ON THIS DAY

Author Jonathan Swift was born on this date in 1667. He had success with the book, "Gulliver's Travels".

On this date in 1782, the American Revolutionary War ended.

Good day for authors: Samuel Clements, alias "Mark Twain," was born on this date in 1835. He kept writing one great book after the other: "Tom Sawyer," "Huckleberry Finn," "The Prince and the Pauper".

On this date in 1804, the first U.S. Supreme Court justice to be impeached, Samuel Chase, goes on trial. He was acquitted. 

In 1949, Chinese communists captured Chungking.

On this date in 1956, Floyd Patterson knocked out Archie Moore in the fifth round.

In 1981, the motion picture "Gandhi" premieres in New Delhi.

On this date in 1986, President Reagan called Oliver North "a national hero."

Clay Aiken turns 31, Billy Idol turns 54 and it's Dick Clark's 80th birthday.

National Day of Friendship -- The type of friends you prefer reveals a lot about your personality, says psychologist Dr. Elayne Kahn, co-author of "1001 Ways You Reveal Your Personality."

• Just one close friend -- You need someone to confide in and trust. You don't trust people very easily, but once you do you're very loyal. You take friendship very seriously and never take your friends for granted.
• Friends of your own sex only -- You enjoy tradition and believe boys should be boys and girls should be girls. You're more comfortable when people are in more traditional roles. You enjoy friends who have something in common with you.
• Friends of the opposite sex only -- You enjoy being the center of attention, but don't like competing for it. Intimacy is very important to you, and you're capable of deep relationships.
• Friends you just party with -- You love to socialize, but don't like people getting too close. You're very independent and want to stay that way - and you especially don't like to become dependent on one person.
• Friends from the workplace -- You love achieving, working hard, making money and always moving ahead. All things in your life - including friendships - are geared toward making your career as successful as possible.
• Different friends for different occasions -- If, for example, you go dancing with one group of friends and play touch football with another, you're well-organized, but don't like to become too involved with people. You're a busy, active person.

Perpetual Youth Day or Dick Clark's 76th birthday -- Small changes in the way you live will improve your looks. Being beautiful isn't all about makeup, hair dye, and the right clothes. It's also about good health. The healthier you are, the better you will look. Change your lifestyle and you'll be prettier. Here are some tried and true tips for looking your best:

• Smoking ruins your skin and hair -- The primary reason to not smoke -- or stop if you do -- is to prevent potentially fatal diseases, including cancer and stroke. But did you know smoking damages the microcirculation to the skin and hair, reports the BBC News Online. When this happens, both are dull, gray, and lifeless. Smoking also leads to early wrinkles, especially around the mouth.
• Booze packs on the pounds -- What you drink and how much you drink affect the size of your waistline. The type of alcohol that's consumed seems to contribute differently to the accumulation of abdominal fat, HealthCentral says wine drinkers have the least abdominal fat, while liquor drinkers have the highest.
• Vitamins make your skin glow -- If you want a complexion that glows, take your vitamins. Sometimes that means popping a vitamin pill and other times it means eating the right food. A healthy diet can be a fountain of youth for thr skin. Eat well and your skin will be moist, clear, and glowing. Eat poorly and it will be dry, pale, scaly, or oily.
• Work up a sweat -- Exercising regularly will not only keep you in shape, but also give you poise and make your skin glow. If you walk briskly for 30 minutes a day, you may never gain another pound, according to researchers from Duke University.
• Be sun smart -- Cover up with clothing or sun screen. The sun's ultraviolet rays break down the skin's collagen, which makes the skin thinner and allows wrinkles to form.
• Get more shuteye -- Sleep is not a luxury. It's necessary for body repairs. So make sure you get enough, which is at least seven to eight hours a night. If you don't get enough shut-eye, you could also have problems with memory and concentration, according to researchers at Stanford University.
• Get over it -- Stress can show on your face and in your posture. Learn how to deal with the big and little stresses you face in your life. But do know this: You are not alone. Stress is the most common health problem reported by women.
• Smile and say cheese -- Take care of your teeth. Brush, floss, and see the dentist every six months for a check-up. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry offers this advice to keep your teeth white: Avoid drinking too much coffee or red wine and use toothpaste that has hydrogen peroxide or baking soda.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Nicole Richie is still in bed, recovering from a bout of pneumonia.
• Katie "Cougar" Couric is dating a guy 17 years younger, for those keeping score.
• Oprah is going to interview Ted Kennedy's widow, Vicki, on an upcoming show.
• Donny Osmond did it! In doing so, became the oldest contestant (at age 51) to win "Dancing with the Stars."
• The 9th season of "American Idol" will begin on January 12th.
• "Monk" will wrap up 8 seasons with it's final episode on USA this Friday.
• Demi Moore is all over YouTube, talking about being "Wanted"... which just so happens to be the name of her new perfume.
• Air Force Capt. Tung Ngo (TUNG' noh) is especially grateful this Thanksgiving. He won a new car from "The Jay Leno Show" during Thursday's holiday program. Ngo won a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.
• They're still insisting that an Eggo waffle shortage is around the corner. Stock up!
• Al Alberts, a founding member of the singing group, The Four Aces, and a longtime TV talent show host in Philadelphia, has died. He was 87.
• Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba had surgery last week to relieve pressure and stiffness in her neck caused by spinal stenosis.

