Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for May 2: Singer Englebert Humperdinck is 88. Country singer R.C. Bannon is 79. Actress-activist Bianca Jagger is 79. Actor David Suchet is 78. Country singer Larry Gatlin is 76. Singer Lou Gramm of Foreigner is 74.

Today in History for May 2: In 1497, Italian-born John Cabot set sail from Bristol, England, to follow Columbus' route to what he thought was Asia.

Today in History for May 1: In 1688, the first stone was laid for Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Place Royal, Que. It is Canada's oldest surviving church. In 1707, Scotland and England were united under the name Great Britain.

Celebrity Birthdays for May 1: Singer Judy Collins is 85. Composer Victor Davies is 85. Actor Stephen Macht ("Suits," ''General Hospital") is 82. Singer Rita Coolidge is 79. Singer-bassist Nick Fortuna of The Buckinghams is 78.

Today in Music History for May 1: In 1786, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's comic opera "The Marriage of Figaro" had its world premiere in Vienna.

Today in Music History for April 30: In 1925, country singer Johnny Horton was born in Tyler, Texas. His "Battle of New Orleans" sold one million copies in 1959, as did his 1960 "North to Alaska," the title song from a John Wayne movie.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 30: Singer Willie Nelson is 91. Guitarist Johnny Farina of the instrumental duo Santo and Johnny is 83. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is 78. Actor Perry King ("Riptide") is 76. Movie director Allan Arkush is 76.

Today in History for April 30: In 311, Roman Emperor Galerius issued the first edict of toleration for Christianity, ending three centuries of persecution.

Today in History for April 29: In 1429, Joan of Arc entered Orleans, France to score her great victory in driving out the English. In 1607, English settlers established the first Anglican church in the American colonies at Cape Henry, Va.

Today in Music History for April 29: In 1899, jazz musician, composer and bandleader Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington was born in Washington, D.C.