Working Words

Hello, Labor Day....Goodbye Summer.  

Labor Day is the first Monday in September, and was created by the labor movement in the 1800's.  It is dedicated to the social and economic accomplishments of the American worker.  It is an annual tribute to us all, who contribute to our country's prosperity and strength. 

*Mouse

This is what some of us may be thinking today, as we gather outdoors to barbecue or picnic, or perhaps to watch a parade. 

This annual day of rest was the result of the average American working 12 hours a day, for seven days a week during the peak of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800's.  Very young children were employed in mills and mines across the country, even though some protective restrictions were in place.  The working conditions were quite dismal, as they faced poor air quality, unsanitary and very hazardous working conditions.  This eventually led to strikes, protests and even rioting, until Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday.  

Image credit:  garneteducation

This morning, I began thinking about the many terms we use to describe "putting in a day's work" and/or related words that we use at work, or about work.  Imagine, being from another country and trying to make sense of our American language!  

Image credit: theodysseyonline

We probably take for granted some of our common expressions, and when one considers our phraseology, it can be quite humorous, and there is usually a story behind every idiom.  We use these terms daily, in carrying out our work duties.

Image credit; alumnus.tennessee.edu

Labor of love - This term is often used to describe work that is done out of affection, and not necessarily to receive pay or reward.  It may also mean that one may perform work for their own satisfaction because that, in itself, is the reward. 

"Labor under the illusion [or delusion] of/that" - to work or operate under the unwavering belief in an outcome that is unrealistic.

"The Fruit of Our Labor" - the result of [hard] work. 

"In Labor" - a woman who is experiencing the suffering and pains of giving birth. 

"Labor Under The Assumption" - to work with the belief that the results would be meaningful or profitable... but, many of you may be familiar with the adage:  "To assume is to make an ass out of u and me."

FOOD FOR THOUGHT...

Here is an exhausting, and sometimes funny, list of phrases that we American's use the word "work", (or other idioms) pertaining to work, in our daily lives.  Can you add to this list?

A piece of work
A woman's work is never done
Above the call of duty
All hands on deck
All in a day's work
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

A nasty piece of work
All in a day's work
Back to work
Balance the books
Beehive of activity
[the] Big Cheese
Blame-storming
Blank check
Blood on the carpet
Brain-storming
Break your back
Bring home the bacon
Build up a head of steam
Business as usual
Business before pleasure
Busy work
Called on the carpet
Can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

Carve out a niche
Cash cow
Chief cook and bottle washer
Clinch a deal
Close enough for government work
Cog in the machine
[Make] cold calls
Corner the market
Crack the whip
Creative accounting
Cut and dried
Cutting edge
Daily grind
Dead end job
Dead weight
Detective work
Devil's work
Do your homework
Do dirty work
Dog eat dog
Done deal
Don't mix business with pleasure
Down the drain
Drastic times call for drastic measures

Drive into the ground
Dummy run
Eager beaver
Elbow grease
Farm it out
Finger in the pie
Foot in the door
Funny business
Get down to brass tacks
Get down to business
Get down to work
Get it off the ground
Get the show on the road
Get the upper hand
Get your hands dirty
Give it your best shot
Give me the works
Give you a run for the money
Go belly up
Go for a song
Go out of business
Go to work
Golden opportunity
Good work!
Grease your palm
Grunt work
Gum up the works
Hard work

Hard work never killed anyone
Have your work cut out for you
Hit the ground running
Hold the fort
Household name
Idle hands to do dirty work
In the black
In the red
In the works
It is not work that kills, but the worry
It works for me!
I've got work to do
Jack/Jill of all trades
Jump on the band wagon
Just another day
Keep up the good work
Keep your head above water

Knock off work
Knuckle down
Learn the ropes
Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
Leg work
Lick of work
Like clockwork
[A] little work never hurt anyone
Make fast work of 
Make hay while the sun shines
Make light work of
Make quick work of
Make short work of
Many hands make light work
Monkey business
Movers and shakers
Muster in
Nice work if you can get it!
Nitty-gritty

Nose to the grindstone 
Not a stroke of work
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Nuts and bolts
One hand washes the other
Ostrich strategy
Out of work
Overplay your hand
Pass the buck
Perform miracles
Pick up steam
Pink slip
Piece of the action
Piece of work
Pile the work on
Pull your own weight
Put a wrench into the works

