Former child actress Kathy Hilton turns 55 today. Hilton guested on Family Affair, Happy Days and The Rockford Files. She’s also the mom of reality star Paris Hilton and the half-sister of actresses Kim and Kyle Richards.

Also on the birthday list: Dana Delany (appeared on daytime drama Love of Life, later starred on China Beach and Desperate Housewives) is 58, Robin Duke (SCTV, Saturday Night Live) turns 60, Robert S. Woods (recurring role on The Waltons, regular on One Life to Live from 1979-2013) is 66 and Neil Sedaka is 75. The singer-songwriter guested on numerous classic variety and talk shows, including The Carol Burnett Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.

Others celebrating a March 13 birthday: Lesley Parrish (79) and Joseph Mascolo (85). Parrish appeared on many classic shows of the 1960s and 70s, among them Adam-12, Batman, Love American Style, Mannix, Perry Mason and Star Trek. Mascolo guested on All in the Family, Baretta and Kojak. He was also a regular on the 1975 Jack Palance series Bronk and has been in the cast of daytime soap Days of Our Lives since 1982.

Today was also the birthday of several since-passed classic TV faces. Peter Breck was a regular on The Big Valley and Maverick. Big band leader Sammy Kaye guested on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Merv Griffin Show.

Several classic TV favorites passed away March 13. Peter Tomarken appeared on Medical Center and The Rockford Files. He is best known as the host of the 1980s game show Press Your Luck. Maureen Stapleton (no relation to Jean) guested on such classic shows as Car 54 Where Are You?, Naked City and Studio One. She later appeared in a number of films, including Airport, Cocoon and The Money Pit.

Veteran character actor Malachi Throne also died this day. He co-starred in the Robert Wagner series It Takes A Thief and guested on a long list of classic TV shows. That list includes Batman (he was villain False Face), Ben Casey, The Big Valley, Hawaii Five-0, Kojak, Lost in Space, Mr. Novak, The Six Million Dollar Man, Star Trek and The Untouchables.

)

Lassie says woof woof! That means Happy Birthday, Jon Provost! He played young Timmy Martin for seven seasons of the classic family adventure drama series Lassie. Provost turns 64 today.

Others celebrating birthdays include Frank Welker (68). The legendary voice artist/actor has over 700 credits on his resume, most notably as Fred Jones on the long-running cartoon franchise Scooby Doo. He’s been doing that voice since the character’s launch in 1969. He’s also appeared in such 1970s classics as Love American Style and The Partridge Family.

Also born on March 12: actress-singer Liza Minelli (actress Judy Garland’s daughter, appeared on many 1960s and 70s era variety and talk shows) is 68, longtime NBC newsman Lloyd Dobyns (Weekend) turns 78 and Barbara Feldon (Get Smart) is 81.

Today was also the birthday of several classic TV friends no longer with us. Georgia Ellis guested on the 1950’s version of Dragnet and another cop drama, The Lineup. She is best known for playing Miss Kitty in the radio version of Gunsmoke. Stage and film star Gordon MacRae (Oklahoma!) had his own TV show and guested on The Ed Sullivan Show, McCloud and What’s My Line? He was the ex-husband of actress Sheila MacRae, who passed away just last week.

Several favorites passed away on March 12. Juanin Clay was a regular on the daytime drama The Edge of Night and appeared on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Maurice Evans was best known as The Puzzler on Batman and Samantha’s father on Bewitched. He also had a memorable role as Dr. Zaius in the classic 1968 film Planet of the Apes.

Daytime soap veteran Jaime Lyn Bauer turns 65 today. The longtime cast member of Days of Our Lives and The Young & The Restless also guested on Baretta, CHiPs and The Rookies.

Other classic TV stars celebrating birthdays: Trish Van Devere (71) was in the cast of daytime dramas One Life To Live and Search for Tomorrow. She is the widow of actor George C. Scott. Actor-voice artist Marty Ingels co-starred in the 1965 sitcom I’m Dickens He’s Fenster, and also guested on Adam-12, The Addams Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Family. Ingels is married to actress Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family).

Joyce Van Patten (sister of Dick Van Patten) turns 80 today. She was a sketch actress on The Danny Kaye Show (1963-67) and co-starred in a late 1960s sitcom The Good Guys with Bob Denver. Van Patten has guested on numerous classic TV shows, including Hawaii Five-0, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Mannix, The Odd Couple and The Twilight Zone. She started acting in the 1950s and remains active to this day.

A number of classic TV favorites were born March 9 but are no longer with us. Carl Betz starred on The Donna Reed Show and Judd for the Defense. Del Close was an actor and acting teacher who guested on 1960s sitcoms Get Smart and My Mother The Car. Will Geer is best remembered as Grandpa Walton (The Waltons). Raul Julia was a regular on the soap Love of Life and PBS kids classic Sesame Street. He also had guest roles on The Bob Newhart Show and McCloud. Many remember him as Gomez in the big screen adaption of The Addams Family.

Today was also the day some old friends said goodbye. Journalist David Broder was a columnist for The Washington Post and a longtime panelist on Meet The Press. Bing’s brother Bob Crosby had his own daytime TV show in the 1950s and guested on such classics as The Jack Benny Program and What’s My Line? Film actress Faye Emerson hosted a number of early TV talk shows and guested on others. She was also a frequent panelist on such game show classics as I’ve Got A Secret, To Tell The Truth and What’s My Line?

A comedy legend also died on March 9. George Burns starred with his wife Gracie Allen in the long-running radio and TV series Burns and Allen. He later fronted a 1964 sitcom called Wendy and Me, co-starring Connie Stevens. Burns guested on a number of classics (Alice, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, Here’s Lucy) and produced some classics too (Love That Bob, Mister Ed). He made a comeback in the 1970s, starring in big screen classics Oh God! and The Sunshine Boys.