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John Buchan

John Buchan

The Right Honourable John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, GCMG, GCVO, CH, PC (26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada.

Early life

Born in Perth, Scotland, he was educated at Glasgow University and Brasenose College, Oxford, winning the Newdigate prize for poetry while a student at the latter. He had a genius for friendship which he retained all his life. His friends at Oxford included Hilaire Belloc, Raymond Asquith and Aubrey Herbert. Buchan at first entered into a career in law in 1901, but almost immediately moved into politics, becoming private secretary to British colonial administrator Alfred Milner, who was high commissioner for South Africa, Governor of Cape Colony and colonial administrator of Transvaal and the Orange Free State—hence Buchan gained an acquaintance with the country that was to feature prominently in his writing. Buchan married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor, cousin of the Duke of Westminster, on July 15, 1907. Together they had four children, two of whom would spend most of their lives in Canada. During World War I, he was a correspondent for The Times in France before becoming Director of Information under Lord Beaverbrook in 1917. After the war he began to write on historical subjects, and became president of the Scottish Historical Society. He was twice High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and in a 1927 by-election was elected a Conservative Member of Parliament for the Scottish Universities. His career as an author was very successful, and he produced many well-known works, including Prester John (1910), The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915), and Greenmantle (1916). The Thirty-Nine Steps later became even more famous when Alfred Hitchcock made it into a movie. He also wrote biographies of Sir Walter Scott, Caesar Augustus, Oliver Cromwell and James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. His writing continued even after he was appointed Governor General. His later books included novels and histories and his views of Canada. He also wrote his autobiography, Memory Hold-the-Door, while in office. His wife was also a writer, producing many books and plays as Susan Buchan.

Life in Canada

In 1935 he became Governor General of Canada and was created Baron Tweedsmuir. Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King had wanted him to go to Canada as a commoner, but King George V insisted on being represented by a peer. While he pursued his own writing career, he also promoted the development of a distinctly Canadian culture. In 1936, encouraged by Lady Tweedsmuir, he founded the Governor General's Awards still some of Canada's premier literary awards. Lady Tweedsmuir was active in promoting literacy in Canada. She used Rideau Hall as a distribution centre for 40,000 books, which were sent out to readers in remote areas of the west. Her program was known as the "Lady Tweedsmuir Prairie Library Scheme". Together, Lord and Lady Tweedsmuir established the first proper library at Rideau Hall. Lord Tweedsmuir took his responsibilities in Canada seriously and tried to make the office of Governor General relevant to the lives of ordinary Canadians. In his own words, "a Governor General is in a unique position for it is his duty to know the whole of Canada and all the various types of her people". Lord Tweedsmuir travelled throughout Canada, including the Arctic regions. He took every opportunity to speak to Canadians and to encourage them to develop their own distinct identity. He wanted to build national unity by diminishing the religious and linguistic barriers that divided the country. Lord Tweedsmuir was aware of the suffering experienced by many Canadians due to the Depression and often wrote with compassion about their difficulties. Lord Tweedsmuir was recognized by Glasgow, St. Andrews, McGill, Toronto and Montréal Universities, all of which conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Laws, and he was made an Honorary Fellow and an Honorary D.C.L. of Oxford. When His Majesty King George V died in 1936, the front of Rideau Hall was covered in black crepe and Lord Tweedsmuir cancelled all entertaining during the period of mourning. The new heir to the throne, King Edward VIII, soon abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson – creating a crisis for the monarchy. However, when the new King, His Majesty George VI and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth travelled throughout Canada in 1939; the regal visit – the first visit to Canada by a reigning Sovereign – was extremely popular. Like many people of his time, the experience of the First World War convinced Lord Tweedsmuir of the horrors of armed conflict and he worked with both United States President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Mackenzie King in trying to avert the ever-growing threat of another world war. While shaving on February 6, 1940, Lord Tweedsmuir had a stroke and injured his head badly in the fall. He received the best possible care – Canada's famous Dr. Wilder Penfield operated twice – but the injury proved fatal. On February 11, just 10 months before his term of office was to expire, Lord Tweedsmuir died. Prime Minister Mackenzie King reflected the loss that all Canadians felt when he read the following words over the radio, "In the passing of His Excellency, the people of Canada have lost one of the greatest and most revered of their Governors General, and a friend who, from the day of his arrival in this country, dedicated his life to their service." This was the first time a Governor General had died during his term of office since Confederation. After the lying-in-state in the Senate Chamber, a state funeral for Lord Tweedsmuir was held at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Ottawa. His ashes were returned to England on the warship H.M.S. Orion for final burial at Elsfield, where he had bought the Manor in 1920.

Reputation

In recent years in common with many of his contemporaries, Buchan's reputation has been tarnished by the lack of political correctness perceived, with hindsight, in his novels. However, in many other ways, his work stands the test of time, and he is currently undergoing a resurgence in popularity. This is quite in keeping with the high degree of proficiency that he exhibits as a writer and novelist par excellence. Buchan was involved with British Intelligence during World War One and may have had an involvement later. He had a reputation for discretion. In the 1930s Buchan gave financial and moral support to the poor, young academic Roberto Weiss, as Buchan was fascinated by the classical antiquity period Weiss studied, and wished to support this. classical antiquity

