Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for Feb. 17: In 1673, French playwright Moliere died after collapsing during a performance of his play, ``The Imaginary Invalid.'' In 1781, Dr. Rene Laennec, inventor of the stethoscope, was born in France. He died in 1826.

Today in History for Feb. 12: In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, who had been queen of England for nine days, was beheaded after being charged with high treason. In 1793, Spain agreed to pay compensation for the seizure of British ships at Nootka, B.C.

Today in Music History for Feb. 2: In 1594, Giovanni da Palestrina, one of the most gifted composers of Renaissance church music, died. In 1901, violinist Jascha Heifetz was born in Vilna, Russia.

Today in History for Feb. 2: In 1536, the Argentine city of Buenos Aires was founded by Pedro de Mendoza of Spain. In 1556, a devastating earthquake killed an estimated 830,000 people in China.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 2: Singer Graham Nash is 82. Television executive Barry Diller is 82. Singer Howard Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers is 78. TV chef Ina Garten (``Barefoot Contessa'') is 76.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 1: Actor-comedian Garrett Morris is 87. Arranger and jazz tenor saxophonist Rick Wilkins is 87. Bluegrass singer Del McCoury is 85. TV personality-singer Joy Philbin is 83.

Today in History for Feb. 1: In 1516, Desiderius Erasmus dedicated his ``amendment'' of Jerome's Latin (Vulgate) translation of the Bible to Pope Leo X. Martin Luther and other Protestants based their vernacular versions on the translations.

Today in Music History for Feb. 1: In 1896, the opera ``La Boheme,'' by Giacomo Puccini, premiered in Turin, Italy. In 1909, gospel singer George Beverly Shea was born in Ottawa.

Today in Music History for Jan. 31: In 1797, composer Franz Schubert was born in Vienna. He died in 1828 at the age of 31. Schubert's reputation grew after his death, to the point where is now considered one of the greatest composers of his era.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 31: Composer Philip Glass is 87. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the former queen regent, is 86. Quebec singer-songwriter Claude Gauthier is 85. Bluesman Charlie Musselwhite is 80.