Put in a hard day at work
Put to work
Put your shoulder to the wheel
Red Tape
Roll up your sleeves
Rosie
Seal of approval
Sell ice to an Eskimo
Separate the boys from the men
Shape up, or ship out
Shoot the works
Shotgun approach
Sign on the dotted line
Signed, sealed and delivered

Skeleton crew
Silent partner
Slice of the pie
Start the ball rolling
Strictly business
Sweat blood
Sweat of your brow
Take a nosedive
Talk shop
Too many chiefs, and not enough Indians
Too many irons in the fire
Thankless work
That works for me!
The devil finds work for idle hands
The works
Things will work out
Time works wonders
Trade secret

Tricks of the trade
Up and running
Walking papers
Wear my fingers to the bone
Wearing too many hats
Wheeling and dealing
Whole works
Win-win situation
Work your butt/buns/arse/ass/tail/socks off

Work your magic
Work your way through it
Work a treat
Work against the clock
Work around to it
Work at
Work both sides of the street
Works both ways
[have your] Work cut out for you
Worked my fingers to the bone
Work for peanuts
Work hand in glove 
Work itself out
Work like a beaver
Work like a charm
Work like a dog
Worked like magic
Work your magic
Work nights
Work of art
Work off
Work on
Work your fingers to the bone
Work yourself into a lather

Work out
Work out for the best
Work out of
Work over
Work some fat off
Work someone over
Work the crowd
Work out the problem
Work the room
Work things out
Work things through
Work through channels
Work till you drop
Work together
Work under the table
Work 'til you drop
Work up a sweat
Work up a thirst
Work up to it
Work wonders

Worked up
Works for me
Write if you get work
Write your John Hancock

*Mouse illustrations, showing mice hard at work, are fine art examples, by Stuart Dunkel

Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day!

Lions and Lambs of March

A couple weeks ago, it was the first of March and Super Tuesday in Vermont, and seemed to have "come in like a lion".   We The People, cast our preliminary ballots and I am still reeling from the results.  A surreal tragicomedy seems to be playing out before our eyes and apparently, our salvation rests on an Independent Batman to subdue the reckless Republican thug, the Joker.   I can only conclude, that all of the work that has been done to secure our civil and inalienable rights, in the name of humanity, are being ridiculed, and challenged in a way that I never dreamed I would see.  It seems fitting that Super Tuesday would occur in March, a month named for Mars - the Roman God of War.

"Mars, God of War" by Velázquez

Few people realize that March was originally the first month of the year in the Roman calendar, because of its association with the first day of spring. The vernal equinox falls during this month between the 19th and 21st where day and night are finally of equal length.  In antiquity, March was also the time when war would resume after winter months.  "The Book of Days" by Kay and Marshall Lee write, "For thousands of years of man, a year was the lifetime of nature, the inevitable process of conception, birth, flowering, death and decay; spring, summer, autumn winter.  Until only two hundred and some years ago in the English-speaking world, law followed nature....New Year's Day is still March 21st - the time of spring equinox..."

Lear Charles Hutton, "A Glimpse Of The Fairies"

This month is steeped in old sayings of folklore, but also seem to incorporate real life - and the 'twixt shall meet - as lore and literature seem frequently indistinguishable.  The result is many short yarns, anecdotes and proverbs which seem to mix nature, fantasy and reality.  Here are some fabulous (and archaic) examples old lore pertaining to the month of March, from the Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World by Cora Linn Daniels, C. M. Stevans:

MARCH LORE

• If a death occurs on the 22nd of March, 2 more will follow at once in a neighborhood.

• A bushel of March dust is worth a king’s ransom.

• If at crescent moon in March the weather is foggy it is believed a sign of heavy thundershowers and hailstorms in the future.

• If March comes in with adder’s head, it goes out with a peacock’s tail.

• The first three days of March are unlucky.

• The Greek believed that the March sun makes people black.  To prevent this, take a thread of white and a thread of red silk, twist them together and tie it around your arm, leg or neck.

• “When March the twenty-first is past, Just watch the silvery moon, And when you see it full and round, Know Easter’ll be here soon.”

• “The first the greedy glutton slays, The fourth cuts short the drunkard days.”

• One should never marry in March, save for one day:  The 27th, otherwise it is very unlucky.  To be married on the 27th day, St. John of Egypt will bless the marriage with kindness and love until the very end.  They will obtain great wealth and have many rosy-cheeked children.

• Only 8 other days are lucky in March:  1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 28 and 29.

• Astronomers say that the 1st of August, the 4th of September and the 11th of March are the most injurious to Let Blood.

