Tax Liens, Foreclosure & Embezzlement
"How We Saved a Tow Truck Company"

Doug Houlahan, CLFP, Maxim Commercial Capital, LLC, reports, "It's a great deal and the Broker worked his tail off.  Big win for everyone." Here's his story:

Most lenders and brokers would run for the hills rather than do business with a company tainted by delinquent taxes, foreclosure and embezzlement.  Not Maxim!
 
We know that many good businesses have bad chapters in their stories. As long as there are high-quality and/or unencumbered fixed assets, we will work to create the right asset-secured capital solutions to solve liquidity challenges.

A broker representing a Chicago-based towing company in need of $500,000 contacted us. The company had been victimized by embezzlement, its commercial property was in foreclosure due to severely delinquent property taxes and its cash was consumed by working capital loans.
 
The obvious solution would be to borrow enough to refinance the existing mortgage and pay off the debts. We didn't do that - it wasn't the best solution for the borrower.
 
We visited the company to assess the quality of its assets and operations.  Impressed by what we learned, we designed a creative solution to provide the liquidity the borrower needed while reducing its monthly debt service.

WIN - WIN - WIN Solution
Maxim Term Loan: 

         We provided a $257,000 term loan, secured by heavy duty tow trucks and a 2nd mortgage on the commercial property.
Mortgage: 
        
Instead of refinancing with more expensive money, we helped the borrower negotiate with its lender to cancel the foreclosure and reinstate the loan as long as the taxes and outstanding fees were brought current.

Equipment Loan: 
        
We helped the borrower negotiate with its tow truck lender to stretch the term of the loan and release some collateral, reducing the monthly payment by $4,000.

Working Capital Loan:

         We paid off a working capital loan with a $50,000 balance and $400/day payments, reducing monthly cash outflows by $8,000.

Doug Houlahan, CLFP
www.maximcc.com
doug@maximcc.com
DIRECT: 415-599-4057
MAIN:     213-480-4840  x201

 

 

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Story Credit Lessors – Lenders’ List
"C" & "D" Lessees, Business Loans, Working Capital

These companies specialize in "C" and "D" credits, often new businesses, or businesses where the principal(s) have Beacon scores around or below 600 or have had previous difficulties; meaning to become comfortable with the credit and financial statements. That means you need to learn the "story" to make a positive decision, often requiring further security, shorter term, or additional guarantors. Many of these companies may also have programs for “A” and “B” rated companies, but their specialty is not being a “cookie cutter” and often require full financial statements and tax returns as well as a “story about the company, its history, goals, circumstances” to fully understand the full financial picture.

Many of these companies also offer business loans and working capital loans, as well as doing "subprime leases."

Also listed below the dollar amounts are companies that who are known for accepting "subprime leasing."

All accept qualified third party originations and pay a commission.

To qualify for this list, the company must be a funder (as qualified by Leasing News and on the “Funder List” and not a "Broker/Lessor” along with an acceptable Better Business Bureau Rating and no history of complaints at Leasing News, as well as notifying lessees in advance when the lease will end and what the residual will be, specifically not automating extra lease payments, as we as insisting their discounter follow the same policy. We reserve the right to not list a company who does not meet these qualifications.

Alphabetical list - click on company name to view more details
American Leasefund, Inc.  Bankers Capital  Black Rock Capital BSB Leasing, Inc Calfund, LLC Cobra Capital LLC Dakota Financial Financial Pacific Leasing	First Midwest Equipment Finance Co.  Forum Financial Services, Inc. Gonor Funding Maxim Commercial Capital, LLC  Mesa Leasing First Midwest Equipment Finance	Northwest Leasing Company, Inc.  Pawnee Leasing Corporation Park Western Leasing  P&L Capital Corporation  Standard Professional Services, LLC Summit Leasing, Inc. TEAM Funding Solutions

Story Credit (full list)
http://www.leasingnews.org/Story_Credit/Story_Credit.htm

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Looking for New Employment or Career Change 
Post a Free Position Wanted Ad

This is “free” to those looking for a new position. Each ad is limited to (100) words and ads repeat for up to 6 months unless the candidate tells us to stop. We encourage you to add a resume without your address and telephone number, as well as a photograph.

Please encourage friends and colleagues to take advantage of this service, including recent graduates and others interested in leasing and related careers.

Please send us an email to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org to post your ad.

Sales Makes it Happen --- by Christopher Menkin

 Cold Calling---Part I

While telemarketing has its niche, especially if backed by expert marketing, nothing beats cold calling for the individual sales person. Instead of waiting for a lead to come in or dialing 50 to 100 names or waiting for the telephone to ring or feeling sorry for yourself because current customers, including vendors, are not calling, make a plan and start using some old fashion shoe leather.

First, always dress well. Shoes shined, pants pressed, including ladies, and if you want to make an impression, men wear a tie, women dress like you would like to do business with someone dressed like yourself. People make up their minds in the first 10 seconds and you have less.

Select geographic areas to visit. Work an industrial section first, smaller companies all located together. Ignore the "No Solicitor" signs. It doesn't apply to you. I always entered and before anyone could say, "Didn't you see the sign," I would blurt out, "I'm selling money." Some would laugh, others would back off and wait, but no one has ever thrown me out of their office or workplace in all the years of doing this.

Depending on the reaction, my goal was to reach the owner. If I walked into a machine shop, I asked a worker where the boss was as if I was the IRS. It was as if the boss was waiting to see me or I had business with the owner. Very few asked, "Why?" or "Who are you?" They would point him or her out and often take me to them. I preferred that they escort me, as the owner then would react that it was important that we talk. The employee gave me “acceptance.”

I rarely started out with my name, they didn't care, or who I represented, they cared less, but with something that would open the conversation. I could always fall back on the money line, following with financing, leasing, banking, factoring, whatever it took to get the conversation started.

Sometimes it could be about equipment or if I had financed similar machinery, start dropping names or experience in the industry.

If they weren't interested now, how about the future? And instead of giving them a card they would throw away, I would ask for a tour of the company. I didn't talk about baseball or football or the merits of my company or leasing. Maybe I could help them out in the future or had a client that might be interested in what they do, etc.

That always perked their interest. And I didn't appear like I was a dreaded salesman.

You would be surprised how many business owners like to show off not only their company, but tell you their story about how they go where they are today. Even if they didn't have manufacturing, but were a re-seller, just showing me their inventory or what they sold was important to them. To me it was fascinating.

