Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for March 29: Author Judith Guest is 89. Comedian Eric Idle is 82. Singer-songwriter Terry Jacks is 81. Former Major League Pitcher Denny McLain is 81. Basketball Hall of Fame point guard Walt Frazier is 80.

Today in History for March 29: On this date: In 1139, Pope Innocent II made the Templars an independent unit within the Catholic Church. The order of knights had been created to protect pilgrims from bandits in the Holy Land.

Today in Music History for March 29: In 1871, the Royal Albert Hall in London was opened by Queen Victoria. In 1909, country singer and pianist Aubrey ``Moon'' Mullican was born in Polk County, Texas.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 3: Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall is 91. Actor William Gaunt is 88. Songwriter Jeff Barry is 87. Actor Eric Braeden is 84. Actress Marsha Mason is 83. Singer Wayne Newton is 83. Singer Tony Orlando is 81.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 4: Recording executive Clive Davis is 93. Author Kitty Kelley is 83. '60s pop singer Kris Jensen is 83. Actor Craig T. Nelson is 81. Dave Hill, lead guitarist with Slade, is 79.

Celebrity Birthday for March 31: Actor William Daniels (``St. Elsewhere'') is 98. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 91. Actress Shirley Jones is 91. Musician Herb Alpert is 90. Actor Christopher Walken is 82.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 5: Opera singer Mary Costa is 95. Actor Michael Moriarty ("Law and Order") is 84. Singer Allan Clarke of The Hollies is 83. Writer-director Peter Greenaway is 83.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 1: Actor Don Hastings (``As The World Turns'') is 91. Actress Ali MacGraw is 86. Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is 81. British pop musician Robin Scott is 78. Keyboardist Billy Currie of Ultravox is 75.

Celebrity Birthdays for April 2: Actress Dame Penelope Keith is 85. Former world figure skating champion Donald Jackson is 85. Actress Linda Hunt is 80. Singer Emmylou Harris is 78. Social critic and author Camille Paglia is 78.

Celebrity Birthdays for March 30: Actor John Astin is 95. Actor Warren Beatty is 88. Country singer Bobby Wright is 83. Rock n' Roll Hall-of-Famer Eric Clapton is 80. Actor Justin Deas is 77. Singer Jim ``Dandy'' Mangrum (Black Oak Arkansas) is 77.