• On the first day of March, before the storks return from their migration from the South, women should twist two different yarns together and then with her hands held behind her back, attempt to pass it through a large eye of a needle.  She must then ask who her enemies are.  If one is named, she must visualize sewing up the mouth of that person so that no further ill may be spoken. This is repeated for each known enemy.  When the ritual ends, she is to then cut the cords into equal lengths to tie around each family member until the storks return from the South.  Upon seeing the first stork, the ties are removed and thrown out of doors so they storks may take them to help build their nests.

• “In January if the sun appear, March and April pay full dear.”

• Girls can predict their future husband, in March, with the help of their shoes!  At bed time, they should place the shoes to form the letter “T” and say out loud, “Hoping this night my true love to see, I placed my shoes in the form of a T.”  If the chant is successful, she will dream of her love.

• In Great Britain and England, the month of March borrows from three days of April:

“The first it shall be wind and weet,

The next it shall be snow and sleet,

The third it shall be sic and freeze,

Shall gar the birds and stick to the trees.”

• There is an ancient belief that people dreaded the March sun.  In Germany, “one had better be bitten by a snake than feel the sun in March.”

• March was dedicated by the old Saxons to the goddess Rhoedea and therefore called “Rhed Month”, Illiyd-Monath, was another name by which it was known.

• After the death of Christ, March has been held with great reverence as Lent is observed.

• In Macedonia, March is the time of year when fleas begin to come into the home.  The first flea found should be caught and bundled in a nettle leaf to take to an abandoned house.  Here the flea is thrown onto the floor and will result in the remaining fleas to follow.

• Winds in March and rain in April promise great blessings in May.

• If at crescent moon in March the weather is very foggy it is believed a sign of heavy thundershowers and hailstorms in the near future.

• Every year in March, the ancient Romans held a ceremony in honor of the God of War, Mars.  It was believed that this would ensure that the city would be peaceful for the remaining year.

• A damp rotten March gives sorrow to Farmers.

• When the cat lies in the sun in February, it will creep behind the stove in March.

• If the March wind blows across the bed, you will sleep well all the rest of the year.

• March grass never did good.

• When March is like April, April will be like March.

• Never speak ill of March.

• March is considered to be an unlucky month, but the first snow that comes in that month, is good for sore eyes if taken after the sun has shone on it.

• February makes a bridge, March breaks it.

• When the North wind does not blow in February, it will blow in March.

• In Bulgaria, March honors women, and it is believed to be a female month.  It is called “Mother March”, and women reign over their husbands.  They do not seek employment during this month, as the Goddess may not send rain which would result in lightening which would set fire to the home.

DID YOU KNOW?

....that the earliest possible Easter happened in March 1818 and will not occur again until 2285?

....the Planet Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781, by astronomer William Herschel. It is the seventh planet from the Sun. It was originally not thought to be a planet, as it moved so slowly that scientists assumed it to be a star. 

....playing cards were first mentioned in literature, on March 23rd of 1377, in Florence, Italy.

....the multi-talented artist and scientist, Goethe died on March 22, 1832 at the age of 83.  His last words were, "More light!"

...HRH Queen Elizabeth I, died on March 24, 1603.  She was 70 years old.

...on March 28th, in the United States, the first washing machine was patented in 1767.

...in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris on March 31st.

From the 2016 Farmer’s Almanac: 

March is the month of the Full Worm Moon. 

The Full Worm Moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. 

At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. In some regions, this is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins. 

New Moon: March 8, 8:54 P.M.

First Quarter: March 15, 1:03 P.M. 

Full Moon: March 23, 8:01 A.M. 

Last Quarter: March 31, 11:17 A.M.

GEMSTONE

Daffodils are the birthday flowers for those born in the month of March. They are a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings, and are frequently associated with Easter.  Always give a bunch to ensure happiness.  The Daffodil is also called  Narcissus, which also means  "narcissism", which comes from the word "narke, " and in Greek antiquity, meant deep sleep, stupor or numbness. Narke is also the root of the word "narcotic" as the bulbs actually contain a paralyzing alkaloid which could lead to death if eaten.  "Never give a single daffodil, as bringing a single daffodil into the house will bring misfortune."  

