Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in Music History for Aug. 10: In 1909, Leo Fender, the man who perfected the electric guitar, was born in Buena Park, Calif. His company manufactured the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar in 1948.

Today in Music History for Aug. 6: In 1939, Canadian tenor Paul Trepanier was born in Noranda, Que. In 1940, the Vancouver company "Theatre Under the Stars" opened its first season at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.

Today in Music History for Aug. 4: In 1927, Jimmie Rodgers, often called the "Father of Country Music," made his first recordings in Bristol, Tenn.

Today in Music History for Aug. 9: In 1914, Canadian fiddler King Ganam was born Ameen Sied in Swift Current, Sask., to Syrian-English parents. He formed "The Sons of the West" in Edmonton in 1942.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 26: Actor Robert Colbert is 93. Singer Darlene Love is 83. Singer Brenton Wood is 83. Singer Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones is 81. Movie director Peter Hyams is 81. Actress Dame Helen Mirren is 79.

Today in History for July 26: On this date: In 1603, James VI of Scotland was crowned King James I of England.

Today in Music History for July 26: In 1938, R&B singer-songwriter Bobby Hebb, who wrote and recorded the 1966 pop classic "Sunny," was born to blind parents in Nashville, Tenn. At the height of "Sunny" popularity, he toured with "The Beatles.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 25: Singer-guitarist Bruce Woodley of The Seekers is 82. Drummer Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds is 81. Bassist Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire is 73. Supermodel Iman is 69. Cartoonist Ray Billingsley ("Curtis") is 67.

Today in History for July 25: On this date: In 325, the Council of Nicea closed. Regarded as the first ecumenical council, its 300 attending bishops drafted the Nicene Creed and fixed the formula for Easter Sunday.

Today in Music History for July 25: In 1874, "The Maple Leaf Forever," one of Canada's most famous patriotic songs, was said to have been performed for the first time during the laying of the foundation stone for the Christian Baptist Church in Newma