It's the birthday of William Safire, born in New York City (1929). In 1979 he began writing his "On Language" column, which lays out the do's and don'ts of grammar and usage. He has continued the column to this day. He once wrote a list called "William Safire's Rules for Writers" as an aid for the use of correct English. The rules included, "Remember to never split an infinitive"; "The passive voice should never be used"; and "Last, but not least, avoid clichés like the plague."

William Safire said, "Never assume the obvious is true."

(from "The Writer's Almanac")