Not lying, as it was visiting a foreign port or place I had not been to before.

Depending on how they reacted, I collected their business card, wrote some notes on it outside. On Saturdays,  at the end of the day, I made a follow-up note and put the card into an alphabetical file (not chronological.) The system was a 30-60 day follow-up in a date book, or earlier, if something in the conversation said something was going to be more eminent. On Saturdays, I spent typing a letter to them about meeting them, (later I had a part time secretary do this, then a full time and part-time person). If, in my cold calling, I ran into someone or had a customer that might fit a vendor I had called on, I not only referred him or her, but called the vendor with the name and telephone number.

I always delivered the check to a vendor. In the early days, I had to drive to the home office to pick it up, an hour and a half both ways. Sometimes it was two checks. I found even large vendors thought impressive. I stole dealers away from others as they only talked to them on the telephone or mailed the check in from across the country. Even later with UPS or Federal Express, I delivered the checks. It was a chance to ask them for more business, or to throw me a “bone,” a lead, to return the favor.

Also, you are not just delivering the check to the vendor, but for his neighbors. I would walk the complex, the area, saying I just delivered a $25,000 check to so and so for a lease we completed for them. He's located here. You would also be surprised how many neighbors knew the company. I picked up a lot of business doing this. I also found applicants, too.

Most new salesmen go after vendors thinking all they need to do is pay a spiff and they can win the account. The larger dealers have finance managers and receive referral fees often more than a salesman may earn with an excellent credit. So, the new salesman gets the turndowns: "Put this together and you can get all my business."

Often a new salesman winds up with someone who does not sell much, and what they sell, is difficult to qualify. It doesn't mean to not go after a vendor, but if you can't handle a national account, why even try? Why work for the turn downs or salesmen who can't close their clients.

It is important to remember by cold calling and picking up clients, often you can steer them to a specific dealer. Sometimes you can fall into a niche and if the dealer does have a national program, they would rather reward someone giving them some business than a company in New Jersey they really don't know. I won several woodworking dealers this way, even stole some metal working dealers from Westinginghouse, who was tearing up the turf at one time. I even got leads from the local Patterson Dental Office when everyone thought the late Hy Bren had the account sewn up.

As I built up more of a customer base and had less time for cold calling, I still kept to the habit of hand delivering checks. Or having the vendor come to my office if they were in the neighborhood, whatever was most convenient for them.

To this day, I prefer to deliver the checks in person as it gave me an excuse to also “cold call” on their neighbors as you will find most business are in business complexes, industrial complexes, or industrial parks. Or if picking up financial statements, instead of having them fax or email them, I prefer an appointment in case I have any questions, but as important, an opportunity to call on their neighbors as it was my opening line of why I wanted to speak with the owner.

I did not view coming back to the client as not efficient or a waste of time. I viewed it as making them a friend, having a relationship, eyeing the best result of cold calling: a repeat customer.

Sales Makes it Happen articles: 
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

 

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U.S #21 & Canada #26
Country Internet Speeds

By Caroline Cakebread, Business Insider

Despite being home to some of the most technologically innovative companies in the world, the US is far behind other nations when it comes to broadband download speeds. As this chart from Statista shows, it takes a user in the US 51 minutes to download an HD movie, while users in Singapore can accomplish the same task in less than twenty minutes. 

This information comes from a new report by Cable.co.uk. Despite the relative lack of speed, the US is still far better off than most nations. At the bottom of the list coming in 189th is Yemen. Downloading the same HD movie in Yemen would take a little over two days.

Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals
Spaces Left for 2017

The Certified Lease and Finance Professional Foundation offers a variety of study tools to help candidates prepare for the exam, including the CLFP Handbook, the CLFP Mentor Program and the Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals, a three-day event designed to fully prepare an individual to sit for the CLFP exam. Upon achieving the CLFP designation, recipients must meet ongoing requirements to maintain their elite status as a CLFP in Good Standing and retain the license to use the designation.

Academy Classes

Five Spots Left – Los Angeles
Hosted by First National Capital
Thursday, October 12, 2017 8:00 AM • First National Capital, 
Foothill Ranch, California
http://www.clfpfoundation.org/event-2465907

Four Spots Left - Philadelphia Area
November 16, 2017 8:00am
Residence Inn – Great Valley, Malvern, PA
http://www.clfpfoundation.org/event-2580538

CLFP also has a mentor program
http://www.clfpfoundation.org/mentors.php
For more information, please contact:

Reid Raykovich, CLFP
Executive Director - CLFP Foundation
Reid@clfpfoundation.org

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The Long Drought in Small Business Lending
By William Phelan, President and Co-Founder, PayNet

Most Americans have moved on from the financial shocks that struck our economy almost a decade ago. Millions of new jobs have been created, wages are rising and companies have repaired their balance sheets. Yet one unfortunate legacy of the 2008-10 meltdown remains: the tens of thousands of small businesses that still struggle to obtain a bank loan at reasonable cost, if at all.

A new study by three Harvard Business School economists provides fresh insights into the pullback in small business lending and its consequences. The researchers found that the nation’s four largest banks— Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo—not only cut back more sharply than other lenders during the recession, but also showed far less interest in regaining lost ground as the economy picked up again.

According to the Harvard study, the four banks’ advances to small businesses hovered at only half of pre-crisis levels until 2014, even as rivals pushed up their lending to almost 80% of pre-crisis levels. All in all, lending by the big four was 30% lower than other banks included in a Community Reinvestment Act database.

The lending drought has its origins in the big banks’ decision to focus on other, less risky sectors during the financial crisis. Among other drawbacks, small business loans carried higher capital requirements, and were hampered by inefficient automation of underwriting processes. Once the recession was over, the Big Four were constrained by stifling new regulations imposed by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act and by the Federal Reserve, notably a large uptick in risk weightings for small business loans.

The pros and cons of the banks’ actions will be debated for years to come. What is beyond dispute are their painful consequences. A county-by-county examination by the Harvard researchers shows that in areas where the Big Four pulled back, business expansion slowed and job growth suffered, especially in communities where small businesses played an outsized role.  Wages also grew more slowly. All these impacts were felt most strongly in sectors most dependent on outside funding.

The Harvard study acknowledges that other lenders, including an array of “shadow bank” start-ups, have largely filled the gaps left by the Big Four.  Nonetheless, the cost of credit remains unusually high in the worst-affected areas and, while jobs have returned, wages continue to lag. “Our findings suggest that a large credit supply shock from a subset of lenders can have surprisingly long-lived effects on real activity”, the study concludes. It adds that “the cumulative effect of these factors could explain some of the reason why this recovery has been so weak compared to others in the post-war period”.

