5 Things You Need to Know Today: May 31

Our weekday morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

1. Can you hear me now? Today is National Save Your Hearing Day, so avoid loud concerts, screaming children and enjoy the silence. Just like Depeche Mode says, "Words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm....Enjoy the silence."

2. Who wouldn't like coconut and almonds? If you do, then today is your day: It's National Macaroon Day. A day to bake or eat macaroons, a cookie made from leavened egg whites, coconuts and ground nuts.

3. A secret revealed. On this day in 2005, the identity of Deep Throat, the confidential informant to Woodward and Bernstein that helped uncover the Watergate scandal, which took down President Richard Nixon. Former FBI Assistant Director W. Mark Felt admitted to giving information to the duo after 30 years of speculation.

4. The bell tolls. On this day in 1859, Big Ben in London rings for the first time. It sets the time for London and most of the world, keeping the time accurately to within a second of the actual time.

5. Happy Birthday to you. If you are born on this day, you share your birthday with Walt Whitman, born in 1819, and Clint Eastwood, born in 1930.