Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in Music History for April 4: In 397, St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, died. Known as the ``Father of Hymnody,'' he encouraged the singing of hymns, wrote several and codified the Ambrosian chant for the early church.

Today in History for April 4: In 1507, Martin Luther was ordained a priest in Erfurt, Germany.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 3: Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall is 91. Actor William Gaunt is 88. Songwriter Jeff Barry is 87. Actor Eric Braeden is 84. Actress Marsha Mason is 83. Singer Wayne Newton is 83. Singer Tony Orlando is 81.

Today in Music History for April 3: In 1897, German pianist and composer Johannes Brahms died of liver cancer at age 63.

Today in History for April 3: In 1327, Marsilius of Padua and his copyist, John of Jandun, were forced to flee Paris for asylum in Bavaria after the pope issued a bull denouncing them as ``sons of perdition and fruits of malediction.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 2: Actress Dame Penelope Keith is 85. Former world figure skating champion Donald Jackson is 85. Actress Linda Hunt is 80. Singer Emmylou Harris is 78. Social critic and author Camille Paglia is 78.

Today in History for April 2: In 742, Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, was born. Pope Leo III crowned him Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day, 800.

Today in Music History for April 2: In 1872, renowned Canadian soprano Emma Albani made her London debut, singing the role of ``Amina'' in ``La Sonambula.'' In 1939, Motown hitmaker Marvin Gaye was born in Washington, D.C.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 1: Actor Don Hastings (``As The World Turns'') is 91. Actress Ali MacGraw is 86. Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is 81. British pop musician Robin Scott is 78. Keyboardist Billy Currie of Ultravox is 75.

Today in Music History for April 1: In 1917, Scott Joplin, the ``King of Ragtime,'' died in a mental institution in New York City. Joplin fell into a deep depression -- which eventually led to insanity -- after the failure of his opera ``Treemonisha.