5 Things To Know Today: Thursday, April 19

• Beyond Reading in Easton meets tonight at 7 p.m. at the to discuss Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer.

• The Muppets will be shown at noon today at the Weston Public Library.  

• On this day in 1987, the first short of The Simpsons appeared on The Tracy Ullman Show.

• On this day in 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope following the death of Pope John Paul II. Ratzinger took on the name Benedict XVI.  

• Happy 68th birthday to keyboardist Bernie Worrell, who was a member of Parliament-Funkadelic and played with the Talking Heads. Worrell recently performed at the .