Politician, CORAZON AQUINO, was born on this day in 1933 into a wealthy, politically prominent family in Manila, Philippines.  She became president in 1986 restoring democratic rule in that country after the long dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.  In 1992, she was succeeded in office by Fidel Ramos.  She died last year aged 76,

 

Scotland’s national poet, ROBERT BURNS, was born on this day in 1759 in Ayres, Scotland.  He was famous (or infamous) for his rebellion against orthodox religion and for his many love affairs.

 

ROBERT BOYLE was born on this day in 1627 in Lismore Castle in County Waterford, Ireland, the 14^th child of the 1^st Earl of Cork.  A natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, inventor and gentleman scientist Boyle was also noted for his writings in theology.  Best known for the formulation of Boyle’s Law, he is regarded today as one of the founders of modern chemistry.

 

Novelist, W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM, was born on this day in 1874 in Paris, France. Orphaned at the age of 10 he went on to qualify as a doctor of medicine.  His short stories, novels and plays are characterised by a clear unadorned style – unusual in that era  – and a shrewd understanding of human nature.

 

Novelist, VIRGINIA WOLF, was born on this day in 1882 in London, England.  Her novels, which abandoned the narrative sequence usual in novels, exerted a major influence on the genre.  Wolf also wrote pioneering essays on artistic theory, literary history, women’s writing and the history of power.

 

 

Film director and screenwriter, TOBE HOOPER, was born on this day in 1943 in Austin, Texas.  Hooper is best known for his work in the horror film genre, including the three-time Emmy-nominate Stephen King film adaptation of Salem’s Lot, the three-time Academy Award-nominated Polterteist and the cult classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

 

Actress DIANA HYLAND who was born on this day in 1936 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio was known for her television appearances and occasional films.  She appeared in the TV series The Eleventh Hour and The Twilight Zone and played a continuing role in the primetime soap opera Peyton Place.  She had a featured role in The Chase (1966) with Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford.  She also appeared in the television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble for which she won a posthumous Emmy Award.

 

Actor, DEAN JONES, was born on this day in 1931 in Decatur Alabama.  He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War, after which he worked at the Bird Cage Theatre in California.  He is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977.

 

Singer, ETTA JAMES, was born on this day in 1938 in Los Angeles, California to an unmarried 14 year old.  An American blues, soul, R&B, rock & roll, gospel, Jazz singer and songwriter, James is the winner of four Grammys and seventeen Blues Music Awards.  She is best known for performing At Last, which has been feature in movies, television shows, commercial, and web-streaming services.

 

Musician, ALICIA KEYS was born on this day in New York City.  Keys burst onto the music scene in 2001 with her debut album Songs in A MInor, which went platinum six times.  She has since gone on to win dozens of awards.  She made the transition to film in 2008 earning an NAACP image award for her role in The Secret Life of Bees.