Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for March 1: Jazz pianist and guitarist Ralph Towner is 85. Singer Mike D'Abo of Manfred Mann is 81. Singer Roger Daltrey of The Who is 81. Actor Dirk Benedict ("The A Team") is 80.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 27: Actress Joanne Woodward is 95. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 91. Actress Barbara Babcock is 88. Actress Debra Monk is 76. Guitarist Neal Schon of Journey is 71. Guitarist Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden is 68.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 28: Architect Frank Gehry is 96. Singer Sam the Sham is 88. Actor-director-dancer Tommy Tune is 86. Hall of Fame auto racer Mario Andretti is 85. Singer Donnie Iris is 82. Actress Kelly Bishop ("Gilmore Girls") is 81.

Today in History for March 3: In 1801, David Emanuel, the first Jewish governor in the United States, took office in Georgia. In 1841, Sir George Simpson, governor of the Hudson's Bay Co., began a trip around the world. The trip would take 20 months.

Today in Music History for March 8: In 1942, "Transit Through Fire: An Odyssey of 1942," the first opera commissioned by the CBC, was broadcast on the network. The music was by Healey Willan, and was orchestrated by Lucio Agostini.

Today in Music History for March 6: In 1853, Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Traviata" premiered in Venice, Italy. In 1905, Bob Wills, the man who originated the style of music known as western swing, was born near Kosse, Texas.

Today in History for March 5: In 1496, King Henry VII of England granted a charter to John Cabot and his three sons, permitting them to claim any and all lands they might discover. In 1755, Anthony Henday, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Co.

Today in Music History for March 3: In 1875, one of the most popular operas ever written, Georges Bizet's "Carmen," premiered in Paris. It unfolds a story of love, hate, jealousy and murder set in the world of Spanish gypsies and bullfighters.

Today in History for March 4: In 1561, Cardinal Carlo-Carafa became the last Roman Catholic prelate sentenced to death by a Pope. In 1678, composer Antonio Vivaldi was born. In 1789, the first U.S. Congress met in New York City.

Today in History for March 2: In 1492, 800,000 Jews were banished from Spain by King Ferdinand V. In 1699, French explorer Sieur d'Iberville located the mouth of the Mississippi River.