Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 7: Author Gay Talese is 92. Soprano Lois McDonall is 85. Classical pianist Arthur Ozolins is 78. Comedian Robert Smigel (SNL, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog) is 64. Actor James Spader is 64.

Today in History for Feb. 7: In 1478, Sir Thomas More, lord chancellor of England during the English Reformation, was born.

Today in Music History for Feb. 7: In 1944, the first Canadian Kiwanis Music Festival opened at the Eaton Auditorium in Toronto. There were about 7,000 competitors. One of the winners was a 10-year-old pianist -- Glenn Gould.

Today in Music History for Feb. 6: In 1945, Bob Marley, the first superstar of reggae music, was born in Rhoden Hall, Jamaica.

Today in History for Feb. 6: In 1519, Sir Walter Raleigh left England to explore South America. In 1721, Christian Heinecker was born. At age 10 months, Heinecker was reported to have been capable of repeating every word said to him.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 6: Actress Mamie Van Doren is 93. Actor Mike Farrell is 85. Former NBC news anchorman Tom Brokaw is 84. Singer Fabian is 81. Actor Michael Tucker (``L.A. Law'') is 79. Producer-director-writer Jim Sheridan is 75.

Today in History for Feb. 5: In 1555, in the southern part of present-day Germany, the Diet of Augsburg began its final deliberations. Delegates later signed the Peace of Augsburg, granting official recognition to Lutheranism as a religion.

Today in Music History for Feb. 5: In 1887, Verdi's opera ``Otello'' premiered at the La Scala opera house. In 1940, Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded ``Tuxedo Junction'' for RCA Victor's Bluebird label.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 5: Hockey commentator Don Cherry is 90. Tony-winning playwright John Guare is 86. Financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn is 85. Actor David Selby (``Dark Shadows,'' ''Falcon Crest``) is 83.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 4: Actor Jerry Adler ("The Good Wife," ''The Sopranos") is 95. Actor Gary Conway ("Burke's Law") is 88. Actor John Schuck is 84. Drummer John Steel of The Animals is 83. Singer Florence LaRue of the Fifth Dimension is 81.