Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for March 18: In 1314, 39 Knights Templar were burned at the stake in Paris. Created to protect pilgrims going to the Holy Land, the military order had grown wealthy after the Crusades.

Today in Music History for March 21: In 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest and most influential composers in the Western world, was born in Eisenach, Germany.

Today in History for March 20: In 1413, England's King Henry IV died; he was succeeded by Henry V. In 1455, when Guido di Pietro became a monk at Fiesole, he changed his name to Giovanni and became known as Giovanni da Fiesole.

Today in History for March 19: In 1229, having negotiated a treaty with Muslims for Christian access to Jerusalem, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II -- a reluctant participant in the sixth crusade -- crowned himself king at the Church of the Holy Sepul

Today in Music History for March 17: In 1899, the classic Neopolitan song "O Sole Mio!" was published. The composer was E. di Campna with words by G. Capurro.

Today in Music History for March 19: In 1859, the opera "Faust" by Charles Gounod premiered in Paris. In 1937, R&B singer Clarence "Frogman" Henry was born in Algiers, La.

Today in Music History for March 20: In 1937, Canadian country singer Tommy Hunter was born in London, Ont. Hunter joined CBC-TV's ``Country Hoedown'' in 1956 as rhythm guitarist with ``King Ganam's Sons of the West.

Today in History for March 16: In AD 37, Roman emperor Tiberius died. He was succeeded by Caligula. In 1521, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippine Islands.

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.

Today in Music History for March 7: In 1875, composer Maurice Ravel was born in Cibourne, France. He became a leading exponent of impressionism, a style of music in which atmosphere and mood take the place of strong emotion.