Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for Jan. 20: In 1265, England's Parliament, representing English districts, cities and boroughs, met for the first time. In 1783, Britain and the United States signed an armistice, and fighting in the Revolutionary War ceased on Feb.

Today in History for Jan. 25: In AD 749, Emperor Leo IV of Byzantium was born. He led the Eastern Christian Church away from iconoclasm and towards a restoration of icons.

Today in History for Jan. 21: In 1525, the first Anabaptist baptismal service took place in Zurich, Switzerland, when Conrad Grebel re-baptized George Blaurock. In 1549, the British Parliament passed the first of four Acts of Uniformity.

Today in History for Jan. 24: In 1076, Germany's Henry IV convened the synod of Worms to secure the deposition of Pope Gregory VII. It charged the pontiff with serious crimes and called upon Rome to depose him. Henry was later excommunicated.

Today in Music History for Jan. 20: In 1889, Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly, was born in Morningsport, La. Leadbelly, popular during the 1930s and '40s, was probably the first country blues artist to become known to the white audience.

Today in Music History for Jan. 19: In 1853, ``Il Trovatore'' by Giuseppe Verdi, the foremost Italian composer of opera, premiered in Rome.

Today in Music History for Jan. 25: In 1899, (Sleepy) John Estes, an important early bluesman, was born in Ripley, Tenn. He played on the streets of Memphis in the 1920s, supporting himself by working the night shift at a trainyard.

Today in Music History for Jan. 21: In 1891, Calixa Lavallee, the composer of ``O Canada,'' died from tubercular laryngitis at his home in Boston. He was 48.

Today in Music History for Jan. 23: In 1893, Episcopal minister Phillips Brooks, bishop of Massachusetts and author of "O Little Town of Bethlehem," died. In 1940, country singer-songwriter Johnny Russell was born.

Today in History for Jan. 19: In 570, according to tradition, the Muslim Prophet Muhammad was born. In 1200, Zen Master Dogen, an important figure in Japanese Buddhism, was born. In 1563, the ``Heidelberg Catechism'' was first published in Germany.