These findings are confirmed by the recent performance of the Thomson Reuters-PayNet small business lending index. Apart from a brief uptick after last November’s election, lending has been stuck in the doldrums for several years. The index has fallen, year-on-year, for 12 of the past 13 months. With a shortage of credit compounded by economic and political uncertainties, many small business owners remain reluctant to invest in new plant and equipment.

We at PayNet estimate that the small business credit gap costs the U.S. economy $108 billion in “lost” output and over 400,000 jobs a year. Some firms are forced to put operations on hold for two or three months while they wait for a bank to process their credit application.

According to our count, a typical commercial and industrial loan requires 28 separate tasks by the lending bank. It involves three departments— relationship manager, credit analyst, and credit committee—and takes between two and eight weeks to complete. The cost of processing each credit application runs at $4,000 to $6,000. The result? Few banks are able to turn a profit on this business unless the loan size exceeds $500,000, which is far more than most small businesses borrow. The time, paperwork and cost involved are pushing more and more small businesses away from traditional financing sources.

We cannot allow such a key sector of our economy to fight with one hand behind its back. Lenders need to be more accepting of new kinds of financial data and fresh approaches to credit standards. Regulators must open the door to more innovative underwriting techniques and assessment processes.

A good place to start would be to examine what has gone wrong over the past decade. As the Harvard study puts it: “Going forward, it will be useful to better disentangle the causes of this shock. If regulation played an important role….then understanding the specific rules that contributed the most would be helpful from a policy perspective.”

• William Phelan is president and co-founder of PayNet Inc. He chairs the research committee of the Coalition for Responsible Business Finance, and is a member of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank’s advisory council

 

 

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##### Press Release ############################

Wells Fargo: Small Business Optimism Reaches
Highest Point in Decade

Small business optimism continues to climb in the third quarter as business owners said they are the most optimistic in more than a decade, according to findings from the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, conducted July 10–14.

In the quarterly survey, which measures the optimism of small business owners, the overall Index score jumped to 106 in July – an 11-point increase from 95 in April and the highest since 113 in April 2007. The increase in optimism was driven by several factors, including:

• Strong financial situation – Seventy-six percent said their current financial situation is very good or somewhat good, up from 73% in April.

• Healthy revenues – For the second quarter in a row, almost half (46%) said their business’s revenue increased over the past 12 months, up from 41% a year ago.

• Ease of obtaining credit – Nearly half of small business owners (48%) said credit will be somewhat easy or very easy to obtain over the next 12 months.

• More hiring – Twenty-one percent said the number of jobs at their company increased over the past 12 months, up from 19%t in April.

Mark Vitner
Senior Economist, Wells Fargo

“Our latest survey tells us that small business owners continue to feel confident about their current situation and are optimistic about the future,” said Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economist, Wells Fargo. “As the economy strengthens, small business owners are reporting improvements in their day-to-day operations, particularly their sales. With their finances in better shape and fewer business owners expressing concern about the regulatory environment, more businesses are planning to boost capital spending and hiring. It’s reassuring to see these improvements, and to see that optimism has returned to its highest level since early-2007.”

Managing Business Seasonality

In the survey, small business owners were asked about the seasonal cycles that their businesses experience during the year. Forty-five percent reported they have predictable times of the year that are significantly busier or slower than others.

They also were asked how they manage their business operations during the ebb and flow of the seasons. To offset the slow months, 62% said they reduce their capital expenditures, and 43 percent said they reduce hours for their employees. Thirty-nine percent cut back their own personal hours of work. During busier times most business owners (77%) said they increase the number of hours they personally work, more than half (55%) increase their employees’ hours, and 40% hire new seasonal or part-time employees.

When it comes to handling business finances throughout the year, 41% of business owners said seasonal differences make it more difficult to manage cash flow. During slower times of the year, one in five (21%) reported increasing their use of business lines of credit or business credit cards to bridge cash flow gaps. During busier times, two-thirds (64%) said they pay down debt or reduce their use of credit.

Small Business Challenges

When business owners were asked to identify the most important challenge facing their business today, hiring and retaining quality staff was at the top of the list, at 13%. This was followed by attracting customers and finding new business (12%); taxes, government regulations and financial stability/cash flow (9%); there was a decline in mentions of the overall economy (5%), down from 10% in April.

### Press Release ############################

 

Boxer Mix
Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois  Adopt-a-Dog

Schatzi
Female
Age: 2 years
Weight: 51.2 lbs.

Likes
I love playing with Kong toys
I’m a great walking partner and can go for miles
I’ll take as much exercise as I can get!
I’d love to be your running buddy
Did someone say ‘treat’? I’ll take them all
I’m a people person!
Keep me company! I prefer homebodies who are often at home

Dislikes
I prefer to be the only pet in the home
I prefer quiet environments that aren’t crowded
I’d love to find an adults-only home
I’d prefer a home where I don’t have to share my food or toys

"Meet Schatzi! This beautiful and energetic 2 ½ year-old Boxer mix looking for an active adopter to make her part of their family! Schatzi is about as friendly as they come and absolutely adores any adults who have the good fortune of being introduced to her. She has always been very fearful of children and unfortunately this sweet girl was returned to PAWS after spending 2 years in a home when her owners found out they were expecting a baby. While losing her previous family was very hard on Schatzi, PAWS is committed and determined to finding her the perfect new home.

"Schatzi love walks and pretty much any other sort of physical activity! She is very treat motivated and greatly enjoys practicing her obedience training. Although she is social with other dogs, Schatzi tends to guard her food and toys closely and will need to be the only pet in the home. She also becomes very agitated when left alone and will need an adopter who is not gone for long periods of time. Give Schazti a quiet, adults-only household and an adopter who is committed to continuing her training and this outgoing gal will return the favor with lots of love, playtime and cuddles! Won’t you give Schatzi a chance?"

