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The Results are in from the
2020 Compensation and Production Survey
Wheeler Business Consulting

Wheeler Business Consulting's survey was conducted throughout November 2020. A total of 113 originators in the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry participated. The sample group was made up of 26% bank originators, 55% originators from independent finance and leasing companies, and 19% from syndication/broker companies. The survey included 19% of originators with less than 5 years of experience, 19% of originators with 5 to 10 years of experience, and 62% with 10 years or more of experience. The survey consisted of 73% small ticket originators, 23% middle market originators and 5% large ticket originators. The survey confirmed that the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry remains a lucrative opportunity for originators with 68% of all originators having incomes well into the six figures.

Originators' Compensation
Originator's incomes in 2020 will be slightly less than in 2019.

72% of the surveyed originators had incomes in excess of $125.0K in 2019; and 68% will have incomes in excess of $125.0K in 2020. (41% of the originators will have incomes above $200.0K in 2020 compared to 48% in 2019). For more details and 2019 compensation comparison charts click: https://www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com/wheeler-business-consulting-llc-compensation-survey.html

Originators' Production
Production remained relatively flat for 2020 in comparison to 2019 with 56% producing in excess of $10.0M of financing and leasing activity in 2019 and 54% in excess of $10.0M in 2020. The largest changes are at the bottom and top of the scale. Approximately 6% of the originators in the under $5.0M of production in 2019 moved up into the $5.0M to $10.0M range. Conversely, approximately 4% of originators who had produced in excess of $50.0M in 2019 slipped into the $25.0M to $50.0M range in 2020.

The survey includes information related to compensation structures, origination channels, and general questions related to individual trends. The full results can be viewed by visiting the website by clicking here: https://www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com/wheeler-business-consulting-llc-compensation-survey.html

Originators throughout the industry are anticipating a strong 2021 and a full 91% are satisfied with their current position within the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry.
Wheeler Business Consulting appreciates the individuals who participated in the survey and looks forward to additional professionals participating in the 2021 survey.

Wheeler Business Consulting works with banks, independents, captives, origination companies, and investors in the equipment leasing and finance arena. We provide training, strategic planning, and acquisition services. Scott Wheeler is available to discuss your long-term strategy, to assist your staff to maximize outcomes, and to better position your organization in the market.

Comments, questions and suggestions regarding are welcome.
Phone: 410-877-0428
email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

 

  

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

 

 

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Sales Makes it Happen

Value-Added

Successful originators in the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry add value for their vendors, end-users, companies, and partners. They understand every aspect of the industry and the process.

An originator was seeking to enhance her career, add more value, and be a more effective salesperson. In just a few years, she had become an above average salesperson for her company. Her income was satisfactory. Her selling skills were strong. She wanted to reach the next level of her career and add greater value to her clients, employer, and partners. However, something was missing.

After a complete review of her skills, it was identified that her knowledge was limited to the specific products, processes, and nuances of working single transactions within her specific company. She did not have a complete understanding of why transactions were approved or declined. She understood her products, but not her competitors' products. She had limited understanding of what occurred after a transaction was funded (portfolio management, collections process, legal issues, insurance challenges, etc.) Her limited comprehensive knowledge was hindering her ability to become a top producer. Below are powerful suggestions that helped the originator to advance her career and value.

> She fully engaged with her internal stakeholders (credit,
collections, and portfolio managers) to better understand
the internal processes and policies of her company.

> She visited several equipment manufacturing plants to
better understand the equipment she was funding.

> She participated in industry association meetings and
volunteered to better understand the best practices which
were shared throughout the industry.

> She built a network of industry peers to share ideas and
to learn her position within the industry.

> She began requesting and dissecting copies of
competitors’  bids to better understand the reason for
won and lost transactions.

> She requested to participate in company-wide planning
meetings to better understand the mission and vision of
her company. She offered constructive suggestions and
concerns which were adopted by the management team
of her company.

In a simple statement provided by the originator two years after her initial consultation with Wheeler Business Consulting, the originator stated that she improved her value and potential in the industry, "By being fully engaged with internal and external stakeholders. By taking every opportunity to better understand every aspect of the process. By being committed to the industry, my company, and my own personal growth."

This originator is now a top producer for her company and a fierce competitor in the market.

Visit Scott Wheeler, CLFP
Newly Designed Website:
https://www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com/

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

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

Another War Story:
Advanced Execution of Acceptance Certificates
By Michael J. Witt, now Retired Attorney

This is from a time earlier when Michael J. Witt, Esq., although the law has not changed regarding the filing date of a UCC. Those in funding right away should be aware the law still applies.
 Michael Witt was Managing Counsel at Wells Fargo & Co and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Advanta Leasing Corporation. He is now retired. Editor

You’ve been warned many times before: don’t allow delivery and acceptance certificates to be signed before actual delivery. The reason is well-known: if the equipment is defective and the lessee stops paying and can prove that the certificate was pre-signed, then the lessee could argue that the Hell or High Water clause in the lease is unenforceable, even though the lessee is partially complicit in the “lie.”

But now here’s a second and far more pragmatic reason for not allowing the advanced execution of acceptance certificates: Sooner or later you're going to make a mistake. Shortcuts never work 100% of the time and even an error rate of 1% can cost you plenty.

Here’s a case in point, a true story: Vendor ABC prides himself on being efficient. “Minimal human touch” is his driving principle. A new leasing customer is in Vendor’s office on June 5 to sign the lease . . . . so why not just have the Lessee sign the acceptance certificate too, even though delivery can’t be scheduled until June 28? That’s the efficient thing to do, right? Everyone else in the business does it. It's a little “white lie.” No one gets harmed.

Delivery goes forward on June 28. Lessor funds Vendor on June 29 and files its UCC-1 financing statement the same day. Lessee files for bankruptcy the following year. Unrelated Creditor, who has a blanket lien on all of Lessee’s assets, convinces the court that the lease is not a true lease but a secured loan instead. The Uniform Commercial Code requires a purchase-money lender to file its UCC within 20 days of equipment delivery in order to take priority over a blanket lien holder. Therefore, since Lessor filed its UCC-1 within 20 days of the actual delivery, Lessor takes priority over Creditor, right?

