Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for July 9: Singer Dee Dee Kenniebrew of The Crystals is 81. Author Dean Koontz is 80. TV producer Nigel Lythgoe is 76. Actor Chris Cooper is 74. TV personality-turned-musician John Tesh is 73. Country singer David Ball is 72.

Today in History for July 9: On this date: In 1228, Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, died. Langton formulated the original division of the Bible into chapters. He is also credited with creating much of the "Magna Carta.

Today in Music History for July 9: In 1946, Mitch Mitchell, drummer for "The Jimi Hendrix Experience," was born.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 8: Actor Jeffrey Tambor is 81. Drummer Jai Johanny Johanson (The Allman Brothers Band) is 81. Ballerina Cynthia Gregory is 79. Actress Kim Darby is 78. Children's performer Raffi is 77. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is 76.

Today in Music History for July 8: In 1792, Lowell Mason, Presbyterian pioneer of congregational singing, was born.

Today in History for July 8: On this date: In 1629, Spain's King Philip III sent England's King Charles the First an elephant and five camels. Included were instructions that the elephant be given a gallon of wine each day.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 7: Bandleader Doc Severinsen is 98. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Ringo Starr is 85. Comedian Bill Oddie is 84. Singer-guitarist Warren Entner of the Grass Roots is 81. Actor Joe Spano is 79.

Today in Music History for July 7: In 1607, Britain's national anthem -- "God Save the King" -- was sung in public for the first time.

Today in History for July 7: On this date: In 1438, the decrees of Basel were adopted by the Roman Catholic Church. They restricted the authority of the popes and imposed a degree of accountability on the cardinals and bishops of the church.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 6: The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is 90. Singer Gene Chandler is 88. Country singer Jeannie Seely is 85. Actor Burt Ward ("Batman") is 80. Richard Elswit, guitarist with Dr. Hook, is 80.