IT'S THE IDES OF MARCH
March 15th is the Ides of March, meaning the middle of the month. This date became considered unlucky in part because it was a designated debt collecting day in ancient Rome. Debtors who could not pay were thrown in prison or forced into slavery, so I can see how the date could have developed a reputation.
It was also the day in 44 BC when Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by his senators, which only added to the date's notoriety.
William Shakespeare’s play "Julius Caesar" contained the popular phrase "Beware the Ides of March," which no doubt cemented the date's reputation, although it should be noted that Shakespeare's play took a lot of creative liberties and some of the details of Caesar's murder were not accurately depicted in the play.
So, should you be concerned? Honestly, I find most days unlucky, so March 15th is nothing special. Whatever you're expecting, I hope your day isn't too horribly cursed and that if you haven't done your taxes yet, that it is as painless and prison-free as possible.
I find most things are kind of cursed, so this makes sense.
GIF via Schitt's Creek
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Alright, want a few famous March 15th birthdays and historical facts before we get to this week's amusing links? Here are a few...
• Born on this day: actress Eva Longoria (1975), singer/Poison frontman Bret Michaels (1963), rapper/Black Eyed Pea will.i.am (1975), singer-songwriter/Beach Boy Mike Love (1941), and US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933)
• Maine became the 23rd US state on this day in 1820
• Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather premiered on this day in 1972
• Billboard published its first album chart on this day in 1945, with The King Cole Trio at #1
• Finally, on this day in 1985 symbolics.com became the world's first registered internet domain name (today there are over 1 billion domains!)
Now on to the amusing links!
and we turned your answers into a funny video. No, really — it's funny. Watch it!
Watch these birds have the time of their lives sliding around on a frozen pond!
Designer dreams up products and product features no one wants (but that we can all laugh about).
This funny video imagines what would happen when your cat swipes right. Turns out humans aren't the only ones playing fast & loose with their profile pics...
This video is anything but cursed! Give your doom scrolling fingers a rest and enjoy this peaceful little short.
OK! We'll be back here in your inbox on Friday with more nonsense holidays to dissect, more notable birthdays (and maybe even some notable deathdays!) to celebrate, and more witty content in general. Don't miss it! Until next time...
Peace, love, and caution,
Meredith
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