Wrong. Unfortunately for Lessor, Vendor was a little too efficient, too expeditious, in having Lessee sign the acceptance certificate in advance. He forgot to tell Lessee to leave the date on the certificate blank, and when he submitted the documents to Lessor, he didn't notice that Lessee filled in the true date on which he signed all the papers—June 5. Therefore, the Court ruled that Creditor had priority over Lessor because the acceptance certificate was dated more than 20 days before the Lessor filed its UCC.

“But wait a minute,” Lessor pleaded with the judge. “The truth of the matter is that the equipment was delivered on June 28, not June 5. I can prove this to you, judge, by this other receipt I have here. Surely you won’t let this little error overrule the real truth.”

The judge would hear none of it, and probably rightly so. He said, in so many words, that it was too late to tell the truth.

 

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California Court Throws Out Lawsuit
Against Marijuana Delivery Services

Back in April 2019, a group of cities in California that have banned recreational cannabis sales sued Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. The state allows recreational pot deliveries even in cities that haven’t opted into the cannabis market, and the 24 cities argued that this violated Proposition 64, which allowed recreational sales in California. The lawsuit was filed against the California Bureau of Cannabis Control at the Fresno County Superior Jail.

A year after the lawsuit was filed, a Fresno judge has ruled that California’s government is not in the wrong by allowing home cannabis deliveries even in cities/jurisdictions that don’t allow retail sales. Fresno County Superior Court Judge Rosemary McGuire said that she was in agreement with the attorneys representing the State Bureau of Cannabis Control, stating that Proposition 64 allows licensed cannabis firms in the state to deliver marijuana products wherever legally permitted buyers are found within state borders.

In their lawsuit, the cities argued that such deliveries put the delivery vans in danger of being robbed of the cash they had on hand and that illegal sellers would be able to blend in with delivery vans from other cities and municipalities. According to attorney J. Scott Miller, who represents the cities, the implementation of statewide cannabis delivery directly conflicts with local autonomy.

Several local leaders, including Riverside Mayor Pro Tem Mike Soubirous, have stated that the state’s implementation of the cannabis delivery program has left them “powerless” to make such decisions on their own. However, the head of the Bureau of Cannabis Control Lori Ajax mentioned a provision in the state’s cannabis legislation, which states that local jurisdictions cannot prevent state-licensed businesses from delivering cannabis products using public roads.

Source: Cannabisnewswire.com

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Academy for Certified Lease & Finance Professionals
One Left This Year for Public/Next Scheduled February 2021

A screen shot from the first day of the first online Academy for Leasing and Finance Professionals by U.S. Bank Equipment Leasing

The Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals (ALFP) is a three-day event designed to fully prepare an individual to sit for the CLFP exam assuming the attendee has already self-studied. During the first two days, all of the required sections of the CLFP exam are covered in-depth and on the third day, the exam is offered, but not mandatory.

Students are strongly advised to have read and studied The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals' Handbook prior to attending the class in order to ensure success.

CoreTech Leasing
Online Public ALFP
December 17 -19, 2020
https://clfpfoundation.org/academy-for-lease-and-finance-professionals/2020-coretech-leasing-online-alfp/ (map)

Ascentium Capital - Private
Online ALFP
Jan 7 – 9, 2021
4141 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(Keyser Conference Room)

KEY Equipment Finance
Online Public ALFP
February 22 – 25, 2021
9:00am – 5:00pm. Central.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Reid Raykovich, Executive Director: Reid@clfpfoundation.org

About Academy
https://clfpfoundation.org/academy-for-lease-and-finance-professionals/

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

North Mill Sets Another Record in 2020
as November Originations Hit as All-Time High

NORWALK, CT – North Mill Equipment Finance LLC (“North Mill”), a leading independent commercial equipment lessor located in Norwalk, Connecticut, announced today that the company reached an all-time high in monthly loan and lease originations in November.  The record-breaking month saw funded volume climb to nearly $19 million, representing a growth rate of approximately 70% over the same period last year.

David C. Lee, North Mill’s Chairman and CEO, explained: “The new watermark in volume was especially gratifying given the number of business days in November is shortened by the extended Thanksgiving weekend holiday and Veteran’s Day.

A key factor contributing to the success, according to Lee, is the company’s commitment to asset diversification and emphasis on stronger credit borrowers.

“Our weighted average FICO in November exceeded 719, up 21 points from last year. Plus, titled transportation, which made up nearly 100% of the firm’s asset portfolio a few years ago, now accounts for well under 50% of funded volume with heavy duty sleeper trucks being less than 10 percent,” he said.

The company’s average deal size also shot up, surpassing $84,000, up 23% from November of 2019 while the number of funded transactions also rose by 38% from last year.  As the organization’s key financial metrics have soared, so too has the number of referral agents interested in working with North Mill. The company continues to see more and more equipment finance brokers interested in establishing relations.

“Despite the many challenges imposed by the global pandemic, the team at North Mill is working harder than ever to help meet the needs of our broker partners and their customers,” Lee emphasized. “As always, we remain exclusively committed to our referral partners.”

About North Mill Equipment Finance
Headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, North Mill Equipment Finance originates and services small-ticket equipment leases and loans, ranging from $15,000 to $300,000 in value. A broker-centric private lender, the company handles A – C credit qualities and finances transactions for numerous asset categories including construction, transportation, vocational, medical, manufacturing, printing, and material handling equipment. North Mill is majority owned by an affiliate of Wafra Capital Partners, Inc. (WCP).  For more information, visit www.nmef.com.

 

Balboa Capital Reports Increase in Equipment Loan
Requests as Section 179 Deadline Approaches

Leading direct lender is providing small businesses with rapid funding
to purchase equipment before the Section 179 deadline
 on December 31, 2020.

COSTA MESA, CA, – Balboa Capital, a leading direct lender that specializes in small business loans and equipment financing, is seeing an increase in capital equipment investing by small business owners who want to take advantage of the current Section 179 tax deduction before it expires on December 31, 2020.