Paws of Chicago
Adoption Inquiries
adoptions@pawschicago.org

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

 

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(Providing Services and Products)

Accounting / Aircraft / Appraisals Asset/Recovery & Collections Asset Management Back Office Collector / Collections / Consultant / Communications Credit Finance / Human Resources/ Info Systems Job Search

Lease Portfolio / Legal Marketing Licensed Investigators  Operations / Remarketing / Repossessions Re-Seller / Sales Signing Service / Site Inspection Software Training Verification Syndicator Website Construction

News Briefs----

OnDeck shares rise on sunny outlook for loan growth,
  profitability - Progress Cutting Costs/Improving Credit Profiles
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ondeck-cap-results-

Breslow: OnDeck Advantage Goes to Scale Players
  Interview by Gerelyn Terzo, deBanked
http://debanked.com/2017/08/breslow-the-advantage-goes-to-scale-players/

Lending Club Has Become the Domain of Banks
    as Peer-to-Peer Continues Decline
http://debanked.com/2017/08/lending-club-has-become-the-domain-of-banks-as-peer-to-peer-continues-decline/

Americans now have the highest credit-card debt
 in U.S. history  -- More than $1 Trillion Credit-Card Debt
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-households-will-soon-have-as-much-debt-as-they-had-in-2008-2017-04-03

Public Works Funding Falls as Infrastructure Deteriorates
  Opposite of a Major Government Infrastructure Program
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/us/politics/infrastructure-trump.html

Disruption Hits the Professional Services Sector
  CPA Partners Over Age 50 Declined
http://ww2.cfo.com/accounting/2017/07/disruption-hits-professional-services-sector/

 

 

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You May Have Missed---

The battle between hotels and Airbnb escalates in NYC
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/07/the-battle-between-hotels-and-airbnb-escalates-in-nyc/

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Baseball Poem

This poem by Robert L. Harrison depicts one of the best teams of all times. The 1927 Yankees or "Murderer's Row" were legendary and this poem pays tribute to those magnificent Yanks. In 1929, Babe was the first to hit 500 home runs.

1927 Yankees

by Robert L. Harrison ©

Published: New York Baseball Poems (1999)

Gather 'round you fans of baseball
you lovers of season past,
let me take you back to the greatest team
that ever played on grass.

Guided by Miller Huggins
known as "murderer's row,"
never was such a string of pearls
so feared this side of Hell.

Greedy was this awesome bunch
with Ruth and Gehrig leading the punch,
and Hoyt and Moore on the mound
shooting all the batters down.

Gasping crowds assemble
like sinners in a tent,
watching all the other teams
trying to repent.

God blessed those boys of summer
those pin-striped renegades,
with a winning passion
while others saw only the haze.

Gathering in the rosebuds
by playing excellent ball,
called the "five o'clock lightning"
taking the pennant in the fall.

Gone were any pretenders to the throne
no on stood wherever these Yankees roamed,
twenty-five men made up this team
and all had a year better than their dreams.

1927 Yankees by Robert L. Harrison ©

Fast Facts

Murderer's Row was anchored by Babe Ruth, who hit sixty home runs and batted .356; and Lou Gehrig, who had forty-seven home runs and batted .373.

The team won one-hundred ten games and the other members included: Earle Combs, who hit .356 and led the league in hits, singles and triples; Tony Lazzeri, who hit eighteen home runs and batted .309; and Bob Meusel who hit .337.

This poem is a Baseball Almanac exclusive and appears here with expression written permission from the author

http://baseball-almanac.com/poems.shtml

 

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Sports Briefs----

49ers rookie linebacker taken from field in ambulance
http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article166089637.html

Much-maligned Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg was ordered off the practice field when he failed one his most basic tasks
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/much-maligned-jets-quarterback-christian-182542567.html

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California Nuts Briefs---

McClellan AF base polluted drinking water supply,
  districts say.  They want $1.4B from feds.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article166069712.html#emlnl=Todays_Top_Stories

Three S.F. studios with style—all for under $500K
http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2017/08/08/three-s-f-studios-with-style-all-for-under-500k/

 

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“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

US Consumers Short-changed Again on Shipping
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2017/08/consumers-short-changed-again-on-shipping

UPS Opens the Doors to European Shipping
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=188109

Napa, Sonoma grape harvest begins
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/7271382-181/napa-sonoma-grape-harvest-begins?artslide=0

2017 Sparkling Harvest Well Underway
https://www.winesandvines.com/news/article/188099

The Legend is Still Relevant: Robert Mondavi Winery
https://www.thedailymeal.com/legend-still-relevant-robert-mondavi-winery

Healdsburg City Council votes to limit downtown tasting rooms
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/7280983-181/healdsburg-city-council-votes-to

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Announces New U.S. Import
  Agreement with Shaw Ross International Importers, LLC
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=188095

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

 