Bibliography of Principal Works

- 1896 Scholar-Gipsies (essays)
- 1899 Grey Weather (stories and poems)
- 1899 A Lost Lady of Old Years
- 1900 The Half-Hearted
- 1902 The Watcher by the Threshold (stories)
- 1903 The African Colony
- 1905 The Law Relating to the Taxation of Foreign Income
- 1906 A Lodge in the Wilderness
- 1908 Some Eighteenth Century Byways (essays and articles)
- 1910 Prester John
- 1911 Sir Walter Raleigh
- 1912 The Moon Endureth (stories and poems)
- 1912 What the Home Rule Bill Means
- 1913 The Marquis of Montrose
- 1913 Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall
- 1915 Salute to Adventurers
- 1915 The Thirty-Nine Steps
- 1915 Britain's War by Land
- 1915 The Achievement of France
- 1915 Ordeal by Marriage
- 1916 The Future of the War
- 1916 The Power-House
- 1916 The Battle of Jutland
- 1916 Greenmantle
- 1916 The Battle of the Somme, First Phase
- 1916 The Purpose of War
- 1917 Poems, Scots and English
- 1917 The Battle of the Somme, Second Phase
- 1919 Mr Standfast
- 1919 These for Remembrance
- 1919 The Battle Honours of Scotland 1914-1918
- 1920 The History of the South African Forces in France
- 1920 Francis and Riversdale Grenfell
- 1920 The Long Road to Victory
- 1921 The Path of the King
- 1921-2 A History of the Great War
- 1922 Huntingtower
- 1922 A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys
- 1923 The Last Secrets (essays and articles)
- 1923 A History of English Literature
- 1923 Midwinter
- 1923 Days to Remember
- 1924 Some Notes on Sir Walter Scott
- 1924 The Three Hostages
- 1925 The History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers 1678-1918
- 1925 John Macnab
- 1925 The Man and the Book
- 1925 Sir Walter Scott
- 1925 Two Ordeals of Democracy
- 1926 The Dancing Floor
- 1926 Homilies and Recreations (essays and addresses)
- 1927 Witch Wood
- 1928 The Runagates Club (stories 1913-28)
- 1929 The Courts of the Morning
- 1930 The Kirk in Scotland (with George Adam Smith)
- 1930 Montrose and Leadership
- 1930 Castle Gay
- 1930 Lord Rosebery, 1847-1930
- 1931 The Blanket of the Dark
- 1931 The Novel and the Fairy Tale
- 1932 Sir Walter Scott ( still a first class study )
- 1932 The Gap in the Curtain
- 1932 Julius Caesar
- 1932 The Magic Walking Stick (for children)
- 1932 Andrew Lang and the Borders
- 1933 The Massacre of Glencoe
- 1933 A Prince of the Captivity
- 1933 The Margins of Life
- 1934 The Free Fishers
- 1934 Gordon at Khartoum
- 1934 Oliver Cromwell
- 1935 The King's Grace
- 1935 The House of the Four Winds
- 1936 The Island of Sheep
- 1937 Augustus
- 1938 The Interpreter's House
- 1938 Presbyterianism Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
- 1940 Memory Hold-the-Door
- 1940 Comments and Characters
- 1940 Canadian Occasions
- 1941 Sick Heart River
- 1941 The Long Traverse

External links

The Right Honourable

The Right Honourable (abbreviated "The Rt Hon." or "The Right Hon.") is an honorific prefix which is traditionally applied to certain classes of people in the United Kingdom, Canada, and other Commonwealth Realms.

Entitlement

People entitled to the prefix in a personal capacity are:
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
- This includes all current and former members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, which is a committee of the Privy Council;
- Barons, viscounts and earls (marquesses are "The Most Honourable" and dukes are "The Most Noble" or "His Grace", and, if Privy Councillors, retain these higher styles); and
- The holders of certain offices of state in some Commonwealth realms (e.g. in Canada, the Governor General, Prime Minister and Chief Justice). In order to differentiate peers who are Privy Counsellors from those who are not, sometimes the suffix PC is added to the title. In addition some people are entitled to the prefix in an official capacity, i.e. the prefix is added to the name of the office, but not the name of the person:
- The Lord Mayors of London, Dublin, Cardiff, Belfast, York and Bristol; and of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart; and
- The Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow. All other Lord Mayors and Lord Provosts are "The Right Worshipful".

Corporate entities

The prefix is also added to the name of various corporate entities, e.g.:
- The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal (of the United Kingdom &c.) in Parliament Assembled (the House of Lords);
- The Right Honourable the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses (now usually the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom &c.) in Parliament Assembled (the House of Commons); and
- The Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (the Board of Admiralty)
- The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations (the Board of Trade) See also the corporate use of "Most Honourable," as in "The Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council" (the Privy Council).

Use of the honorific

The honorific is normally only used on the front of envelopes and other written documents: for example, The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP is otherwise referred to simply as "Mr Blair". In the House of Commons, members refer to each other as "the honourable member for ..." or "the right honourable member for ..." depending upon whether or not they are Privy Counsellors. However the title "the honourable member" is only a parliamentary term and is not used outside the House. When a married woman holds this style, she uses her own given name in her style. So, when Mrs. Denis Thatcher was made a Privy Counsellor, she didn't become The Right Honourable Mrs. Denis Thatcher or The Right Honourable Mrs Thatcher, but became The Right Honourable Margaret Thatcher.

Outside the United Kingdom

Generally within the Commonwealth, ministers and judges are The Honourable unless they are appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, in which case they are The Right Honourable. Such persons generally include Prime Ministers and judges of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand, and several other Commonwealth prime ministers.

Australia

In Australia some Premiers of the Australian colonies in the 19th century were appointed members of the UK Privy Council and were thus entitled to be called The Right Honourable. After Federation in 1901, the Governor-General, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, the Prime Minister and some other senior ministers held the title. There has never been an Australian Privy Council. In 1972 Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam declined appointment to the Privy Council, but the practice was resumed by Malcolm Fraser in 1975. In 1983 Bob Hawke declined the appointment, and the appointment of Australians to the Privy Council was abolished shortly thereafter. The last Governor-General to be entitled to the style was Ninian Stephen. The last politician to be entitled to the style was Ian Sinclair, who retired in 1998. The only living Australians holding the title The Right Honourable for life are:
- Doug Anthony, former Deputy Prime Minister
- Sir Zelman Cowen, former Governor-General
- Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister
- Ian Sinclair, former Leader of the National Party and Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Sir Ninian Stephen, former Governor-General
- Reginald Withers, former Senator, Minister, and Lord Mayor of Perth. The Lord Mayors of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart are styled The Right Honourable, but the style (which has no connection with the Privy Council) attaches to the title of Lord Mayor, and not to their names, and is relinquished upon leaving office.

