Today in History and Celebrity Birthdays

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.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 10: Actor William Smithers ("Dallas," ''Peyton Place") is 98. Singer Mavis Staples is 86. Actor Lawrence Pressman is 86. Actor Mills Watson ("B.J. and the Bear," ''Lobo") is 85. Actor Robert Pine ("CHiPS") is 84.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 7: Bandleader Doc Severinsen is 98. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Ringo Starr is 85. Comedian Bill Oddie is 84. Singer-guitarist Warren Entner of the Grass Roots is 81. Actor Joe Spano is 79.

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.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 8: Actor Jeffrey Tambor is 81. Drummer Jai Johanny Johanson (The Allman Brothers Band) is 81. Ballerina Cynthia Gregory is 79. Actress Kim Darby is 78. Children's performer Raffi is 77. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is 76.

Celebrity Birthdays for July 12: Disgraced actor-comedian Bill Cosby is 88. Actress Denise Nicholas ("In the Heat of the Night") is 81. Singer-songwriter Butch Hancock is 80. Singer Walter Egan is 77. Actress Cheryl Ladd ("Charlie's Angels") is 74.