Queen Elizabeth II plans birthday bash

The monarch will celebrate two birthdays this year.
HARTFORD COURANT
She has launched 23 ships, sat for 139 official portraits (including one hologram), given out more than 78,000 Christmas puddings and is a patron to more than 620 charities and organizations.
She is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, who will celebrate her 80th birthday Friday.
Her birthday week will include a lunch today for others who celebrate their 80th birthdays the same day. On Friday, Prince Charles will pay a televised tribute to his mother; he will also host a birthday dinner for her and members of the royal family that evening. On Sunday, family members will attend a Service of Thanksgiving at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle to celebrate the queen's birthday.
To mark the event, Buckingham Palace has released 80 facts celebrating the queen's 80 years. Although some of the facts are snoozy (she has conferred more than 387,700 honors and awards), others are fascinating (she learned to drive in 1945 when she joined the army). Here are more facts from the life of the long-serving monarch:
Two birthdays
The queen will celebrate two birthdays this year, her actual birthday (April 21) and her "official" birthday (celebrated on June 17). Why two? The tradition of having an "official" birthday for the sovereign began when monarchs born in winter were prevented from having parades due to cold and wet weather.
Although the queen has never visited the lunar surface, she's left her mark there. She sent a message of congratulations (microfilmin a metal container) to the Apollo 11 astronauts who took it to the moon in 1969. The container was left there.
The queen has sent more than 280,000 telegrams to couples in the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth celebrating their 60th wedding anniversaries. She also has sent 100,000 telegrams to centenarians.
Along with the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband, the queen has sent 37,500 Christmas cards. She also is a modern royal: In 1976, she sent her first e-mail and was the first state leader to do so.