Canada

In Canada, members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada receive the honorific The Honourable, with only the occupants of the most senior public offices being made The Right Honourable, as they used to be appointed to the British Privy Council. L'Honorable and le Très Honorable are used in French by the federal government, but the Office québécois de la langue française (the Quebec government body setting standards for the French language) considers them improper loan expressions and advises the use of Monsieur and Madame (Mr. and Ms.) instead. Although appointments of Canadians to the British Privy Council have ceased, the following public servants are domestically awarded the style The Right Honourable for life:
- the Governor General of Canada
- the Prime Minister of Canada
- the Chief Justice of Canada. (Governors General also use the style His/Her Excellency during their term of office.) Several prominent Canadians (mostly politicians) have become members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and have thus been entitled to use the title Right Honourable, either because of their services in Britain (e.g. serving as envoys to London) or as members of the Imperial War Cabinet, or due to their prominence in the Canadian Cabinet. These include:
- Sir John A. Macdonald (1879)1
- Sir John Rose (1886)
- Sir John Sparrow David Thompson (1894)1
- Sir Samuel Henry Strong (1897)4
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1897)1
- Sir Richard John Cartwright (1902)
- Sir Henri Elzéar Taschereau (1904)4
- Sir Charles Tupper (1907)1
- Sir Charles Fitzpatrick (1908)4
- Sir Robert Laird Borden (1912)1
- Sir George Eulas Foster (1916)
- Sir Louis Henry Davies (1919)4
- Lyman Poore Duff (1919)6
- Arthur Lewis Sifton (1920)
- Arthur Meighen (1920)1
- Charles Doherty (1920)
- Sir William Thomas White (1920)
- William Lyon Mackenzie King (1922)1
- William Stevens Fielding (1923)
- Francis Alexander Anglin (1925)4
- Sir William Mulock (1925)
- George Perry Graham (1925)
- R.B. Bennett (1930)1
- Sir George Halsey Perley (1931)
- Ernest Lapointe (1937)
- Vincent Massey (1941)3
- Raoul Dandurand (1941)
- Louis St. Laurent (1946)2
- James Lorimer Ilsley (1946)
- Clarence Decatur Howe (1946)
- Ian Alistair Mackenzie (1947)
- James Garfield Gardiner (1947)
- Thibaudeau Rinfret (1947)4
- John George Diefenbaker (1957)1
- Georges-Philéas Vanier (1963)5
- Lester Bowles Pearson (1963)1 1 - As Prime Minister. 2 - Tupper was appointed when he was no longer Prime Minister and St. Laurent was appointed when he was a cabinet minister under Mackenzie King. 3 - Massey became Governor General over a decade later. He was made "Right Honourable" while serving as Canada's High Commissioner to London. 4 - As Chief Justice of Canada 5 - As Governor General of Canada. 6 - Duff did not become Chief Justice until 1933. Canadian appointments to the British Privy Council were ended by the government of Lester Pearson. Since then, the style may only be granted for life by the Governor General to eminent Canadians who have not held any of the offices that would otherwise entitle them to the style. It has been granted to the following individuals:
- Paul Joseph James Martin (1992)
- Martial Asselin (1992)
- Ellen Fairclough (1992)
- Jean-Luc Pépin (1992)
- Alvin Hamilton (1992)
- Don Mazankowski (1992)
- Jack Pickersgill (1992)
- Robert Stanfield (1992)
- Herb Gray (2002)

Ireland

The Irish Privy Council was abolished with the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922; nevertheless the Lord Mayor of Dublin, like his counterparts in the United Kingdom, retains the usage of the honorific; the Lord Mayor of Cork has never been entitled to the title. The remaining members of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland are entitled to be styled The Right Honourable.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, the Prime Minister is customarily appointed to the British Privy Council and is styled The Right Honourable. However, the current Prime Minister, Helen Clark, has not recommended any new Privy Counsellors. The Governor-General is also usually a Privy Counsellor, but the current Governor-General, Dame Silvia Cartwright, is not. In any case the Governor-General as a plenipotentiary representative is entitled to the style "Excellency". At present there are only two Privy Counsellors in the New Zealand Parliament, both appointed by previous Prime Ministers: Helen Clark (appointed by Jim Bolger upon becoming Leader of the Opposition in 1993) and Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First (appointed by Jim Bolger upon becoming Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer in 1996). Privy Counsellors recently retired include the former Speaker of the House, Jonathan Hunt (appointed by Geoffrey Palmer in recognition of long service in 1989), who retired from Parliament in 2005 to become New Zealand's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley (appointed upon becoming Prime Minister in 1997), who stepped down from Parliament at the 2002 election.

External links

- [http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/pe/titre_e.cfm Current list of Canadian notables possessing some form of honorific] (incl. Rt. Hon.) Category:Titles

Royal Victorian Order

The Royal Victorian Order is an order of chivalry that was established by Queen Victoria on 21 April 1896. The Order includes five classes, in order of seniority: #Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO) #Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO) #Commander (CVO) #Lieutenant (LVO) #Member (MVO) Membership is conferred on those who performed personal service for the Sovereign. The Order's day is 20 June, the date of Queen Victoria's accession. The motto is Victoria. The Order is the second-most junior order of chivalry in the British honours system (in terms of both age and precedence), senior only to The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

History

The Order was created at a time when all honours were bestowed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister and other ministers. The Royal Victorian Order, however, has always been within the personal gift of the Sovereign. It was thus unique at the time of its foundation; now, however, the two most senior British orders of chivalry—The Most Noble Order of the Garter and The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle—are also within the Sovereign's personal gift.

Composition

The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order. The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was Grand Master from 1937 until her death in 2002; she has not been replaced. Formerly, Lieutenants and Members of the Order were known as Members (fourth class) and Members (fifth class), respectively. The name change was made in 1984. The Royal Victorian Order's membership is not subject to any numerical limits. Women have been eligible for membership since 1936. Foreigners may be admitted to the Order as "honorary members." Normally, honorary memberships are bestowed by the Sovereign during his or her visits overseas. The Royal Victorian Medal was instituted at the same time as the Order. It, too, is awarded for personal services to the Sovereign. It is awarded in three classes: Gold, Silver and Bronze. There is a separate Royal Victorian Chain, which is unrelated to the Order; it was instituted in 1902 by Edward VII. The Order has five officials: the Chancellor, the Secretary, the Registrar, the Chaplain and the Genealogist. The Lord Chamberlain serves as Chancellor, the Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the Queen serves as Secretary, the Secretary to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood serves as Registrar and the Chaplain of The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy serves as Chaplain.

