Top Four Leasing Company Websites
in North America

By Christopher Menkin

These ratings are all from Alexa, February 5, 2019: Three Month Ratings. They are ranked with the lower number, meaning where they place on the USA list (the lower the rating, the more visitors. The numbers are not how many visitors, but ranking on the list.)

These are not ranked by a vote of who has the best website, but the ranking in conducted by Alexa, an Amazon company.

At one time, there were ten, then nine, then six under 1,000,000. Today there are only four.
What has changed is that the number one November 5, 2018, Direct Capital, was merged into the number two, CIT. However, both are now off the list as the CIT link goes to their bank.
Many banks and bank affiliates companies are connected with the bank’s website and ratings for the affiliates are not available.

Another change, Ascentium Capital at 1,123,678 on November 5, 2018, is now in fourth position at 77,826.

It should be noted that Financial Technology companies such as OnDeck, have much better "unique visitor" ratings, such as OnDeck at 124,000.

www.crestcapital.com
516,862

http://www.balboacapital.com/home.aspx
656,772

www.ascentiumcapital.com
773,826

www.finpac.com
905,843

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Not Many Franchise Funders Work with Brokers
By Christopher Menkin

The franchise finance industry is a tough, highly competitive world.

What Leasing News is told is that in the equipment leasing/finance industry there are not many funders who are interested in franchise financing to their normal brokers. Simply because most of the opportunities fall into two categories:

1. Start-ups, very difficult and normally done through SBA lending, or

2. Franchisees looking for their second or third location (often far too soon following their initial start-up location).  The well-established franchisees with multiple units (good time in business, profitable, good cash flow) are inundated with financing and refinancing offers from their local banks or specialty lenders with rates that very few broker-lender combinations can match.

Consequently, very few equipment lease brokers do much in what would seem to be a great area of opportunity (when they try it as a sideline it appears their lack of understanding in a complex arena often making it inefficient for them and the funder.)

Many of the companies who specialize in franchise funding have told Leasing News almost all of their franchise applicants from a handful of sources that concentrated solely on franchise (were not lease brokers).

The few funders that do well in the space have strict submission, credit, and funding guidelines that provide good decisions closed efficiently, Leasing News was told.

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Credit Analyst Norwalk, Ct. Remote Location Considered 2 Years Min. Experience Collateral knowledge of over-the-road trucking assets, construction equipment, material handling, vocational units and machine tools is desired Call Maria Borges-Lopez: (203) 354-6090 or e-mail your resume to HumanResources@nmef.com Please click nmef.com/careers/ for more information www.nmef.com Providing small-ticket equipment financing for businesses across the country through our dedicated referral source network

 

Sales make it Happen---by Steve Chriest

Seeing Red May Help Increase Sales

Summary: Research seems to confirm that women not only find men who wear the color red more attractive, but wearing red may contribute to better business performance.

Not many of us are surprised that in nature, typically, males attract female mating partners by displaying a panoply of vibrant colors. It isn't surprising, then, that researchers have revealed what some have known about the color red for some time.

Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology reveals that women in the U.S., England, Germany and China found men pictured wearing red more sexually attractive than in other colors. The research also suggests that the link between red and sex appeal also applies to men. There have been, after all, songs and stories written by men about the "woman in a red dress."

What may be surprising about this research is the fact that despite obvious cultural differences, the attraction of women to the color red was consistent throughout the countries. The research further revealed that just like among other primates, women associated red with higher status.

Some twenty years ago, I hired a consulting firm to help our company with marketing. They made a very interesting, unconventional claim: Salespeople, men and woman, who wore blue and grey business suits, accented with red neckties and scarves, produced 10-15% more in sales than did salespeople who dressed in other color combinations. It now appears, based on this recent research, that the claims of the consulting company were credible.

Researchers suggested that even wearing a red necktie could give some men more confidence when making a business presentation. Today's lack of dress codes, and the general free-style approach to business dress, may fly in the face of research that suggests that specific colors attract the attention of both sexes and might even improve feelings of confidence.

Looking around, and seeing more red in your sales organization, just might help in improving sales performance.

