Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 10: Opera singer Sherrill Milnes is 90. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Frank Mahovlich is 87. Movie director Walter Hill is 83. Actor William Sanderson (``Deadwood,'' ''Newhart``) is 81. Singer Sir Rod Stewart is 80.

Today in History for Jan. 10: In A.D. 236, Fabian was elected pope of the early Christian Church. He served until 250, when he became the first martyr under Decius, the emperor who initiated the Roman Empire-wide persecution of Christians.

Today in Music History for Jan. 10: In 1917, legendary record producer Jerry Wexler was born in The Bronx, N.Y.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 9: Actress K. Callan is 89. Singer Joan Baez is 84. Guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is 81. Actor John Doman (``Gotham'') is 80. Singer David Johansen (a.k.a. Buster Poindexter) is 75. Singer Crystal Gayle is 74.

Today in Music History for Jan. 9: In 1939, producer Alfred Lion recorded boogie-woogie pianists Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons at a session in New York.

Today in History for Jan. 9: In 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In 1793, Frenchman Jean Pierre Blanchard, using a hot-air balloon, flew between Philadelphia and Woodbury, N.J.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 8: Singer Shirley Bassey is 88. Game show host Bob Eubanks (``The Newlywed Game'') is 87. Fashion designer Carolina Herrera is 86. Country-gospel singer Cristy Lane is 85.

Today in History for Jan. 8: In 1324, explorer Marco Polo died at age 70. In 1438, the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches met at the Council of Ferrara-Florence in an effort to form an alliance that would save Constantinople from the Turks.

Today in Music History for Jan. 8: In 1921, Canadian soprano Beatrice LaPalme, one of the most sought-after artists of her generation, died in Montreal at the age of 42.

Celebrity Birthdays for Jan. 7: Singer-songwriter Leona Williams is 82. Magazine publisher Jann Wenner is 79. Singer Kenny Loggins is 77. Singer-songwriter Marshall Chapman is 76.