samsonov, Russian ice hockey player
• 1978 – Vanessa-Mae, Singaporean-English violinist and skier
• 1979 – Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Japanese footballer
• 1980 – Sayuri Osuga, Japanese speed skater and cyclist
• 1980 – Tanel Padar, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1980 – Taksaorn Paksukcharern, Thai model and actress
• 1981 – Salem Al Fakir, Swedish singer and keyboard player
• 1981 – Volkan Demirel, Turkish footballer
• 1981 – Han Hye-jin, South Korean actress
• 1981 – Kristi Richards, Canadian skier
• 1982 – Patrick Fugit, American actor and producer
• 1982 – Takashi Tsukamoto, Japanese actor and singer
• 1983 – Brent Clevlen, American baseball player
• 1983 – Takuro Okuyama, Japanese footballer
• 1983 – Martín Prado, Venezuelan baseball player
• 1983 – Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, Turkish model and actor
• 1984 – Kostas Kapetanos, Greek footballer
• 1984 – Kelly Osbourne, English-American singer-songwriter and actress
• 1984 – Irfan Pathan, Indian cricketer
• 1984 – Brady Quinn, American football player
• 1984 – Emilie Ullerup, Danish-Canadian actress
• 1985 – Sirli Hanni, Estonian biathlete
• 1985 – Sandra Volk, Slovenian tennis player
• 1986 – Jon Niese, American baseball player
• 1986 – Matty Pattison, South African-English footballer
• 1986 – David Warner, Australian cricketer
• 1987 – Thelma Aoyama, Japanese singer
• 1987 – Björn Barrefors, Swedish decathlete and heptathlete.
• 1987 – Andrew Bynum, American basketball player
• 1987 – Guillaume Franke, French-German rugby player
• 1987 – Sebastian Gacki, Canadian actor
• 1987 – Viktor Genev, Bulgarian footballer
• 1987 – Yi Jianlian, Chinese basketball player
• 1988 – Brady Ellison, American archer
• 1988 – Illimar Pärn, Etonian ski jumper
• 1988 – Evan Turner, American basketball player
• 1990 – Dimitrios Gkourtsas, Greek footballer
• 1990 – Oktovianus Maniani, Indonesian footballer
• 1991 – Shohei Takahashi, Japanese footballer
• 1992 – Stephan El Shaarawy, Italian footballer
• 1992 – Emily Hagins, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1992 – Junya Ikeda, Japanese actor and voice actor
• 1992 – Taiko Katono, Japanese actor and model
• 1992 – Brandon Saad, American ice hockey player
• 1993 – Kiefer Ravena, Filipino basketball player
• 1994 – Eddie Alderson, American actor
• 1999 – Haruka Kudo, Japanese singer and actress (Morning Musume)

Deaths[edit]

