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Commander of the British Empire

HONOR

Full title, Commander of Order of the British Empire, abbreviated CBE.

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Edward P. Abraham
Chemist
10-Jun-1913 8-May-1999 Cephalosporins
Joss Ackland
Actor
29-Feb-1928   White Mischief
Peter Ackroyd
Author
5-Oct-1949   The Great Fire of London
Roger Adams
Chemist
2-Jan-1889 6-Jul-1971 Organic chemist at Illinois
Christiane Amanpour
Journalist
12-Jan-1958   Host of ABC's This Week
Malcolm Arnold
Composer
21-Oct-1921 23-Sep-2006 The Bridge on the River Kwai
Ove Arup
Engineer
16-Apr-1895 5-Feb-1988 Danish civil engineer
Peggy Ashcroft
Actor
22-Dec-1907 14-Jun-1991 A Passage to India
Laura Ashley
Fashion Designer
7-Sep-1925 17-Sep-1985 Welsh designer
Arthur Askey
Comic
6-Jun-1900 16-Nov-1982 Horn-rimmed British comic
Eileen Atkins
Actor
16-Jun-1934   Co-Creator of Upstairs, Downstairs
David Attenborough
Naturalist
8-May-1926   Life on Earth
Richard Attenborough
Film Director
29-Aug-1923   Gandhi
Angela Baddeley
Actor
4-Jul-1904 22-Feb-1976 Upstairs, Downstairs
Leslie Banks
Actor
9-Jun-1890 21-Apr-1952 The Most Dangerous Game
Pat Barker
Novelist
8-May-1943   Regeneration
Vernon Bartlett
Journalist
30-Apr-1894 18-Jan-1983 Journey's End
Shirley Bassey
Singer
8-Jan-1937   Goldfinger
Alan Bates
Actor
17-Feb-1934 27-Dec-2003 Basil in Zorba the Greek
H. E. Bates
Novelist
16-May-1905 29-Jan-1974 The Jacaranda Tree
Richard Rodney Bennett
Composer
29-Mar-1936   The Mines of Sulphur
Lennox Berkeley
Composer
12-May-1903 26-Dec-1989 Stabat Mater
Isaiah Berlin
Philosopher
6-Jun-1909 5-Nov-1997 The Hedgehog and the Fox
John Betjeman
Poet
28-Aug-1906 19-May-1984 Summoned By Bells
Brebis Bleaney
Physicist
6-Jun-1915 4-Nov-2006 Electron paramagnetic resonance
Alec Boksenberg
Astronomer
18-Mar-1936   Image Photon Counting System
Robert Bolt
Playwright
15-Aug-1924 20-Feb-1995 A Man for All Seasons
John G. Bolton
Astronomer
5-Jun-1922 6-Jul-1993 First Director of Parkes Observatory
Malcolm Bradbury
Critic
7-Sep-1932 27-Nov-2000 The History Man
William Bragg
Physicist
2-Jul-1862 12-Mar-1942 Analyzed crystal structures
Julian Bream
Guitarist
15-Jul-1933   Guitarist and lutenist
Richard Briers
Actor
14-Jan-1934   Tom Good on The Good Life
Peter Brook
Theater Director
21-Mar-1925   Lord of the Flies
Anita Brookner
Novelist
16-Jul-1928   Hotel Du Lac
Tina Brown
Editor
21-Nov-1953   The Daily Beast and Newsweek
Deborah Bull
Dancer
22-Mar-1963   Principal Dancer, Royal Ballet, 1992-2001
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Astronomer
15-Jul-1943   Co-Discoverer of pulsars
A. S. Byatt
Critic
24-Aug-1936   Possession
Michael Caine
Actor
14-Mar-1933   Get Carter
Simon Callow
Actor
13-Jun-1949   British theatre actor
Menzies Campbell
Politician
22-May-1941   Leader of the Liberal Democrats, 2006-07
