Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for Feb. 9: In 249, legends say the woman who later became St. Appolonia, the patron saint of dentistry, was tortured and killed for being a Christian.

Today in Music History for Feb. 9: In 1891, the Canadian Pacific Railway opened its Vancouver Opera House with a performance by the Emma Juch English Opera company, a touring company from the U.S.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 9: Actress Janet Suzman is 85. Pop songwriter Barry Mann is 85. Nobel Prize-winning author J.M. Coetzee is 84. Drummer Brian Bennett (The Shadows) is 84.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 8: Composer-conductor John Williams is 92. News anchor Ted Koppel is 84. Actor Nick Nolte is 83. Folk singer and songwriter Tom Rush is 83. Comedian Robert Klein is 82.

Today in Music History for Feb. 8: In 1899, blues guitarist and singer Lonnie Johnson was born in New Orleans.

Today in History for Feb. 8: In 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded. After attempting to restore Catholicism to Scotland and two disastrous marriages, she was forced to abdicate and fled to England in 1567.

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.