Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for April 22: Actor Jack Nicholson is 87. Singer Mel Carter is 85. Author Janet Evanovich is 81. Country singer Cleve Francis is 79. Director John Waters is 78. Singer Peter Frampton is 74.

Today in History for May 1: On this date: In 1688, the first stone was laid for Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Place Royal, Que. It is Canada's oldest surviving church. In 1707, Scotland and England were united under the name Great Britain.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 19: Actress Elinor Donahue ("Father Knows Best") is 87. Keyboardist Alan Price of The Animals is 82. Singer Eve Graham of the New Seekers is 81. Actor Tim Curry is 78. Singer Mark "Flo" Volman of The Turtles is 77.

Today in Music History for April 19: In 1928, British bluesman Alexis Korner was born in Paris.

Today in History for April 19: In 1529, eight years after the Diet of Worms was convened by the Holy Roman Emperor, a protestation was published against it by several cities including Strasbourg, Nuremberg and Ulm, and from that evolved the term Prot

Today in Music History for April 18: In 1839, violinist Frantz Jehin-Prume, the first musician of international reputation to choose Canada as his home, was born in Spa, Belgium.

Today in History for April 18: In 1506, the foundation stone was laid during a celebration overseen by Pope Julius II to begin construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 18: Actor Clive Revill is 94. Actor Robert Hooks is 87. Mike Vickers, saxophone player and guitarist of Manfred Mann, is 84. Music critic Robert Christgau is 82.

Today in History for April 17: In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted Christopher Columbus a commission to seek a westward ocean passage to Asia.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 17: Actor David Bradley ("Game of Thrones") is 82. Singer and actress Michele Richard is 78. Musician Jan Hammer is 76. Actress Olivia Hussey is 73. Actor Clarke Peters ("Treme") is 72.