Helena Bonham Carter
Actor
26-May-1966   Marla in Fight Club
Peregrine Cavendish
Aristocrat
12-Apr-1944   12th Duke of Devonshire
Bob Charles
Golf
14-Mar-1936   Winner, 1963 British Open
Bobby Charlton
Soccer
11-Oct-1937   Manchester United
Agatha Christie
Novelist
15-Sep-1890 12-Jan-1976 Mystery novelist
Petula Clark
Singer
15-Nov-1932   Goodbye, Mr. Chips
John Cockcroft
Physicist
27-May-1897 18-Sep-1967 Split the atom
Christopher Cockerell
Inventor
4-Jun-1910 1-Jun-1999 Hovercraft
Billy Connolly
Comic
24-Nov-1942   Scottish comedian
E. J. H. Corner
Botanist
12-Jan-1906 14-Sep-1996 Durian theory
Cicely Courtneidge
Actor
1-Apr-1893 26-Apr-1980 The Ghost Train
Brian Cox
Actor
1-Jun-1946   The original Hannibal Lecter
Leslie Crowther
TV Personality
6-Feb-1933 29-Sep-1996 The Price Is Right
Constance Cummings
Actor
15-May-1910 23-Nov-2005 Blithe Spirit
Stephen Daldry
Film Director
2-May-1961   The Hours
Roger Daltrey
Singer
1-Mar-1944   Vocalist for The Who
Ray Davies
Musician
21-Jun-1944   Frontman for The Kinks
Andrew Davis
Conductor
2-Feb-1944   Music Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Colin Davis
Conductor
25-Sep-1927   Principal Conductor, LSO, 1995-2006
Michael Denison
Actor
1-Nov-1915 22-Jul-1998 Shadowlands
Margaret Drabble
Novelist
5-Jun-1939   The Millstone
Carol Ann Duffy
Poet
23-Dec-1955   Mean Time
James Dyson
Inventor
2-May-1947   Dyson vacuum cleaner
Paul Eddington
Actor
18-Jun-1927 4-Nov-1995 Jim Hacker on Yes, Prime Minister
Robert G. Edwards
Scientist
27-Sep-1925   In vitro fertilization
Denholm Elliott
Actor
31-May-1922 6-Oct-1992 A Room with a View
Amelia C. Fawcett
Business
c. 1956   COO of Morgan Stanley Intl., 2002-06
Frank Finlay
Actor
6-Aug-1926   Othello
Bryan Forbes
Actor
22-Jul-1926   King Rat
Bruce Forsyth
TV Personality
22-Feb-1928   Sunday Night at the Palladium
Frederick Forsyth
Novelist
25-Aug-1938   The Day of the Jackal
Alfred Fowler
Astronomer
22-Mar-1868 24-Jun-1940 Celestial spectroscopy
Dick Francis
Novelist
31-Oct-1920 14-Feb-2010 Dead Cert
Dennis Gabor
Physicist
5-Jun-1900 8-Feb-1979 Inventor of holography
Michael Gambon
Actor
19-Oct-1940   The Singing Detective
Barry Gibb
Musician
1-Sep-1946   Guitarist and vocalist for the Bee Gees
Maurice Gibb
Bassist
22-Dec-1949 12-Jan-2003 Bassist and vocalist of Bee Gees
Robin Gibb
Singer
22-Dec-1949 20-May-2012 Vocalist for the Bee Gees
David Gilmour
Guitarist
6-Mar-1946   Guitarist for Pink Floyd
E. H. Gombrich
Historian
30-Mar-1909 3-Nov-2001 Art and Illusion
Marius Goring
Actor
23-May-1912 30-Sep-1998 The Red Shoes
Susan Greenfield
Scientist
1-Oct-1950   Brain Story
Richard Gregory
Psychologist
24-Jul-1923 17-May-2010 Optical illusions and "hands-on" science
Alec Guinness
Actor
2-Apr-1914 5-Aug-2000 Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars
Peter Hall
