Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Today in History for June 9: On this date: In 68 AD, the brutal and paranoid Roman emperor Nero committed suicide at age 31.

Celebrity Birthdays for June 8: Actress Millicent Martin is 91. Singer Nancy Sinatra is 85. Singer Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night) is 83. Singer Boz Scaggs is 81. Author Sara Paretsky is 78.

Today in History for June 8: In 632, the Prophet Mohammad died. His teachings, recorded in the Qur'an, forged a new religion -- Islam.

Today in Music History for June 8: In 1940, singer Nancy Sinatra, the eldest child of Frank Sinatra, was born in Jersey City, N.J. After hooking up with producer Lee Hazelwood, she hit No.

Celebrity Birthdays for June 7: Movie director James Ivory is 97. Actress Virginia McKenna is 94. Singer Tom Jones is 85. Former talk show host Jenny Jones is 79. Americana singer-songwriter Willie Nile is 77. Composer-singer-actor Lewis Furey is 76.

Today in Music History for June 7: In 1904, the Haskell Opera House was opened in Rock Island on the Quebec-Vermont border. Now classified as a historic site, it also includes a library on the main floor.

Today in History for June 7: In 1329, Scotland's national hero, Robert the Bruce, died of leprosy he had contracted during his campaigns against the English. In 1502, Pope Gregory XIII was born Ugo Buoncompagni in Bologna, Italy.