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

by William Wordsworth  

       

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Famous People ~ March Birthdays



March 1, 1904- Glenn Miller, big bandleader

March 1, 1926, Pete Rozelle, baseball commissioner

March 1, 1935- Robert Conrad, actor

March 1, 1954- Ron Howard, actor, director, "Opie" on Tv series "Andy Griffith"

March 1, 1974- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, actor, "Zack" on Tv series "Saved by the Bell"

March 2, 1779- Joel Roberts Poinsett, American Ambassador to Mexico brought Poinsettias to America.



March 2, 1904 - Theodore Seuss Geisel, "Dr. Seuss"

March 2, 1917- Desi Arnaz- "Ricky Ricardo" on "I Love Lucy"

March 2, 1931- Mikhail Gorbachev, Leader of USSR



March 2, 1950- Karen Carpenter, singer "We've Only Just Begun"

March 2, 1962- Jon Bon Jovi, singer, actor

March 3, 1847- Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone

March 3, 1920 - James Doohan, actor, "Scotty" on Tv Series and movies "Star Trek"

March 3, 1962- Jackie Joiner-Kersee, Olympic gold medalist



March 4, 1888- Knute Rockne, Notre Dame's "Fighting Irish" football coach

March 5, 1908- Rex Harrison, actor

March 5, 1936- Dean Stockwell, actor

March 5, 1958- Andy Gibb, member of "Beegees" band

March 5, 1989- Jake Lloyd, actor "Anakin Skywalker" in "Star Wars: Phantom Menace"



March 6, 1475- Michelangelo, Renaissance painter

March 6, 1906- Lou Costello, comedian, of Abbott and Costello

March 6, 1923- Ed McMahon,  "Johnny Carson Tonight Show"

March 6, 1926- Alan Greenspan, Chairman of Federal Reserve

March 6, 1945- Rob Reiner, actor, director

March 6, 1959- Tom Arnold, actor

March 6, 1972- Shaquille O'Neal, NBA star

March 7, 1934- Willard Scott, NBC weatherman



March  8, 1945- Mickey Dolenz, singer, actor, "Mickey" of the "Monkees" 

March 9, 1934- Yuri Gagarin, Russian astronaut, first man in space

March 9, 1943- Bobby Fischer, World Chess champion

March 9, 1971- Emmanuel Lewis, ""Webster" of TV series

March 10, 1928- James Earl Ray, assassinated Martin Luther King Jr.

March 10,  1940 Chuck Norris, martial arts, "Walker" in Tv series "Walker, Texas Ranger"

March 10, 1957-  Osama BIn Laden, Al Queda terrorist leader

March 10, 1958- Sharon Stone, actress, "Basic Instinct"



March 10, 1983- Carrie Underwood, American Idol Winner

March 11, 1903- Lawrence Welk, bandleader

March 11, 1934- Sam Donaldson, TV Journalist

March 12, 1881- Kemmel Ataturk, Turkish leader

March 12, 1923-  Wally Schirra, astronaut

March 12, 1941- Barbara Feldon, actress



March 12, 1946- Liza Minnelli, actress, singer

March 12, 1948- James Taylor, singer

March 12, 1962- Darryl Strawberry, baseball player

March 13, 1855-  Percival Lowell, astronomer

March 13, 1911- L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction writer

March 13, 1939- Neil Sedaka, singer, songwriter

March 14, 1864- Casey Jones, railroad engineer

March 14, 1879- Albert Einstein, physicist



March 14, 1912- Les Brown, and his "Band of Renown"

March 14, 1920- Hank Ketcham, cartoonist, created "Dennis the Menace"

March 14, 1928- Frank Borman, astronaut, airline executive

March 14, 1933 -Michael Caine, actor

March 14, 1947- Billy Crystal, actor, comedian



March 15, 1767- Andrew Jackson, 7th U.S. President(1829-1837), hero of the War of 1812

March 15, 1933- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice

March 15, 1935- Judd Hirsch, actor, TV series "Taxi"

March 15, 1941- Mike Love, singer, musician, Beach Boys

March 15, 1961- Fabio, actor, model

March 15, 1975- Eva Longoria, actress, TvVseries "Desperate Housewives"

March 16, 1751- James Madison, 4th U.S President(1809-1817)

March 16, 1822- Rosa Bonheur, French painter

March 16, 1906- Henny Youngman, comedian

March 16, 1912- Pat Nixon, Wife of Richard M. Nixon, First Lady

March 16, 1926- Jerry Lewis, actor, comedian

March 16, 1927- Daniel Patrick Moynihan, senator, diplomat

March 16, 1949- Erik Estrada, actor

March 17, 1902- Bobby Jones, golfer



March 17, 1919- Nat "King" Cole, singer

March 17, 1938- Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer

March 17, 1945- Tony Dow, actor, brother "Wallie" on Tv series "Leave it to Beaver"

