Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for July 28: On this date: In 1540, King Henry VIII's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, was executed, the same day Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. In 1576, Martin Frobisher's expedition reached Labrador.

Today in History for July 29: On this date: In 1588, the Spanish Armada was defeated in the English Channel by the British, led by Sir Francis Drake.

Today in History for Aug. 1: On this date: In 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier sighted the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Today in Music History for July 27: In 1920, Henry D. "Homer" Haynes of the country comedy duo of "Homer and Jethro" was born. His partnership with Jethro (born Kenneth C. Burns) lasted 39 years -- from 1932 until Homer's death in 1971.

Today in Music History for Aug. 1: In 1927, one of country music's most influential groups, "The Carter Family," made their first recordings for Victor Records at a makeshift studio in Bristol, Tenn.

Today in History for July 30: On this date: In 1609, at Ticonderoga, French explorer Samuel de Champlain became the first European to use firearms against natives.

Today in Music History for Aug. 2: In 1921, Enrico Caruso, the world's greatest operatic tenor, died in Naples, Italy at the age of 48.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 18: Olympic gold medal figure skater Tenley Albright is 90. Director Paul Verhoeven ("Basic Instinct," ''Showgirls") is 87. Keyboard wizard Brian Auger is 86. Singer Dion DiMucci is 86. Actor James Brolin is 85.

Today in Music History for July 18: In 1903, Canadian soprano Beatrice LaPalme made her Covent Garden debut. She was a last-minute substitute in the role of "Musetta" in a gala performance of "La Boheme" attended by King Edward VII.

Today in History for July 18: On this date: In A.D. 64, the Great Fire of Rome began. In 1536, the English Parliament passed an act declaring the authority of the pope void in England. In 1739, a census put Canada's population at 42,701.