Kevin Umeda, Manager of Sales Planning and Coordination at Balboa Capital, said, “A sizeable number of small business owners are purchasing new or used equipment during the final weeks of 2020 so they can expense all or a portion of the cost under the Section 179 provision.

“Our company has seen a strong uptick in equipment loan requests from small businesses during the fourth quarter, and we are geared up for the end-of-year rush. We have the staff and systems in place to help business owners get same-day funding of up to $250,000 to purchase equipment.”

“Cash flow has unquestionably been a big concern among small business owners this year due to the pandemic, but it appears a substantial number of them feel confident about the economy and are ready to invest in new or used equipment,” said Mr. Umeda. “Business owners who are interested in purchasing depreciable business equipment should act now so they don’t miss the 2020 Section 179 deadline.”

The Section 179 tax deduction is an IRS tax incentive that allows businesses to accelerate depreciation on qualifying equipment that is purchased or financed and put into business use on or before December 31, 2020. The current Section 179 tax deduction limit is $1 million, and the limit on equipment purchases is $2.5 million. In addition, the current first-year bonus depreciation on qualifying equipment is 100%. Balboa Capital’s website has a number of complimentary Section 179 resources for business owners, including a tax calculator and an infographic that feature information and deduction limits for 2020. Not all types of equipment qualify for the Section 179 deduction, so business owners should consult with an accountant or a tax professional prior to making any purchases.

About Balboa Capital

Balboa Capital is a technology-driven financing company that provides business owners with fast, hassle-free solutions to fuel their growth and success. The company specializes in small business loans, equipment financing, commercial financing, equipment vendor financing, and franchise financing. Balboa Capital developed an intuitive online platform that simplifies the entire financing process. Calculators provide instant estimates, applications can be completed and submitted in a matter of minutes, and sophisticated credit scoring technology provides instant decisions. To learn more, visit https://www.balboacapital.com.

German Shepherd
Houston, Texas   Adopt-a-Dog

Elsa
Female

Elsa is the funniest and happiest little girl.  She is approximately 7 months old.  She was found along the side of a freeway and taken in by kind humans.  They kept her for a couple of weeks when they realized, she was growing fast and needed room to play.  They felt it best that she be given the opportunity to have a GREAT life especially with the rough start she already had.  She is quite the nosey girl and likes to see everything you are doing.  She loves to play with toys and chases them around as she throws them in the air.  She gets along with all of the other dogs in her foster home.  She will keep you smiling and laughing as you watch her silliness!

All Lani’s Lucky Shepherds receive an individual examination by a local veterinarian, are current on vaccinations, spay or neutered, microchipped, and tested for heart worms and other intestinal worms and parasites. All incoming dogs receive Drontal Plus de-wormer or its equivalent as an extra precautionary step to go above and beyond to keep our rescued dogs healthy. We feed our rescue dogs high quality dog food and supplements while they live in our foster homes. All these costs are paid for by our rescue. You won’t have to pay for these normal costs or bother with the headaches of having to take your new dog to a vet for all these procedures.

We strongly suggest that you complete the adoption application process before choosing a dog from our web page. Most of the dogs on this web page will have approved adopters already looking at them. We get new dogs on a regular basis. The application process can take a couple of weeks depending on your schedule. You will have access to all of our available dogs once you are approved to adopt a rescue dog. Please visit www.luckyshepherds.com for more information. Please note that we only serve the Greater Houston area. We do not adopt our dogs to homes outside of the Houston and its neighboring areas.

Adoption Fee: $435.00

If you have any questions about Elsa, please contact Lani's Lucky Shepherds of Houston - A German Shepherd Dog Rescue at luckyshepherdsrescue@gmail.com
Lani's Lucky Shepherds of Houston - A German Shepherd Dog

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More than two centuries ago, on May 14, 1796, the English doctor Edward Jenner carried out what was later proven to have been the first modern-day vaccination, when he injected a young boy with pus from cow pox (or vaccinia virus) blisters on a milkmaid’s hands. This immunized him against smallpox and the virus’ name coined the term “vaccine.”

Jenner was the first doctor to introduce and scientifically study the smallpox vaccine. But the concept of giving yourself a mild form of the disease to immunize against a harsher form existed as early as 16th century China or early 18th century India.

With the progress of science in the 20th century, the development of vaccines was accelerating, but the latter part of the century also gave rise to skepticism and conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines.

While the disease targeted by the first modern-day vaccine, smallpox, has successfully been eradicated, that feat has not been accomplished for polio and tuberculosis yet.

By Katharina Buckholz,  Statista

 

News Briefs---

Hewlett Packard will shift HQ from Silicon Valley to Texas,
      but will create tech hub in San Jose
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/12/01/hpe-shift-hq-silicon-valley-texas-create-tech-hub-san-jose-jobs

Fauci Tells Zuckerberg COVID Pandemic Won't End Unless '
     ‘Overwhelming Majority' Get Vaccinated
https://www.newsweek.com/anthony-fauci-mark-zuckerberg-covid-not-over-unless-overwhelming-majority-vaccinated-1551389

‘Biblical mandate.’ California churches ready to defy Newsom
   after Supreme Court ruling
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article247507750.html

CDC vaccine advisers vote to recommend that health care staff
   and long term care facility residents get Covid-19 vaccine first
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/health/cdc-acip-covid-19-vaccine-recommendation-vote/index.html

Florida becomes the third state to reach
    1 million coronavirus cases
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/us/florida-1-million-covid-cases/index.html

William Barr says there is no evidence
   of widespread fraud in presidential election
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/politics/william-barr-election-2020/index.html

Trump raises more than $150 million
    appealing to false election claims
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raises-more-than-150-million-appealing-to-false-election-claims/2020/11/30/82e922e6-3347-11eb-afe6-e4dbee9689f8_story.html

H-1B: Foreign-student work permit OPT,
    often a visa stepping stone, upheld in court
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/12/01/h-1b-foreign-student-work-permit-opt-often-a-visa-stepping-stone-upheld-in-court/

Some jobs may never return. Moving those workers
      into new careers is an enormous challenge.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/business/some-jobs-may-never-return-moving-those-workers-into-new-careers-is-an-enormous-challenge.html

