Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May

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On this day

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 1

Births

1672 – Joseph Addison (Queen's and Magdalen), poet, essayist and playwright
1769 – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Chancellor of the University 1834–1852
1916 – John Eggar, schoolmaster and cricketer
1922 – Alastair Gillespie, Canadian politician
1923 – Joseph Heller (St Catherine's), American novelist (author of Catch-22)
1926 – Bernard Stonehouse (Merton), polar scientist
1929 – Ralf Dahrendorf, Warden of St Antony's 1987–1997

Deaths

1785 – Myles Cooper (Queen's), English priest who became President of King's College (predecessor of Columbia University, New York)
1968 – Harold Nicolson (Balliol), diplomat and politician

Other events

May Morning — celebrations take place every year at 6am outside Magdalen College.

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 2

Births

1551 – William Camden (Magdalen, Broadgates Hall, and Christ Church), historian and topographer
1703 – James West (Balliol), antiquary and politician
1737 – William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne (Christ Church), British Prime Minister 1782–1783
1865 – Percival Coles, rugby and cricket player
1900 – A.W. Lawrence (New College), Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology at Cambridge 1944–1951
1914 – George Piranian, American mathematician
1920 – John Boswall, actor
1932 – Ian Wilson (Magdalen), Australian politician
1938 – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (Corpus Christi), King of Lesotho 1966–1996
1945 – Robert Cooter, American law professor
1973 – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (New College), German film director

Deaths

1852 – Ioan Tegid (Jesus), Welsh writer and priest
1925 – William Keith Leask, Scottish classical scholar
1938 – John Lyles Glenn, Jr., American federal judge
2004 – John Hammersley, British mathematician
2011 – Robert W. Clower, American economist

Other events

Following the 1997 general election, Tony Blair (St John's) becomes British Prime Minister.

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 3

Births

1823 – James McGarel-Hogg, 1st Baron Magheramorne (Christ Church), soldier and politician
1959 – Richard Cordray, Director of the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
1960 – Geraint Davies (Jesus), Welsh Labour politician
1961 – David Vitter, American Republican Senator
1974 – Princess Haya bint Al Hussein (St Hilda's), Jordanian princess

Deaths

1819 – Henry Penruddocke Wyndham (Wadham), politician and topographer
1826 – Robert Hoadley Ashe (Pembroke), priest and writer
1825 – Sir John Hippisley, 1st Baronet (Hertford), diplomat and politician
1916 – William Hardie (Balliol), Scottish classical scholar
1953 – John Erskine, Lord Erskine (Christ Church), politician and colonial governor
1966 – Alan Don (Magdalen), Dean of Westminster 1946–1959

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 4

Births

1715 – Richard Graves (Pembroke and All Souls), priest and poet
1777 – Richard Bourke (Christ Church), Governor of New South Wales 1831–1837
1822 – Sir Robert Peel, 3rd Baronet (Christ Church), politician
1826 – David Ogilvy, 10th Earl of Airlie (Christ Church), peer
1835 – Alexander Baring, 4th Baron Ashburton (Christ Church), politician and landowner
1914 – Hilgard Muller, South African politician
1941 – George Will (Magdalen), American journalist and author
1948 – George Tupou V, King of Tonga 2006–2012
1967 – Anna Botting (St Edmund Hall), newsreader

Deaths

1626 – Arthur Lake (New College), Bishop of Bath and Wells 1616–1626
1678 – Abraham Woodhead (University), writer on Catholicism
1863 – Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Hatherton (Brasenose), politician
1879 – William Froude (Oriel), hydrodynamicist and naval architect
1901 – Stanley Leighton (Balliol), lawyer and politician
1941 – Ramsay Muir (Balliol), historian and politician
1952 – Alan Garrett Anderson (Trinity), civil servant and shipowner
2008 – Richard Holme, Baron Holme of Cheltenham (St John's), politician

Other events

1415 – The theologian and former Master of Balliol John Wycliffe (died 1384) is declared a heretic by the Council of Constance, which orders his books to be burned and his body to be exhumed.

1979 – Margaret Thatcher (Somerville) becomes the British Prime Minister.

