Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for Oct. 11: On this date: In 1521, Pope Leo X gave Henry VIII of England the title "Fidei Defensor," or Defender of the Faith. Thirteen years later, Henry severed all ties with Rome to establish the Church of England.

Today in History for Oct. 10: On this date: In 1582, the Spanish Carmelite nun Teresa of Avila died in Alba de Tormes.

Today in History for Oct. 9: On this date: In 1668, Canada's first institution of higher education, The Quebec Seminary, later called Laval University, was founded by Bishop Francois de Laval.

Today in History for Oct. 8: On this date: In 1354, Italian revolutionary Cola di Rienzi was murdered. In 1642, Jeanne Mance established the first hospital in Montreal, the Hotel-Dieu. In 1871, a huge fire destroyed the heart of Chicago.

Today in History for Oct. 7: On this date, In 1663, Jean Baptiste Le Gardeur de Repentigny was chosen as the first mayor of Quebec. In 1737, iron was first smelted in Canada, at St-Maurice, Que.

Today in History for Oct. 6: On this date: In 1520, German reformer Martin Luther published his Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, his famous writing which attacked the entire sacramental system of the Catholic Church.

Celebrity Birthdays for Sept. 27: Actress Kathleen Nolan is 91. Actor Claude Jarman Jr. is 90. Memphis singer-guitarist-saxophonist Don Nix is 83. Singer-guitarist Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 81. Actress Liz Torres is 77.

Today in Music History for Sept. 27: In 1920, Canadian impresario Louis-Honore Bourdon presented Enrico Caruso at the Mount Royal Arena in Montreal.

Today in History for Sept.

Celebrity Birthdays for Sept. 26: Actor Jonathan Goldsmith is 86. Country singer David Frizzell is 83. Actor Kent McCord ("Adam 12") is 82. Singer Bryan Ferry is 79. Actress Mary Beth Hurt is 78. Actor James Keane is 72.