1. As part of this week’s #InspiredBy series, Savannah shared who’s had the biggest impact on her life: her late Uncle Pierce, who had Down syndrome.
“When you love somebody who has a disability,” she explained, “it's instant perspective about how to make life wonderful even when you've been given incredible difficulties.”
2. This morning marked Willie’s one-year anniversary with the TODAY family, and to celebrate the milestone, Natalie wrote a wonderful piece for TODAY.com: “How Willie Geist changed my life in 1 year.”
3. Did you notice today’s date is 11/12/13? Shanel Manzano and Elliot Bryant did. The two self-professed “math geeks” chose the date to get married, and did so at 9:10 a.m. live on air.
Get it? At 9:10 on 11/12/13? Watch the punctual ceremony below:
4. “I feel like a schmuck,’’ Mike Tyson confessed this morning.
The former heavyweight champ told Willie he now regrets how the pursuit of fame made him act outside the ring. “I feel like ‘el schmucko.’ For instance, I didn’t choose being a fighter; it chose me. Somebody told me, ‘Hey this is what you’re gonna do, you’re good at this.’
Also, he met Shirley MacLaine in the Orange Room before his interview – and they became best friends.
5. Hoda joined Savannah in sharing stories of the person (or in this case, people) she’s #InspiredBy.
She met Ken Duane, who convinced to share her cancer experience with others, on a flight. She was introduced to Jill Conley, who has inspired Hoda with her positive attitude in the face of a terminal cancer diagnosis, at a gala supporting breast cancer awareness.
“I decided to pick people who any one of us could have met, but if you turned right instead of turning left, you would have missed them,’’ Hoda said. “After a chance meeting, I truly hit the brakes and said, ‘Today is a game-changer in my life.’”
And that’s TODAY’s Takeaway! Watch more clips from the broadcast.