Theater Director
22-Nov-1930   Work Is a 4-Letter Word
Joan Hammond
Singer
24-May-1912 26-Nov-1996 Operatic soprano
Christopher Hampton
Playwright
26-Jan-1946   Dangerous Liaisons
Robert Hardy
Actor
29-Oct-1925   All Creatures Great and Small
L. P. Hartley
Novelist
30-Dec-1895 13-Dec-1972 The Boat
Stephen Hawking
Physicist
8-Jan-1942   Wheelchair-bound physicist
Nigel Hawthorne
Actor
5-Apr-1929 26-Dec-2001 The Madness of King George
Antony Head
Politician
1906 1983 UK Minister of Defence, 1956-57
Lenny Henry
Comic
29-Aug-1958   The Lenny Henry Show
Myra Hess
Pianist
25-Feb-1890 26-Nov-1965 Held lunchtime concerts during WWII
Raymond Hide
Physicist
17-May-1929   Earth's rotation
Ian Holm
Actor
12-Sep-1931   Time Bandits
Julius C. Holmes
Diplomat
24-Apr-1899 15-Jul-1968 US Ambassador to Iran, 1961-65
Bob Hope
Comic
29-May-1903 27-Jul-2003 Centenarian comic
Anthony Hopkins
Actor
31-Dec-1937   Hannibal Lecter
Trevor Howard
Actor
29-Sep-1913 7-Jan-1988 Sons and Lovers
John Hurt
Actor
22-Jan-1940   Alien
Lord Inge
Military
5-Aug-1935   British Field Marshal
Jony Ive
Designer
Feb-1967   Senior VP of Industrial Design, Apple
Tony Jacklin
Golf
7-Jul-1944   Winner of 2 Majors
Glenda Jackson
Actor
9-May-1936   British MP, won Oscar for A Touch of Class
Derek Jacobi
Actor
22-Oct-1938   Claudius on I, Claudius
Sylvia Jay
Business
c. 1947   Food and Drink Federation
Elizabeth Jennings
Poet
18-Jul-1926 26-Oct-2001 Song for a Birth or a Death
Elton John
Singer/Songwriter
25-Mar-1947   Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
DeAnne S. Julius
Economist
14-Apr-1949   Chairman, Royal Institute of International Affairs
Pierre H. Jungels
Business
c. 1945   CEO of Enterprise Oil, 1997-2001
Charles K. Kao
Scientist
4-Nov-1933   Fiber optics
Felicity Kendal
Actor
25-Sep-1946   The Good Life
John C. Kendrew
Chemist
24-Mar-1917 23-Aug-1997 Determined structure of myoglobin
Paul Kennedy
Historian
Jun-1945   The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
Deborah Kerr
Actor
30-Sep-1921 16-Oct-2007 From Here to Eternity
Tom Kibble
Mathematician
1932   Zurek-Kibble theory
Jeremy R. Knowles
Business
1935   Chemistry Professor, Harvard University
Arthur Koestler
Author
3-Sep-1905 3-Mar-1983 Darkness at Noon
Nicholas Kurti
Physicist
14-May-1908 24-Nov-1998 Molecular gastronomy
Angela Lansbury
Actor
16-Oct-1925   Murder She Wrote
Philip Larkin
Poet
9-Aug-1922 2-Dec-1985 The Whitsun Weddings
Denys Lasdun
Architect
8-Sep-1914 11-Jan-2001 British modernist architect
Christopher Lee
Actor
27-May-1922   The Face of Fu Manchu
Maureen Lipman
Actor
10-May-1946   Agony
Penelope Lively
Novelist
17-Mar-1933   Moon Tiger
Selwyn Lloyd
Politician
28-Jul-1904 18-May-1978 Speaker, House of Commons, 1971-76
Margaret Lockwood
Actor
15-Sep-1916 15-Jul-1990 Cast a Dark Shadow
David Lodge
Novelist
28-Jan-1935   How Far Can You Go?
