Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 22: Actor Hector Elizondo is 88. Country singer Red Steagall is 86. Former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard is 86. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton is 80. Former TV news anchor Diane Sawyer is 79.

Today in History for Dec. 22: In 1216, Pope Honorius III officially approved the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), founded in the same year by St. Dominic.

Today in Music History for Dec. 22: In 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, and Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as the "Pastoral Symphony," had their world premieres in Vienna, Austria.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 21: Former governor-general Edward Schreyer is 89. Actress Jane Fonda is 87. Actor Larry Bryggman is 86. Singer Carla Thomas is 82. Guitarist Albert Lee is 81. Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is 80.

Today in Music History for Dec. 21: In 1672, Benjamin Schmolck, German Lutheran clergyman and prolific hymn writer, was born. Though a busy pastor, he found time to pen 900 hymns, the best remembered of them being "My Jesus, As Thou Wilt.

Today in History for Dec. 21: In 1266, the last stand of the first English parliamentarians ended when rebels surrendered Kenilworth Castle to the king after a six-month siege.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 25: Author Anne Roiphe is 89. Jazz keyboardist Bob James is 85. Actress Hanna Schygulla ("Barnum," ''Casanova") is 81. Singer John Edwards of The Spinners is 80. Actor Gary Sandy ("WKRP In Cincinnati") is 79.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 27: Guitarist Mick Jones of Foreigner is 80. Singer Tracy Nelson is 80. Actress Tovah Feldshuh ("Law and Order") is 76. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 76. Jazz singer-musician T.S. Monk is 75. Singer Karla Bonoff is 73.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 28: Singer-keyboardist Edgar Winter is 78. Drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste of The Meters is 76. Pianist Richard Clayderman is 71. Actor Denzel Washington is 70. Contemporary Christian singer Twila Paris is 66.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 24: Dr. Anthony Fauci is 84. Recording company executive Mike Curb is 80. Comedian Steve Smith ("Red Green Show") is 79. Guitarist Jan Akkerman is 78. Actor Grand L. Bush is 69.