(Maxim) Christmas wood provides a $1.7 billion haul. Here's how the evergreen green breaks down:

• 84% of pre-cut real trees are purchased
• 16% cut your own trees are purchased
• 85% of fake trees are from China
• 80% of fake trees have potentially toxic PVC needles
• 200 annual Christmas tree fires
• Aall 50 states grow Christmas trees
• 8 million Christmas trees grown in Oregon, the top tree producing state
• 500 million Christmas trees are grown in the U.S.
• The average Christmas tree cut down is 7 years old
• 28.2 million real trees are purchased
• 11.7 million fake trees are purchased
• $1.03 billion is the retail value of real trees purchased
• $709 million is the retail value of fake trees purchased
• $41.53 - the average price of a real tree
• $63.97 - the average price of a fake tree

Forget the sexy hourglass figure -- large breasts, tiny waist and curvy hips -- that so many men desire and pop culture worships. The ideal female figure is one with a tubby waistline that is more of a cylinder shape. Women who have an imperfect body with a bigger waist than they may like could actually find this excess body fat is the key to their economic success, reports LiveScience.com. Anthropologist Elizabeth Cashdan of the University of Utah says the same hormones that tend to redistribute fat from the hips to the waist also make women physically stronger, more competitive and better able to deal with stress.

Loved ones who are planning funerals today are opting for rock music and electric guitar riffs, according to a poll conducted by a British funeral company called Funeralcare. The trend to choose popular tunes over classical music at funerals has been growing since the 1960s. So instead of "Abide With Me," the congregation will stand and join in a rousing version of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell."

The top five most popular songs played at funerals:

1. "My Way," by Frank Sinatra/Shirley Bassey
2. "Wind Beneath My Wings," by Bette Midler/Celine Dion
3. "Time to Say Goodbye," by Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli
4. "Angels," by Robbie Williams
5. "Over the Rainbow," by Eva Cassidy

The top five most popular hymns played at funerals:

1. "The Lord Is My Shepherd"
2. "Abide With Me"
3. "All Things Bright and Beautiful"
4. "Old Rugged Cross"
5. "Amazing Grace"

Hey guys, want to make more money? Then take a lesson from billionaire Ted Turner and grow a mustache. But just don't count on keeping the extra moolah. A new study reveals that your school career counselors were all wrong when they told you to show up for job interviews with a good, clean shave. Men who sport mustaches are not only more likely to get hired at job interviews but they're also more likely to command bigger paychecks, says the study performed by Quicken and the American Mustache Institute. Mustachioed men make 4.3 percent more than clean shaven guys and 8.2 percent more than bearded gents, say pollsters. But then there's the matter of keeping the extra cash the survey shows men with mustaches spend 11 percent more and save 3 percent less than the combined average of bearded and clean shaven fellows. (National Examiner)