Donald Lynden-Bell
Astronomer
5-Apr-1935   Astrophysicist at Cambridge
Neville Marriner
Conductor
15-Apr-1924   Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Archer J. P. Martin
Chemist
1-Mar-1910 28-Jul-2002 Partition chromatography
Anna Massey
Actor
11-Aug-1937 3-Jul-2011 Peeping Tom
Ian McEwan
Novelist
21-Jun-1948   Amsterdam
Norris McWhirter
Author
12-Aug-1925 19-Apr-2004 Co-founder, Guinness Book of World Records
Sam Mendes
Film Director
1-Aug-1965   American Beauty
Bernard Miles
Actor
27-Sep-1907 14-Jun-1991 Founder of the Mermaid Theatre, London
John Mills
Actor
22-Feb-1908 23-Apr-2005 Ryan's Daughter
Anthony Minghella
Film Director
6-Jan-1954 18-Mar-2008 The English Patient
Nancy Mitford
Novelist
28-Nov-1904 30-Jan-1973 The Pursuit of Love
Dudley Moore
Comic
19-Apr-1935 27-Mar-2002 Arthur
Patrick Moore
TV Personality
4-Mar-1923   BBC's The Sky At Night
Roger Moore
Actor
14-Oct-1927   James Bond after Sean Connery
Robert Morley
Actor
26-May-1908 3-Jun-1992 Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
Jan Morris
Journalist
2-Oct-1926   Transsexual travel writer
Ronald Neame
Film Director
23-Apr-1911 16-Jun-2010 The Poseidon Adventure
Trevor Nunn
Theater Director
14-Jan-1940   Royal Shakespeare Company, 1968-86
Patrick O'Brian
Novelist
12-Dec-1914 2-Jan-2000 The Aubreyad series
Onora O'Neill
Philosopher
23-Aug-1941   President of the British Academy, 2005-09
Lindsay Owen-Jones
Business
17-Mar-1946   CEO of L'Oreal, 1988-2006
Eduardo Paolozzi
Sculptor
7-Mar-1924 22-Apr-2005 Surrealist sculptor
Nick Park
Film Director
6-Dec-1958   Wallace and Gromit
Alan Parker
Film Director
14-Feb-1944   Pink Floyd: The Wall
Rudolf Peierls
Physicist
5-Jun-1907 19-Sep-1995 Frisch-Peierls Memorandum
Max F. Perutz
Chemist
19-May-1914 6-Feb-2002 X-Ray analysis of hemoglobin
Siân Phillips
Actor
14-May-1934   I, Claudius
Charles J. Pilliod, Jr.
Business
20-Oct-1918   CEO of Goodyear, 1974-83
Harold Pinter
Playwright
10-Oct-1930 24-Dec-2008 The Birthday Party
Robert Plant
Singer
20-Aug-1948   Lead singer of Led Zeppelin
John S. Plaskett
Astronomer
17-Nov-1865 17-Oct-1941 Plaskett's star
Joan Plowright
Actor
28-Oct-1929   Enchanted April
George H. Poste
Biologist
c. 1944   Health Technology Networks
Simon Preston
Organist
4-Aug-1938   Organist at Westminster Abbey, 1981-87
V. S. Pritchett
Author
16-Dec-1900 20-Mar-1997 Midnight Oil
John Profumo
Politician
30-Jan-1915 10-Mar-2006 Resigned House of Commons over an affair
Joseph Proudman
Mathematician
30-Dec-1888 26-Jun-1975 Tidal currents
Philip Pullman
Novelist
19-Oct-1946   His Dark Materials
David E. I. Pyott
Business
c. 1953   CEO of Allergan
Anthony Quayle
Actor
7-Sep-1913 20-Oct-1989 Ice-Cold in Alex
Kathleen Raine
Poet
14-Jun-1908 6-Jul-2003 Cambridge poet, scholar of Blake
Terence Rattigan
Playwright
10-Jun-1911 30-Nov-1977 Separate Tables
Michael Redgrave
Actor
20-Mar-1908 21-Mar-1985 Mourning Becomes Electra
Vanessa Redgrave
Actor
30-Jan-1937   Julia
Jean Rhys
Novelist
24-Aug-1890 14-May-1979 Wide Sargasso Sea
Ian Richardson
Actor
7-Apr-1934 9-Feb-2007 House of Cards
Diana Rigg
Actor
20-Jul-1938   Mrs. Peel
Bobby Robson
Soccer
18-Feb-1933 31-Jul-2009 English soccer manager
Flora Robson
Actor
28-Mar-1902 7-Jul-1984 Fire Over England
Joseph Rotblat
Physicist
4-Nov-1908 31-Aug-2005 Nuclear physicist, anti-nuke activist
Patricia Routledge
Actor
17-Feb-1929   Hetty Wainthropp
