Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in Music History for Jan. 1: In 1936, jazz guitarist Sonny Greenwich was born in Hamilton, Ont. Influenced by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, Greenwich developed a unique saxophone-like tone on the guitar.

Today in Music History for Jan. 6: In 1924, bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs was born in Shelby, N.C.

Today in Music History for Jan. 3: In 1917, Leon McAuliffe, one of the first country musicians to use an electric steel guitar, was born in Houston.

Today in Music History for Dec. 31: In 1776, the earliest cantata to be mentioned in Canadian historical documents was performed in Quebec City to mark the first anniversary of the repulsion of U.S. invaders.

Today in Music History for Jan. 2: In 1900, a company set up by Emile Berliner, inventor of the gramophone, began manufacturing seven-inch, single-sided records at a plant in Montreal.

Today in Music History for Jan. 4: In 1936, Billboard magazine published the first pop music chart based on record sales. The chart, a listing of the 10 most popular records, became a weekly feature in 1940.

Today in Music History for Jan. 5: In 1923, Sam Phillips, owner of the legendary Sun Records in Memphis, was born in Florence, Ala. Many music historians say Sun was where rock 'n' roll began.

Today in History for Dec. 22: In 1216, Pope Honorius III officially approved the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), founded in the same year by St. Dominic.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 22: Actor Hector Elizondo is 87. Country singer Red Steagall is 85. Former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard is 85. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton is 79. Barry Jenkins, drummer with The Animals, is 79.

Today in Music History for Dec. 22: In 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, and Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as the "Pastoral Symphony," had their world premieres in Vienna, Austria.