Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for May 24: On this date: In 1543, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus died in Frombork, Poland. He proposed the heliocentric, or sun-centred, system whereby the planets orbit around the sun. He was born Feb. 19, 1473, in Torum, Poland.

Today in History for May 23: On this date: In 1275, King Edward I of England ordered the cessation of the persecution of French Jews. In 1430, Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians, who sold her to the English.

Today in History for May 22: On this date: In 337, Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome, died at the age of 47. In 1216, Louis VIII of France invaded England, the last military invasion of the British Isles.

Today in History for May 21: On this date: In 427 B.C., philosopher Plato was born. In 1471, King Henry VI of England was executed during the "Wars of the Roses.

Today in History for May 20: On this date: In 325, the first Christian ecumenical council opened at Nicea in Asia Minor. The doctrine of Jesus Christ's divinity was formally affirmed for the first time by the council.

Today in Music History for May 20: In 1927, the Canadian Folk Song and Handicraft Festival opened in Quebec City.

Today in History for May 19: On this date: In 804, the English medieval scholar Alcuin of York died. As an educator, he made beauty, goodness and truth the hallmarks of Charlemagne's Frankish empire.

Today in Music History May 25: In 1893, Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman, leader of one of the most famous family groups in country music, was born in Monorat, Va.

Today in Music History for May 19: In 1866, "When You and I Were Young, Maggie," which became one of the most popular ballads in North America, was published in Indianapolis, Ind., by James A. Butterfield. The song was based on a poem written by G.W.

Today in Music History for May 21: In 1738, Charles Wesley was converted to evangelical Christianity, becoming a co-founder of Methodism. He wrote hundreds of hymns such as "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.