Photographers captured removal of the mysterious
   Utah monolith. Here's why it vanished.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/12/01/utah-monolith-disappearance-photographer-captures-removal/6474630002/

 

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You May Have Missed---

Federal tax hit could surprise many unemployed people
   when they file their Form 1040 next year
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/networth/article/Federal-tax-hit-could-take-many-unemployed-people-15758118.php

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Sports Briefs---

Women's team, US Soccer settle part of their lawsuit
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/womens-team-us-soccer-settle-part-of-their-lawsuit/

NFL power rankings: First-place Packers,
    Titans climb into top five
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/nate-davis/2020/12/01/nfl-power-rankings-week-12-packers-titans-steelers-chiefs/6474236002/

Much deep meaning in 49ers’ shocking win over Rams
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/ostler/article/Much-deep-meaning-in-49ers-shocking-win-over-15762056.php

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California Nuts Briefs---

Under fire from D.A.s, Gavin Newsom says he is taking action
     to curb prison unemployment fraud
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article247535825.html?ac_cid=DM335118&ac_bid=-1273513439

S.F. Mayor London Breed had her own French Laundry party
      — the night after Gavin Newsom’s
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/S-F-Mayor-London-Breed-had-her-own-French-15767506.php

Coronavirus: Nearly 200 Santa Clara County retailers
     fined for social distancing fails
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/12/01/coronavirus-nearly-200-santa-clara-county-retailers-fined-for-social-distancing-fails/

Santa Clara County should be lauded for insisting
   49ers follow coronavirus protocols
https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/annkillion/article/Santa-Clara-County-should-be-lauded-for-insisting-15764174.php

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

The Napa Legends Making Iconic Wines You Can Actually Buy
https://www.winemag.com/2020/11/20/napa-legends-making-iconic-wines-buy/

Small wineries are not always better
https://www.wine-business-international.com/wine/analysis/small-wineries-are-not-always-better

California’s Latino-owned wineries mushroom
https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/californias-latino-owned-wineries-mushroom

