There are 2 entries for this date: Sir Francis Galton and Christopher Eccleston.

On this date in 1822, Sir Francis Galton was born in England. The grandson of Erasmus Darwin, he was educated in mathematics at Cambridge. An inheritance in 1844 left him free to travel widely. He became a famous explorer, writing several books about his travels in Syria, Egypt and southwest Africa. In 1863 he became general secretary of the British Association and published a book on weather mapping. His Hereditary Genius was published in 1865. Galton coined the term "eugenics," defining it very differently from its current meaning. Galton founded a eugenics research fellowship and chair at University College. Galton's impressive study, "Statistical Inquiries into the Efficacy of Prayer," was first published in the Aug. 1, 1872, issue of Fortnightly View. Galton charmingly showed how royalty, the most-prayed-for people in the world, "are literally the shortest lived" of the affluent. Galton observed: "It is a common week-day opinion of the world that praying people are not practical." He made scholarly contributions to fields as diverse as fingerprinting and psychology. D. 1911.

Christopher Eccleston

On this date in 1964, actor Christopher Eccleston was born in Little Hulton, near Lancashire, England, to working-class parents. The youngest of three boys, Eccleston attended Joseph Eastham's High School, where his dream was to play soccer for Manchester United. At age 19, while attending a technical school, he signed up for a drama class and his life took a turn. Eccleston studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama and soon found himself performing the works of Shakespeare, Chekhov and Moliere. At 25, he made his professional stage debut in Bristol, performing in "A Streetcar Named Desire." His role in the film, "Let Him Have It" (1991), brought him public notice. But it was the British TV series, "Cracker" (1993-1994), which brought him fame in the UK. Eccleston appeared in the film, "Shallow Grave" (1994), then became a regular in the BBC drama serial, "Our Friends in the North," for which he was named "best actor" in 1997 by the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and the Royal Television Society Awards (RTS). Often seeking roles echoing his own working class background, he has won praise for a poignant and truthful acting style. In the movie based on the Thomas Hardy book, "Jude" (1996), he played the title role opposite actress Kate Winslet. He again won the RTS award in 2003 for his performance in "Flesh and Blood," and was nominated for "best actor" for his role in "The Second Coming" (2004). He played the ninth doctor in "Doctor Who," winning "most popular actor" from the National Television Awards (2005). Recent films include "New Orleans, Mon Amour" (2006), "Perfect Parents" (2006) and "The Dark Is Rising" (2007), in which he played the lead in a film adaptation of Susan Cooper's novel. In 2007, Eccleston joined the cast of the NBC TV series, "Heroes." Eccleston is an avid marathon runner, competing several times a year. Although raised by a devout mother, Eccleston, by his own admission, is an atheist.