Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

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.

Today in Music History for April 1: In 1917, Scott Joplin, the ``King of Ragtime,'' died in a mental institution in New York City. Joplin fell into a deep depression -- which eventually led to insanity -- after the failure of his opera ``Treemonisha.

Today in History for April 1: In 1548, England's Parliament ordered the publication of the ``Book of Common Prayer.'' In 1564, All Fools' Day is said to have originated when King Charles IX of France changed the calendar.

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.

Today in Music History for March 31: In 1732, composer Franz Joseph Haydn, known as the ``Father of the Symphony,'' was born in Austria. One of his greatest contributions to church music was his 1798 oratorio ``The Creation.'' He died in 1809.

Today in History for March 31: In 1492, Spain issued a royal edict advising Jews to either become Catholics, leave the country, or be executed. In 1596, French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes was born.

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.

Today in History for March 30: On this date: In 1135, Moses Maimonides, the renowned medieval Jewish scholar, was born.

Today in Music History for March 30: In 1913, Frankie Laine, whose jazz-influenced singing style produced dozens of hit records in the '40s and '50s, was born in Chicago.

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.