Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for March 19: On this date: In 1229, having negotiated a treaty with Muslims for Christian access to Jerusalem, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II -- a reluctant participant in the sixth crusade -- crowned himself king at the Church of

Today in History for March 21: On this date: In 547, Italian monk Benedict, author of the Benedictine rule which established the pattern for European monastic life through the Middle Ages, died at Monte Cassino.

Today in History for March 20: On this date: In 1413, England's King Henry IV died; he was succeeded by Henry V. In 1455, when Guido di Pietro became a monk at Fiesole, he changed his name to Giovanni and became known as Giovanni da Fiesole.

Today in History for March 22: On this date: In 1638, religious dissident Anne Hutchinson was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for defying Puritan orthodoxy.

Today in Music History for March 18: In 1902, Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso recorded 10 songs on wax to become the world's first recording star.

Today in Music History for March 19: In 1859, the opera "Faust" by Charles Gounod premiered in Paris. In 1937, R&B singer Clarence "Frogman" Henry was born in Algiers, La.

Today in Music History for March 17: In 1899, the classic Neopolitan song "O Sole Mio!" was published. The composer was E. di Campna with words by G. Capurro.

Today in Music History for March 22: In 1943, singer-guitarist George Benson was born in Pittsburgh. After years as a jazz guitarist, Benson signed in 1975 with Warner Brothers, who encouraged him to sing.

Today in Music History for March 23: In 1743, George Frideric Handel's oratorio, ``The Messiah'' had its London premiere. The first performance of the work had taken place in Dublin the previous year.

Today in Music History for March 20: In 1937, Canadian country singer Tommy Hunter was born in London, Ont. Hunter joined CBC-TV's ``Country Hoedown'' in 1956 as rhythm guitarist with ``King Ganam's Sons of the West.