Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 9: Country singer-songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler is 91. Actress Dame Judi Dench is 89. Singer Sammy Strain (Little Anthony and the Imperials, The O'Jays) is 84. Actor Beau Bridges is 82. Actor Michael Nouri is 78.

Today in History for Dec. 9: In 1608, English poet John Milton was born in London. In 1755, the first post office in Canada opened in Halifax.

Today in Music History for Dec. 9: In 1934, bluesman Junior Wells was born in West Memphis, Ark. He replaced harmonica player Little Walter in Muddy Waters’ band in the early 1950s. His most famous recording is "Hoodoo Man.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 16: Actress Joyce Bulifant ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show") is 86. Actress Liv Ullman is 85. Journalist Lesley Stahl ("60 Minutes") is 82. Guitarist Tony Hicks of The Hollies is 78. Singer Benny Andersson of ABBA is 77.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 12: Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bob Pettit is 91. Singer Connie Francis is 86. Larry Mercey, lead singer with the Canadian country music trio The Mercey Brothers, is 84. Singer Dionne Warwick is 83.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 11: Actress Rita Moreno is 92. Singer David Gates of Bread is 83. Actress Donna Mills ("Knots Landing") is 83. Singer Brenda Lee is 79. Actress Linda Day George (TV's "Mission: Impossible") is 79. Actress Teri Garr is 79.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 15: Singer Cindy Birdsong of The Supremes is 84. Drummer Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five is 84. Drummer Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge is 77. Actress Melanie Chartoff ("Rugrats," ''Parker Lewis Can't Lose") is 75.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 10: Actress Fionnula Flanagan is 82. Actress-singer Gloria Loring is 77. Pop-funk musician Walter (Clyde) Orange (The Commodores) is 77. Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is 72. Actress Susan Dey is 71.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 14: Singer-actress Abbe Lane is 91. Actor Hal Williams ("227," ''Sanford and Son") is 89. Singer Joyce Vincent-Wilson of Tony Orlando and Dawn is 77. Entertainment executive Michael Ovitz is 77. Actress Dee Wallace is 75.

Celebrity Birthdays for Dec. 13: Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 98. Country singer Buck White of The Whites is 93. Music/film producer Lou Adler is 90. Actor-singer John Davidson is 82. Trombonist, arranger and composer Russ Little is 82.