Monday, March 28, 2005

 

Spotlight: Though most Europeans and Americans only discovered the benefits and delights of tea in the 1600s, legend tells us that Chinese emperor Shen Nung was the first to drink tea and promote its virtues, some 5,000 years ago. Today, tea-time is a major industry, extolled for its healing properties, as well as for its taste. Certain properties in green tea have been found to be successful in preventing cancer.

Quote: "If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited, it will calm you." -- William E. Gladstone

Word of the day: masala chai: sweet spiced tea, originally from India (© )

Today's News:

• F-16s: to be sold to Pakistan, in reversal of U.S. policy (story)
• Fear Factor: credited with saving woman's life (story)
• shot clock: gets a monument (story)

Today's History:

• Andrew Jackson: first US president to be censured by Senate (1834)
• Turkey: Constantinople became Istanbul and Angora became Ankara (1930)
• Three Mile Island: the U.S.'s worst nuclear accident occurred in PA (1979)

Today's Birthdays:

• Henry Rowe Schoolcraft: ethnologist, discovered the source of the Mississippi River (1793-1864)
• Reba McEntire: country singer (50)
• actors: Dianne Wiest (57), Vince Vaughn (35), and Julia Stiles (24)