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Welcome to Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Over 63,000 biographies, 75 million words, 12,000 portraits of significant, influential or notorious figures who shaped British history – perform advanced search
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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.
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.
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January 2025 update
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.
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Life of the day
January 9, 2025, what’s new: january 2025.
Welcome to the 118th update of the Oxford DNB , featuring the lives of operatic and theatre singers. This update adds biographies of seven women and men, accompanied by one new portrait likeness. The update also includes 82 updated Reference Lists, and identifies over 1,500 biographical anniversaries in 2025.
JANUARY 8, 2025
Meet influential individuals with milestone anniversaries in 2025, marking significant life events ranging from 100 to 400 years ago. Browse our collection of biographies and learn more about each person's life and legacy …
DECEMBER 12, 2024
What's new: december 2024.
Welcome to the 117th update of the Oxford DNB , which adds seven twentieth-century lives, including three émigrés from continental Europe, two businesspeople, a mosaicist, and a figure from London’s criminal underworld. The update also includes one updated article and six new portrait likenesses
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date: 09 January 2025
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Welcome to Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Over 63,000 biographies, 75 million words, 12,000 portraits of significant, influential or notorious figures who shaped British history – perform advanced search; Life of the day now available by email or RSS feed.