Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Oct. 21: Actress Joyce Randolph ("The Honeymooners") is 99. Keyboardist Manfred Mann is 83. Guitarist Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's is 82. Singer Elvin Bishop is 81. TV judge Judy Sheindlin ("Judge Judy") is 81.

Today in History for Oct. 21: In 1555, Queen Mary of England launched a persecution campaign against Protestants that resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people.

Today in Music History for Oct. 21: In 1851, soprano Jenny Lind, dubbed "The Swedish Nightingale," gave her first Canadian concert, at St. Lawrence Hall in Toronto. Her tour was organized by showman P.T. Barnum.

Celebrity Birthdays for Oct. 23: Movie director Philip Kaufman is 87. Singer Barbara Ann Hawkins of The Dixie Cups is 80. Actor Michael Rupert is 72. Director Ang Lee is 69. Jazz singer Dianne Reeves is 67. Country singer Dwight Yoakam is 67.

Celebrity Birthdays for Oct. 22: Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale is 87. Actor Christopher Lloyd is 85. Actor Derek Jacobi is 85. Actor Tony Roberts is 84. Actress Catherine Deneuve is 80. Movie director Jan de Bont is 80.

Celebrity Birthdays for Oct. 28: Jazz singer Cleo Laine is 96. Actress Joan Plowright is 94. Player/coach Basketball Hall-of-Famer Lenny Wilkens is 86. Actress Jane Alexander is 84. TV writer and producer Susan Harris is 83.

Celebrity Birthdays for Oct. 27: Quebec singer-songwriter Gilles Vigneault is 95. Actor-comedian John Cleese is 84. Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 83. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 81. Actor-singer Tom Jackson is 75.

Celebrity Birthdays for Oct. 24: Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is 87. Steel guitarist Santo Farina, of the duo Santo and Johnny, is 86. Actor F. Murray Abraham is 84.

Celebrity Birthdays for Oct. 25: Actress Marion Ross is 95. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bob Knight is 83. Author Anne Tyler is 82. Roy Lynes, organist and vocalist with Status Quo, is 80. Singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 79.

Celebrity Birthdays for is Oct. 26: Actress Jaclyn Smith ("Charlie's Angels") is 78. "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak is 77. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is 76. Musician Bootsy Collins is 72. Actor James Pickens Jr.