Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for March 1: Jazz pianist and guitarist Ralph Towner is 85. Singer Mike D'Abo of Manfred Mann is 81. Singer Roger Daltrey of The Who is 81. Actor Dirk Benedict ("The A Team") is 80.

Today in History for March 1: In 589 (traditional date): David of Wales, patron saint of Wales, died. In 1562, Roman Catholic troops killed Protestants at Vassy, France, in an incident that precipitated the Wars of Religion.

Today in Music History for March 1: In 1810, Polish composer Frederic Chopin, who brought romantic piano music to new heights, was born near Warsaw. He established the piano as a solo instrument, free from the influence of an orchestra or chorus.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 6: Dancer-actress Carmen de Lavallade is 94. Actress-writer Joanna Miles is 85. Actor Ben Murphy is 83. Jazz singer Flora Purim is 83. Opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is 81. Drummer Hugh Grundy of The Zombies is 80.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 7: Architect Douglas Cardinal is 91. International Motorsports Hall-of-Famer Janet Guthrie is 87. Actor Daniel J. Travanti (``Hill Street Blues'') is 85. Entertainment executive Michael Eisner is 83.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 8: Composer, conductor, pianist and arranger Dick Hyman is 98. Actress Sue Ane Langdon is 89. Actress Susan Clark is 82. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 81. Actor-director Micky Dolenz of The Monkees is 80.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 5: Actor Paul Sand ("St. Elsewhere") is 93. Football player-turned-actor Fred Williamson is 87. Actress Samantha Eggar ("The Molly Maguires," ''Dr. Doolittle") is 86.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 4: Actress Paula Prentiss (1975's "The Stepford Wives") is 87. Movie director Adrian Lyne ("Fatal Attraction") is 84. Singer Dieter Meier (Yello) is 80. Saxophonist Jan Garbarek is 78.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 2: Actor John Cullum ("Northern Exposure") is 95. Actress Barbara Luna is 88. Author John Irving is 83. Canadian Songwriters Hall-of-famer Luc Plamondon is 83. Actress Cassie Yates is 74.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 3: Singer-guitarist Mike Pender of The Searchers is 84. Movie producer-director George Miller ("Mad Max") is 80. Actress Hattie Winston ("Becker") is 80. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 78.