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

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

This Day in History

     1662 - An act “prohibiting the entertainment of Indians without badges” was passed by the Assembly at James City, VA. Colonial badges were issued to “friendly Natives,” authorized in Virginia by the Act of 1661, which authorized “silver and plated plaques to be worn by the Indians when visiting the settlements.” One of these has a crude representation of a tobacco plant and scrolls, above which is “The King OF” on the obverse, while on the reverse is a similarly engraved plant and the word “Patomeck” with the “e” over lined. The surface edges were engraved to represent scrolls and foldings, while the medal was holed for suspension. It was also common in many Southern states to require slaves of all races and colors to wear “badges” or “medal tags” to donate their owner, plus giving the authority to be off the “premises.” There were also “slave hire badges,” worn by slaves hired out by their owners.
This site sells these pieces of history:
http://www.exonumia.com/slave.htm
here are 1834-Slave tags
http://prices4antiques.com/itemsummary/104768.htm
http://www.wakeforestcoins.com/slave%20badges/slave%20badges.htm
http://www.p4a.com/itemdetail/79637.htm
    1763 - Members of the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island witnessed the dedication of the Touro Synagogue, the first synagogue in what became the United States. Sephardic Jews in Jamaica, Surinam, London and Amsterdam sponsored the building of this first major center of Jewish culture in America. Designed in the Georgian style by English architect Peter Harrison, the synagogue was named for Isaac Touro, its first officiating rabbi. There were Jewish religious meetings in New York and Atlanta, Georgia, however this is considered the first building. It is considered an architectural masterpiece, and by the way, Touro Synagogue is the sole surviving synagogue built in colonial America.
(Lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec02.html )
    1777 - Lydia Barrington Darragh (1729-89) is known as “The Spy Who Saved George Washington.” History records she hid this evening in the linen closet and listened to the British leaders discussing a surprise attack against Washington's army. The next day, she walked several miles through the snow to the American army's location at Whitemarsh to alert Washington so that when the British launched its attack, Washington and his men were ready. This was considered one of the major turning points in the war as the American army, instead of forcing the British troops back to Philadelphia, would have faced almost total destruction.
http://www.ushistory.org/march/bio/lydia.htm
http://www2.whidbey.net/jerod/lydiadarragh.htm
http://www.lexidigital.com/bcdarwomen4.htm
    1812 - James Madison was re-elected President, defeating De Witt Clinton of New York, who had been endorsed by the Federalists and by Democratic-Republicans opposed to what became the War of 1812. Elbridge Gerry, Democratic-Republican of Massachusetts, was elected Vice President. The electoral vote was Madison, 128; Clinton, 89; and Gerry, 131, Charles Jared Ingersoll, Federalist of Pennsylvania, 86.
htt  p://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jm4.html
    1816 – The first savings bank in the US opened as the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society.  In 1992, federal regulators seized the 176-year-old bank and placed it into the receivership of the FDIC. The FDIC then sold its remaining assets to Mellon Financial for $335 million. Mellon renamed the former PSFS branches Mellon PSFS, a name which lasted the end of 2001, when the branches were acquired by Citizens Financial Group.
    1823 - President James Monroe, in his annual message to Congress, enunciated the doctrine that bears his name and that was long hailed as a statement of US Policy: “...In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part---we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemi-sphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.” George Washington in his farewell speech noted his policy and opinion, but obviously it was not followed as the United States continued its expansion into foreign territory owned by European countries, including Ohio, Florida, West of the Mississippi and Canada, which in part, contributed to the War of 1812 with Britain. By this year, the United States had claims on most of the territory except for that owned by Mexico and Russia, (not including islands such as Hawaii or other areas owned by Spain or lands still considered to be Indian territory) which we either traded or conquered.  Those areas are part of the South West, including California. The posturing of US, or for that fact, any foreign government official, often had little to do with “reality,” meaning the “expansion” or “acquisition.” Read your American history, not what they taught you in grammar or high school.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684818868/qid=1038511881/sr=2-1/
102-1682336-8966565?v=glance&s=books
    1831 - Birthday of Francis N. Peloubet (d. 1920), American Congregational clergyman. A promoter of the Sunday School, he penned 44 annual volumes of "Select Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons" between 1875 and his death in 1920. They were known afterward as "Peloubet's Notes."
    1840 - William Henry Harrison was elected President, John Tyler of Virginia was elected Vice-President in a Whig landslide, defeating incumbent President Martin Van Buren, Democrat. In 1837, the panic began. Hundreds of banks and businesses failed. Thousands lost their lands. For about five years, the United States was wracked by the worst depression thus far in its history. Programs applied decades later to alleviate economic crisis eluded both Van Buren and his opponents. Van Buren's remedy--continuing Jackson's deflationary policies--only deepened and prolonged the depression. Declaring that the panic was due to recklessness in business and over expansion of credit, Van Buren devoted himself to maintaining the solvency of the National Government. He opposed not only the creation of a new Bank of the United States but also the placing of Government funds in state banks. He fought for the establishment of an independent treasury system to handle Government transactions. As for Federal aid to internal improvements, he cut off expenditures so completely that the Government even sold the tools it had used on public works. The electoral vote was Harrison 234, Martin Van Buren, 60. The popular vote was Harrison, 1,275,017; Van Buren, 1,128,702; James G. Birney, Liberty Party, candidate, 7059. Unfortunately, William Henry Harrison, 68, caught cold at his inauguration on March 4, and died of pneumonia on April 4, 1841. For the first time, a Vice President succeed to the presidency. Tyler, although he had run on the Whig ticket, was not a Whig at heart. He had previously supported the Democrat, President Andrew Jackson in 1828 and 1832, and had major political disagreements with the northern, conservative wing of the Whig Party. His administration was characterized by bickering and frustration, as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster tried to control Tyler and shape the White Party to their own interests.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/mb8.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jt10.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/wh9.html
    1845 - In a State of the Union address, President James K. Polk proposed that the United States should aggressively expand into the West. The territorial expansion of the US from 1812 to 1860, from the end of the War of 1812 to the beginning of the Civil War, has been called the "age of manifest destiny." During this time, the United States expanded to the Pacific Ocean, largely defining the borders of the contiguous US as they are today.
