Sir Alexander Fleming  (August 6, 1881 – March 11, 1955)

Sir Alexander Fleming (above) was a young bacteriologist when
an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments
of modern medicine on September 28, 1928. Having left a plate
of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that
a mold that had fallen on the culture had killed many of the
bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum,
similar to the kind found on bread.

In 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called
penicillin to cure bacterial infections.

The West Nile virus quickly spread across the United States after the
first reported cases in Queens, New York on this day in 1999. The
virus was believed to have entered in an infected bird or mosquito,
although there was no clear evidence. The disease spread quickly
through infected birds. Mosquitoes spread the disease to mammals.

The first human cases usually followed within three months of the
first appearance of infected birds in the area except where cold
weather interrupted the mosquito vectors.

During the influenza epidemic of 1918, Portland converted one of its newest
and largest buildings, the Portland Auditorium, into a temporary hospital. 

The Spanish influenza pandemic became one of the deadliest events
in history. Although the Spanish flu struck Portland, Oregon more
than a century ago, how Portlanders reacted then has an uncanny parallel to what we’re experiencing now with the Coronavirus. The
first confirmed case in Portland was a soldier, a private on his way
to Texas for training.

Just a week after Portland’s first Spanish flu diagnosis, the Oregon
State Board of Health ordered all public gathering places to shut
down statewide. Parades were canceled. Church services were
suspended. Restaurants sat empty. Dance halls silent. And
suddenly, 36,000 Portland students had nowhere to go. 

In addition to the closures, stores and businesses limited hours. Portland’s famous department store, Meier & Frank, asked
customers not to come into their store but rather to make delivery orders.

Officials urged Portland residents to wash their hands and keep
at least 4 feet apart — the prototype of “social distancing.”
(OPB)

The Oregon Statesman.

(Fox News) – Crooner Linda Ronstadt (above) is losing her voice to Parkinson’s disease. The 72 year old singer revealed that her voice started to go as early as 2000, though she didn’t reveal her Parkinson’s diagnosis to the world until 2013
and didn’t stop performing until 2009. She will be inducted into the 2014 Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10 at the Barclays Center in New York.

Linda Ronstadt during her early career.

Celeste Jeanne Yarnall (July 26, 1944 – October 7, 2018)

(Fox News) – It was learned Wednesday, Celeste Yarnall, who
wooed Elvis Presley on screen, captivated audiences on “Star
Trek” and made pulses race as “the original flower child” in the
1968 cult classic “Eve,” passed away Sunday afternoon after
“a long struggle” with ovarian cancer. 

Celeste Yarnell celebrated the 50th anniversary of Star Trek with 
William Shartner at a convention in Bellaria, Italy.

Celeste Yarnall with Elvis Presley

1968