A Year of Blogging: October 8, 2011

October 8 is 'Tag Day'. It's a day to celebrate the game we all played as children. In case you've forgotten the rules, one of the players is designated as 'IT'. The other players run and hide so that 'IT' can't find them. There was usually a safe spot. If you were able to get there before 'IT' found you, then you couldn't be 'IT'. If 'IT' found you first, you were 'IT'. Supposedly, you're never too old for a game of Tag. I think I'd look a little silly playing it in the front yard. Or the back yard with the dogs. But if you feel compelled to run away from 'IT' today, go for it. Turning to the history books, on October 8, 1871 the great Chicago fire started. The fire started in the barn of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary (although was it really a cow? And how do they know it was Mrs. O'Leary's cow rather than one that was owned by Mr. O'Leary?). The fire lasted two days and destroyed 17, 450 buildings, including the business district. 200-300 people died, and 100,000 were left homeless. The city quickly rebuilt, and within nine years the population had grown from 324,000 before the fire to 500,000.