March 17, 1949 -Patrick Duffy, actor "Bobby Ewing" on Tv Series "Dallas"

March 17, 1951- Kurt Russell, actor

March 17, 1964- Rob Lowe, actor

March 18, 1782 -John C. Calhoun, statesman, vice president

March 18, 1837- Grover Cleveland, 22d and 24th U.S. President(1885-1889, 1893-1897)

March 18, 1869- Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister

March 18, 1926- Peter Graves, actor



March 18, 1939- Charley Pride, singer

March 18, 1941- Wilson Pickett, singer, songwriter

March 18, 1963- Vanessa Williams, singer, actress

March 18, 1964- Bonnie Blair, Olympic speedskating champion

March 18, 1970- Queen Latifah, rap singer, actress

March 19, 1589 -William Bradford, Pilgrim/Governor of Plymouth Colony

March 19, 1813- David Livingstone, physician, explorer



March 19, 1848- Wyatt Earp, Wild West lawman

March 19, 1891- Earl Warren, chief justice of the Supreme Court

March 19, 1906 -Adolf Eichmann, Nazi leader

March 19, 1936- Ursula Andress, actress



March 19, 1947- Glenn Close, actress

March 19, 1955- Bruce Willis, actor

March 20, 1906- Ozzie Nelson, Actor, "The Nelsons"

March 20, 1922- Carl Reiner, actor, comedian

March 20, 1928 -Fred Rogers, actor Children's show "Mr. Rogers"



March 20, 1931- Hal Linden, actor, singer

March 20, 1939- Brian Mulroney, Canadian Prime Minister

March 20, 1948- Bobby Orr, hockey player

March 20, 1957- Spike Lee, director, filmmaker



March 21, 1685- Johann Sebastian Bach, musical composer

March 21, 1910- Julio Gallo, California wine vintner

March 21, 1944- Timothy Dalton, actor

March 21, 1962- Matthew Broderick, actor

March 21, 1962- Rosie O'Donnell, TV personality, actress



March 22, 1887- Chico Marx of Marx Brothers 

March 22, 1913- Karl Malden, actor

March 22, 1919- Werner Klemperner, actor

March 22, 1923- Marcel Marceau, mime

March 22, 1930- Pat Robertson, evangelist, presidential candidate



March 22, 1931- William Shatner, actor James T. Kirk, on Srar Trek

March 22, 1934- Orrin Hatch, senator

March 22, 1943- George Benson, singer, musician

March 22, 1948- Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer

March 22, 1952- Bob Costas, sportscaster

March 22, 1959- Matthew Modine, actor



March 23, 1904- Joan Crawford, Oscar winning actress

March 23, 1900- Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst

March 23, 1912- Werner von Braun, rocket pioneer, scientist

March 23, 1929- Roger Bannister, runner, first person to break 4-minute mile

March 23, 1953- Louie Anderson, comedian, actor

March 23, 1953- Chaka Khan, singer

March 24, 1855- Andrew Mellon, financier, industrialist



March 24, 1874- Harry Houdini, magician

March 24, 1893- George Sisler, baseball player

March 24, 1930- Steve McQueen, actor

March 24, 1970- Lara Flynn Boyle, actress

March 24, 1976- Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts All Star Quarterback

March 25, 1871- Gutzon Borglum, sculpted Mt. Rushmore

March 25, 1934- Gloria Steinem, author

March 25, 1942- Aretha Franklin, singer

March 25, 1922- Paul Michael Glaser, actor, director



March 25, 1947- Elton John, singer, songwriter, musician

March 25, 1965- Sarah Jessica Parker, actress

March 26, 1874- Robert Frost, poet

March 26, 1911- Tennessee Williams, playwright

March 26, 1930- Sandra Day O'Connor, Supreme Court justice

March 26, 1931- Leonard Nimoy, actor, director, "Spock" in "Star Trek"

March 26, 1934- Alan Arkin, actor

March 26, 1939- James Caan, actor



March 26, 1944- Diana Ross, singer, actress

March 26, 1950- Martin Short, actor, comedian

March 26, 1960- Marcus Allen, NFL running back, sportscaster

March 26, 1962- John Stockton, basketball player

March 27, 1845- Wilhelm Roentgen, scientist, discovered X-rays



March 27, 1899- Gloria Swanson, actress

March 27, 1931- David Janssen, actor, "The Fugitive"

