Sir George Biddell Airy
was born on July 27, 1801 in Alnwick, Northumberland, England and died on
January 2, 1892 in Greenwich, London. He is buried in Playford Church in Suffolk.
He was not only the seventh Astronomer Royal (1835-81) but was also a very
versatile scientist. He reorganized the Royal Greenwich Observatory, installed
new apparatus, including the telescope that defines the Greenwich
Meridian, and rescued thousands of observations from oblivion. He did,
however, hesitate in acting on the calculations of English astronomer
John C. Adams in 1845 and delayed the discovery of Neptune.
Airy improved the theory of the orbital motions of Venus and of the Moon,
and in 1871 he used a water-filled telescope to test the effect of the
Earth's motion on the aberration of light. In 1838 he devised a
compass-correction system for the Royal Navy. In 1827 he was the
first to attempt to correct astigmatism in the human eye (his own)
by use of a cylindrical eyeglass lens.
He contributed also, in optics,
to the study of interference fringes and to the mathematical theory of
rainbows. The Airy disk, the central spot of light in the diffraction
pattern of a point light source, is named after him. In 1854 he
measured gravity by swinging the same pendulum at the top and bottom
of a deep mine and thus computed the density of the Earth. He was
among the first to propose the theory that root structures
of lower density must exist under mountains to maintain isostatic
equilibrium. Airy was knighted in 1872.
Eric Burdon
from the animals, was born. 11 May 1941, Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Burdon originally came to prominence as the lead singer of the Animals
His gutsy, distinctive voice was heard on their many
memorable records in the 60s. Following the demise of the latter day
Eric Burdon And The New Animals, it was announced that he would pursuea
career in films.
By 1970 no offers from Hollywood were forthcoming
so he linked up with the relatively unknown black jazz/rock band Nite
Shift, and, together with his friend Lee Oskar, they became Eric
Burdon And War. A successful single, 'Spill The Wine', preceded the
well received Eric Burdon Declares War. In the song Burdon parodied
himself with the lyrics 'Imagine me, an overfed, long-haired leaping
gnome, should be a star of a Hollywood movie.' Both this and the
follow-up, Black Man's Burdon.
Sting
was born Gordon Matthew Sumner on 2nd October 1951, inWallsend,
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. His mother was Audrey, and his father was Eric.
He received his name Sting from his striped sweater in which Gordon Solomon
said that he looked like a bee. Sting is one of the founding
members of the rock group the Police, which was formed in 1977 and
stopped recording after its 1983 tour after which he went solo.
Before his music career he was a ditch digger, a school-teacher who
taught English and was also a soccer coach.
He received an honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Northumbria University in
October 1992,and from Berklee College of Music in May, 1994. He has won numerous
Grammy Awards, including awards for the singles Don't Stand So Close
to Me1980 and Every Breath You Take1983 with the Police, and the
solo If I Ever Lose My Faith in You1993. His movies include
Brimstone and Treacle1982, Plenty1985, and Lock, Stock and Two
Smoking Barrels1999. Along with his wife Trudie Styler and a Brazilian
Indian he started the Rainforest Foundation in 1989 to help save the rainforests.
