Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for March 17: On this date: In 461, tradition says St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, died. In 1233, millions of mice invaded the area of Freising, Germany, forcing the evacuation of entire towns.

Today in History for March 19: On this date: In 1229, having negotiated a treaty with Muslims for Christian access to Jerusalem, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II -- a reluctant participant in the sixth crusade -- crowned himself king at the Church of

Today in History for March 21: On this date: In 547, Italian monk Benedict, author of the Benedictine rule which established the pattern for European monastic life through the Middle Ages, died at Monte Cassino.

Today in History for March 20: On this date: In 1413, England's King Henry IV died; he was succeeded by Henry V. In 1455, when Guido di Pietro became a monk at Fiesole, he changed his name to Giovanni and became known as Giovanni da Fiesole.

Today in History for March 22: On this date: In 1638, religious dissident Anne Hutchinson was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for defying Puritan orthodoxy.

Today in Music History for March 18: In 1902, Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso recorded 10 songs on wax to become the world's first recording star.

Today in Music History for March 19: In 1859, the opera "Faust" by Charles Gounod premiered in Paris. In 1937, R&B singer Clarence "Frogman" Henry was born in Algiers, La.

Today in Music History for March 17: In 1899, the classic Neopolitan song "O Sole Mio!" was published. The composer was E. di Campna with words by G. Capurro.

Today in Music History for March 22: In 1943, singer-guitarist George Benson was born in Pittsburgh. After years as a jazz guitarist, Benson signed in 1975 with Warner Brothers, who encouraged him to sing.

Today in Music History for March 23: In 1743, George Frideric Handel's oratorio, ``The Messiah'' had its London premiere. The first performance of the work had taken place in Dublin the previous year.