Anyways, the earliest media citation of “getting their ducks in a row” is this, according to TheIdioms.com: The earliest known usage of the phrase dates back to the late 19th century. An example from ...

TOKYO, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan experienced its hottest July for the third year in a row, with a record 2.89 degrees Celsius higher than usual, according to the country's weather agency.

MOSCOW, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Central Bank on Friday lowered its key interest rate for a second time in a row, shedding 2 percentage points from 20 to 18 percent.