Vestments and accoutrements

Members of the Order wear elaborate costumes on important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations), which vary by rank:
- The mantle, worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is a dark blue satin coat, edged with red satin. On the left side is a representation of the star (see below).
- The collar, also worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold. It consists of octagonal pieces alternating with oblong frames. Each octagonal piece depicts a gold rose on a blue field. Each frame contains one of the following inscriptions: "Victoria," "Brit. Reg." (Queen of Britain), "Def. Fid." (Defender of the Faith) and "Ind. Imp." (Empress of India). In the centre is a medallion bearing Victoria's effigy.This collar is not to be confused with the Royal Victorian Chain. This is a decoration that is not a part of the Royal Victorian Order. At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used:
- The star is only worn by the Knights and Dames Grand Cross and the Knights and Dames Commanders. It is worn pinned to the left breast. For Knights and Dames Grand Cross the star is an eight-pointed silver star, with a white enamelled Maltese Cross at the centre; for Knights and Dames Commanders it is an eight-pointed silver Maltese Cross, with silver rays between the arms, and a smaller forsted silver Maltese Cross at the centre. In both cases the oval-shaped central medallion depicts Victoria's Royal and Imperial Cypher, "VRI" (Victoria Regina Imperatrice) on a red background, surrounded by a crown-surmounted blue ring bearing the motto of the Order.
- The badge is the only insignia used by all members of the Order; it is suspended on a blue ribbon with red-wite-red edges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on a riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Male Knight Commanders and Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Lieutenants and Members wear it from a ribbon on the left chest; all female grades (other than Dames Grand Cross) wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. The badge is in the form of a Maltese Cross; on an oval-shaped central medallion, the same design that appears on the star is depicted. The size of the badges varies by rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. Lieutenants and Members have badges of the same size, but the badges of Lieutenants (and members of all higher classes) are enamelled, while the badges of Members are made of frosted silver.
- The Royal Victorian Medal shows Victoria's effigy on the obverse, and the words "Royal Victorial Medal" on a scroll beneath Victoria's Royal and Imperial Cypher on the reverse. It is worn in the same fashion as the badge: from a ribbon on the left chest in the case of men, and from a bow on the left shoulder in the case of women. The ribbon is different from th ribbon of the Order. It has a broad white stripe down its center. On certain "collar days" designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is suspended from the collar. Collars are returned upon the death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained.

Chapel

The chapel of the Order has been The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy since 1938. Every four years, the Order holds a religious service in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle; St George's is used instead of Savoy because it may accommodate more individuals. The Sovereign and the Knights and Dames Grand Cross are allotted stalls in the choir of the chapel, above which their heraldic devices are displayed. Perched on the pinnacle of a knight's stall is his helm, decorated with a mantling and topped by his crest. Under English heraldic law, women other than monarchs do not bear helms or crests; instead, the coronet appropriate to the dame's rank, if there is one, is used (see coronet). Above the crest or coronet, the stall's occupant's heraldic banner is hung, emblazoned with his or her coat of arms. At a considerably smaller scale, to the back of the stall is affixed a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order. Upon the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest are taken down. The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about the stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the Order's Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1938.

Precedence and privileges

Members of all classes of the Order are assigned positions in the order of precedence. Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders; relatives of Ladies of the Garter, however, are not assigned any special precedence. (As a general rule, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives.) (See order of precedence in England and Wales for the exact positions.) Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders prefix "Sir," and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders prefix "Dame," to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Furthermore, honorary members and clergymen do not use the accolade of knighthood. Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal letters "GCVO," Knights Commanders "KCVO," Dames Commanders "DCVO," Commanders "CVO," Lieutenants "LVO" and Members "MVO." (When Lieutenants were known as Members of the Fourth Class, they also used "MVO.") Recipients of the Royal Victorian Medal use "RVM." Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters. They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commanders and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet.

References

- [http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cuhags/orderofc/rvo.htm Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society. (2002). "The Royal Victorian Order."]
- [http://www.debretts.co.uk/etiquette/royal_victorian.html Debrett's Limited. (2004). "The Royal Victorian Order."]
- "Knighthood and Chivalry." (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed. London: Cambridge University Press.
- [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/order_precedence.htm Velde, F. R. (2003). "Order of Precedence in England and Wales.] Category:British honours system Category:British knights Category:British dames Category:Orders and decorations Category:Orders of knighthood Royal Victorian, Order

Privy Council of the United Kingdom

Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Formerly, the Council was a powerful institution, but is now largely ceremonial. Most of its power is held by one of its committees, the Cabinet. The Council also performs judicial functions, which are for the most part delegated to the Judicial Committee. The Sovereign, when acting on the Council's advice, is known as the King-in-Council or Queen-in-Council. The members of the Council are collectively known as The Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (sometimes The Lords and others of...). The chief officer of the body is the Lord President of the Council, who is the fourth highest Great Officer of State, a member of the Cabinet, and normally, the Leader of either the House of Lords or the House of Commons. Another important official is the Clerk, whose signature is appended to all orders made in the Council. Both "Privy Counsellor" and "Privy Councillor" may be correctly used to refer to a member of the Council. The former, however, is preferred by the Privy Council Office.

History

During the reigns of the Norman monarchs, the Crown was advised by a royal court, which consisted of magnates, ecclesiastics and high officials. The body originally concerned itself with advising the Sovereign on legislation, administration and justice. Later, different bodies assuming distinct functions evolved from the court. The courts of law took over the business of dispensing justice, while Parliament became the supreme legislature of the kingdom. Nevertheless, the Council retained the power to hear legal disputes, either in the first instance or on appeal. Furthermore, laws made by the Sovereign on the advice of the Council, rather than on the advice of Parliament, were accepted as valid. Powerful Sovereigns often used the body to circumvent the courts and Parliament. For example, a committee of the Council—which later became the Court of the Star Chamber—was during the fifteenth century permitted to inflict any punishment except death, without being bound by any rules regarding evidence or the burden of proof. During Henry VIII's reign, the Sovereign, on the advice of the Council, was allowed to enact laws by mere proclamation. The legislative pre-eminence of Parliament was not restored until after Henry VIII's death. Though the royal Council retained legislative and judicial responsibilities, it became a primarily administrative body. The Council was a large body—it consisted of forty members in 1553—which made it difficult to manage as an advisory body. Therefore, the Sovereign relied on a small committee, which later evolved into the modern Cabinet. James I and Charles I attempted to rule as absolute monarchs, contributing to further deterioration of the power of the Council. After the English Civil War, Charles I was executed, and the monarchy and House of Lords abolished. The remaining house of Parliament, the House of Commons, instituted a Council of State to execute laws and to direct administrative policy. The forty-one members of the Council were elected by the Commons; the body was headed by Oliver Cromwell, the de facto military dictator of the nation. In 1653, however, Cromwell became Lord Protector, and the Council was reduced to between thirteen and twenty-one members, all elected by the Commons. In 1657, the Commons granted Cromwell even greater powers, some of which were reminiscent of those enjoyed by monarchs. The Council became known as the Protector's Privy Council; its members were appointed by the Lord Protector, subject to Parliament's approval. In 1659, shortly before the restoration of the monarchy, the Protector's Council was abolished. Charles II restored the royal Privy Council, but he, like previous Stuart monarchs, chose to rely on a small committee of advisors. Under George I, who did not speak English, even more power passed to the body. Thus, the Privy Council, as a whole, ceased to be a body of important confidential advisors to the Sovereign; the role passed to a committee of the Privy Council, now known as the Cabinet.