Frederick Sanger
Chemist
13-Aug-1918   Two-time Nobel laureate in chemistry
Vidal Sassoon
Business
17-Jan-1928 9-May-2012 Celebrity hairstylist
John Schlesinger
Film Director
16-Feb-1926 25-Jul-2003 Marathon Man
David G. Scholey
Business
28-Jun-1935   Former CEO of SG Warburg
Paul Scofield
Actor
21-Jan-1922 19-Mar-2008 A Man For All Seaons
Harry Secombe
Actor
8-Sep-1921 11-Apr-2001 Neddie Seagoon on The Goon Show
Peter Sellers
Actor
8-Sep-1925 24-Jul-1980 Inspector Clouseau
Fiona Shaw
Actor
10-Jul-1958   British theatre actress
Alastair Sim
Actor
9-Oct-1900 19-Aug-1976 Scrooge in A Christmas Carol
Donald Sinden
Actor
9-Oct-1923   Two's Company
David J. H. Smith
Business
c. 1942   CEO of Whatman plc, 1996-2001
Maggie Smith
Actor
28-Dec-1934   Prof. McGonagall in Harry Potter
C. P. Snow
Author
15-Oct-1905 1-Jul-1980 The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution
Stephen Spender
Poet
28-Feb-1909 16-Jul-1995 The Destructive Element
Patrick Steptoe
Doctor
9-Jun-1913 21-Mar-1988 In vitro fertilization
Dennis Stevenson
Business
19-Jul-1945   Chairman of HBOS
Juliet Stevenson
Actor
30-Oct-1956   Truly Madly Deeply
Sting
Singer/Songwriter
2-Oct-1951   Lead singer of The Police
Tom Stoppard
Playwright
3-Jul-1937   Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Joan Sutherland
Singer
7-Nov-1926 10-Oct-2010 "La Stupenda" opera soprano
Eric Sykes
Actor
4-May-1923 4-Jul-2012 The Plank
Lionel Tertis
Violist
29-Dec-1876 22-Feb-1975 First prominent violist
John Thaw
Actor
3-Jan-1942 21-Feb-2002 Inspector Morse
Ernest Thesiger
Actor
15-Jan-1879 14-Jan-1961 Dr. Pretorius in Bride of Frankenstein
Daley Thompson
Track and Field
30-Jul-1958   Olympic decathlete
J. R. R. Tolkien
Author
3-Jan-1892 2-Sep-1973 Lord of the Rings
William Trevor
Novelist
24-May-1928   The Old Boys
Michael J. Turner
Business
c. 1948   CEO of BAE Systems
Dorothy Tutin
Actor
8-Apr-1930 6-Aug-2001 Savage Messiah
Margaret Tyzack
Actor
9-Sep-1931 25-Jun-2011 The Forsyte Saga
Peter Ustinov
Actor
16-Apr-1921 28-Mar-2004 British stage actor
Frankie Vaughan
Singer
3-Feb-1928 18-Sep-1999 Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl
Virginia Wade
Tennis
10-Jul-1945   Winner of 7 Grand Slam titles
Terry Waite
Victim
31-May-1939   Hostage negotiator, then hostage
Zoë Wanamaker
Actor
13-May-1949   Susan Harper on My Family
Keith Waterhouse
Novelist
6-Feb-1929 4-Sep-2009 Billy Liar
Harvey Weinstein
Film/TV Producer
19-Mar-1952   Miramax and The Weinstein Co.
Roger Wheeler
Military
1943   Head of the British Army, 1997-2000
Mary Whitehouse
Activist
13-Jun-1910 23-Nov-2001 British anti-pornography crusader
Billie Whitelaw
Actor
6-Jun-1932   The Krays
June Whitfield
Actor
11-Nov-1925   Terry and June
Emlyn Williams
Playwright
26-Nov-1905 25-Sep-1987 Night Must Fall
Googie Withers
Actor
12-Mar-1917 15-Jul-2011 One of Our Aircraft Is Missing
Donald Wolfit
Actor
20-Apr-1902 17-Feb-1968 Svengali
John Wood
Actor
5-Jul-1930 6-Aug-2011 Dr. Falken in WarGames
Cecil Woodham-Smith
Historian
29-Apr-1896 16-Mar-1977 Florence Nightingale
Irene Worth
Actor
23-Jun-1916 10-Mar-2002 Lost in Yonkers
Diana Wynyard
Actor
16-Jan-1906 13-May-1964 Gaslight
Chung Ju Yung
Business
25-Nov-1915 21-Mar-2001 Founder of Hyundai
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Actor
25-Sep-1969   Traffic


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