Steve Chriest is the CEO of Open Advance and author of “Selling to the E-Suite, The Proven System for Reaching and Selling Senior Executives and Business Acumen 101.” He recently re-named his company from Selling-Up. He produces video and radio blogs, as well as continuing as a columnist for Leasing News since 2005.
www.openadvance.com/contact/
www.openadvance.com/

Sales Makes It Happen Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.htm

 

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

17 New Certified Lease & Finance Professionals
New Total Professionals and Associates 661

 

Caprice Archer, CLFP Associate
Sales Coordinator
Ascentium Capital LLC

Andrew Baccaro, CLFP
Vice President , Sales
Ascentium Capital LLC

Carolina Cely, CLFP Associate
President
SB Business Advisor

Craig Colling, CLFP
Senior Vice President
Sales
Ascentium Capital LLC

Ashley Davis, CLFP Associate
Sales Coordinator
Ascentium Capital LLC

Rick Gomba, CLFP
Finance Manager
Ascentium Capital LLC

Priscilla Gray, CLFP
VP of Documentation and Funding
Ford Financial Services, Inc.

Brian Hernandez, CLFP Associate
Finance Manager
Ascentium Capital LLC

Jason Holtz, CLFP Associate
Finance Manager
Ascentium Capital LLC

Michael Jung, CLFP Associate
Finance Manager
Ascentium Capital LLC

Dominic Knight, CLFP
Vice President, Sales, Ascentium Capital LLC

Stephen Marcucci, CLFP Associate
Finance Manager – Sales
Ascentium Capital LLC

Jacob Mendoza, CLFP
Fleet Executive
AP Equipment Financing

Brittny Metzner, CLFP
Credit Analyst
Ascentium Capital LLC

Anthony Stein, CLFP
Vice President ,Sales
Ascentium Capital LLC

Michele Vesci, CLFP
Asset Specialist/Vehicle Title Administration
BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital Corp.

Christa Zodda, CLFP
Tax Accountant
Canon Financial Services, Inc.

Craig Colling, CLFP, Senior Vice President, Sales Ascentium Capital LLC attended the ALFP in Scottsdale, AZ hosted by Ascentium Capital. He said,  “I chose to pursue the CLFP designation as a personal challenge to become more knowledgeable in our industry.  I believe earning your CLFP tells your colleagues, vendors and customers that you take the business very seriously and you are truly invested in your business relationships to serve others to the best of your ability. “

The CLFP designation identifies an individual as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers, and peers in the equipment finance industry.

There are currently 661 active Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates.

CLFP Associate Designation

“In an effort to attract motivated young leasing professionals in our industry to strive for CLFP Certification, we are pleased to announce the CLFP Associate Program.

“While continuing to maintain the current high levels of competency, standards of professionalism and conduct required for CLFP designation, it is our goal to identify the younger professional who wants to attain the CLFP Associate designation, while still meeting our current 3 year time in the industry requirement for full certification. Toward that goal we have identified the CLFP Associate Program for the individual with less than three years in the industry who is motivated to participate in the education needed and sit for the exam prior to reaching the 3-year threshold.”

For more information, call Executive Director Reid Raykovich, CLFP at (206) 535-6281 or visit http://www.CLFPfoundation.org.

7 CLFP Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2019/02_01.htm#clfp

 

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Leasing News Advisor
Ken Greene, Attorney 

Ken Greene
Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene
5743 Corsa Avenue Suite 208
Westlake Village, California 91362
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
ken@kengreenelaw.com

Ken is an attorney with his own law firm, the Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene. Ken was involved in the formation of Leasing News, Inc. and represented it (pro bono) in the early days. Ken is currently based in Southern California. Ken began his leasing career with BankAmerilease in 1981. He has been a partner in several law firms including Ross & Ivanjack, one of the first law firms in the country devoted exclusively to the equipment finance industry.

Ken served as corporate counsel to a leasing company and a real estate development company. He was a partner in a major Universal City law firm before opening his own firm in Westlake Village, California in 2013. The new firm continues representation of equipment finance companies, including lessors and brokers, in litigation, bankruptcy, licensing and transactions. He also represents small businesses and individuals in litigation, bankruptcy, transactions, contract, and corporate matters, as well as entities and individuals in the entertainment industry.

Ken has been associated with the American Bankruptcy Institute, California Bankruptcy Forum, Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (“EAEL”), Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (“ELFA”—formerly the Equipment Leasing Association), and National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) (formerly NAEL, UAEL, and, once upon a time, WAEL). He has served on the Board of Directors of that association and has been its Legal Committee Chairman, Legal Line Editor, Regional Committee Chair, and Conference Chairman. He is currently General Counsel for the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (formerly the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers”)  and has spoken at conference panels the last three years, and a member of the American Bar Association.

