Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 4: Actor Jerry Adler ("The Good Wife," ''The Sopranos") is 96. Actor Gary Conway ("Burke's Law") is 89. Actor John Schuck is 85. Drummer John Steel of The Animals is 84. Singer Florence LaRue of the Fifth Dimension is 82.

Today in Music History for Feb. 4: In 1894, Belgian musician and inventor Adolphe Sax died at age 79. He gave the world the saxophone, the saxtromba and the sax horn.

Today in History for Feb. 4: In 1783, Britain declared a formal cessation of hostilities with its former colony, the United States. In 1789, George Washington was elected the first president of the United States.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 3: Jazz saxophonist John Handy is 92. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton is 85. Angelo D'Aleo of the '50s and '60s pop group The Belmonts, is 85. Actress Blythe Danner is 82.

Today in Music History for Feb. 3: In 1809, composer Felix Mendelssohn, a devout Lutheran, was born in Hamburg in present-day Germany. His Elijah oratorio is considered second only to Handel's Messiah by many critics.

Today in History for Feb. 3: In 1690, the first paper money in the American colonies was issued by Massachusetts -- to pay soldiers fighting a war against Quebec.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 2: Singer Graham Nash is 83. Television executive Barry Diller is 83. Singer Howard Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers is 79. TV chef Ina Garten (``Barefoot Contessa'') is 77.

Today in History for Feb. 2: In 1536, the Argentine city of Buenos Aires was founded by Pedro de Mendoza of Spain. In 1556, a devastating earthquake killed an estimated 830,000 people in China.

Today in Music History for Feb. 2: In 1594, Giovanni da Palestrina, one of the most gifted composers of Renaissance church music, died. In 1901, violinist Jascha Heifetz was born in Vilna, Russia.

Celebrity Birthdays for Feb. 1: Actor-comedian Garrett Morris is 88. Arranger and jazz tenor saxophonist Rick Wilkins is 88. Bluegrass singer Del McCoury is 86. TV personality-singer Joy Philbin is 84.