Cameron, a descendant of King William IV, was born into a family with both wealth and an aristocratic pedigree. He attended Eton College and Brasenose College, Oxford, from which he graduated (1988) with a first-class degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. After Oxford he joined the Conservative Party Research Department. In 1992 he became a special adviser to Norman Lamont, then chancellor of the Exchequer, and the following year he undertook the same role for Michael Howard, then home secretary. Cameron joined the media company Carlton Communications in 1994 as director of corporate affairs. He stayed at Carlton until entering Parliament in 2001 as MP for Witney, northwest of London.

Cameron quickly attracted attention as the leading member of a new generation of Conservatives: young, moderate, and charismatic. He was widely compared to Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had acquired a similar reputation when he entered Parliament 18 years earlier. After just two years as an MP, Cameron was appointed to his party’s “front bench”—making him a leading Conservative spokesman in the House of Commons. In 2004 Howard, by then party leader, appointed his young protégé to the post of head of policy coordination, which put Cameron in charge of preparing the Conservatives’ 2005 election manifesto. The party, however, suffered a heavy defeat at the polls, provoking Howard’s resignation. Cameron’s self-assured speech at the party’s annual conference in October 2005 transformed his reputation, and he was subsequently elected Conservative leader.

Cameron sought to modernize the party and shed its right-wing image. He announced that economic stability and strong public services would be a priority over tax cuts in the next Conservative government. Under his leadership, the party grew in popularity and placed first in the 2006 local elections; it was the Conservatives’ best showing at the polls in some 15 years.

(born Oct. 21, 1912, Muskogee, Okla., U.S.—died Aug. 24, 1972, Amsterdam, Neth.) black American jazz tenor saxophonist whose improvising was an important step in the transition from the late swing to the early bop eras.

(born 1637, probably in Oldesloe, Holstein—died May 9, 1707, Lübeck) Danish organist and composer. He held two organist positions before being appointed organist at the important Marienkirche in Lübeck (now in Germany), where he remained for almost 40 years. There he reinstated the tradition of the Abendmusik, an annual series of church concerts. His reputation was such that in 1705 Johann Sebastian Bach traveled 200 miles there to hear him play and ended up staying three months. Buxtehude’s approximately 130 surviving vocal works, usually called cantatas, can instead be classified as concertos, chorale settings, and arias. All are imbued with a devout simplicity that contrasts strongly with the elaborations of their Bachian successors. He also composed almost 100 works for organ, some 20 keyboard suites, and more than 20 chamber sonatas.

(born Dec. 9, 1942, Chicago, Ill., U.S.) U.S. football player. He played for the University of Illinois before joining the Chicago Bears (1965–73). He became known for his aggression and toughness on the field as much as for his playmaking ability. His career was shortened by injuries; after retirement he became active in television and sports promotion. Butkus is considered among the best middle linebackers of all time.

(born Feb. 28, 1911, Enniskillen, N.Ire.—died March 23, 1993, England) British surgeon and medical researcher. He discovered Burkitt lymphoma, a lethal cancer of the lymphatic system with a high incidence among children. He showed that it was common in equatorial African regions where malaria and yellow fever are endemic and linked it to Epstein-Barr virus in children with immune systems depressed by chronic malaria. He later helped develop an effective chemotherapy treatment. Burkitt was also known for his theory that a high-fibre diet protects against colon cancer, publicized in his book Don’t Forget Fibre in Your Diet (1979).