The Edge

Today is Saturday, Dec. 23, the 357th day of 2017. There are eight days left in the year.

Today in history

On Dec. 23, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson, on his way home from a visit to Australia and Southeast Asia, held an unprecedented meeting with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican; during the two-hour conference, Johnson asked the pope for help in bringing a peaceful end to the Vietnam War.

Also on this date:

In 1913, the Federal Reserve System was created as President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act.

In 1928, the National Broadcasting Company set up a permanent, coast-to-coast network.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored the civil rights of about 1,500 people who had been jailed for opposing the (First) World War.

In 1941, during World War II, American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese.

In 1954, the first successful human kidney transplant took place at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston as a surgical team removed a kidney from 23-year-old Ronald Herrick and implanted it in Herrick's twin brother, Richard.

In 1986, the experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the first non-stop, non-refueled round-the-world flight as it returned safely to Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Fun fact

The desire to lie in bed all day is called clinomania.

They eat what?!

Steak Tartare is common in France. It's made up of good quality raw ground beef, served with onions, capers, raw egg and seasoned with Worcester sauce and other condiments, usually with rye bread or fries on the side.

Trending words

"Net neutrality": noun. Definition: The idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source or destination.

- From Merriam-

Webster

Today's birthdays

Actor Ronnie Schell is 86. Emperor Akihito of Japan is 84. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Paul Hornung is 82. Actor Frederic Forrest is 81. Rock musician Jorma Kaukonen is 77. Rock musician Ron Bushy is 76. Actor-comedian Harry Shearer is 74. U.S. Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark (ret.) is 73. Actress Susan Lucci is 71. Singer-musician Adrian Belew is 68. Rock musician Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) is 61. Actress Joan Severance is 59. Singer Terry Weeks is 54. Rock singer Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) is 53. The former first lady of France, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is 50. Rock musician Jamie Murphy is 42. Jazz musician Irvin Mayfield is 40. Actress Estella Warren is 39. Actress Elvy Yost is 30. Actress Anna Maria Perez de Tagle is 27. Actor Spencer Daniels is 25.

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The Edge is compiled by Dallas Callahan. She can be contacted at dcallahan@lmtribune.com.