Composition

The Sovereign may appoint all Privy Counsellors, but in practice does so on the advice of the Government. The heir-apparent and the Sovereign's consort are invariably appointed to the Council, as are the Church of England's three highest ecclesiastics—the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of London. Several senior judges—Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, judges of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland and judges of the Inner House of the Court of Session (the highest court in Scotland)—are also named to the Privy Council. The bulk of Privy Counsellors, however, are politicians. The Prime Minister, ministers in the cabinet, some senior ministers outside the cabinet, the Leader of the Opposition and leaders of large parties in the House of Commons are all appointed Privy Counsellors. Although the Privy Council is primarily a British institution, officials from some other Commonwealth realms are also appointed to the body. The most notable instance is New Zealand, whose Prime Minister, senior politicians, Chief Justice and Court of Appeal judges are conventionally made Privy Counsellors. The following oath is administered to Privy Counsellors before they take office: :You do swear by Almighty God to be a true and faithful Servant unto The Queen's Majesty as one of Her Majesty's Privy Council. You will not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done or spoken against Her Majesty's Person, Honour, Crown or Dignity Royal, but you will lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power, and either cause it to be revealed to Her Majesty Herself, or to such of Her Privy Council as shall advertise Her Majesty of the same. You will in all things to be moved, treated and debated in Council, faithfully and truly declare your Mind and Opinion, according to your Heart and Conscience; and will keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council. And if any of the said Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Counsellors you will not reveal it unto him but will keep the same until such time as, by the consent of Her Majesty or of the Council, Publication shall be made thereof. You will to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance to the Queen's Majesty; and will assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to Her Majesty and annexed to the Crown by Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, against all Foreign Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty. So help you God. Membership concludes upon the dissolution of the Privy Council, which automatically occurs six months after a demise in the Crown. (Formerly, until a statute to the contrary was passed during the reign of Anne, the death of a monarch brought an end to the Council immediately.) By convention, however, the Sovereign reappoints all members of the Council after its dissolution; hence, membership is, in practice, for life. The Sovereign may however remove an individual from the Council, and individuals may choose to resign to avoid expulsion. The last individual to voluntarily leave the Privy Council was Jonathan Aitken, who left in 1997 following allegations of perjury. He was one of only three Privy counsellors to resign in the 20th century (the others being John Profumo, in 1963, and John Stonehouse, in 1976 ). The last individual to be expelled from the Council against his will was Sir Edgar Speyer, 1st Baronet, who was removed in 1921 for pro-German activities during the First World War.

Meetings

First World War Meetings of the Privy Council are normally held once each month wherever the Sovereign may be residing at the time. The Sovereign attends the meeting, though his or her place may be taken by two or more Counsellors of State. Under the Regency Act 1937, Counsellors of State may be chosen from amongst the Sovereign's spouse and the four individuals (at least twenty-one years of age) next in the line of succession. At meetings of the Privy Council, the Lord President reads out a list of Orders to be made, and the Sovereign merely says "Approved." Only a few ministers of the Crown attend such meetings, which rarely last very long. Full meetings of the Privy Council are only held when the reigning Sovereign announces his or her own marriage, or when a demise in the Crown occurs. In the latter case, the Privy Council—together with the Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, the Lord Mayor of London, the Aldermen of the City of London and representatives of Commonwealth nations—makes a proclamation declaring the accession of the new Sovereign.

Functions

The Sovereign exercises executive authority by making Orders-in-Council upon the advice of the Privy Council. Orders-in-Council, which are drafted by the government rather than by the Sovereign, are used to make simple government regulations. Furthermore, they are used to grant the Royal Assent to laws passed by the legislative authorities of British crown dependencies. Government appointments are also made by Orders-in-Council. Distinct from Orders-in-Council are Orders of Council. Whilst the former are made by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy Council, the latter are made by members of the Privy Council without the participation of the Sovereign. They are issued under the specific authority of Acts of Parliament, and are normally used to regulate public institutions. The Sovereign, furthermore, issues Royal Charters on the advice of the Privy Council. Charters grant special status to incorporated bodies; they are used to grant city status to towns. The Crown-in-Council also performs certain judicial functions. Within the United Kingdom, the Crown-in-Council hears appeals from ecclesiastical courts, the Court of Admiralty of the Cinque Ports, prize courts and the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, appeals against schemes of the Church Commissioners and appeals under certain Acts of Parliament (eg the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975). The Crown-in-Council also hears appeals from several Commonwealth Realms, British Overseas Territories, Sovereign Base Areas and crown dependencies. The aforementioned cases are theoretically decided by the Crown-in-Council, but are in practice decided by the Judicial Committee, which consists of senior judges who are Privy Counsellors. The Judicial Committee has direct jurisdiction in cases relating to the Scotland Act 1998, the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Rights and privileges of members

Though the Privy Council as a whole is "The Most Honourable", individual Privy Counsellors are entitled to the style "The Right Honourable". Peers who are Privy Counsellors also append the post-nominal letters "PC", but commoners do not. Peers are already entitled to the style "The Right Honourable", if not a higher style, even when they are not Privy Counsellors; thus, the letters "PC" are necessary to indicate membership of the Council. For commoners, on the other hand, "The Right Honourable" is sufficient identification as a Privy Counsellor. Privy Counsellors are entitled to positions in the order of precedence. At the beginning of each new Parliament, members of the House of Commons who are Privy Counsellors may take the oath of allegiance before all other members except the Speaker and the Father of the House (the most senior member of the House). Formerly, whenever a Privy Counsellor rose to make a speech in the House of Commons at the same time as another member, the Speaker would first recognise the Privy Counsellor. This informal custom, however, was abolished in 1998. Privy Counsellors are allowed to sit on the steps to the Sovereign's Throne in the House of Lords Chamber during debates. They share this privilege with peers who are not members of the House of Lords, diocesan bishops of the Church of England, retired bishops who formerly sat in the House of Lords, the Dean of Westminster, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery and the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. Each Privy Counsellor has the individual right to personal access to the Sovereign. Peers also enjoy the same right individually; members of the House of Commons possess the right collectively. In each case, personal access may only be used to tender advice on public affairs.

