Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthday for March 31: Actor William Daniels (``St. Elsewhere'') is 97. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 90. Actress Shirley Jones is 90. Musician Herb Alpert is 89. Actor Christopher Walken is 81.

Today in Music History for March 31: In 1732, composer Franz Joseph Haydn, known as the ``Father of the Symphony,'' was born in Austria. One of his greatest contributions to church music was his 1798 oratorio ``The Creation.'' He died in 1809.

Today in History for March 31: In 1492, Spain issued a royal edict advising Jews to either become Catholics, leave the country, or be executed. In 1596, French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes was born.

Today in History for March 30: On this date: In 1135, Moses Maimonides, the renowned medieval Jewish scholar, was born.

Today in Music History for March 30: In 1913, Frankie Laine, whose jazz-influenced singing style produced dozens of hit records in the '40s and '50s, was born in Chicago.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 30: Game show host Peter Marshall is 98. Actor John Astin is 94. Actor Warren Beatty is 87. Country singer Bobby Wright is 82. Rock n' Roll Hall-of-Famer Eric Clapton is 79. Actor Justin Deas is 76.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 1: Actor Don Hastings (``As The World Turns'') is 90. Actress Ali MacGraw is 85. Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is 80. British pop musician Robin Scott is 77. Keyboardist Billy Currie of Ultravox is 74.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 2: Actress Dame Penelope Keith is 84. Former world figure skating champion Donald Jackson is 84. Actress Linda Hunt is 79. Singer Emmylou Harris is 77. Social critic and author Camille Paglia is 77.

Celebrity Birthday for March 31: Actor William Daniels (``St. Elsewhere'') is 97. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 90. Actress Shirley Jones is 90. Musician Herb Alpert is 89. Actor Christopher Walken is 81.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 3: Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall is 90. Actor William Gaunt is 87. Songwriter Jeff Barry is 86. Actor Eric Braeden is 83. Actress Marsha Mason is 82. Singer Wayne Newton is 82. Singer Tony Orlando is 80.