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 ...

【星岛综合报道】今年2月多伦多皮尔逊国际机场发生客机翻覆事件，一名空服员已入禀控告达美航空（Delta Air Lines），指其“在安全问题上偷工减料”，提出7500万美元以上的损害赔偿。