Update:This one was just too good to be true. Today, apparently, isn’t Taco Bell’s birthday. The exact date of the anniversary is March 21st, which was almost a month ago. Extremely depressing news for everyone, particularly those who continue to celebrate the company’s birthday on Twitter. All apologies for any headaches this bit of misinformation may have caused. No Doritos Locos Taco for me tonight.

I tried my hardest to not make any references to stoners loving Taco Bell when I sat down to hammer out this article, but that fact that the Mexican restaurant’s 50th anniversary falls on 4/20 is a little hard to ignore. Is this some sort of coincidence, or is the cosmos trying to tell us something? I’ll let you guys figure that one out for yourselves. And if I have to explain the connection between Bell and the aforementioned date, then you probably wouldn’t appreciate the humor of the situation.

Glen Bell, one of the pioneers of the fast food industry, opened his first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey, California 50 years ago today. As a result, he effectively paved the way for all sorts of insane Mexican-inspired menu items, including the recently-released Doritos Locos Taco, a concoction that I’m honestly a little afraid to put into my gaping maw. I’m generally not one to shy away from excess — my obsession with the company’s chili cheese burrito has been well-documented amongst family and friends — but consuming that abomination seems to be taking the taco concept a little too far.

Millions of people seem to adore the company, as evidenced by the statistics you see below. Not surprisingly, hundreds of people have taken to social networking sites to express their undying love for the chain. And if you happen to find your way into a Taco Bell at any point during the way, don’t be too alarmed if the guy in front of you seems a little strange. He’s just enjoying the dual holiday the only way he knows how.

Taco Bell Statistics:

Employees: 150,000 team members

Restaurants: 5,600, nationwide

Tacos served per year: 2 billion

Burritos served per year: 1 billion

Average customer’s visiting frequency: every 11 days

Amount of raw materials consumed each year: 3.8 billion corn taco shells/flour tortillas, 105 million pounds of fresh lettuce, 47 million pounds of pinto beans, 288 million pounds of Seasoned Ground Beef and 111 million pounds of cheese.

Twitter followers: 175,000

Happy birthday, Taco Bell. Although my colon doesn’t appreciate your contributions to society, my stomach seems to completely understand your relevance.