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Today in History: March 19

1687 The French explorer La Salle is murdered by his own men while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

1903 The U.S. Senate ratifies the Cuban treaty, gaining naval bases in Guantanamo and Bahia Honda.

1917 The Adamson Act, eight hour day for railroad workers, is ruled constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

1918 Congress authorizes Daylight Savings Time.

1931 The state of Nevada legalizes gambling.

1935 The British fire on 20,000 Muslims in India, killing 23.

1945 Adolf Hitler orders a scorched-earth policy for his retreating German armies in the west and east.

2003 Airstrikes by an American and British-led coalition signal the beginning of the Invasion of Iraq, without United Nations support and in defiance of world opinion

2020 Italian death toll from COVID-19 at 3,405 surpasses China's official total (3,245) making it then the worst-affected country in the world

2020 State of California with 910 cases of COVID-19 locks down and orders people to "stay at home"

2023 UBS, Switzerland's largest bank agrees to buy its rival Credit Suisse (established 1856) for about $3.2 billion to help ease global financial panic, in deal brokered by Swiss government

Born on March 19

1848 Wyatt Earp, U.S. marshal.

JOTD
10 Catholic school girls are on a bus when they are hit by train and immediately sent to the pearly gates...

St. Peter awaits them ready to speak to each lady to determine if they are worthy of entering into heaven. He asks the first girl,
"So Marie, have you ever touched a man's genitals?" Marie says, "Well I once touched the tip with my finger." Peter tells Marie to dip her finger into the pool of holy water before them and then she may enter heaven. Next,
"So Christine, have you ever touched a man's genitals?" Christine says, "Well, I once fondled a man with my hand." Peter tells Christine to dip her whole hand into the holy water to enter.
Suddenly, there's a commotion coming from the back of the pack of girls, where Agatha is pushing her way up to the front.
"Why so eager Agatha?" Agatha responds:
"Cause if I'm going to have to gargle that holy water, I'm going to do it before Jessica sticks her arse in it!"