    1859 - John Brown, Abolitionist leader who is remembered for his raid on the US arsenal at Harper's Ferry, VA, was hanged for treason at Charles Town, WV. On October 16, he and 21 followers had seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry (now in West Virginia) to establish an abolitionist republic in the Appalachians and to fight slavery with fugitive slaves and abolitionist whites. Groups had been raiding “free states” in retaliation for hiding slaves or helping them to escape to Haiti or Canada permanently. He had moved to Kansas to help organize resistance to these Southern raids.  It is interesting to note the men who appeared upon the scenes of these opening hostilities at Harpers Ferry, as they became famous or celebrated characters in the great drama of the civil war. Among those who became Confederate generals were: S. Cooper, R. E. Lee, J. E. B. Stuart, John B. Floyd and Henry A. Wise; and among colonels, C. J. Faulkner and A. R. Boteler. In the committee of the United States Senate, appointed by resolution of December 14, 1859, to inquire into the facts attending this invasion, were Hons. Jefferson Davis and J. M. Mason, and this committee had before it as witnesses, Hons. W. H. Seward, J. R. Giddings, Henry Wilson and Andrew Hunter. John A. Andrews, of Massachusetts, secured funds to pay Brown's counsel. In the South, John Brown was thought of as a murderer and traitor who deserved the gallows, but in the North his gibbet was described as “the cross of a martyr.” In Concord, Mass., Henry David Thoreau wrote of Brown, “When a government puts forth its strength...to kill the liberators of the slave, what a merely brute...force it is seen to be.” Longfellow wound a prophetic note: “This will be a great day in our history, the date of a new revolution...As I write, they are now leading old John Brown to execution...This is sowing the wind to reap the whirlwind, which will soon come.”
http://infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0809136.html
http://www.civilwarhome.com/johnbrown.htm
    1863 - Charles Ringling (d. 1926) was born in McGregor, IA.  As one of the Ringling Brothers, who owned the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, he was in charge of production.
    1864 - Confederate General Archibald Gracie, Jr., is killed in the trenches at Petersburg, Virginia, when an artillery shell explodes near him. Gracie was born in New York in 1832. He was educated in Germany before he attended West Point, from which he graduated in 1854. Although his family lived in the North, his father owned a business in Mobile, Alabama, and Gracie moved there upon his resignation from the army in 1856. Gracie soon became an ardent supporter of the southern cause, and he was active in the Alabama state militia. In early 1861, before Alabama seceded from the Union, Gracie was ordered by the governor to seize the federal arsenal at Mount Vernon. Gracie's command protected Richmond in the summer of 1864, and his leadership at Drewry's Bluff was instrumental in holding Union General Benjamin Butler's force at bay near the Confederate capital. Gracie fought during the siege of Petersburg for the rest of the year, and he was recommended for promotion to major general. Unfortunately, he was killed before the rank was confirmed. Most of Gracie's family remained in the North, and his relatives arranged for transfer of his body to Union lines. He was buried in The Bronx.  His grandfather built what is now Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York City.
    1867 - English writer Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States, at Tremont Temple in Boston. Dickens was a hit with the American public, who anxiously awaited each installment of his serialized novels. The line for his first reading in New York was more than a mile long.
    1873 - The Reformed Episcopal Church was organized in New York City when 8 clergymen and 20 laymen broke from the Protestant Episcopal Church over a debate regarding proper church ritual.
    1887 – The International League disbanded.  Syracuse, Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo split off to form the International Association, while Newark, Jersey City, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton became the nucleus of the Central League.  At the present time, Syracuse, Buffalo and Scranton still have minor league teams, while Toronto is now the American League East Blue Jays.  Historically significant is Jersey City, the site of Jackie Robinson’s first professional game.  Currently, the International League is a 14-team circuit of Triple-A teams aligned with a Major League team. 
    1890 - Birthday of pianist/band leader Fate Marable (d. 1947), Paducah, KY.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/fatem.html
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/m/M299.HTM
http://www.redhotjazz.com/fate.html
http://mnmn.essortment.com/louisarmstrong_rsvy.htm
    1891 - Birthday of Dr. Charles Wesley (d. 1987), Louisville, KY.  African-American educator/historian.  He was the fourth African-American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard. An ordained minister, Wesley’s distinguished career included 40 years of leadership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1976, he served as Director of the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia, now known as the African-American Museum in Philadelphia.
http://www.dpw-archives.org/chw.html
    1895 - Birthday of organist Jesse Crawford (d. 1962), Woodland, CA.
http://www.ohscatalog.org/ohscatalog/jescrawearye.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0911572112/inktomi-bkasin-20/
002-5410374-3716044
    1901 - King Camp Gillette designed the first razor with disposable blades. Up until this time, men shaved with a straight edge razor that they sharpened on a leather strap.  To sell the product, Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company on September 28, 1901, changing the company's name to Gillette Safety Razor Company in July, 1902. Gillette obtained a trademark registration for his portrait and signature on the packaging. Production began in 1903, when he sold a total of 51 razors and 168 blades.  The Gillette brand is now owned by Proctor & Gamble, the result of their 2005 acquisition of The Gillette Company.
    1905 - Birthday of Moses Asch (d. 1986), founder of Folkways Records, Warsaw, Poland. 
http://www.folklife.si.edu/CFCH/coll.htm#asch
http://www.folkways.si.edu/
    1906 - Birthday of TV pioneer Peter Goldmark (d. 1977), born Budapest, Hungary. As an engineer at Columbia Broadcasting Systems Laboratory, he devised a color television system and later the LP (long playing) record album, which transformed the recording industry. Goldmark's color television, first demonstrated in 1940 and approved for commercial use after World War II, used a rotating, three-color disk to project color images. Although all-electronic color television quickly replaced Goldmark's mechanical system, closed-circuit television manufacturers continued to use Goldmark's design. In 1948, Goldmark developed the LP, which could carry as much music as six 78-rpm records. Later, as vice president of CBS, Goldmark developed a system that allowed the U.S. Lunar Orbiter to transmit photographs from the Moon to the Earth.
    1908 - The Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America was founded in Philadelphia. In 1950, this ecumenical organization was replaced by the National Council of Churches.
    1914 - Birthday of arranger/composer Eddie Sauter (d. 1981), Brooklyn, NY.
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/s/S25.HTM
http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=1927179025
& clink=dmmu.artist&a=b
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000507YK/
avsearch-df1-9-20/
002-5410374-3716044
    1916 - Birthday of tenor saxophone player Charlie Ventura (d. 1992), Philadelphia.
http://www.gkrp.net/charliebio.html 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005ARFW/avsearch-df1-9-20/
002-5410374-3716044
    1917 - Birthday of American singer Sylvia Syms (d. 1992), born Sylvia Blagman, Brooklyn. She was called the “world's greatest saloon singer” by Frank Sinatra and recorded 15 albums.
http://artists.spun.com/sylvia_syms
http://music.zodchiy.com/S/Sylvia_Syms.html
    1918 – Birthday of Milton DeLugg (d. 2015), Los Angeles.  A musician, composer and arranger, he was also a bandleader of Milton DeLugg and His Orchestra and The Tonight Show Orchestra.  Played on “Abe Burrows' Almanac,” “The Chuck Barris Rah Rah Show,” “Dagmar's Canteen,” “Doodles Weaver,” “The Newlywed Game,” “The Gong Show,” “Judge for Yourself,” “Your Hit Parade,” “Broadway Open House;” songwriter: “Orange Colored Sky.”  In 1958, he produced “Rave On” for Buddy Holly.
http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Delugg,%20Milton
http://www.spaceagepop.com/delugg.htm http://www.tvparty.com/lostmahoney.html
