Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

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.

Today in History for March 7: In 1274, Thomas Aquinas, considered one of the most significant theologians of all time, died. He's best known for his Summa Theologiae or A summation of Theological Knowledge.