ON THIS DAY
The Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. A group of men calling themselves the "Sons of Liberty" and dressed as Mohawk Indians went to the Boston Harbor. They boarded three British ships, the Beaver, the Eleanor and the Dartmouth, and dumped 45 tons of tea into the Boston Harbor.
- It was an attempt to set the record for the world's largest Chai tea.
- The British weren't so upset about the tea as they were the insensitivity and racist attitudes of the colonists.
- At first, the British thought the Village People were behind it, but it turned out the movement was led by the great Ezekiel Palin.
- It took 'em two hundred years before they ran their first candidate.
- May I just say, they weren't very good about sending out invitations!
Trivia: A study by researchers in Taiwan found that people who drank tea once a week for 10 years or more had 20 percent less body fat than those who didn't. The tea drinkers had 2 percent less abdominal fat, a special type of fat that is a known risk factor for heart disease and other illnesses. Researchers believe that tea works by boosting metabolism and reducing the body's ability to absorb fat-producing calories.
In 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte was divorced from the Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate. She had high hopes he would be a great husband, but he fell short.
On this date in 1811, Missouri suffered an earthquake that was equivalent to 12.0 on the Richter scale.
- Needless to say, no one had to stir paint for a week.
- That was the day they went from the "Show me" state to the "OK, enough already" state.
- Apparently, a local seismologist said, "Well, I'll show you!"
In 1916, Gregory Rasputin, the monk who had powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of noblemen. Maybe this is obvious, but they don't sound very noble to me.
On this date in 1945, the Cleveland Rams win the National Football League championship at home by defeating the Washington Redskins, 15-14. I don't know which is the more surprising part of this story: the fact the Rams were once in Cleveland or that the NFL wrapped up a season before Christmas.
Benjamin Bratt turns 52. His name always reminds me of tailgate parties, almost as much as William Wurst. Funny, but the two things I know about him: he dated Julia Roberts for four years and he's in "Despicable Me."
Former Chicago Bear William "the Refrigerator" Perry turns 53 today.
- You know he's a big guy when they're nicknaming him after appliances.
- My guess is that, any year now, his wife is going to replace him with a more efficient model.
- He was not only a huge player, but he also kept your beer cold.
- There was a time when he was one of the finest running appliances on the Chicago Bears.
- He's a little noisier and not as frost-free as he used to be.
Actor Terrance Knox turns 65 today. He was in the movie, "Tour of Duty"... not to be confused with the video game, "Call of Duty"... which should not be confused with what you should always do with your dog, "Pick up his doodie."
Benny Andersson turns 69. He was one of the founders of the Swedish rock group, Abba. They broke up when Benny insisted they let Elvis Costello join the band. However, none of the others wanted to be a part of Abba and Costello.
Leslie Stahl of "60 Minutes" turns 74 today. Yep, she's the kid on the show.
National Chocolate Covered Anything Day -- Chocolate is good for the heart. A recent study reveals that dark chocolate increases the flexibility of the lining of the blood vessels, helping to open them, thereby promoting blood flow. The overall effect helps prevent hardening of the arteries and heart attacks. However, the study at Greece's Athens Medical School found that only dark chocolate containing 74 percent cocoa had the effect. Dark chocolate also contains antioxidants that protect blood vessels from other kinds of danger.
Stupid Toy Day -- a day dedicated to looking back on the stupid toys of our childhood and remembering the stupid fun they inspired.
Seen on Facebook: Half the day I wonder if it's too late for coffee, the other half I spend wondering if it's too early for alcohol.
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