• 939 – Æthelstan, English king (b. 894)
• 1312 – John II, Duke of Brabant (b. 1275)
• 1327 – Elizabeth de Burgh, Scottish wife of Robert I of Scotland (b. 1289)
• 1430 – Vytautas, Lithuanian ruler (b. 1350)
• 1439 – Albert II of Germany (b. 1397)
• 1449 – Ulugh Beg, Persian astronomer, mathematician, and sultan (b. 1394)
• 1485 – Rodolphus Agricola, Dutch philosopher, poet, and educator (b. 1443)
• 1505 – Ivan III of Russia (b. 1440)
• 1553 – Michael Servetus, Spanish physician and theologian (b. 1511)
• 1561 – Lope de Aguirre, Spanish explorer (b. 1510)
• 1573 – Laurentius Petri, Swedish archbishop (b. 1499)
• 1605 – Akbar, Mughal emperor (b. 1542)
• 1617 – Ralph Winwood, English politician, English Secretary of State (b. 1563)
• 1666 – Robert Hubert, French watchmaker (b. 1640)
• 1670 – Vavasor Powell, Welsh minister (b. 1617)
• 1674 – Hallgrímur Pétursson, Icelandic minister and poet (b. 1614)
• 1675 – Gilles de Roberval, French mathematician and academic (b. 1602)
• 1789 – John Cook, American farmer and politician, 6th Governor of Delaware (b. 1730)
• 1816 – Santō Kyōden, Japanese poet, writer and artist (b. 1761)
• 1880 – Thrasyvoulos Zaimis, Greek politician, 48th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1822)
• 1917 – Arthur Rhys-Davids, English lieutenant and pilot (b. 1897)
• 1926 – Warren Wood, American golfer (b. 1887)
• 1927 – Squizzy Taylor, Australian gangster (b. 1888)
• 1930 – Ellen Hayes, American mathematician and astronomer (b. 1851)
• 1935 – Ernest Eldridge, English race car driver (b. 1897)
• 1942 – Helmuth Hübener, German activist (b. 1925)
• 1947 – William Fay, Irish actor and producer, co-founded the Abbey Theatre (b. 1872)
• 1949 – Marcel Cerdan, Algerian-French boxer (b. 1916)
• 1953 – Thomas Wass, English cricketer (b. 1873)
• 1954 – Harry Tate, American soccer player (b. 1886)
• 1962 – Rudolf Anderson, American soldier and pilot (b. 1927)
• 1962 – Enrico Mattei, Italian politician (b. 1906)
• 1968 – Lise Meitner, Austrian-English physicist and academic (b. 1878)
• 1974 – C. P. Ramanujam, Indian mathematician and academic (b. 1938)
• 1975 – Rex Stout, American author (b. 1886)
• 1976 – Deryck Cooke, English musicologist and author (b. 1919)
• 1977 – James M. Cain, American journalist and author (b. 1892)
• 1980 – Judy LaMarsh, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 42nd Secretary of State for Canada (b. 1924)
• 1980 – Steve Peregrin Took, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (T. Rex, Shagrat, and Steve Took's Horns) (b. 1949)
• 1980 – John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
• 1988 – Charles Hawtrey, English actor, singer, and pianist (b. 1914)
• 1990 – Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American violinist, bandleader, and actor (b. 1900)
• 1990 – Jacques Demy, French actor, singer, director, and screenwriter (b. 1931)
• 1990 – Helmut Maandi, Estonian politician (b. 1906)
• 1990 – Elliott Roosevelt, American general and author (b. 1910)
• 1990 – Princess Sophie of Hohenberg (b. 1901)
• 1990 – Ugo Tognazzi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
• 1991 – George Barker, English author and poet (b. 1913)
• 1992 – David Bohm, American-English physicist and philosopher (b. 1917)
• 1996 – Arthur Tremblay, Canadian politician (b. 1917)
• 1999 – Robert Mills, American physicist and academic (b. 1927)
• 1999 – Charlotte Perriand, French architect and designer (b. 1903)
• 2000 – Walter Berry, Austrian actor and singer (b. 1929)
• 2001 – Pradeep Kumar, Indian actor, director, and producer (b. 1925)
• 2002 – Tom Dowd, American record producer (b. 1925)
• 2002 – Valve Pormeister, Estonian architect (b. 1922)
• 2003 – Rod Roddy, American game show announcer (b. 1937)
• 2003 – Stephanie Tyrell, American songwriter and producer (b. 1949)
• 2004 – Lester Lanin, American bandleader (b. 1907)
• 2004 – Paulo Sérgio Oliveira da Silva, Brazilian footballer (b. 1974)
• 2004 – Zdenko Runjić, Croatian songwriter and producer (b. 1942)
• 2005 – Jerry Cooke, Ukrainian-American photographer and journalist (b. 1921)
• 2006 – Jozsef Gregor, Hungarian opera singer (b. 1940)
• 2006 – Reko Lundán, Finnish journalist and author (b. 1969)
• 2006 – Marlin McKeever, American football player (b. 1940)
• 2006 – Joe Niekro, American baseball player (b. 1944)
• 2006 – Brad Will, American journalist and activist (b. 1970)
• 2007 – Satyen Kappu, Indian actor (b. 1931)
• 2007 – Moira Lister, South African actress (b. 1923)
• 2008 – Chris Bryant, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1936)
• 2008 – Ray Ellis, American conductor and producer (b. 1923)
• 2008 – Frank Nagai, Japanese singer (b. 1932)
• 2008 – Roy Stewart, Jamaican-English actor and stuntman (b. 1925)
• 2009 – John David Carson, American actor (b. 1952)
• 2009 – August Coppola, American author and academic (b. 1934)
• 2009 – David Shepherd, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1940)
• 2010 – Denise Borino-Quinn, American actress (b. 1964)
• 2010 – Néstor Kirchner, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 51st President of Argentina (b. 1950)
• 2010 – James Wall, American actor and manager (b. 1917)
• 2011 – James Hillman, American psychologist and author (b. 1926)
• 2011 – Robert Pritzker, American businessman, co-founded Marmon Group (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Terry Callier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1945)
• 2012 – Angelo Maria Cicolani, Italian engineer and politician (b. 1952)
• 2012 – Regina Dourado, Brazilian actress (b. 1952)
• 2012 – Hans Werner Henze, German composer (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Rodney S. Quinn, American colonel, pilot, and politician, 44th Secretary of State of Maine (b. 1923)
• 2012 – Göran Stangertz, Swedish actor and director (b. 1944)
• 2013 – Vinko Coce, Croatian singer (b. 1954)
• 2013 – Noel Davern, Irish politician, Minister for Education and Skills (b. 1945)
• 2013 – Leonard Herzenberg, American immunologist, geneticist, and academic (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Luigi Magni, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1928)
• 2013 – Lou Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (The Velvet Underground and Metal Machine Trio) (b. 1942)
• 2013 – Michael Wilkes, English general and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Jersey (b. 1940)
• 2014 – Daniel Boulanger, French actor and screenwriter (b. 1922)
• 2014 – Shin Hae-chul, South Korean singer-songwriter and producer (N.EX.T) (b. 1968)
• 2014 – William Orchard, Australian water polo player and psychiatrist (b. 1929)
• 2014 – Starke Taylor, American soldier and politician, mayor of Dallas (b. 1922)
• 2014 – Dub Williams, American farmer and politician (b. 1927)

