Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 14: Singer-actress Abbe Lane is 91. Actor Hal Williams ("227," ''Sanford and Son") is 89. Singer Joyce Vincent-Wilson of Tony Orlando and Dawn is 77. Entertainment executive Michael Ovitz is 77. Actress Dee Wallace is 75.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 13: Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 98. Country singer Buck White of The Whites is 93. Music/film producer Lou Adler is 90. Actor-singer John Davidson is 82. Trombonist, arranger and composer Russ Little is 82.

Today in History for Dec. 21: On this date: In 1266, the last stand of the first English parliamentarians ended when rebels surrendered Kenilworth Castle to the king after a six-month siege.

Today in History for Dec. 19: On this date: In 1813, fur trader James McGill died in Montreal, leaving 10,000 pounds to establish the university that would bear his name. In 1813, a British-Canadian force took Fort Niagara in the War of 1812.

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

Today in History for Dec. 20: On this date: In 1699, Russian Czar Peter the Great ordered his people to celebrate the New Year on January 1, instead of Sept. 1.

Today in History for Dec. 23: On this date: In 1771, Mother Marie Marguerite D'Youville, the founder of the Grey Nuns or Sisters of Charity, died in Montreal.

Today in History for Dec. 18: On this date: In 1707, English hymn writer Charles Wesley was born. He wrote more than 6,500 hymns, including "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." In 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Today in History for Dec. 17: On this date: In 1538, England's King Henry VIII was excommunicated by Pope Paul III. Married and divorced several times, Henry declared himself head of the Church of England.

Today in Music History for Dec. 19: In 1808, Horatius Bonar, Scottish clergyman, poet and hymn writer, was born. He authored several missionary biographies and penned over 600 hymns, including "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say.