Merrell In The Morning Fun You May Have Missed

Today's Celebrations

Saxophone Day

March Day

Basketball Day

Celebrity Birthdays

1814 - Adolphe (Antoine-Joseph) Sax - musician: inventor: saxophone, saxotromba; died Feb 4, 1894

1854 - John Philip Sousa - ‘The March King’: composer, bandleader: Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, El Capitan, King Cotton, The Thunderer, Washington Post March; died Mar 6, 1932

1861 - James Naismith - inventor: game of basketball; died Nov 28, 1939

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson(81) is born in Emerson, North Carolina. A descendent of the Civil War general, he joins the Grand Ole Opry in 1956, fashioning more than 10 hits from 1958-1971, including "Life To Go," "Waterloo" and "Don't Be Angry"

1941 - Singer-songwriter Guy Clark (72) is born in Monahans, Texas. An Americana icon, he writes such hits as Ricky Skaggs' "Heartbroke," Rodney Crowell's "She's Crazy For Leaving" and Vince Gill's "Oklahoma Borderline"

1946 - Sally Field (Sally Mahoney) (67) Academy Award-winning actress: Norma Rae [1979], Places in the Heart [1984]; Gidget series, Steel Magnolias, Mrs. Doubtfire, Smokey and the Bandit series, Hooper, Forrest Gump, Absence of Malice; Emmy Award-winner: The Big Event/NBC World Premiere Movie: Sybil [1977]; The Flying Nun, Gidget, The Girl with Something Extra, Alias Smith and Jones

1948 - Glenn Frey (65) musician, songwriter, singer: group: The Eagles: Take It Easy, One of These Nights, Lyin’ Eyes, Hotel California, New Kid in Town, Life in the Fast Lane, Heartache Tonight; solo: Smuggler’s Blues; LP: No Fun Aloud, The Allnighter, The Heat is On, You Belong to the City

1955 - Maria Shriver (58) TV news correspondent: 1986, The American Parade, Today; news anchor: NBC News; former First Lady of California as wife of actor and then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

1970 - Ethan Hawke (43) actor: Search and Destroy, Reality Bites, Alive, Waterland, A Midnight Clear, White Fang, Dead Poets Society, Dad, Explorers

Tabloid News

Unlucky Thief Runs From Police, Who Run Marathons

From TheJournal.ie -

A MAN IS due before court in Ireland later today after he was chased and eventually captured by four marathon-runner off-duty officers as he fled a jewelry shop. The man was seen running from the shop around 4.40pm yesterday. The off-duty officers, who also happened to be accomplished marathon runners, were having a cup of coffee at a café across the street as it happened. So they were in great shape, had nothing better to do AND were highly caffeinated! They gave chase and detained the man, recovering the stolen jewelry.