Thirty-six years older. Whee. 
For all of you keeping track of these events, I share the same birth date with John Jay, William Garrison, Grover Washington Jr., Chief Stand Watie, Gustave Flaubert, Joe Williams, Sheila E., Ed Koch, Dickey Betts, Wally Dallenbach, Terry Kirkman, Mayim Bialik, Madchen Amick, Wings Hauser, Jennifer Connely, Tracy Austin, Bridget Hall, John Osborne, Bob Petit, Cathy Rigby, Paul Rodgers, Hank Williams III, Dionne Warwick, Connie Francis, Nicholas Dimichino, Sheree J. Wilson, Bob Barker, Mike Pindar, Frank Sinatra, Ralph Garr, Clive Bunker, Rubin Carter, Ana Alicia, Rafael Septien, and Edward G. Robinson.
Also, on this date in history:
On Dec. 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.In 1870, Joseph H. Rainey, of South Carolina, became the first black lawmaker sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 1897, “The Katzenjammer Kids,” the pioneering comic strip created by Rudolph Dirks, made its debut in the New York Journal.
In 1913, authorities in Florence, Italy, announced that the “Mona Lisa,” stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1911, had been recovered.
In 1917, Father Edward Flanagan founded Boys Town outside Omaha, Neb.
In 1937, Japanese aircraft sank the U.S. gunboat “Panay” on China’s Yangtze River. (Japan apologized, and paid $2.2 million in reparations.)
In 1947, the United Mine Workers union withdrew from the American Federation of Labor.
In 1963, Kenya gained its independence from Britain.
In 1975, Sara Jane Moore pleaded guilty to a charge of trying to kill President Ford in San Francisco the previous September.
In 1985, 248 American soldiers and eight crew members were killed when an Arrow Air charter crashed after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland.
In 2000, a divided U.S. Supreme Court reversed a state court decision for recounts in Florida’s contested election, transforming George W. Bush into the president-elect.
Ten years ago: The Brazilian Supreme Court acquitted former President Fernando Collor de Mello of the corruption charges that had forced him to resign in 1992. IBM stopped shipments of personal computers with Intel’s flawed Pentium chip, saying the processor’s problems were worse than earlier believed.
Five years ago: Author Joseph Heller, whose darkly comic first novel “Catch-22″ defined the paradox of the no-win dilemma and added a phrase to the American language, died in East Hampton, N.Y., at age 76.
One year ago: Paul Martin succeeded Jean Chretien as Canada’s prime minister. Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was knighted by Britain. Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the “Free Willy” movies, died in the Norwegian fjord that he’d made his home.
Also, a few hours after I entered into this world, actress Tallulah Bankhead made her departure. However, on my 18th birthday, the L.A. Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 117-110, becoming the first visiting team to break their 48-home game winning streak at the old Boston Garden since December 1985.
I had a very good day today. And I hope yours was just as fine.
Happy birthday, DC!
Old fart.
Happy Birthday.
Yeah, enjoy your day! Happy birthday and many more!!!!
Young punk.
Enjoy it, man.
Darmon,
Congratulations, youngster! I turned 36 on the 18th of last month myself.
Thanks everyone!
This Day in History…
Well, actually a couple days ago, December 12th: DC Thornton turns 36. Young whipper-snapper! Go wish him a Happy Birthday. Sorry I’m a couple days late, I thought his birthday was next year……
Geezer.
Enjoy it!
Sorry for the belated Happy Birthday. Hope you had a good holiday, too!