5 Things to Know Today: Aug. 18

Wake up and smell the chai, Italian roast or herbal tea on this Thursday morning. Start the day off right with these five things to know today in Potomac.

1. Today will bring a mixture of sun and clouds with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Temperatures will peak in the mid-80s. The chance of rain will increase to 50 percent by the evening with lows in the upper 60s.

2. There are only three days left of . The 6 percent mandatory sales tax will be dropped from most clothing and footwear under $100. Shoppers, get ready, get set, GO!

3. Montgomery County Public Libraries is asking teens to vote. Teens can nominate and choose their favorite books of 2010 by completing an online survey. Hey Potomac teens, it's not every day that you're asked to make your voices heard. Vote for your favorite books for the Teens' Top 10!

4. You may be wondering about the photo of the peacock. Here's a hint: American expatriate artist James McNeill Whistler. Have you figured it out? For the first time, the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has restored the Peacock Room to its appearance in 1908. "The Peacock Room Comes to America" will allow visitors to see the room in natural light and gaze upon Whistler's symphony in blue and gold. The exhibit opens Aug. 18 and continues on the third Thursday of each month from noon to 5:30 p.m.

5. On this day in 1920, woman won the right to vote when Tennesse ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The historic victory came after more than 70 years of a hard-fought campaign by woman suffragists, including leaders Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.