BABY

Chris Hemsworth, 28, the hammer-wielding god Thor in the blockbuster The Avengers, is a new dad. The actor and his wife, actress Elsa Pataky, 35, welcomed daughter India on May 11. "We love the country and love the name," Hemsworth told USA Today. This is the first child for the couple, who wed in 2010. • Mother's Day was extra special for Bravo's Pregnant in Heels host Rosie Pope, 32, and her husband, exec Daron Pope, 34, who welcomed their 7-lb. 9-oz. daughter Vivienne Madison on May 13. "We are so proud to take [her] home," the star tweeted the next day. The baby joins older brothers J.R., 3, and Wellington "Wills," 15 months.

AWARDED

Funnyman Alec Baldwin, 54, is a doctor-sort of. The actor received an honorary Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music on May 11. The actor was so excited he tweeted a pic of himself from the event saying, "They gave The Old Man an honorary doctorate." This is the 30 Rock star's third honorary degree: He has a Doctor of Letters degree from Montclair State University and a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Barry Williams (inset), 57, who played Greg Brady, the eldest son on the '70s sitcom The Brady Bunch, and his on-and-off girlfriend Elizabeth Kennedy, 33, recently revealed they are the new parents of a daughter, Samantha Rose, born premature on February 4. Williams, who is presently onstage in Branson, Mo., said they are "happy and excited." This is the second child for the actor, who has a 9-year-old son, Brandon, from a previous marriage.

DEATH

Bass player Donald "Duck" Dunn, 70, credited for the gritty sound behind soul legends Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave, died May 13 in Tokyo. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who was in the city to perform concerts that had been postponed after Japan's 2011 earthquake, was a respected session musician who worked with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's Blues Brothers Band, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. Dunn's blues- and gospel-infused playing could be heard on Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." "I like to keep things spontaneous," he once said. "That's my way of playing."

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Guilty Verdict in Jennifer Hudson Family Murders
Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, 30, sobbed after the guilty verdict was read at the 14-day Chicago trial of her former brother-in-law William Balfour, 31 (bottom right). On May 11 he was convicted of killing Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57 (left), brother Jason Hudson, 29, and nephew Julian King, 7, in 2008. Balfour, who was allegedly upset that his estranged wife, Hudson's sister, Julia, 34, was seeing another man, faces life in prison. "It is our prayer that the Lord will forgive Mr. Balfour of these heinous acts," Hudson said in a statement. Balfour plans to appeal.

Happy Birthday!
Cher, 66

May 20, 1946

Lenny Kravitz, 48

May 26, 1964

Ginnifer Goodwin, 34

May 22, 1978