...and today, Feb. 9, is the 162nd anniversary of the founding of the New Roman Republic. Happy birthday to Thomas Paine, Joe Pesci, and Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee.

On this day in 1964, the Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in front of 73 million viewers. 140 years ago, Jefferson Davis became President of the Confederacy.

Oh, and happy belated to Acer's dad.