Bourguiba, Habib (1903-2000): First president of Tunisia (1957-87). Proclaimed president for life in 1975, A coup overthrew him.

Boyd, William (b.1952): British novelist. The new confessions.

Bradman, Sir Donald (1908-2001):Australian cricket legend. Captain, 1936-48. 6996 runs in 52 games (average 99.94) including 29 centuries and a highest score of 334.

Bragg, Sir William Lawrence (1890-1971): English physicist born in Australia. With this father Sir William Henry Bragg (186201942), won Nobel Prize for Physics (1915).

Brahmagupta (598-680): The Indian mathematician who was the first to treat zero as a number. Brahma Siddhanta.

Brahms, Johannes (1833-97): German composer, who moved to Vienna. Orchestral works: four symphonies, two piano concertos and a concerto for violin,

Braille, Louis (1809-‘52_: French educationalist, who, as a (blind) teacher of the blind, devised the touch system of reading and writing for the blind.

Brando, Marlon (1924-2004): Outstanding American stage and film actor. On the waterfront, the godfather.

Brandt, Willy (1913-’92): First Social democratic chancellor of the federal republic of Germany, 1969-74. Nobel prize, 1971.

Brezhnev, Leonid (1906-’82) Soviet president (1977); succeeded Khrushchev as first secretary of the communist party, (1954-82).