Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Aug. 28: John Perkins of the 1950s vocal group the Crew Cuts is 94. Actor Sonny Shroyer ("The Dukes of Hazzard") is 90. Former prime minister Paul Martin is 87. Actor Ken Jenkins ("Scrubs") is 85. Actress Barbara Bach is 79.

Celebrity birthdays for Aug. 25: Actor Tom Skerritt is 92. Movie director John Badham is 86. Jazz bassist Michel Donato is 83. Actor Anthony Heald ("Boston Public") is 81. Singer Henry Paul of BlackHawk (and The Outlaws) is 76.

Today in History for Sept. 3: In 590, St. Gregory the Great was consecrated the 64th Catholic pope, ruling 14 years. His administration took responsibility for converting the Anglo-Saxon tribes in England, chiefly through the work of St.

Today in Music History for Sept. 1: In 1933, country singer Conway Twitty was born Harold Lloyd Jenkins in Friars Point, Miss. He took his stage name from the towns of Conway, Ark. and Twitty, Texas.

Today in Music History for Sept. 3: In 1915, blues singer and pianist Memphis Slim was born Peter Chatman in the city from which he took his stage name. Memphis Slim was one of the first American bluesmen to move to Europe and become a star there.

Today in History for Aug. 31: On this date: In 12 AD, the Roman Emperor Caligula, whose many unusual acts included naming his horse a senator of Rome, was born.

Today in History for Sept. 4: In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier landed at Ile au Coudres and attended the celebration of the first Roman Catholic mass in Canada. In 1768, French novelist Francois Rene Chateaubriand was born in St. Malo.

Today in History for Sept. 1: On this date: In 1159, the only English pope in history, Adrian (or Hadrian) IV, died. In 1422, Henry VI, an infant, became King of England on the death of his father, Henry V.

Today in History for Sept. 2: On this date: In 1666, "The Great Fire" of London started in a wooden house on Pudding Lane.

Today in History for Sept. 6: In 1298, the Genoese captured Marco Polo in a sea battle. While imprisoned, the explorer and trader met writer Rustichello of Pisa and together they began a book on Marco's travels.