Spectre stars join royals for James Bond world premiere

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have joined the stars of new James Bond film Spectre for its world premiere in London.

The royal guests were met by director Sam Mendes and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson ahead of the screening at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Daniel Craig, who has played 007 for a decade, was the first to arrive on the red carpet on Monday night. 

He told the BBC: "It's changed my life and I've loved every second of it."

The star also admitted that he "hated" watching himself on screen, but said "I love playing James Bond".

Craig said Mendes was "one of the best directors there is" and that he had enjoyed being "creatively involved from the very beginning". 

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Image copyrightPA

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Other cast members on the red carpet included Naomie Harris, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista and "Bond girls" Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci. 

Bellucci said it was a "great pleasure" to be part of the "amazing tradition" of Bond films. 

"It's magic," she said. "It's incredible how James Bond represents so much, not just in England actually, but all over the world." 

Scott, who plays a new character called Denby, said that the franchise had lasted so well because it kept "reinventing" itself. 

The Sherlock star added: "The storyline in this movie is about surveillance and how we're watched constantly. There's a lot of prescient subject matter in the recent Bond films." 

Spectre is the first Bond film to open in cinemas on the same day as its premiere. 

Mendes said he was delighted that the public were also getting to see the film. " I love the idea that cinemas around the country will be full tonight at the same time as we are doing the royal premiere." 

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Tim Masters, entertainment correspondent on the red carpet

Image copyrightPA

"It's just fantastic to see everybody out tonight," said Daniel Craig as he arrived on the Spectre red carpet that snaked further than the eye could see around the Royal Albert Hall. 

Hundreds of fans - some of whom had queued since Saturday - lined the route in the hope of a photo with Craig. He didn't disappoint them. 

As several thousand guests surged into the famous domed venue, huge speakers pumped out Bond themes past and present, as clips from Spectre played out on giant screens. 

Famous faces on the carpet included Dames Shirley Bassey and Joan Collins, Hobbit star Martin Freeman, musician Will.i.am and former Bond girl Maryam D'Abo from The Living Daylights. 

For two hours the whole event was telecast around the world - just as cinema audiences prepared to watch the film for the first time. 

When it comes to world premieres, nobody does it better than 007. 

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The 24th official entry in the franchise sees Bond battling a criminal syndicate led by Franz Oberhauser, played by Waltz.

Spectre is the third Bond film chosen for the Royal Film Performance since its inception in 1946. It follows previous premieres for Die Another Day (2002) and Skyfall (2012).

Early reviews have been positive, with some critics awarding the film five stars.

Speaking to the BBC last week, Craig said he had not made any decisions about whether he would carry on playing 007.

The actor, on his fourth outing as the superspy, had told Time Out magazine that he would "rather slash [his] wrists" than make a fifth Bond film.

But he told the BBC's Lizo Mzimba: "I'm quite straightforward and I say things when I feel it and then I change my mind. I'm just like everybody else."

Speaking to the BBC on the red carpet, producer Barbara Broccoli said: "I'm pretty determined to keep him!" 

Image copyrightAFP/Getty

Image copyrightPA

Image copyrightEPA

Spectre was shot at Pinewood Studios and filmed on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco.

The shadowy organisation Spectre - which was previously an acronym for the Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion - last made an appearance in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, with Sean Connery as Bond.