    1607 - History records the first “Thanksgiving Worship Service” at Phippsburg, Maine, by colonists on “The Gift of God” and the “Mary and Jahn,” who landed at St. Georges Illand under the leadership of George Popham. Services were held by the Reverend Richard Seymour, “gyvinge God thanks for our happing metinge & saffe arval into the country.”
    1610 - The First of three Anglo-Powhatan Wars started.  The Jamestown settlement was within the territory of the powerful chief known to the English as Chief Powhatan.  The Jamestown location was less than successful, because the conditions of this swampy area were far less than desirable, including: polluted water, insects that carried disease, and soon, the lack of food supply. Jamestown, and the other colonies to be established in the "New World" were dependent on natives for a successful settlement.  Capt. John Smith, a colonial leader, imagined that someday the natives would be doing all the work for the English, but Powhatan wanted Smith and the colonists to forsake the swamp and instead live in one of his satellite towns where they would make metal tools for him in exchange for full provision.   Relations between the two peoples began deteriorating again in late 1608, when the starving colonists began to strong-arm some supplies of corn from the natives, all suffering from a poor harvest.  Tired of waiting for a response from Powhatan, 70 men attacked, burning the houses and cutting down their cornfields. They killed 65 to 75, and captured one of the chief’s wives and her children. Returning downstream, the English threw the children overboard, and shot out "their Braynes in the water". The queen was put to the sword in Jamestown. The Paspahegh band never recovered from this attack, and abandoned their town.
    1639 - Jonas Bronck of Holland became the first European settler in the area now known as The Bronx and built a farm named "Emmanus" close to what today is the corner of Willis Avenue and 132nd Street in Mott Haven.  Bronck landed in New Amsterdam in 1638 and then sailed north.  The Bronx was called “Rananchqua” by the native Siwanoy band of Lenape (also known historically as the Delawares), while other Native Americans knew it as “Keskeskeck.”  He leased land from the Dutch West India Company on the neck of the mainland immediately north of the Dutch settlement in Haarlem (on Manhattan Island), and bought additional tracts from the local tribes. He eventually accumulated 500 acres between the Harlem and Aquahung Rivers, the latter becoming known as Bronck's River. Dutch and English settlers referred to the area as Bronck's Land. 
    1645 - Settlers in New Amsterdam gained peace with the Indians after conducting talks with the Mohawks.
    1673 - The Surrender of New York was demanded by a Dutch force of 23 ships and 1600 men anchored near Sandy Hook. They held possession of the colony until February 9, 1674, when the English regained control.
    1790 – Robert Gray's “Columbia Rediviva” returned to Boston Harbor after a three-year voyage. It was the first ship to carry the American flag around the world.
    1814 - General Andrew Jackson signed the Treaty of Fort Jackson, ending the Creek War. The US received 23 million acres. This vast territory encompassed more than half of present-day Alabama and part of southern Georgia.
   1842 - Before the US declared its independence, the annexation of Canada appeared to be one of the goals of the colonials at the time. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty signed this day was to end this “conflict.” The treaty delimiting the eastern section of the Canadian-American border was negotiated by the US Secretary of State, Daniel Webster, and Alexander Barin, president of the British Board of Trade. The treaty established the boundaries between the St. Croix and Connecticut rivers, between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods, and between Lakes Huron and Superior. The treaty was signed at Washington, DC.
    1854 - Henry David Thoreau publishes "Walden," an American classic and is his most famous work. There is controversy regarding his “lifestyle: about living in “nature,” but there is no debate he wrote a series of 18 essays, alleged on his two years spent close to nature. The book stresses simplicity and holds that happiness is not be had by pursuit of wealth. Descriptions of plants, bird, and animals are interspersed with reflections on life
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug09.html
    1862 - In the Battle of Cedar Mountain, VA., near the Rappahannock River northwest of Richmond, Confederate troops under Gen. Stonewall Jackson, planning a move northward in advance of Gen. Lee's larger forces, defeated two full brigades of Union forces led by Gen. John Pope and Gen. N.P. Banks. Badly outnumbered, the Union Army suffered 2381 killed or wounded, the Confederates, 1276. Jackson was to continue his victories, seizing the Union arsenal at Harpers Ferry on September 15, and throughout the rest of the year, the Union took many loses, including the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13 where 12,653 Union soldiers were killed or wounded to the Confederate casualties of 5300.
http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va022.htm 
http://home.adelphia.net/~73rdovi/cedarmountain.html 
http://www.aphillcsa.com/index/print/CM.html 
http://www.americancivilwar.com/cwstats.html
    1877 - Having refused government demands that they move to a reservation, a small band of Nez Perce Indians clash with the U.S. Army near the Big Hole River in Montana. The conflict between the U.S. government and the Nez Perce was one of the most tragic of the many Indian wars of the 19th century. Beginning with the tribe's first contact with the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the peaceful Nez Perce had befriended and cooperated with the Americans. Even when hordes of white settlers began to flood into their homelands along the Snake River (around the present-day intersection of the Oregon, Washington, and Idaho state borders), most of the Nez Perce peacefully moved to a reservation. However, about a quarter of the Nez Perce, most of them stockmen and buffalo hunters, refused to accept internment on a reservation. Government pressure to force these last resisters to comply finally led to the outbreak of the Nez Perce War of 1877. A small band of warriors, never more than 145 men, though burdened with about 500 noncombatants, fought U.S. soldiers at four major battles. The third battle of the Nez Perce War occurred on this day. Fleeing eastward with hopes of escaping to Canada, the Nez Perce made camp in the Big Hole Basin in present-day western Montana. At 3:30 a.m., Colonel John Gibbon attacked the sleeping Indians with a force of 183 men. Raking the Indian lodges with withering rifle fire, the soldiers initially seemed to be victorious. The Nez Perce, however, soon counterattacked from concealed positions in the surrounding hills. After four days of sporadic fighting, the Nez Perce withdrew. Both sides suffered serious casualties. The soldiers lost 29 men with 40 wounded. The army body count found 89 Nez Perce dead, mostly women and children. The battle dealt the Nez Perce a grave, though not fatal, blow. The remaining Indians were able to escape, and they headed northeast towards Canada. Two months later, on October 5, Colonel Nelson Miles decisively defeated the Nez Perce at the Battle of the Bear Paw Mountains. Those who were not killed surrendered and reluctantly agreed to return to the reservation. The Nez Perce were only 40 miles short of the Canadian border.
    1878 - The second most deadly tornado in New England history struck Wallingford, CT, killing 34 persons, injuring 100 others, and completely destroying thirty homes. The tornado started as a waterspout over a dam on the Quinnipiac River. It was 400 to 600 feet wide, and had a short path length of two miles.
