15 th. March. The Ides of March

Buzzard Day in Hinckley, Ohio.

44 BC Julius Caesar was assassinated.

193 7 The world’s first blood bank was established.

It was William Shakespeare who warned us to beware the Ides of March. We used to think his advice was prophetic, because March 15th—the Ides of March—used to be the day when your Federal income taxes were due. We now have an extra month for that delightful exercise, when the government exacts it’s fiscal pound of flesh. But there is enough in history to keep reminding us of the Ides of March. Julius Caesar was forewarned about the Ides of March. It was an accurate warning. He was stabbed to death on that very day in 44 bc by a group of Roman senators including his friend Brutus. Being killed is bad enough, but having it done by a friend is even worse.

Just remember the sage advice of baseball great Satchel Paige: “Don’t look back; someone might be gaining on you.” Nature’s clock is more reliable than any manmade

Timekeeper. Today is one of those natural time markers. The town of Hinckley, Ohio, commemorates this day as Buzzard Day. Like the swallows that return to San Juan Capistrano, the buzzards are scheduled to return on this day to Hinckley. The town sets aside the first Sunday after this date as Buzzard Sunday. So let us remember, with an eye to the buzzards, that there is a time and place for everything.

Today marks the anniversary of a lifesaving bank. The deposits and withdrawals made at this bank have spelled the difference between life and death for many people. What’s even more surprising is that no one is turned away at the door if they need to make a withdrawal, even if they’ve never made a deposit in their lives. Dr. Bernard Fantus established the world’s first blood bank on this day in 1937, at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital. Both blood and plasma could finally be safely collected stored and distributed to patients who did not have family with similar blood types—a breakthrough for surgical procedures and emergency treatment.