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Biographical anniversaries in 2025
Discover influential individuals who have milestone anniversaries in 2025, commemorating significant events from 100 to 400 years ago. Explore the lives and legacies of notable figures such as Tony Benn, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Jane Austen, and King James VI and I.
Featured
Elizabeth (1757–1849) Bannister [née Harper], actress and singer
The daughter of a dressmaker at Bath, Elizabeth Bannister first sang in London in 1777. Her ‘sweetness of voice and ‘correctness of ear’, improved by ‘unremitting practice’, earned her high praise and she commanded considerable fees for her performances. She retired after her marriage, though she taught her actor husband to sing.
This month’s update, introduced by Andrew Lamb and Christopher Webber, adds the lives of seven operatic and theatre singers: Jessie Bond, Leonora Braham, Rosina Brandram, Florence St. John, Binnie Hale, Dennis Noble, and Oda Slobodskaya. There are also 82 updated Reference Lists of office holders, and a special feature listing over 1500 biographical anniversaries in 2025 drawn from ODNB’s lives.
