Good morning. Today is the 79th day of the year. It is the birth anniversary of William Jennings Bryan, three-time Democratic candidate for president. Bryan, who had earlier represented Nebraska in Congress, opposed the use of gold as a currency base, which he felt favored Eastern industrialists, and advocated a silver-based currency, which favored Western farmers and small businessmen. Bryan later became secretary of state in President Woodrow Wilson’s cabinet, but resigned when Wilson strayed from a policy of strict neutrality in World War I.

 

Well-known people who were born today include actress Glenn Close (The Big Chill, Fatal Attraction), author Philip Roth (Goodbye Columbus, Portnoy’s Complaint), actor Bruce Willis (Sin City, the Sixth Sense, Die Hard) and saxophonist Ornette Coleman.