David Robinson, English businessman and philanthropist (d. 1987)
Sir David Robinson (13 April 1904 – 10 January 1987) was a British entrepreneur and philanthropist. He donated £18 million to the University of Cambridge to establish a new college in his name. Robinson College, Cambridge, the newest in the university, was formally opened in 1981. Robinson also donated £3 million to start the Rosie Hospital, named after his mother, which is now a part of Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
Robinson was born in Cambridge, England, but later moved to Bedford. He built a business renting radios and televisions, which was commercially successful. Robinson was also involved with horse-racing: in the late 1960s and 1970s he owned a large number of winning horses which also yielded significant profits.
His racing stables, Clarehaven, was one of the biggest racing stables in England. His string of 120–150 horses was split between two trainers, Michael Jarvis and Paul Davey.
He was knighted in 1985, and died two years later in Newmarket, the centre of English horse-racing.
1904Apr, 13
David Robinson (philanthropist)
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Events on 1904
- 17Jan
The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard receives its premiere performance at the Moscow Art Theatre. - 3Mar
Thomas Edison
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany becomes the first person to make a sound recording of a political document, using Thomas Edison's phonograph cylinder. - 8Apr
The Book of the Law
British mystic Aleister Crowley transcribes the first chapter of The Book of the Law. - 5May
Cy Young
Pitching against the Philadelphia Athletics at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Cy Young of the Boston Americans throws the first perfect game in the modern era of baseball. - 16Nov
Vacuum tube
English engineer John Ambrose Fleming receives a patent for the thermionic valve (vacuum tube).