Other councils

The Privy Council is one of the four principal councils of the Sovereign. The other three are: the courts of law, the commune concilium (common council, or Parliament) and the magnum concilium (great council, or the assembly of all the peers of the Realm). All are still in existence, but the magnum concilium has not been formally summoned since 1640. Several other "Privy Councils" have advised the Sovereign. England and Scotland once had separate Privy Councils, but the Act of Union 1707, which united the two countries into Great Britain, replaced both with a single body. Ireland, on the other hand, continued to have a separate Privy Council even after the Act of Union 1800. The Irish Privy Council was abolished in 1922, when Southern Ireland separated from the United Kingdom; it was succeeded by the Privy Council for Northern Ireland, which became dormant after the suspension of the Parliament of Northern Ireland. Canada has had its own Privy Council—the Queen's Privy Council for Canada—since 1867. (Note that whilst the Canadian Privy Council is specifically "for Canada", the Privy Council discussed above is not "for the United Kingdom".) The equivalent organ of state in the other Commonwealth Realms and some Commonwealth Republics is called the Executive Council.

References

- Blackstone, W. (1765). Commentaries on the Laws of England. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld/ldcomp/compso.htm Davies, M. (2003). Companion to the Standing Orders and guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords, 19th ed.]
- "Privy Council." (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed. London: Cambridge University Press.
- [http://www.privy-council.org.uk Privy Council Office (Home Page). (2004).] Category:Privy councils Category:Departments of the United Kingdom Government

1875

1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). In the ISO 8601 calendar, 1875 is defined as the year the Convention du Mètre was originally signed, by way of a reference year.

Events

January - April

- January 12 - Kwang-su becomes emperor of China.
- February 27 - Newton Booth, 11th Governor of California resigns, having been elected Senator. Lieutenant Governor of California Romualdo Pacheco becomes acting Governor. He is later replaced by elected governor William Irwin.
- March 3 - The first performance of Bizet’s Carmen at the Opéra Comique, Paris
- March 3 - The first organized indoor game of ice hockey was played between two pick-up teams at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal.

May - August

- May 7 - SS Schiller wrecks on rocks off the Isles of Scilly.
- May 17 - Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby.
- May 20 - Convention du Mètre signed in Paris.
- August 25 - Captain Matthew Webb becomes the first person to swim the English Channel.

September - December

- September 1 - A murder conviction effectively forces the violent Irish anti-owner coal miners, the "Molly Maguires", to disband.
- November 9 - Indian Wars: In Washington, D.C., Indian Inspector E.C. Watkins issues a report stating that hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne associated with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse are hostile to the United States (the Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought in Montana the next year).
- November 16 - Battle at Gundet - Abyssinean emperor Yohannes beats Egyptians
- December 4 - Notorious New York City politician Boss Tweed escapes from prison and flees to Cuba, then Spain.

Unknown date

- Wimbledon: Henry Cavendish Jones convinced the "All England Croquet Club" to replace a croquet court with a lawn tennis court.
- Treaty of Saint Petersburg is signed between Japan and Russia.
- Tong wars begin in San Francisco
- The Theosophical Society was founded in New York by Helena Blavatsky, H. S. Olcott, W. Q. Judge, and others.
- The Arya Samaj was founded in Mumbai by Swami Dayananda.

Births

January

- January 5 - James Stuart Blackton, American film producer (d. 1941)
- January 7 - Thomas J. Hicks, American runner (d. 1963)
- January 9 - Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, American sculptor and socialite (d. 1942)
- January 11 - Reinhold Glière, Russian composer (d. 1956)
- January 14 - Albert Schweitzer, Alsatian physician, philosopher, and musician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1965)
- January 15 - Tom Burke, American runner (d. 1929)
- January 22 - D. W. Griffith, American film director (d. 1948)

February

- February 2 - Fritz Kreisler, Austrian violinist (d. 1962)
- February 21 - Jeanne Calment, Oldest person in recorded history (d. 1997)

March

- March 7 - Maurice Ravel, French composer (d. 1937)
- March 26 - Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea (d. 1965)
- March 30 - Jonathan Campbell, American film pioneer (d. 1942)

April

- April 1 - Edgar Wallace, English writer (d. 1932)
- April 2 - Walter Chrysler, American automobile pioneer (d. 1940)
- April 4 - Pierre Monteux, French conductor (d. 1964)
- April 5 - Mistinguett, French singer (d. 1956)
- April 8 - King Albert I of Belgium (d. 1934)
- April 15 - James J. Jeffries, American boxer (d. 1953)

May

- May 11 - Harriet Quimby, American pilot (d. 1912)
- May 12 - Krishna Chandra Bhattacharya, Indian philosopher (d. 1949)

June

- June 6 - Thomas Mann, German writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
- June 12 - Sam De Grasse, Canadian actor (d. 1953)
- June 24 - Diedrich Westermann, German linguist (d. 1956)
- June 28 - Henri Lebesgue, French mathematician (d. 1941)

July

- July 26 - Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist (d. 1961)
- July 26 - Antonio Machado, Spanish poet (d. 1939)

August

- August 15 - Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, English composer (d. 1912)
- August 21 - Winnifred Eaton, Canadian author (d. 1954)
- August 27 - Katharine McCormick, American suffragist (d. 1967)

September

- September 1 - Edgar Rice Burroughs, American author (d. 1950)

October

- October 1 - Eugeen Van Mieghem, Belgian painter (d. 1930)
- October 12 - Aleister Crowley, British occultist (d. 1947)
- October 23 - Gilbert N. Lewis, American chemist (d. 1946)