    1882 - The long-simmering tension, dating to the end of the Civil War, between the two Appalachian families who lived by Tug Fork on the Kentucky-West Virginia border erupted into full-scale violence on Election Day, 1882. Brothers Tolbert, Pharmer and Randolph McCoy knifed and shot Ellison Hatfield. The Hatfield family captured the three McCoys. When Ellison Hatfield died on August 9, the Hatfields executed the brothers. The feud continued with much loss of life. In 1888, when Kentucky authorities sought to detain feud murder suspects and West Virginia authorities complained, the dispute went all the way to the US Supreme Court, who decided in Kentucky's favor. The feud sputtered out by the end of the century. It was estimated over 100 family members died.
    1892 - Thomas Alva Edison of Newark, NJ, filed a patent on the most practical two-way telegraph. It enabled two telegraph operators to send over one were simultaneously. Edison received many patents for many inventions and his biography is fascinating to read.
    1898 - Rudolf Diesel of Germany patented the diesel internal combustion engine.  He first worked with steam, his research into thermal efficiency and fuel efficiency leading him to build a steam engine using ammonia vapor. During tests, however, the engine exploded and almost killed him. He spent many months in a hospital, followed by health and eyesight problems.  He then began designing an engine based on the Carnot cycle, and in 1893, soon after Karl Benz was granted a patent for his invention of the motor car in 1886, Diesel published a treatise entitled “Theorie und Konstruktion eines rationellen Wärmemotors zum Ersatz der Dampfmaschine und der heute bekannten Verbrennungsmotoren [Theory and Construction of a Rational Heat-engine to Replace the Steam Engine and Combustion Engines Known Today]” and formed the basis for his work on and invention of the diesel engine.  On 29 September 1913, Diesel boarded a steamer in Antwerp to a meeting of the Consolidated Diesel Manufacturing company in London. He took dinner on board the ship and then retired to his cabin at about 10 p.m., but he was never seen alive again. In the morning, his cabin was empty and his bed had not been slept in, although his nightshirt was neatly laid out and his watch had been left where it could be seen from the bed. His hat and overcoat were discovered neatly folded beneath the afterdeck railing.  Ten days later, the crew of a Dutch boat came upon the corpse of a man floating in the North Sea. The body was in such an advanced state of decomposition that it was unrecognizable, and they did not bring it aboard. Instead, the crew retrieved personal items (pill case, wallet, ID card, pocketknife, eyeglass case) from the clothing of the dead man, and returned the body to the sea. On 13 October, these items were identified by Rudolf's son, Eugen Diesel, as belonging to his father. There are various theories to explain Diesel's death. His biographers present a case for suicide and clearly consider it most likely. Conspiracy theorists suggest that various people's business or military interests may have provided motives for murder, however evidence is limited.
    1905 – Amanda Cobb, mistaking her husband for a burglar, shot him with a heavy gauge shotgun.  She was the mother of Ty Cobb.
    1916 - The first Japanese beetle appeared in Riverton, NJ. Its grubs were believed to have arrived in the roots of imported nursery stock.
    1925 – The only time a pinch-hitter was sent to bat for Babe Ruth, Bobby Veach flied out.
    1928 – NBA Hall of Famer Bob Cousy was born in NYC.  After an All-American career at Holy Cross, he was the point guard with the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season. He led the league an unprecedented 8 straight years in assists, playing on six NBA championship teams, and 13 NBA All-Star Games in his 13 full NBA seasons.
    1929 - It was hardly a tell-tale sign of trouble, but on August 9, 1929, Wall Street got an inkling of the upcoming crash as the New York Bank raised the rediscount rate on loans to brokers a full point to 6 percent. The hike was precipitated by the unsettling news that brokers had racked up a record $6 million debt, the fourth time during August, 1929 that their loans had swelled to record levels. Still, bankers assured the business community that the move, which was the biggest raise to the rate since the close of World War I, wasn't cause for alarm. Soothing words aside, reports from the day note that the new rate did indeed catch Wall Street by surprise. The following day the DOW dropped 14.11 points to close at a month-long low of 337.99. Until that point, investors had been reveling in "Big Bull Market," a record-setting run which was well over a year old. As the DOW hit new highs, the stock market became a national pasttime; the craze for playing the stocks spread from being the sole province of the big-city elite to a part of the daily life of small-town America. However, as the Reserve Bank's move to advance the interest rate oh-so-subtly suggested, the good times were based on speculation rather than solid financial practices. By November 1929, this quiet hint at a downturn in the market would look more like a prophetic warning call.
    1930 - Betty Boop debuts in Max Fleischer's animated cartoon “Dizzy Dishes.”
    1936 - Jesse Owens became the first American to win four medals in one Olympics. Owens ran one leg of the winning 400-meter relay team in Berlin. His three other gold medals were won in the 100-meter, 200-meter and the long jump events.
    1938 - Benny Goodman Orchestra, on a CBS Camel Caravan show from New York City, plays its first Eddie Sauter arrangement, “Bolero.”
    1941 - Baritone sax player/arranger/producer Willie Henderson birthday, Pensacola, FL.
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Bmve097q7krdt
    1942 - Birthday of drummer Jack DeJohnette, Chicago, IL.
    1944 - LINDSEY, DARRELL R., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: L'Isle Adam railroad bridge over the Seine in occupied France, 9 August 1944. Entered service at: Storm Lake, lowa. Birth: Jefferson, lowa. G.O. No.: 43, 30 May 1945. Citation: On 9 August 1944, Capt. Lindsey led a formation of 30 B-26 medium bombers in a hazardous mission to destroy the strategic enemy held L'lsle Adam railroad bridge over the Seine in occupied France. With most of the bridges over the Seine destroyed, the heavily fortified L'Isle Adam Bridge was of inestimable value to the enemy in moving troops, supplies, and equipment to Paris. Capt. Lindsey was fully aware of the fierce resistance that would be encountered. Shortly after reaching enemy territory the formation was buffeted with heavy and accurate antiaircraft fire. By skillful evasive action, Capt. Lindsey was able to elude much of the enemy flak, but just before entering the bombing run his B-26 was peppered with holes. During the bombing run the enemy fire was even more intense, and Capt. Lindsey's right engine received a direct hit and burst into flames. Despite the fact that his ship was hurled out of formation by the violence of the concussion, Capt. Lindsey brilliantly maneuvered back into the lead position without disrupting the flight. Fully aware that the gasoline tanks might explode at any moment, Capt. Lindsey gallantly elected to continue the perilous bombing run. With fire streaming from his right engine and his right wing half enveloped in flames, he led his formation over the target upon which the bombs were dropped with telling effect. Immediately after the objective was attacked, Capt. Lindsey gave the order for the crew to parachute from the doomed aircraft. With magnificent coolness and superb pilotage, and without regard for his own life, he held the swiftly descending airplane in a steady glide until the members of the crew could jump to safety. With the right wing completely enveloped in flames and an explosion of the gasoline tank imminent, Capt. Lindsey still remained unperturbed. The last man to leave the stricken plane was the bombardier, who offered to lower the wheels so that Capt. Lindsey might escape from the nose. Realizing that this might throw the aircraft into an uncontrollable spin and jeopardize the bombardier's chances to escape, Capt. Lindsey refused the offer. Immediately after the bombardier had bailed out, and before Capt. Lindsey was able to follow, the right gasoline tank exploded. The aircraft sheathed in fire, went into a steep dive and was seen to explode as it crashed. All who are living today from this plane owe their lives to the fact that Capt. Lindsey remained cool and showed supreme courage in this emergency. 
