The United States Constitution was completed on September 17, 1787. However, under the terms of Article VII of the document, it would not be binding until 9 of the 13 states had ratified it. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document.
Only five US states do not have a sales tax: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Alaska and Montana, however, do allow localities to impose local sales taxes.
The first few drafts of the Preamble of the US Constituion, prepared by the Committee of Detail of the Convention, began «We the people of the States of …» followed by the names of all thirteen states.
But then the drafting Committee, charged with preparing the final draft at the end of the Convention, realised that they had no guarantee all the states would ratify, given that the Constitution could come into force with only nine state ratifications. They dropped the list of states and substitued «we the people of the United States» as more accurate. The change is often attributed to Gouverneur Morris.
It’s an interesting example of the drafting process producing such an iconic phrase, although not originally intended.
Gouverneur Morris served in a variety of offices during and after the American Revolution:
- Representative in the New York Provincial Congress
- Delegate for Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress
- Assistant Superintendant for Finance for the United States
- Delegate for Pennsylvania in the Constitutional Congress
- Minister Plenipotentiary for the United States to France
- Senator for New York in the U.S. Senate
However, one title which he never held was Governor. 
Morris dancing, a type of folk dancing based on rhythmic stepping with dancers wearing bell pads on their shins, became popular in the 15th century. In 1600, William Kempe, an actor known for playing comic roles in Shakespeare’s plays, traveled from London to Norwich, 110 miles, Morris dancing all the way.
Morris the Cat is the advertising mascot for 9Lives brand cat food, first appearing in 1968. Three different cats have played Morris the Cat; the first Morris appeared in 58 commercials through 1978.
Morris first appeared in British television advertisements in the late 1970s, where he was voiced by English actor Johnny Morris.
The Morris Minor was a British car built from 1948-1952 by Morris Motors, then from 1952-1968 by British Motor Corporation, and then from 1968-1971 by British Leyland. British Leyland also built Jaguars, Rovers, Land Rovers, Triumphs, as well as the popular Mini.
One night at the Constitutional Convention, some of the younger delegates were having supper in a pub and the topic of Washington’s well-known aristocratic réserve came up. Most commented on how intimidated they were by Washington, but Gouverneur Morris made light of it, saying he never felt intimidated, and that he could be friendly and casual with anyone, including Washington.
Alexander Hamilton dared him to slap Washington on his shoulder, and bet Morris a full-course dinner that he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Morris took the bet.
The next day, during a break in the proceedings, Morris went up to Washington and slapped or patted him on the shoulder, saying «My dear General, it’s so good to see you looking so well».
Washington apparently fixed his stare on Morris and withdrew Morris’s hand from his shoulder, the whole without a word, and continued to stare down Morris as he retreated his way back into the onlookers, who all stood silent.
Morris is supposed to have commented ‘I have won the bet, but I have paid dearly for it, and nothing could induce me to repeat it.’
(The story has come down in two or three versions, with varying details, but seems reasonably well-attributed, fitting the characters of both men.)
(Other historians, including Joseph Ellis IIRC, doubt the incident ever happened at all).
A friend wrote that the loudest and most enjoyably he ever heard George Washington laugh was when one of his dogs made off with an entire ham from a table in the Mount Vernon kitchens.
Fictional Hamilton Burger first appeared as LA District Attorney in a 1935 Perry Mason novel by Erle Stanley Gardner. He was played in the TV series by William Talman. When asked how he felt about losing his case every week, Talman said “You do not lose if you fail to convict an innocent man”.
During the nine years that the television series Perry Mason aired, Mason lost three cases: “The Case of the Terrified Typist”, “The Case of the Witless Witness”, and “The Case of the Deadly Verdict”.
Barbara Hale, the actress who played Della Street on Perry Mason, was about 35 years old and actually considering retirement from acting when she accepted this role.
Father and son, Alan Hale Sr. and Alan Hale Jr., closely resembled each other, and both had lengthy careers in Hollywood as character actors. The father frequently appeared in Errol Flynn’s films (for instance, he was Little John in Flynn’s The Adventures of Robin Hood), while the son was best known as “Skipper” on the TV series Gilligan’s Island.
The two men played the same character – Porthos the musketeer – in films, 40 years apart. Alan Hale Sr. played Porthos in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), while Alan Hale Jr. played Porthos in The Fifth Musketeer (1979).
Singer Alan O’Day lived for 72 years before he passed away in 2013. He was born in 1940. He wrote songs for notable performers including Helen Reddy (Angie Baby) and the Righteous Brothers (Rock and Roll Heaven).
He is perhaps best known for writing and singing Undercover Angel, released in February 1977 that reached #1 on the US charts.
Comment – It’s a fun song, and a favorite from my youth.
YouTube >> Alan O'Day -1977- Undercover Angel - YouTube
I have “Undercover Angel” on my iPod. Don’t you judge me!
In play:
American actor and MASH* star Alan Alda’s father, when Alda was a boy, had the family dog stuffed and mounted when it died.
Alan Alda’s father, Robert, was born in New York City in 1914. Born to Italian immigrants, his birth name was Alphonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D’Abruzzo. Like his son, he was an actor, and was perhaps best known for portraying George Gershwin in the biographical film Rhapsody in Blue in 1945. He also found success on Broadway, winning a Tony award in 1950 for his role in Guys And Dolls.
Robert also appeared in two episodes of MASH*.
Robert Alda was featured in a number of Broadway productions (including Guys and Dolls, mentioned above, in which he originated the lead role of Sky Masterson, before moving to Italy during the early 1960s. Films he made in Italy included a wide range of genres: adventures like Musketeers of the Sea, comedies (Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin), horror (The House of Exorcism ) and historical (Cleopatra’s DAughter)
Cool. 
In play:
Robert Alda guest starred in the * MASH episode, Lend a Hand, which aired in February 1980. Two of his sons were in that episode, of course Alan Alda was, but also his other son Antony Alda.
Alan Alda played Arnold Vinick, a moderate Republican U.S. senator from California, in several episodes of The West Wing. Vinick ran for President but lost against Congressman Matt Santos (D-Texas), played by Jimmy Smits.
Jimmy Smits‘ father hails from Suriname, the smallest sovereign state in South America.
Suriname is the only sovereign nation outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population.