    1923 - Opera soprano Maria Callas (d. 1977) was born in New York City. Her appearances in public had to be protected by guards. She was swarmed by fans and the press: the new sleek Callas was too photogenic with her strongly defined facial features and huge eyes. Her open affair with one of the world's richest men, Greek shipping giant Aristotle Onassis, fanned the flames of the tabloids even higher keeping her personal life in headlines.... including the humiliating end of the affair as her former lover declined to marry her, then wooed and married Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of President John Kennedy. Her last operatic performance was in 1965 in a career that had been marked by retirement from the high society life with Onassis before returning to the States, and quarrels with the managers of LaScala and the Metropolitan, and cancellations of performances. http://www.callas.it/framehome-e.html
    1927 - The first Ford Model A was unveiled in New York City's Waldorf Hotel and in 35 other cities around the U.S., Canada and Europe. The car was priced affordably: the Phaeton sold for $395.00 and the Tudor Sedan for $495.00. The lag between cars available and orders on hand had mounted to 800,000 by the spring of 1928. Ford made almost two million Model A cars in 1929 alone.  Model A production ended in March, 1932, after 4,858,644 had been made in all body styles.
http://www.mafca.com/
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-glance/Y02Y2585701Y3188484/
002-5410374-3716044
    1930 – As the Great Depression took hold of the US a year after the crash in 1929, President Herbert Hoover proposed a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
    1931 - Birthday of pianist Wynton Kelly (d. 1971), Brooklyn, of Jamaican parents.
These are the best: 
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/kelly_w_cat.html
http://members.aol.com/jazz2312/profiles.html/kelly.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=music-artist&field-artist=
Kelly%2C%20Wynton/002-5410374-3716044
    1932 - "The Adventures of Charlie Chan" was first heard on the NBC Blue radio network. The Chinese detective became even more popular on the movie screen in the 1930s and 1940s.
(I have them all: http://www.mgm.com/chan/ )
DVD: http://members.tripod.com/classic-movies/ )
    1932 - Bing Crosby and Bob Hope appeared together for the first time onstage in a show at the Paramount Theater, where “The Mask of Fu Manchu” opened. The duo would become two of Hollywood's best-paid actors thanks to their comic rapport
    1935 - Birthday of pianist Ronnie Matthews (d. 2008), Brooklyn, NY. 
http://www.jazzpianists.com/RonnieMathews/
http://www.hitadesign.com/posters/jazz/jazzposters23.html
    1939 – LaGuardia Airport opened in NYC.  The site of the airport was originally used by the Gala Amusement Park, razed and transformed in 1929 into a 105-acre private flying field named Glenn Curtiss Airport after the pioneer Long Island aviator, later called North Beach Airport.  The initiative to develop the airport for commercial flights began with an outburst by New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (in office from 1934 to 1945) upon the arrival of his flight at Newark Airport – the only commercial airport serving the New York City region at the time – as his ticket said "New York." He demanded to be taken to New York, and ordered the plane to be flown to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, giving an impromptu press conference to reporters along the way. He urged New Yorkers to support a new airport within their city.   
    1940 - Billy Eckstine records “Jelly, Jell” with Earl Hines' Band.
    1941 – On the day the US ceased it surveillance of the Japanese consulate, Admiral Yamamoto sent the Japanese fleet to Pearl Harbor.
    1942 - The first nuclear chain reaction was engineered by scientists lead by Enrico Fermi at University of Chicago’s Stagg Field.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec02.html
    1943 – Birthday of William Wegman, Holyoke, MA.  Photographer: photographs, videotapes, paintings and drawings exhibited in museums and galleries internationally; film and video works for “Saturday Night Live,” “Sesame Street” and “Nickelodeon;” works for children: “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Mother Goose,” “Alphabet Soup;” “The Hardy Boys in Hardy Gold” [screened at 1996 Sundance Film Festival].
    1947 - Top Hits 
“Near You” - The Francis Craig Orchestra (vocal: Bob Lamm) 
“You Do” - Dinah Shore 
“And Mimi” - Art Lund 
“I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)” - Eddy Arnold
    1950 - A late season tornado killed four persons in Madison County and Bond County, east of St Louis, MO. Three tornadoes touched down in Illinois that afternoon, compared to just half a dozen tornadoes in the month of December in 115 years of records up until that time. Thunderstorms also produced hail which caused more than four million dollars damage in the St Louis area; it was the most damaging hailstorm of record for Missouri.
    1950 - "The Thing" by Phil Harris topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.
    1952 - Keeping his campaign promise, President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in Korea to promote a settlement to end hostilities in that war-ravaged country.
    1952 - George Jorgensen, a former G.I. who had gone to Denmark in 1950, prepared to return to the U.S. this day -- as Christine Jorgensen. She/he had undergone 2,000 hormone injections and six operations performed by sex change surgeons.
    1952 - Commissioner Ford Frick has no plans to take action against Jackie Robinson. Two days earlier, Robinson had called the Yankees a racist organization for its failure to promote a black to the parent club.
    1954 - The U.S. Senate votes 65 to 22 to condemn Senator Joseph R. McCarthy for conduct unbecoming a senator. The condemnation, which was equivalent to a censure, related to McCarthy's controversial investigation of suspected communists in the U.S. government, military, and civilian society. In the early months of 1954, McCarthy, who had already lost the support of much of his party because of his controversial tactics, finally overreached himself when he accused several U.S. Army officers of communist subversion. Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower pushed for an investigation of McCarthy's charges, and the televised hearings exposed the senator as a reckless and excessive tyrant who never produced proper documentation for any of his claims. A climax of the hearings came on June 9, when Joseph N. Welch, special attorney for the army, responded to a McCarthy attack on a member of his law firm by facing the senator and tearfully declaring, "Until this moment, senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you no sense of decency?" The crowded hearing room burst into spontaneous applause. On December 2, after a heated debate, the Senate voted to condemn McCarthy for conduct "contrary to senatorial traditions." By the time of his death from alcoholism in 1957, the influence of Senator Joseph McCarthy in Congress was negligible.
    1955 - Top Hits 
“Sixteen Tons” - Tennessee Ernie Ford 
“I Hear You Knocking” - Gale Storm 
“Memories are Made of This” - Dean Martin 
“Love, Love, Love” - Webb Pierce
    1956 - The Granma, a yacht purchased by a straw buyer, reached Cuba’s shores after leaving Mexico on November 25. Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, Che Guevara, and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembarked to begin planning the Cuban Revolution.  Since 1976, the yacht has been on permanent display in a glass enclosure at the Granma Memorial adjacent to the Museum of the Revolution in Havana. Cuba celebrates 2 December as the "Day of the Cuban Armed Forces.”
    1957 - "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks. 
    1957 - In the Pacific Coast League, some franchises relocated when the Dodgers and Giants confirmed their long-rumored move to California for the 1958 season. The Hollywood Stars moved to Salt Lake City; the Los Angeles Angels moved to Spokane; and the San Francisco Seals moved to Phoenix.
    1961 - In a nationally broadcast speech, Castro declared that he is a Marxist-Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
    1961 - Major League clubs voted to curb bonuses. All first-year players not on Major League rosters, except one minor leaguer, can be drafted by any other club for $8,000. Clubs are expected to be unwilling to pay large bonuses for players who will be subject to a draft for just $8,000.
    1962 - After a trip to Vietnam at the request of President Kennedy, Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield became the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.
    1963 - Top Hits 
“I'm Leaving It Up to You” - Dale & Grace 
“Dominique” - The Singing Nun 
“Everybody” - Tommy Roe 
“Love's Gonna Live Here” - Buck Owens
    1967 - "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.