    1944 - Top Hits
“I'll Be Seeing You” - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Frank Sinatra)
“Amor” - Bing Crosby
“Swinging on a Star” - Bing Crosby
“Is You is or is You Ain't” (“Ma' Baby”) - Louis Jordan
    1944 - The US Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council release posters featuring Smokey Bear for the first time.
    1945 - Three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, an American B-29 bomber named Bock's Car left its base on Tinian Island carrying a plutonium bomb nicknamed “Fat Man.” Its target was the Japanese city of Kokura, but because of clouds and poor visibility the bomber headed for a secondary target, Nagasaki, where at 11:02 AM, local time, it dropped the bomb, killing an estimated 70,000 persons and destroying about half the city. Memorial services are held annually at Nagasaki and at Kokura, where those who were spared because of the bad weather also grieve for those at Nagasaki who suffered in their stead. On August 14, President Harry S. Truman announced the “unconditional” surrender of Japan. V-J Day was August 15. On August 30, General MacArthur landed in Japan with occupational forces. The formal document of surrender was signed on September 2 aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
    1947 - Birthday of Barbara Mason, Philadelphia, PA.  She is best known for her self-written 1965 Hit, "Yes, I’m Ready" (#5 pop, #2 R&B), a fetching soul-pop confection that spotlighted her girlish vocals and one of the first examples of the rhythmic but lush sound that came to be called Philly soul.
    1952 - Top Hits
“Walkin' My Baby Back Home” - Johnnie Ray
“Auf Wiedersehn, Sweetheart” - Vera Lynn
“I'm Yours” - Don Cornell
“Are You Teasing Me” - Carl Smith
    1958 - Billboard magazine changed the name of its weekly music chart from the Top 100 to the Hot 100, a name that will stick until 1996. Their first number one was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson, his sixth hit record in the US.
    1959 - Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee" hits #1
    1959 - Pioneer of the rap genre, Kurtis Blow, is born Kurtis Walker in Harlem, New York.
    1960 - Race riot in Jacksonville, FL.
    1960 - Top Hits
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini - Brian Hyland
It's Now or Never - Elvis Presley
Image of a Girl - Safaris
Please Help Me, I'm Falling - Hank Locklin
    1961 - James B Parsons is the first black appointed to the Federal District Court.
    1963 - Singer Whitney Houston (d. 2012) was born in Newark, NJ.  The daughter of singer Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick. Her first seven solo singles go top five on Billboard's Hot 100. Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only woman to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top Pop Albums") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts.  She was also featured earlier on a Teddy Pendergrass single that failed to reach the top 40.  Her career is interrupted with a very poor marriage and addiction to drugs.  On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in her guest room at The Beverly Hilton.  The official coroner's report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors
    1963 - The BBC's Rock and Roll television show “Ready! Steady! Go!” makes its debut. The first episode featured The Searchers, Jet Harris, Pat Boone, Billy Fury and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. The final show aired in December 1966 after 175 episodes.
    1965 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "I Got You Babe," Sonny & Cher. The song, which sells more than 1 million copies, is the duo's only No. 1 hit. A remake of the song by UB40 with Chrissie Hynde hits No. 28 in September 1985.
    1966 - LEE, HOWARD V., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein). place and date: Near Cam Lo, Republic of Vietnam, 8 and 9 August 1966. Entered service at: Dumfries, Va. Born: 1 August 1933, New York, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. A platoon of Maj. (then Capt.) Lee's company, while on an operation deep in enemy territory, was attacked and surrounded by a large Vietnamese force. Realizing that the unit had suffered numerous casualties, depriving it of effective leadership, and fully aware that the platoon was even then under heavy attack by the enemy, Major Lee took 7 men and proceeded by helicopter to reinforce the beleaguered platoon. Maj. Lee disembarked from the helicopter with 2 of his men and, braving withering enemy fire, led them into the perimeter, where he fearlessly moved from position to position, directing and encouraging the overtaxed troops. The enemy then launched a massive attack with the full might of their forces. Although painfully wounded by fragments from an enemy grenade in several areas of his body, including his eye, Maj. Lee continued undauntedly throughout the night to direct the valiant defense, coordinate supporting fire, and apprise higher headquarters of the plight of the platoon. The next morning he collapsed from his wounds and was forced to relinquish command. However the small band of marines had held their position and repeatedly fought off many vicious enemy attacks for a grueling 6 hours until their evacuation was effected the following morning. Maj. Lee's actions saved his men from capture, minimized the loss of lives, and dealt the enemy a severe defeat. His indomitable fighting spirit, superb leadership, and great personal valor in the face of tremendous odds, reflect great credit upon himself and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. 
    1967 - Jerry Lee Lewis gets the crowd going into such a frenzy while performing at the Sunberry Jazz and Blues Festival in England, that festival officials halt his show and ask him to leave the stage.
    1967 – The only man ever to play in a Super Bowl and a World Series was born in Ft. Myers, FL.  Deion Sanders played primarily at cornerback in the NFL with several teams, winning the Super Bowl with both the 49ers and the Cowboys. An outfielder in baseball, he played for several teams and participated in the 1992 World Series with the Braves. 
    1968 - Top Hits
”Hello, I Love You” - The Doors
“Classical Gas” - Mason Williams
“Stoned Soul Picnic” - The 5th Dimension
“Folsom Prison Blues” - Johnny Cash
    1968 - Steppenwolf opened at the San Francisco Avalon Ballroom.
    1969 - A tornado hit Cincinnati, killing four persons and causing fifteen million dollars property damage. The tornado moved in a southeasterly direction at 40 to 50 mph.
    1969 - "Hot Fun in The Summertime," by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Easy to Be Hard," from the Broadway production "Hair," were released on this day. "Hot Fun" made it to number two on the music charts (10/18/69) and "Easy to Be Hard" climbed to number four (9/27/69).
    1969 - Cult leader Charles Manson and his disciples committed one of Los Angeles' most heinous crimes. They entered the home of movie director Roman Polanski and brutally murdered Polanski's pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate, movie director Voityck Frykowski, famous hair stylist Jay Sebring, student Steven Parent and coffee heiress Abigail Folger.
