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ACROSS THE POND:
LET'S CELEBRATE SOME OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'S
WELL-KNOWN INDIVIDUALS WITH NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS!
November 1, 1762
Spencer Perceval, British Prime Minister who was assassinated in the House of Commons in 1812 by a Liverpool merchant who blamed the government for his bankruptcy.
November 2,1815
George Boole, son of a Lincolnshire cobbler, who despite having no formal education and no degree, was appointed Professor of Mathematics at Cork University in 1849.The logic of his Boolean algebra remains essential to the design of circuits and computers.
November 3,1919
Sir Ludovic Kennedy Edinburgh-born TV broadcaster and writer, joined the BBC in the 1950’s as librarian – editor – interviewer – newscaster, etc., noted for his just stance, his many books include Ten Rillington Place and Euthanasia: the good death.
November 4,1650
William III, Dutch-born King of Great Britain and Ireland who just happened to be passing Torbay with an army of English and Dutch troops when Parliament declared the throne empty. Great timing!
November 6, 1892
Sir John Alcock, Manchester-born pioneer aviator who in 1919 made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic with Sir Arthur Whitten-Brown in a Vickers-Vimy biplane. This accomplishment was commemorated on many postage stamps.
November 8, 1656
Edmond Halley, English Astronomer Royal and mathematician who was the first to realize that comets do not appear randomly, best remembered for the comet named after him. (not Bill!)
November 9,1841
Edward VII, King of Great Britain and Ireland, considered by his mother Queen Victoria to be “too frivolous” for politics. He was a keen sportsman and gambler.
November 11,1947
Rodney Marsh, cricketer who made his debut as a wicket-keeper for Australia in 1970 and continued in that role for 14 years, making a record total of 355 dismissals; many, many, many of them English.
November 13,1312
Edward III, English King who attempted to restore some order back into the monarchy following his father’s chaotic reign, but did not appear to help matters by claiming the French Crown, declaring war against Philip VI and starting the Hundred Year War.
November 14, 1948
Charles, once Prince of Wales now King of England. Did you know Charles has his own real birthday, but tradition holds that the official one is celebrated in June when the weather is more reliably nice. The custom dates back to 1748, when King George II, who was born in November, merged an annual summer military procession with his birthday celebration.
November 15,1708
William Pitt the Elder, English Whig politician also known as the ‘Great Commoner’. As Paymaster of the Forces 1746-55, he broke with tradition by refusing to enrich himself. Following his death in1778 the government voted £20,000 to pay off his debts.
November 18,1836
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert, best remembered as librettist of Arthur Sullivan’s light comic operas, their partnership started in 1871 creating masterpieces such as HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance.
November 19,1600
Charles I, King of Great Britain and Ireland who, after upsetting the Puritans and Scots, alienated the rest of the nation with his taxes and finally declared war on his Parliament. He lost his head after the Civil War on 30th January 1649 in Whitehall, London.
November 20, 1908
Alistair (Alfred) Cooke, Salford-born journalist and broadcaster who moved to the USA and became a US citizen in 1941.
November 21,1787
Sir Samual Cunard. Canadian-born, he emigrated to Britain in 1838, and together with Glaswegian George Burns and Liverpudlian David McIver, founded the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, later known as the Cunard Line.
November 23,1887
Boris Karloff, Dulwich-born actor who after moving to Hollywood made a career for himself on the silver screen starring mainly in horror films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Body Snatcher (1945).
November 25, 1835
Andrew Carnegie. Born in Dunfermline, he emigrated to Pittsburgh in 1848, there he founded and grew the largest iron and steel works in the USA, retiring back to Scotland in 1901, a multimillionaire.
November 27.1809
Fanny Kemble. Made her debut as an actress at Covent Garden in 1829, when her Juliet created a great sensation, moving to and marrying in the USA, she eventually returned to London, she published dramas, poems and eight volumes of autobiography.
November 28,1757
William Blake. Guided and encouraged by his visitations from the spiritual world, he engraved and painted many illustrated books, his finest works adorn the National Gallery and many of his poems have been put to music including Jerusalem.
November 30, 1874
Sir Winston Spencer Churchill. Began his ‘walk with destiny’ as Prime Minister of the coalition government in World War II masterminding battle strategy and the diplomacy which ultimately drew the USA into the conflict.
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