Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 11: Former prime minister Jean Chretien is 91. Olympic alpine skier Anne Heggtveit is 86. Director Joel Zwick (``My Big Fat Greek Wedding'') is 83. World Golf Hall-of-Famer Ben Crenshaw is 73.

Today in Music History for Jan. 11: In 1848, Edward Fisher, founder of the Toronto Conservatory of Music, was born in Jamaica, Vt. He directed the conservatory from its opening in 1887 until his death in 1913.

Today in History for Jan. 11: In 1569, England's first state lottery was held to raise money for the construction of harbours. In 1693, an earthquake at Catania, Italy, killed 60,000. In 1759, America's first life insurance company was founded.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 17: Talk show host Maury Povich is 86. Singer Chris Montez is 83. Actress Joanna David ("Downton Abbey") is 78. Actress Jane Elliot ("General Hospital") is 78. Former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor is 77.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 14: Olympic alpine skier Lucille Wheeler is 90. Blues singer Clarence Carter is 89. Actress Faye Dunaway is 84. Actress Holland Taylor (``Two and a Half Men,'' ''The Practice``) is 82.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 13: TV personality Nick Clooney is 91. Actor Charlie Brill is 87. Actor Billy Gray (``Father Knows Best'') is 87. John Lees, lead guitarist with Barclay James Harvest, is 78. Guitarist Trevor Rabin of Yes is 71.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 15: Actress Margaret O'Brien ("Meet Me In St. Louis") is 88. TV and radio personality Dini Petty is 80. Retired ballerina Veronica Tennant is 79. Actress Andrea Martin is 78.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 18: Movie director John Boorman is 92. Jazz pianist and bassist Don Thompson is 85. Singer-songwriter Bobby Goldsboro is 84. Comedian-singer Brett Hudson of the Hudson Brothers is 72. Actor-director Kevin Costner is 70.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 12: Country singer William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys is 86. Jim Gold, lead singer of the '70s pop group Gallery, is 78. Actor Anthony Andrews is 77. Movie director Wayne Wang is 76.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 16: Author William Kennedy is 97. Author-editor Norman Podhoretz is 95. Opera singer Marilyn Horne is 91. Hall of Fame auto racer A.J. Foyt is 90. Singer Barbara Lynn is 83. Country singer Ronnie Milsap is 82.