Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

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.

Today in History for July 6: In 1415, Czech reformer Jan Hus was martyred. He was condemned for heresy and burned at the stake because of his outspoken appeals for church reform and for political and religious rights for the common people.

Today in History for July 6: In 1415, Czech reformer Jan Hus was martyred. He was condemned for heresy and burned at the stake because of his outspoken appeals for church reform and for political and religious rights for the common people.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 5: Writer Barry Callaghan is 88. Singer Huey Lewis is 75. Guitarist Michael Monarch (Steppenwolf) is 75. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rich (Goose) Gossage is 74. Guitarist Jimmy Crespo is 71.

Today in History for July 5: In 1810, one of the greatest showmen of all time, Phineas T. Barnum, was born in Bethel, Conn. In 1811, Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.

Today in Music History for July 5: In 1944, Robbie Robertson, guitarist with "The Band," was born in Toronto. First known as "The Hawks," "The Band" evolved from a group taken to Ontario from the U.S. by Ronnie Hawkins.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 11: Fashion designer Giorgio Armani is 91. Actress Susan Seaforth Hayes is 82. Singer Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 78. Ventriloquist Jay Johnson ("Soap") is 76. Classical guitarist Liona Boyd is 76.

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.