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 5

Births

1830 – Thomas Edward Brown (Christ Church and Oriel), poet and scholar from the Isle of Man
1839 – Henry Nettleship (Corpus Christi and Lincoln), classical scholar
1861 – John Edward Lloyd (Lincoln), Welsh historian
1876 – John Garstang (Jesus), archeologist
1880 – Adrian Carton de Wiart (Balliol), army officer who won the Victoria Cross
1883 – H. J. Rose (Balliol and Exeter), Canadian classical scholar
1885 – Kingsley Fairbridge (Exeter), founder of a scheme for children to emigrate to the British colonies
1887 – Geoffrey Fisher (Exeter), Archbishop of Canterbury 1945–1961
1890 – Christopher Morley (New College), American journalist
1923 – Richard Wollheim (Balliol), philosopher
1943 – Malcolm Bowie (All Souls), Marshal Foch Professor of French Literature 1992–2002
1943 – Michael Palin (Brasenose), actor, writer and comedian

Deaths

1739 – Sir Roger Mostyn, 3rd Baronet (Jesus), Welsh politician
1942 – James Despencer-Robertson (New College), soldier and politician
1943 – Gordon Hewart, 1st Viscount Hewart (University), Lord Chief Justice 1922–1940
1977 – Christopher Hollis (Balliol), teacher and politician

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 6

Births

1904 – Max Mallowan (New College), archeologist
1920 – Kamisese Mara (Wadham), founding father of Fiji
1922 – Alan Ross (St John's), poet
1927 – Ninian Smart (Queen's), Scottish theologian
1938 – David Malcolm, Chief Justice of Western Australia 1988–2006
1953 – Tony Blair (St John's), Prime Minister 1997–2007
1955 – John Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness (Magdalen), politician

Deaths

1905 – Robert Herbert (Balliol and All Souls), first Premier of Queensland
1910 – Edward VII (Christ Church), King of the United Kingdom 1901–1910
1944 – John Niel Randle, recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Battle of Kohima
2003 – Colin Gunton (Hertford and Mansfield), theologian

Other events

1954 – Roger Bannister (Exeter, Merton and Pembroke) runs the world's first mile in under four minutes at the university's Iffley Road track.

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 7

Births

1811 – Thomas Helmore (Magdalen), priest and musician
1847 – Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (Christ Church), British Prime Minister 1894–1895
1861 – Carleton Rea (Magdalen), mycologist and botanist
1865 – A. E. W. Mason (Trinity), novelist
1871 – William Searle Holdsworth (New College), Vinerian Professor of English Law 1922–1944
1921 – Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs (Worcester and Nuffield), historian of the Victorian era and Provost of Worcester 1976–1991
1932 – Jenny Joseph (St Hilda's), poet
1946 – Michael Rosen (Wadham), children's novelist and poet

Deaths

1733 – George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley (Christ Church), soldier and statesman
1736 – John Weldon, organist of New College and composer
1803 – George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers (Magdalen), diplomat and politician
1805 – William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne (Christ Church), British Prime Minister 1782–1783
1885 – William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley (Christ Church and Trinity), landowner and benefactor

Portal:University of Oxford/On this day/May 8

Births

1858 – J. Meade Falkner (Hertford), novelist and poet
1873 – H. D. G. Leveson Gower, Magdalen), England cricket captain
1873 – Nevil Sidgwick (Christ Church and Lincoln), chemist
1879 – Charles Duncombe, 2nd Earl of Feversham (Christ Church), politician and soldier
1894 – Edwin Morris (St John's), Archbishop of Wales 1957–1967
1897 – Guy Blaikie, cricketer
1920 – Maurice Cranston (St Catherine's), philosopher and author
1904 – John Snagge (Pembroke), radio newsreader and commentator
1921 – Graham Leonard (Balliol), Bishop of London 1981–1991
1925 – Charles Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle (Christ Church), Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 1988–1996
1934 – Leonard Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann (Queen's), Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 1995–2009
1939 – William Cookson (New College), poet and literary editor
1946 – Jonathan Dancy (Corpus Christi and All Souls), philosopher
1946 – Ruth Padel (Lady Margaret Hall and Wadham), poet
1946 – Andrew Sherratt, archeologist based at the Ashmolean Museum
1969 – Jonny Searle (Christ Church), gold-medal winning Olympic rower

Deaths

1662 – Peter Heylin (Hart Hall and Magdalen), priest and writer
1781 – Richard Jago (University), poet
1860 – Horace Hayman Wilson, first Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford
1883 – Sir Thomas Bernard, 6th Baronet (Christ Church), politician
1904 – Frederick York Powell (Christ Church and Oriel), historian
1926 – W. A. B. Coolidge (Exeter and Magdalen), American historian, theologian and mountaineer
1960 – J. H. C. Whitehead (Balliol), mathematician
1975 – Bram Fischer (New College), South African lawyer and anti-apartheid activist