ROSS SIMPSON

On March 19, 2003, the United States, along with coalition
forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiated war on
Iraq. Just after explosions began to rock Baghdad, Iraq’s
capital, U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a 
TV address (below), “At this hour, American and coalition 
forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm
Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave 
danger.” President Bush and his  advisors built much of their 
case for war on the specious claim that Iraq, under dictator 
Saddam Hussein, possessed or was in the process of building 
weapons of mass destruction.

On March 18, 1852, in New York City, Henry Wells and William
G. Fargo join with several other investors to launch their
namesake business, today one of the world’s largest banks.   

In July 1852, their company shipped its first loads of freight
from the East Coast to mining camps scattered around
northern California.

Rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry died on this day in
history, March 18, 2017, at age 90.

Born as Charles Edward Anderson Berry on Oct. 18,
1926 in St. Louis, Missouri, Chuck Berry was exposed
to music through his parents and his church.

Susan La Flesche Picotte (June 17, 1865 – September 18, 1915)

On March 18, 1889, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte became
the first Native American woman to graduate from medical
school. She was top of her class at the Woman’s Medical
College of Pennsylvania. 

She campaigned for public health and for the formal, legal
allotment of land to members of the Omaha tribe. 

La Flesche opened up the first privately funded hospital on
a reservation.

She intended to help anyone who needed it, white or Native.

1947