Happy 70th, Ringo!

Ringo is the first Beatle to reach this milestone. And, since the ranks of the Fab Four have tragically diminished, attention must be paid to this auspicious event.

So here are some facts about The Funny One. Take a moment today and send an affectionate birthday wish his way.

• Born Richard "Richie" Starkey to Elsie and Richard in Liverpool.

• His parents divorced when he was very young and his mother was remarried to Harry Graves, who encouraged young Richie's love of music and enjoyed Beatlemania immensely.

• Was a member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes when the Beatles persuaded him to join their group in 1962 (being the first Beatle born but the last to join the band makes him both the youngest and the oldest Beatle).

• Twice married -- to Maureen, a local Liverpool girl and the mother of his children (Zak, Jason and Lee) from 1965 to 1975, and to Barbara Bach, the actress he met while filming Caveman, since 1981.

• As a Beatle, some of his best-known vocals include "Boys," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Act Naturally," "Matchbox," "Yellow Submarine," "Octopus' Garden" and, perhaps most famously, "With a Little Help from My Friends."

• As a solo artist, he had hits with "It Don't Come Easy," "Photograph," "You're Sixteen," and "The No No Song."

• Paul McCartney is not the only one who feels Ringo is underestimated as a musician, since his post-Beatle career has included successful collaborations with rock luminaries like Todd Rundgren, E-Streeters Clarence Clemons and Nils Lofgren, Levon Helm, Dr. John, and Dave Edmunds.

• He's my nephew's favorite Beatle, owing to the years he spent as Mr. Conductor on Thomas the Tank Engine.