Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 17: Actor Robert De Niro is 81. Movie director Martha Coolidge is 78. Guitarist Gary Talley of The Box Tops is 77. Actor/screenwriter/producer Julian Fellowes is 75. Actor Robert Joy ("CSI: NY") is 73.

Today in History for Aug. 17: On this date: In 1502, Christopher Columbus took possession of what is now Honduras in the name of Spain. In 1761, William Carey, pioneer English missionary to India, was born.

Today in Music History for Aug.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 19: Actress Debra Paget ("Love Me Tender") is 91. USTA Eastern Tennis Hall-of-Famer Renee Richards is 91. Actress Diana Muldaur ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") is 86. Actress Jill St. John is 84.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 21: Guitarist James Burton (with Elvis Presley) is 85. Singer Jackie DeShannon is 83. Movie director Peter Weir is 80. Actress Patty McCormack ("The Ropers") is 79. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Willie Lanier is 79.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 20: Boxing promoter Don King is 93. Jazz drummer Terry Clarke is 80. News anchor Connie Chung is 78. Trombone player Jimmy Pankow of Chicago is 77. Actor Ray Wise ("Reaper," ''Twin Peaks") is 77.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 24: Composer-musician Mason Williams is 86. Bass guitarist David Freiberg is 86. Singer Marshall Thompson of The Chi-Lites is 83. WWE promoter Vince McMahon is 79. Actress Ann Archer is 77.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 18: Movie director Roman Polanski is 91. Actor Robert Redford is 88. Actor Henry G. Sanders ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman") is 82. Rock musician Dennis Elliott is 74. Comedian Elayne Boosler is 72.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 23: Actress Vera Miles is 95. Actress Barbara Eden is 93. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen is 90. Actor Richard Sanders ("WKRP In Cincinnati") is 84. Ballet dancer Patricia McBride is 82.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 22: Broadcast journalist Morton Dean is 89. Author Annie Proulx is 89. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Carl Yastrzemski is 85. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells is 83. Correspondent Steve Kroft ("60 Minutes") is 79.