December

- December 4 - Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian poet (d. 1926)
- December 5 - Arthur Currie, Canadian military leader (d. 1933)
- December 19 - Mileva Maric, Albert Einstein's first wife (d. 1948)
- December 25 - Theodor Cardinal Innitzer, Austrian Catholic cardinal (d. 1955)

Deaths

- January 23 - Charles Kingsley, English writer (b. 1819)
- February 22 - Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, French painter (b. 1796)
- February 22 - Sir Charles Lyell, British geologist (b. 1797)
- March 1 - Tristan Corbière, French poet (b. 1845)
- May 17 - John C. Breckinridge, Vice President of the United States (b. 1821)
- June 3 - Georges Bizet, French composer (b. 1836)
- June 4 - Eduard Mörike, German poet (b. 1804)
- June 25- Antoine-Louis Barye, French sculptor (b. 1796)
- July 30 - George Pickett, American Confederate General (b. 1825)
- July 31 - Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States (b. 1808)
- August 4 - Hans Christian Andersen, Danish writer (b. 1805)
- August 10 - Karl Andree, German geographer (b. 1808)
- August 17 - Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist (b. 1827)
- September 22 - Charles Bianconi, Italian-Irish entrepreneur (b. 1786)
- October 10 - Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Russian writer (b. 1817)
- October 12 - Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, French sculptor and painter (b. 1827)
- November 22 - Henry Wilson, Vice President of the United States (b. 1812)
- November 24 - William Backhouse Astor, Sr., American businessman (b. 1792) Category:1875 ko:1875년 ms:1875 simple:1875 th:พ.ศ. 2418

11 February

February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 323 days remaining, 324 in leap years.

Events

- 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
- 731 - Gregory II ends his reign as Pope.
- 824 - Paschal I ends his reign as Pope.
- 1411 : Peace of Toruń 1411 signed in Toruń, Poland
- 1531 - Henry VIII of England recognized as supreme head of the Church of England.
- 1752 - Pennsylvania Hospital, 1st hospital in the United States, opens.
- 1790 - Religious Society of Friends petitions U.S. Congress for abolition of slavery.
- 1794 - First session of United States Senate open to the public.
- 1808 - Anthracite coal first burned as fuel, experimentally.
- 1809 - Robert Fulton patents the steamboat
- 1810 - Napoléon marries Marie-Louise of Austria.
- 1812 - Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry gerrymanders for the first time.
- 1814 - Norway's independence is proclaimed, marking the ultimate end of the Kalmar Union
- 1826 - University College London is founded under the name University of London.
- 1837 - American Physiological Society organizes in Boston, Massachusetts.
- 1840 - Gaetano Donizetti's opera La Fille du Régiment receives its first performance in Paris.
- 1843 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera I Lombardi receives its first performance in Milan.
- 1855 - Kassa Hailu is crowned Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia, by Abuna Salama III in a ceremony at the church of Derasge Maryam.
- 1858 - The Blessed Virgin Mary reputedly appears to Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes.
- 1861 - American Civil War: United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state.
- 1873 - King Amadeus I of Spain abdicates.
- 1889 - Meiji constitution of Japan adopted; 1st Diet of Japan convenes in 1890
- 1895 - The lowest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire. This record was equalled on 10 January,1982 .
- 1902 - Police assault universal suffrage demonstrators in Brussels.
- 1903 - Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna.
- 1905 - Pope Pius X publishes the encyclical Vehementer nos.
- 1908 - Australia regain the Ashes with a 308 run cricket victory over England.
- 1916 - Emma Goldman arrested for lecturing on birth control.
- 1919 - Friedrich Ebert (SPD), elected President of Germany.
- 1928 - 1928 Winter Olympic Games open in St. Moritz, Switzerland
- 1929 - Italy and the Vatican sign the Lateran Treaty.
- 1937 - A sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Auto Workers Union.
- 1938 - BBC Television produces the world's first ever science fiction television programme, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Capek play R.U.R. (The play which coined the term "robot").
- 1941 - First Gold record presented to Glenn Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo".
- 1943 - General Dwight Eisenhower selected to command the allied armies in Europe.
- 1945 - Yalta Conference ends.
- 1948 - John Costello succeeds Éamon de Valera as Taoiseach of Ireland.
- 1953 - President Dwight Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
- 1953 - The Soviet Union breaks off diplomatic relations with Israel.
- 1961 - Trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem.
- 1963 - The Beatles tape 10 tracks for their first album, including "Please, Please Me".
- 1964 - At the Washington, DC Coliseum, The Beatles have their 1st live appearance in the United States.
- 1964 - Greeks and Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus.
- 1964 - The Republic of China (Taiwan) breaks off diplomatic relations with France.
- 1968 - Israeli-Jordanian border clashes.
- 1968 - Madison Square Garden III closes and Madison Square Garden IV opens in New York City
- 1971 - US, UK, USSR, others sign Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons in international waters.
- 1973 - Vietnam War: First release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam takes place.
- 1978 - Censorship: China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, Shakespeare and Dickens.
- 1979 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seizes power in Iran.
- 1981 - 100,000 gallons (380 m³) of radioactive coolant leak into the containment building of TVA Sequoyah 1 nuclear plant in Tennessee, contaminating 8 workers
- 1983 - President Ronald Reagan declares Thomas Edison's birthday National Inventor's Day
- 1986 - Rights activist Anatoly Sharansky, released by the USSR, leaves the country.
- 1987 - Philippines constitution goes into effect.
- 1990 - James "Buster" Douglas KOs Mike Tyson to win heavyweight boxing crown.
- 1990 - Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, is freed from Victor Verster prison outside Cape Town, South Africa.
- 1991 - UNPO, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, forms in The Hague, Netherlands.
- 1999 - Pluto, a planet with an irregular orbit, changes from the eighth to ninth planet furthest from the sun. It had been the eighth furthest since 1979.
- 2006 - The UK's ITV plans to start broadcasting its new children's channel.