    1969 - Cindy Birdsong of the Supremes is kidnapped by the caretaker of her Hollywood apartment, who, while holding a knife to her throat, forces her to tie up her two visiting friends. He then forces her into a car and drives toward Long Beach, but the singer jumps from the car and escapes.  The kidnapper was arrested in Las Vegas four days later.
    1969 – A patent was granted to Marie Van Brittan Brown with her husband, Albert Brown, for the home security system (U.S. Patent 3,482,037).
    1970 - A rare December tornado touched down in the Timpanogos Divide in Utah. It tracked across a 38 inch snow cover, spewing snow 1000 feet into the air.
    1970 – The EPA began operating but it would be decades before they aggravated anyone.
    1971 - Top Hits 
“Theme from Shaft” - Isaac Hayes 
“Baby I'm-A Want You” - Bread 
“Have You Seen Her” - Chi-Lites 
“Daddy Frank” (“The Guitar Man”) - Merle Haggard
    1972 - Motown's Temptations reached the #1 spot on the top 40 charts with "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." It was the fourth #1 hit for the Temptations, joining "My Girl" (1965), "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969) and "Just My Imagination" (1971).
    1974 - A big snowstorm over the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes came to an end. Detroit measured 19.5 inches, Toledo 15.9 inches, Cleveland 17.8 inches and Akron 24.3 inches
    1975 - Disco group Silver Convention earns a Gold record for "Fly, Robin, Fly," #1 on the Billboard Pop chart. 
    1977 - Joan S. Wallace is sworn in as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is the first black woman to hold the post. The first woman appointed was Dorothy H. Jacobsen in 1964.
http://www.fiu.edu/~socialwk/wallace.htm
   1978 - "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond topped the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 2 weeks.  A radio station engineer had spliced together Neil's version, from his 1997 album, with Barbra's rendition and got such good response, the station added it to their play list. When Neil got wind of it, he decided to re-record the song with Streisand herself, and within weeks of its release, the single went to number one in the US and number five in the UK.  Coincidentally, both attended high school at Brooklyn’s Erasmus Hall in the mid 1950’s.
    1979 - Top Hits 
“No More Tears” (“Enough is Enough”) - Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer 
“Babe” - Styx 
“Please Don't Go” - K.C. & The Sunshine Band 
“Broken Hearted Me” - Anne Murray
    1980 – The following National Parks and Preserves were established in Alaska:  Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katami, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, Wbuk Valley, Wrangell-Saint Elias.
    1980 - "Kenny Roger's Greatest Hits" is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Kenny's latest single, "Lady" is currently #1 on the Billboard Pop chart. 
    1981 – Birthday of Britney Spears, Kentwood, LA.   Dance-pop singer: albums: “Baby… One More Time,” “Oops!…Did It Again,” TV performer: “The Mickey Mouse Club,” “Time Out with Britney Spears,” “Britney in Hawaii.”
    1982 - Barney C. Clark, 61, became the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. The operation was performed at the University of Utah Medical Center at Salt Lake City. Near death at the time of the operations, Clark survived almost 112 days after the implantation. He died March 23, 1983.
    1983 – Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was born in Chico, CA.  He took the Pack to the Super Bowl XLV championship with a 31-25 win over Pittsburgh.  Rodgers is the NFL's all-time career leader in passer rating during the regular season with a rating of 106.4 and third all-time in the postseason with a rating of 101.0 (among passers with at least 1,500 yards and 150 pass attempts, respectively).  He currently is the only quarterback to have a career passer rating of over 100.0 in the regular season as well as having the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history at 4.05 touchdowns per interception.
    1984 - Dan Marino connected for four touchdown passes and set an NFL record for TD passes in a season (40). Miami's Dolphins lost the game, however, to the Los Angeles Rams, 45-34. It marked the Dolphins' first home loss of the season following six wins.
    1985 - The highest-rated "Monday Night Football" telecast was seen this night on ABC-TV. The game drew an audience share of 46.0 and a rating of 29.6. The Miami Dolphins beat the Chicago Bears, 38-25. The Miami win snapped the Bears' 12-game winning streak. The Miami Dolphins scored on their first five possessions. The Bears thus finished the regular season with a 15-1 record, and the Dolphins preserved their unique status as the only NFL to go undefeated in an entire season, a feat they accomplished in 1972.  During the game, Bears head coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan fought for reasons still unknown.
    1985 - Organized crime bosses Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti were gunned down as they exited Sparks Steak House in New York City, making John Gotti, the organizer of the hit, head of the notorious Gambino crime family, the most powerful Mafia operation in New York. In 1968, Gotti was convicted of hijacking a truck and was sentenced to three years in prison. But his real Mafia ascension began when he killed one of the Gambino family's enemies in May, 1973. Despite concerted efforts by New York law enforcement to crush the Gambino family operation, Gotti continued to climb up the ladder. Wearing flashy, expensive suits, Gotti became something of a local hero in his Howard Beach neighborhood for his connection to organized crime. His unparalleled success at escaping conviction at trial earned him the nickname "Teflon Don." He was even acquitted of racketeering charges in 1986, despite the fact that the prosecution presented thousands of taped conversations in which Gotti was acknowledged as the head of the crime family. Gotti's streak of luck with the law ended in 1992, when he was convicted of murder and racketeering and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.  He died June 10, 2002 while serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.  Since being incarcerated in December of 1990, he spent twenty-three hours a day alone in a small cell and was not allowed any contact with the rest of the prison population.  When doctors diagnosed Gotti with throat cancer in September of 1998, he was brought to the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.  Following surgery and thirty-six radiation treatments, he was transferred back to solitary lockup in Marion, Illinois.
http://www.geocities.com/carmine_scalia/books.html
    1991 – The Supreme Court ruled that the Shirelles, Gene Pitney and B.J. Thomas are owed $1.2 million in unpaid royalties.
    1992 - Two F1 tornadoes touched down near Santa Rosa, CA and Mount Lemmon, AZ was drenched with 2.95 inches of rain in 24 hours. 
    1993 – NASA launched the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
    1995 - R. Kelly's "R. Kelly" was the #1 album in the U.S for one week.
    1995 - "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men topped the charts and stayed there for 16 weeks.
    1997 - "Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute" double album was released. The collection included songs from Sinead O'Connor, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Queen, George Michael, U2, Paul McCartney, REM, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and many others.
    2001 – Enron, once the 7th largest in the Fortune 500, filed for bankruptcy.
    2008 - In a ceremony at the home of Consul General of Japan, former Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda is honored for his contributions to Japanese baseball. The Hall of Famer receives the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette medal on behalf of the emperor for his work with players and teams in this Asian nation since 1965.
    2015 – Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people and wounded 22 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, CA.  A married couple, they targeted a County Department of Public Health training event and Christmas party, of about 80 employees, in a rented banquet room. Farook was an American-born US citizen who worked as a health department employee. Malik was a Pakistani-born lawfully permanent resident of the US.  After the shooting, the couple fled in a rented vehicle. Four hours later, police pursued their vehicle and killed them in a shootout.