    1971 - LeRoy “Satchel” Paige, one of baseball's pitching legends, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
    1971 - The first airport baggage scanning system that converted electronic data to a visible X-ray format was the Pep-720 baggage X-ray system manufactured by Princeton Electronic Products, New Brunswick, NJ. The U.S. Army had it installed at the Army's Picatinny Arsenal
    1972 - Gilbert O'Sullivan receives a gold record for "Alone Again Naturally." It's Number One for six weeks in the summer.
    1974 - Richard Milhous Nixon resigned from the presidency of the US, which he first announced in a speech to the American people Thursday evening, August 8, and it became effective at noon. Nixon, under the threat of impeachment as a result of the Watergate scandal, became the first person to resign the presidency. He was succeeded by Vice-President Gerald Rudolph Ford, the first person to serve as vice-president and president without having been elected to either office. Ford granted Nixon “full, free and absolute pardon” on September 8, 1974. Although Nixon was the first US president to resign, two vice presidents had resigned earlier in history: John C. Calhoun, Dec. 8, 1932, and Spiro T. Agnew, October 10, 1973.   
    1975 - The Bee Gees' "Jive Talkin'" hits #1, their first of several Disco style hits in the US when "Jive Talkin’" topped the Billboard Hot 100. The inspiration for the song came to Barry Gibb as his car passed over a Florida bridge on the way to a recording studio. His wife said "Hey, listen to that noise. It's the same every evening. It's our drive talking."
    1976 - Top Hits
“Don't Go Breaking My Heart” - Elton John & Kiki Dee
“Let 'Em In” - Wings
“You Should Be Dancing” - Bee Gees
“Golden Ring” - George Jones & Tammy Wynette
    1978 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Three Times a Lady," Commodores. Band member Lionel Richie was inspired to write the song at a 37th anniversary party for his parents.
    1981 – Major League baseball teams resumed play at the conclusion of the first mid-season players' strike. The first game on the schedule following the bitter strike was the All-Star Game. The National League won the game 5-4. 72,086 diehard baseball fans (a record) came out to see the game at Cleveland's cavernous Municipal Stadium -- and welcome the players back.
    1982 - Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," which is the theme song for the hit movie "Rocky III," goes gold.
    1984 - Top Hits
“When Doves Cry” - Prince
“Ghostbusters” - Ray Parker Jr.
“State of Shock” - Jacksons
“Mama He's Crazy” - The Judds
    1987 - Florida baked in the summer heat. Nine cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including Jacksonville with a reading of 101 degrees. Miami reported a record high of 98 degrees.
    1987 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," U2. The album "The Joshua Tree" is U2's first top 10 album in the U.S.
    1988 - President Reagan nominated Lauro F. Cavazos to be Secretary of Education. Cavazos was the first Hispanic in U.S. history to be named to a cabinet position. On Sep 20, 1988, he was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. President George H.W. Bush asked him to continue as Secretary following the 1988 election and he remained in that position until resigning in December, 1990.
    1988 - After a postponement the night before, the first night game in Wrigley Field saw the Chicago Cubs defeat the New York Mets, 6-4.
    1989 - President George Herbert Walker Bush appointed Colin Luther Powell chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He became the first African-American appointed to this position. Powell, born in New York City in 1937, served from 1987 to 1989 as national security advisor to President Ronald Wilson Reagan. In 1989, he was promoted to four-star general, thus becoming the highest-ranking African-American officer up to that time. During his service as chairman, he oversaw the 1991 Gulf War military campaign. He resigned in 1993. He was appointed Secretary of State by President George Walker Bush in 2001.
    1989 - Top Hits
“Right Here Waiting” - Richard Marx
“On Our Own” (From "Ghostbusters II") - Bobby Brown
“Batdance” (From "Batman") - The Artist
“So Alive” - Love And Rockets
    1989 - Evening thunderstorms in Arizona deluged Yuma with record torrential rains for the second time in two weeks. The rainfall total of 5.25 inches at the Yuma Quartermaster Depot established a state 24-hour record, and was nearly double the normal annual rainfall. Some of the homes were left with four feet of water in them. Seventy-six cities in the south central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date. Lake Charles, LA equaled their record for August with a low of 61 degrees. Canaan Valley, WV was the cold spot in the nation with a low of 32 degrees.
    1990 - The US Navy formed a naval blockade and all export of oil from Iraq and Kuwait was cut off. August 10, at a meeting in Cairo, 12 of the 21 member nations of the Arab League voted to support the UN and US Actions. It would not be until November 29, that the UN Security Council voted to authorize the US and allies to use force to expel Iraq from Kuwait, it its troops did not leave by January 15, 1991. by the end of 990, 580,000 Iraqi troops were believed to be in Kuwait or southern Iraq. Facing them were 485,000 troops of 17 allied countries, an armada of ships, carriers, jets based in Italy, Turkey, and many other surrounding countries, and guided missiles with video cameras to not only steer toward the target, but show viewers on home television everything up to impact.
    1994 - Top Hits
“Stay” (“I Missed You”) (From "Reality Bites") - Lisa Loeb
“I Swear” - All-4-One
“Fantastic Voyage” - Coolio
“Wild Night” - John Mellencamp With Me Shell Ndegeocello
    1995 - Grateful Dead singer, guitarist and spiritual leader Jerry Garcia dies of a heart attack while undergoing drug rehabilitation at Forrest Farm, Marin County. He was 53.
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~mleone/dead.html
    1999 - Top Hits
“Genie In A Bottle” - Christina Aguilera
“Tell Me It’s Real” - K-Ci
“Bills, Bills, Bills” – Destiny’s Child
“All Star” - Smash Mouth
    1999 - “On a grand night for hitters, pitchers got slammed,” as AP sports writer Ronald Blum put it, “for the first time in 129 years of Major League baseball, five grand slams were hit in one day.” 1) Fernando Tatis (St. Louis Cardinals), 2) Jose Vidro (Montreal Expos), 3) Mike Lowell (Florida Marlins), 4) Bernie Williams (NY Yankees), 5) Jay Buhner of the Seattle Mariners, being the last to hit the slam, actually set the record. 
    2002 - Barry Bonds joins Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron as the only players ever to hit 600 career home runs. The 38-year-old Giant left fielder hit the milestone homer in the sixth inning by lining a 2-1 pitch thrown by Pirates starter Kip Wells over the center field wall at Pacific Bell Park.
    2003 - Top Hits
“Crazy In Love” - Beyoncé Featuring Jay-Z
“Right Thurr” - Chingy
“Never Leave You” - Uh Ooh, Uh Oooh!, Lumidee
“P.I.M.P.” - 50 Cent
    2004 - Terry Nichols was sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences on state murder charges in the Oklahoma City bombing.
    2014 - Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, MO, was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer after reportedly assaulting the officer and attempting to steal his weapon, sparking protests and unrest in the city. The next day, after a day of vigils, there were looting of businesses, vandalism of vehicles, and violent clashes between protestors and police. On August 18, the Missouri National Guard arrived in Ferguson at the request of the Gov. Jay Nixon. On November 24, a grand jury decided that it would not indict Wilson in the shooting death of Brown.  Following the announcement of the grand jury's decision, there were peaceful protests as well as rioting.