Births

- 1377 - King Ladislas of Naples (d. 1414)
- 1380 - Gianfrancesco Poggio Bracciolini, Italian humanist (d. 1459)
- 1466 - Elizabeth of York, queen of Henry VII of England (d. 1503)
- 1535 - Pope Gregory XIV (d. 1591)
- 1568 - Honoré d'Urfé, French writer (d. 1625)
- 1649 - William Carstares, Scottish minister (d. 1715)
- 1657 - Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, French scientist and man of letters (d. 1757)
- 1755 - Albert Christoph Dies, German composer (d. 1822)
- 1764 - Marie-Joseph de Chenier, French poet (d. 1811)
- 1774 - Hans Jarta, Swedish political activist (d. 1847)
- 1776 - Joannis Capodistrias, Greek governor of Troezen (d. 1836)
- 1800 - William Henry Fox Talbot, English photographer (d. 1877)
- 1802 - Lydia Child, American novelist and abolitionist (d. 1880)
- 1812 - Alexander Hamilton Stephens, American Confederate Vice President (d. 1883)
- 1813 - Otto Ludwig, German writer and critic (d. 1865)
- 1819 - Samuel Parkman Tuckerman, American composer (d. 1890)
- 1821 - Auguste-Édouard Mariette, French Egyptologist (d. 1881)
- 1830 - Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf, musician (d. 1913)
- 1833 - Melville Weston Fuller, 8th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1910)
- 1839 - Josiah Willard Gibbs, American physicist and chemist (d. 1903)
- 1847 - Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor and businessman (d. 1931)
- 1860 - Rachilde, French author (d. 1953)
- 1869 - Helene Kroller-Muller, Dutch museum founder and patron of the arts (d. 1939)
- 1869 - Else Lasker-Schüler, German writer (d. 1945)
- 1873 - Feodor Chaliapin, Russian singer (d. 1938)
- 1874 - Fritz Bennicke Hart, English-born composer (d. 1949)
- 1874 - Elsa Beskow, Swedish author (d. 1953)
- 1887 - John van Melle, South African writer (d. 1953)
- 1891 - J.W. Hearne English cricketer (d. 1965)
- 1894 - Alfonso Leng, Chilean composer (d. 1974)
- 1898 - Leó Szilárd, Hungarian-born physicist and peace activist (d. 1964)
- 1900 - Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher (d. 2002)
- 1902 - Arne Jacobsen, Danish architect and designer (d. 1971)
- 1903 - Hans Redlich, Austrian composer (d. 1968)
- 1904 - Sir Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1983)
- 1908 - Vivian Ernest Fuchs, English geologist and explorer (d. 1999)
- 1909 - Max Baer, American boxer and actor (d. 1959)
- 1909 - Joseph Mankiewicz, American director (d. 1993)
- 1912 - Roy Fuller, English writer (d. 1991)
- 1914 - Matt Dennis, American singer
- 1915 - Patrick Leigh Fermor, English author
- 1917 - Sidney Sheldon, American author
- 1919 - Eva Gabor, Hungarian-born actress (d. 1995)
- 1919 - Eddie Robinson, American football coach
- 1920 - King Farouk I of Egypt (d. 1965)
- 1920 - Billy Halop, American actor (d. 1976)
- 1920 - Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., American general
- 1920 - Paul Peter Piech, American artist (d. 1996)
- 1921 - Lloyd Bentsen, American politician
- 1925 - Peter Berger, British admiral
- 1925 - Kim Stanley, American actress (d. 2001)
- 1926 - Paul Bocuse, French chef
- 1926 - Alexander Gibson, British conductor
- 1926 - Leslie Nielsen, Canadian actor
- 1931 - Larry Merchant, author and boxing commentator
- 1932 - Jerome Lowenthal, American pianist
- 1934 - Mel Carnahan, American politician (d. 2000)
- 1934 - Tina Louise, American actress
- 1934 - Mary Quant, English fashion designer
- 1934 - John Surtees, British race car driver
- 1935 - Bent Lorentzen, Danish composer
- 1936 - Burt Reynolds, American actor
- 1937 - Bill Lawry, Australian cricketer
- 1938 - Bevan Congdon, New Zealand cricketer
- 1938 - Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and dictator
- 1939 - Gerry Goffin, American lyricist
- 1939 - Jane Yolen, American author
- 1941 - Sergio Mendes, Brazilian musician and songwriter
- 1953 - Philip Anglim, American actor
- 1953 - Jeb Bush, American politician
- 1956 - Catherine Hickland, American actress
- 1956 - Didier Lockwood, French jazz violinist
- 1961 - Mary Docter, American speed skater
- 1961 - Carey Lowell, American actress
- 1962 - Sheryl Crow, American musician
- 1963 - Diane Franklin, American actress
- 1964 - Ken Shamrock, American martial artist and professional wrestler
- 1967 - Hank Gathers, American basketball player (d. 1990)
- 1969 - Jennifer Aniston, American actress
- 1973 - Varg Vikernes, Norwegian musician (Burzum)
- 1974 - D'Angelo, American singer
- 1976 - Brice Beckham, American actor
- 1977 - Mike Shinoda, American singer (Linkin Park)
- 1979 - Brandy Norwood, American singer
- 1980 - Natasha Bobo, American actress
- 1980 - Matthew Lawrence, American actor
- 1981 - Kelly Rowland, American singer (Destiny's Child)
- 1987 - Bowman Dickson, American singer (Boyz II Men)

Deaths

- 641 - Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium
- 731 - Pope Gregory II
- 821 - Saint Benedict of Aniane
- 824 - Pope Paschal I
- 1141 - Hugo of St. Victor, German philosopher and theologian
- 1160 - Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Japanese general (b. 1123)
- 1503 - Elizabeth of York, queen of Henry VII of England (b. 1466)
- 1626 - Pietro Cataldi, Italian mathematician (b. 1552)
- 1650 - René Descartes, French philosopher (b. 1596)
- 1685 - David Teniers III, Flemish painter (b. 1638)
- 1713 - Jahandar Shah, Mughal emperor of Indai (b. 1664)
- 1755 - Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist (b. 1675)
- 1762 - Johann Tobias Krebs, German composer (b. 1690)
- 1763 - William Shenstone, English poet (b. 1714)
- 1797 - Antoine Dauvergne, French composer (b. 1713)
- 1829 - Alexandr Griboyedov, Russian playwright (b. 1795)
- 1862 - Elizabeth Siddal, British poet and artist (b. 1829)
- 1868 - Léon Foucault, French astronomer (b. 1819)
- 1879 - Honoré Daumier, French caricaturist and painter (b. 1808)
- 1917 - Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician (b. 1872)
- 1931 - Charles Algernon Parsons, British inventor (b. 1854)
- 1939 - Franz Schmidt, Austrian composer (b. 1874)
- 1940 - John Buchan,