Daily Chat 05/09/09

Only two historical events of any importance today - in 1698 Russia's Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards and in 1960, Cassius Clay captured Olympic light heavyweight gold medal.

Famous birthdays: 1187 - Louis VIII, [Coeur-de-Lion] king of France (1223-26); 1826 - John Wisden, England cricketer (d. 1884); 1847 - Jesse James, Missouri, bank/train robber, son of a clergyman; 1940 - Raquel Welch; 1946 - Freddie Mercury (picture).