Ken has served on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, the Mountain Play Association in Marin County, California, and the Marin Symphony Orchestra Association. He has been active in musical theater at the school and community levels. He currently serves as Musical Director at the Westlake Village Inn, and is very active in the Conejo Valley music community. He was recently featured in Calabasas Style Magazine in the "People to Watch" section.

Ken received his B. A, at Brandeis University, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, graduating cum laude. He received his J.D. at Santa Clara University in 1980, also graduating cum laude.
Mr. Greene has been a frequent writer and lecturer on matters of leasing law and other related legal issues. He is an acknowledged contributor on bankruptcy issues to Miller & Starr, California Real Estate 2d (Bancroft Whitney). He has lectured on leasing law and documentation, litigation and collection matters, and has produced and presented seminars to leasing companies on enhancing the attorney-client relationship. He has also taught nationally for Euromoney Lease Training.

Ken’s passions, besides music, include travel, yoga, cooking, hiking, camping, boxing, surfing, golf, the Yankees, cigars, wine, and more. He lives in Moorpark, California with his wife Barbara and their son Alex, who is a graduate of Cal Lutheran, and has a computer repair business (“The PC Whisperer”). His daughter Gigi graduated UC Irvine and is currently working at Team Play Events as an event planner. She also has a photography business (PhotoGGraphy). In his "spare" time, Ken plays keyboards with several Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area bands, and plays and records with other local artists.

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Alternate Finance Association Membership
United States

Technically these groups are an association: "an organization of people with a common purpose and having a formal structure."  In reality, and by their own admission, they are more an association of "lobbyists": "...trying to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest."

One thing they have in common is a very small number of members; anywhere from three to eight, although they are trying to attract new members.

Commercial Finance Coalition (CFC) CFC members include lenders, commercial finance brokers, payment processors, data providers, merchant cash advance companies and recovery agencies." 
https://www.commercialfinancecoalition.com/

Financial Innovation Now was formed to "lobby for policies important to the growing electronic payments sector." In their mission, it includes "... expanding the market for online commerce and lending and improving access for underserved populations."  Members are involved in loans and leases, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Intuit, and PayPal.  The executive Director of the coalition, Brian Peters, is also a staffer at tech lobbying powerhouse the Franklin Square Group.
https://financialinnovationnow.org/

Founded by what their press release calls "The nation's three largest online small business lending platforms – OnDeck® (NYSE: ONDK), Kabbage, and CAN Capital."

The ILPA press release states, "Beginning in June 2016, the Innovative Lending Platform Association will commence a 90-day ‘"national engagement period’ in which it will seek feedback on the SMART Box initiative from interested lenders, trade associations, policymakers, and non-profit organizations. In September 2016, the Innovative Lending Platform Association will encourage those interested in promoting the responsible development of the small business lending industry to voluntarily adopt or support the model disclosure."

"The Innovative Lending Platform Association is focused on advancing small business online lending education, advocacy, and best practices."

The new association is aligned with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), “For twenty-five years, AEO and its more than 450 member organizations have helped millions of entrepreneurs contribute to economic growth while supporting themselves, their families and their communities. AEO members and partners include a broad range of organizations that provide capital and services to assist underserved entrepreneurs in starting, stabilizing and expanding their businesses. Together, we are working to change the way that capital and services flow to underserved entrepreneurs so that they can create jobs and opportunities for all."

https://innovativelending.org/

 

Marketplace Lending Association (MLA) was launched by the CEOs of Funding Circle, Lending Club and Prosper. Reportedly between the three, about $20 billion has been loaned out, and analysts predict that, by 2020, the marketplace lending sector could represent assets totaling around $122 billion. The new association is aimed at promoting responsible business practices and “sound public policy.”  The website states they are looking for members.
http://www.marketplacelendingassociation.org/

Executive Director Nat Hoopes played phone tag, as he was attending several conferences in behalf of the Marketplace Lending Association.

The latest news posting is September 19, 2017.

One of the earlier groups is now called the Small Business Finance Association (SBFA), who have hired an experienced "lobbyist," Stephen "Steve" Dennis as Executive Director.

http://sbfassociation.org/

 

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

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

ELFA Report Forecasts 2019 Equipment Markets
"What's Hot/What's Not"

Results Provide Insights for Equipment Management
 Conference & Exhibition, Feb. 24-26

WASHINGTON, D.C. – What are the hottest equipment markets of 2019? A new report from the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, What’s Hot/What’s Not: Equipment Market Forecast 2019, reveals industry perceptions of 15 equipment markets based on a survey of ELFA members. The survey results point to construction, trucks/trailers, machine tools, medical and hi-tech/computer equipment as the leading sectors for the year ahead, according to portfolio preference.

