Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 27: Actress Joanne Woodward is 95. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 91. Actress Barbara Babcock is 88. Actress Debra Monk is 76. Guitarist Neal Schon of Journey is 71. Guitarist Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden is 68.

Today in History for Feb. 27: In 380, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official faith of the Roman Empire. In 425, Roman Emperor Theodosius II founded the first university in the western world in Constantinople (now Istanbul), Turkey.

Today in Music History for Feb. 27: In 1924, Sir Henry Thornton, president of the CNR, opened radio station CNRO in Ottawa. It was one of a series of CNR operated studios that opened across the country.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 26: Actor-director Bill Duke is 82. Actress Marta Kristen ("Lost in Space") is 80. Singer Mitch Ryder is 80. British pop vocalist Sandie Shaw is 78. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain of Journey is 75. Singer Michael Bolton is 72.

Today in Music History for Feb. 26: In 1923, the Winnipeg Male Voice Choir performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The New York Post said the performance placed the choir in "the very front rank.

Today in History for Feb. 26: In 398, John Chrysostom, considered by scholars as the greatest preacher of the early church, was appointed bishop of Constantinople. His preaching earned him the name Chrysostom: "golden-mouth.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 25: Actress Ann McCrea (``The Donna Reed Show'') is 94. Actor Tom Courtenay (``Dr. Zhivago'') is 88. CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 88. Actress Diane Baker is 87.

Today in History for Feb. 25: In 616 (traditional date): Ethelbert, first Christian English king and instigator of the first written code of British law, died.

Today in Music History for Feb. 25: In 1873, Enrico Caruso, universally regarded as the world's greatest operatic tenor, was born in Naples, Italy.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 24: Actor Dominic Chianese (``Boardwalk Empire,'' ''The Sopranos``) is 94. Businessman Phil Knight (Nike) is 87. Singer Joanie Sommers is 84. Actress Jenny O'Hara (``Transparent,'' ''The Mindy Project``) is 83.