Born on this day 1878 in Tenby

Augustus  John - the leading British portraitist of his period and a brilliant draftsman.

John worked as a war artist for the Canadian army during World War I, after which he adopted a bohemian type of lifestyle, traveling with and painting, Irish travelers, Normandy fisherfolk, and gypsies. He later specialized in commissioned portraits of society figures.  

Born on this day 1940 in Cardiff.

Professor Brian Josephson - Nobel prize-winning physicist and “pioneer of the paranormal.” and whose motto is “nullius in verba” - take nobody’s word for it.

Josephson was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1973 for his discovery of the “Josephson Effect” which explains how an electrical current can flow between materials with no electrical resistance, even when an insulator is placed between them.  It is used for making immensely sensitive scientific instruments, that are capable for example, of measuring the magnetic field around a mouse’s brain. 

In the late 1960s, he began to explore paranormal themes, such as the relationship between music, language and mind and in the early 1970s started practising transcendental meditation and trying to find a scientific basis for telepathy. 

Born on this day 1850 in Bettws, Newport

Griffith Jenkins Griffith - Welsh - American industrialist and philanthropist, who donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles which later became Griffith Park.

Griffith emigrated to Pensylvania in 1865, before moving to San Francisco in 1873, where he became manager of the Herald Publishing Company.  In 1878, he became mining correspondent for a San Francisco newspaper and as such he gained extensive knowledge of the mining industry on the Pacific Coast.  His knowledge of mining, led to him being employed by many  mining syndicates and also earned him a significant fortune.

In 1882, he moved into property development and also started an ostrich farm near the Los Angelos River, to supply the feathers used in making women's hats.  After the property rush peaked, in 1896, Griffith donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles, which later became Griffith Park.  He also gave the money to build the park's Greek Theatre and Griffith Observatory. Griffith's legacy, however, was marred by his notorious attempted murder of his wife in 1903, a crime for which he served two years in prison.

Born on this day 1958 in Swansea.

Gary Jones - actor and writer, best known for his roles in Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Continuum and Stargate: The Ark of Truth.

Jones moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1986 where he worked as an Art Director and award winning comedy writer, before moving into acting.  He is also known as an excellent MC and is in great demand for hosting events, such as award presentations.

Traditionally in the Western Church, the First Day of Christmas is Christmas Day, therefore, 4th January is the Eleventh Day of Christmas.   

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - Eleven Pipers Piping.  

Pipes have been documented in Wales since at least the 12th century and more than likely pre-date this considerably.  They would have been used socially for entertainment and accompanying singers as well as a rallying cry in battle.  

*  A Christmas feast which included pipers was held by the Lord Rhys at Cardigan in 1176, which is regarded by many to be the first eisteddfod.  

*  The Welsh Laws of Hywel Dda, in the 10th century and later versions in the 12th and 13th centuries provide information about the status of music in Wales and state that the king should recognize the status of master craftsmen in his service by giving each one an appropriate instrument, specified as harp, crwth, or pipes.  

*  In 1376, the poet Iolo Goch describes the instrument in his Cywydd to Syr Hywel y Fwyall.  Also, in the same century, Brut y Tywysogian ("Chronicle of the Princes"), written around 1330 AD, states that there are three types of wind instrument: Organ a Phibeu a Cherd y got ("organ and pipes and bag music").  

*  In 1784, Edward Jones wrote: `The musical instruments, anciently used in Wales... are six in number, the Telyn, or harp; the Crwth; the Pibgorn, or Horn-pipe; the Pibau-cod, or Pib-braich; that is, the Bagpipes, or the arm pipes: the Tabwrdd, Tabret or Drum; and the Corn-buelin, Cornet.' 

With the general decline of Welsh traditional music in the 19th century, the pipes slowly disappeared from use.  However in the last 30 or so years, there has been a revival of piping in Wales, with pipe bands being established in the cities of Newport, Swansea and Cardiff.