Moments in Time – March 2, 2022

#Middlebury

• On March 17, 1601, the first parade honoring the Catholic feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is held in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City was held in 1762.
• On March 20, 1823, Ned Buntline, the “dime millionaire” and discoverer of Buffalo Bill, is born. More than any single writer, Buntline was responsible for creating a romanticized and misleading image of the American West. He once said, “I found that to make a living I must write ‘trash’ for the masses.”
• On March 18, 1852, in New York City, Henry Wells and William G. Fargo join with other investors to launch their namesake business. In July 1852, their company Wells Fargo shipped its first loads of freight from the East Coast to mining camps in northern California.
• On March 15, 1901, paintings by the late Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh are shown in Paris, causing a sensation across the art world. Van Gogh had died by suicide, and in his lifetime he had sold only one painting.
• On March 19, 1916, eight Curtiss “Jenny” planes of the First Aero Squadron take off from Columbus, New Mexico, in the first combat air mission in U.S. history. They flew in support of the 7,000 U.S. troops who invaded Mexico to capture revolutionary leader Pancho Villa.
• On March 16, 1945, the west Pacific volcanic island of Iwo Jima is declared secured by the U.S. military after weeks of fierce fighting. More than 6,000 Marines died fighting for the island, along with almost all the 21,000 Japanese defenders.
• On March 14, 1950, the FBI institutes the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list. Since its debut, hundreds of criminals on the list have been apprehended or located, many as a result of tips from the public.

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