Et tu, Brute??
In case there is anyone unfamiliar with the origin….
Beware the Ides of March! Why, you ask? On March 15 (“ides” roughly corresponds to 15) in 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by his BFF and 60 other of his closest friends. Harsh, right? He was the leader of Rome, and was killed by 60 senators at a senate meeting because, as far as history knows, they thought he had the potential to turn into a dictator. His death has become so legendary that “Brutus,” the name of his best friend who betrayed him, has become synonymous for “traitor.” Meanwhile Caesar got so famous that Shakespeare famously immortalized his life and death in a play (that’s when you know you’ve made it). And that play is where the common phrase “Et tu, Brute?” (You too, Brutus?) comes from. Caesar says it when he sees Brutus about to stab him! The Romans were a crazy bunch.
-----From National Today
As a religious holiday, the Ides of March even signified the new year, because it was celebrated on the Feast of Anna Perenna, a goddess of the year.
From 247 Wall St:
Things that happened on this date:
1781: A turning point in the American Revolutionary War
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse took place in North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. British General Charles Cornwallis’ 1,900 soldiers defeated an American force of 4,500. This battle, however, proved key to the American victory in the war because the British suffered significant troop losses and changed tactics, leading to their surrendering to General George Washington in Virginia.
1820: Maine is part of the Union
Main entered the Union as the 23rd state as part of the Missouri Compromise. A province of Massachusetts since 1647, Maine was allowed to enter as a free state. In exchange, southern senators were allowed to have Missouri enter as a slave state.
1875: The first American cardinal of the Catholic Church is appointed
Pope Pius IX appointed John McCloskey as the first American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Born in Brooklyn, New York, McCloskey was the first president of St. John’s College, which later became Fordham University. Before being named the first American cardinal, he was appointed archbishop of New York in 1864.
1906: Rolls-Royce is founded
The origins of Rolls-Royce started in 1884, when Henry Royce formed an electrical and mechanical business. Royce didn’t build his first car until 1904, and that same year he also met Charles Rolls, whose company sold quality cars in London. Two years later, in March 1906, they formed Rolls-Royce and launched the six-cylinder Silver Ghost. The vehicle was soon called “the best car in the world.”
1941: A blizzard kills more than 150 people
A deadly and powerful blizzard hit North Dakota and northern Minnesota with little warning, killing 151 people. Temperatures reportedly dropped 20 degrees in less than 15 minutes, with sustained winds of 50 mph. Most of the deaths were of people caught in the snow while travelling in cars. Weather forecasting and reporting made important advances following the storm to prevent a similar tragedy.
1985: The first domain name is registered
The first domain name, Symbolics.com, was registered online. It was home to Symbolics Computer Corporation, a computer manufacturer that no longer exists. The company sold the domain in 2009 to XF.com. Currently, Symbolics.com remains a shrine to the oldest domain and home to “The Big Internet Museum.”
There were many others, but these are the ones with which I was unfamiliar. With. Which.
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Are you afaid of the Ides,
just intrigued, or totally indifferent?