March 27, 1940- Cale Yarborough, auto racer

March 27, 1963- Randall Cunningham, NFL Quarterback



March 27, 1963- Quentin Tarantino, actor, director

March 27, 1970- Mariah Carey, singer

March 28, 1899- August Anheuser Busch Jr., Beer baron

March 28, 1921- Dirk Bogarde, actor

March 28, 1944- Ken Howard, actor

March 28, 1955- Reba McEntire, country western singer

March 28, 1981- Julia Stiles, actress

March 29, 1790- John Tyler, 10th U.S. President (1841-1845)

March 29, 1867- Cy Young, baseball pitcher

March 29, 1916- Eugene McCarthy, senator, presidential nominee

March 29, 1918- Pearl Bailey, singer, entertainer

March 29, 1918- Sam Walton, founded Wal-Mart

March 29, 1945- Walt Frazier, basketball player

March 29, 1955- Earl Campbell, football player

March 29, 1963- M. C. Hammer, rap singer

March 29, 1964- Elle MacPherson, actress, super model

March 29, 1968- Lucy Lawless, actress

March 29, 1976- Jennifer Capriati, tennis player



March 30, 1853 Vincent van Gogh, painter

March 30, -1929 Richard Dysart, actor

March 30, 1930- John Astin, actor

March 30, 1937- Warren Beatty, actor, director



March 30, 1945- Eric Clapton, musician, singer, songwriter

March 30, 1957- Paul Reiser, actor

March 30, 1962- M.C. Hammer, rapper

March 30, 1968- Celine Dion, singer

March 31, 1596- René Descartes, philosopher, mathematician

March 31, 1732- Franz Joseph Haydn, composer

March 31, 1811 - German chemist Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen, invented the Bunsen Burner

March 31, 1878- Jack Johnson, is Afro-American boxer to win heavyweight crown

March 31, 1927- Cesar Chavez, labor leader

March 31, 1928- Gordie Howe, hockey player



March 31, 1929- Liz Claiborne, fashion designer

March 31, 1932- John Jakes, author

March 31, 1934- Shirley Jones, actress, singer

March 31, 1935- Herb Albert, musician

March 31, 1935- Richard Chamberlain, actor

March 31, 1943- Christopher Walken, actor

March 31, 1948 -Al Gore Jr., vice president , presidential candidate

March 31, 1948- Rhea Perlman, actress



What is the IDES OF MARCH?  
(Source: history.com)

44 B.C. - Julius Caesar is murdered



"Julius Caesar, the”dictator for life”of the Roman Empire, is murdered by his own senators at a meeting in a hall next to Pompey’s Theatre. The conspiracy against Caesar encompassed as many as sixty noblemen, including Caesar’s own protege, Marcus Brutus.

Caesar was scheduled to leave Rome to fight in a war on March 18 and had appointed loyal members of his army to rule the Empire in his absence. The Republican senators, already chafing at having to abide by Caesar’s decrees, were particularly angry about the prospect of taking orders from Caesar’s underlings. Cassius Longinus started the plot against the dictator, quickly getting his brother-in-law Marcus Brutus to join.



Caesar should have been well aware that many of the senators hated him, but he dismissed his security force not long before his assassination. Reportedly, Caesar was handed a warning note as he entered the senate meeting that day but did not read it. After he entered the hall, Caesar was surrounded by senators holding daggers. Servilius Casca struck the first blow, hitting Caesar in the neck and drawing blood. The other senators all joined in, stabbing him repeatedly about the head.



Marcus Brutus wounded Caesar in the groin and Caesar is said to have remarked in Greek, “You, too, my child?” In the aftermath of the assassination, Antony attempted to carry out Caesar’s legacy. However, Caesar’s will left Octavian in charge as his adopted son. Cassius and Brutus tried to rally a Republican army and Brutus even issued coins celebrating the assassination, known as the Ides of March. Octavian vowed revenge against the assassins, two years later Cassius and Brutus committed suicide after learning that Octavian’s forces had defeated theirs at the Battle of Philippa in Greece.

Antony took his armies east, where he hooked up with Caesar’s old paramour, Cleopatra. Octavian and Antony fought for many years until Octavian prevailed. In 30 B.C., Antony committed suicide. Octavian, later known as Augustus, ruled the Roman Empire for many more years."



Image Credits:  all images were found on Google images and Pinterest

Famous Birthdays:  holidayinsights.com

Ides of March - history.com