Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for Dec. 29: On this date: In 1170, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, was murdered on the altar of Canterbury Cathedral by knights of King Henry II. In 1813, the British burned Buffalo, N.Y., during the War of 1812.

Today in History for Dec. 28: On this date: In 1065, Westminster Abbey was founded by Edward the Confessor. In 1694, Queen Mary II of England died after more than five years of joint rule with her husband, King William III.

Today in Music History for Dec. 26: In 1791, a cantata by English composer John Bentley was performed in Quebec City at the constitutional meeting which marked the partition of the colony into Upper and Lower Canada.

Today in Music History for Dec. 24: In 1818, the Christmas carol "Silent Night" was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.

Today in History for Dec. 25: On this date: Christian tradition associates the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem with Dec. 25th, however the exact day and year of Christ's birth have never been determined. The year 6 B.C.

Today in History for Dec. 27: On this date: In 1571, Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer who confirmed Copernicus' theory that the Earth and planets revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits, was born.

Today in History for Dec. 24: On this date: In 1524, Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator who found the sea route from Europe to the East, died in Cochin, India.

Today in Music History for Dec. 29: In 1849, the Christmas hymn by Edmund Sears, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," was first published in "The Christian Register." In 1939, Radio Luxembourg was given government permission to begin broadcasting.

Today in History for Dec. 15: In 1791, the U.S. Bill of Rights went into effect, following ratification by Virginia. In 1890, Chief Sitting Bull, whose Sioux forces had wiped out Gen.

Today in Music History for Dec. 15: In 1846, mezzo-soprano and actress Rosita del Vecchio, known as the Sarah Bernhardt of Canada, was born in Montreal.