The new report provides valuable insights for participants at the 2019 Equipment Management Conference & Exhibition, where more than 300 ELFA members will gather Feb. 24-26 in Carlsbad, California.

What’s Hot/What’s Not: Equipment Market Forecast 2019, authored by Carl Chrappa of The Alta Group, is designed to assist leasing and finance organizations in identifying business opportunities for future success. The results of the 2019 Forecast Survey reveal the following overall ranking of equipment types for portfolio preference among ELFA members. These rankings are based on the amount of future financing volume (unweighted) and the best and least favorable future equipment financing opportunities (weighted).

1.      Construction
2.      Trucks/Trailers
3.      Machine Tools
4.      Medical
5.      Hi-Tech/Computers
6.      Rail
7.      Plastic
8.      Containers/Chassis
9.      Aircraft
10.    Marine/Intercostal
11.    Telecom
12.    Tie: FF&E, Automobiles
13.    Oil/Gas/Energy
14.    Printing

The full report, including an analysis of the rankings, is available at www.elfaonline.org/data/market-trends.

More Market Analysis and Forecasting
Additional analysis of the equipment market outlook will occur at the 2019 ELFA Equipment Management Conference, Feb. 24-26, where asset managers, equipment appraisers and remarketers will evaluate and present latest developments in market conditions, portfolio quality and residual values for key equipment segments.

Educational sessions will assess the outlook for a range of equipment markets, including trucks/trailers, forklifts, construction, cranes, corporate aircraft, rail, solar power, marine equipment, energy, machine tools and healthcare. Participants also will examine how technology is transforming equipment management and other hot topics. Details about the conference are available at www.elfaonline.org/events/2019/EMC/.

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 575 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

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

Labrador Retriever
Atlanta, Georgia  Adopt a Dog

Beltza

ID: 40657189
Female
Spayed
Age: 3 Months
Location: Howell Mill
Adoption Fee: $295

"Hi. My name is Beltza! This playful pup is always ready for an adventure. Daily walks and play times are what this little girl needs and along with lots of love and attention you'll always been entertained!"

Atlanta Humane Society
Howell Mill Campus
981 Howell Mill Road NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.875.5331 (main)
(The campus is located at the corner of 10th St. and Howell Mill Rd. in NW Atlanta.)

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

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Record attendance is expected at the 2019 National Funding Conference, April 9-11 at the Swissôtel in Chicago. Funding is the lifeblood of the equipment finance industry, and this is your chance to reconnect with current funding sources and make contact with new funding sources. For many who attend, this is the most productive two days of the year. Registration is now open to attendees and funding sources at https://lnkd.in/eVtPyXT.

(Bonus: Get a $200 discount when you register for both the National Funding Conference and any Roundtable!)

2019 Funding Sources as of 02/05/2019
ATEL Capital Group
AvTech Capital, LLC
Baystone Government Finance/KS State Bank
BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital Corp.
BB&T Equipment Finance
BMO Harris Equipment Finance
Boston Financial & Equity Corporation
Bridge Funding Group, Inc.
CapitalSource, Inc.
CapX Partners
CIT
Citizens Asset Finance, Inc.
Crestmark Vendor Finance, A division of MetaBank
Customers Commercial Finance, LLC
ECS Financial Services, Inc.
Equipment Leasing Group of America, LLC
First American Equipment Finance, an RBC / City National Company
First Bank of Highland Park
First Eagle Bank
Flagstar Bank
Flushing Bank
Hanmi Bank
Hitachi Capital America Corp.
Huntington Equipment Finance
IBERIA Corporate Asset Finance, Inc.
Innovation Finance USA LLC
J.P. Morgan Equipment Finance
Key Equipment Finance
MB Equipment Finance
MB Financial Bank
MB Financial Bank - Paying Agent
Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance (U.S.A.) Inc.
Moody's Analytics
Nations Equipment Finance, LLC
NFS Leasing, Inc.
Peapack Capital Corporation
People's Capital and Leasing Corp.
Prime Alliance Bank
Santander Bank Equipment Finance
SCG Capital Corporation
Securcor Financial Group
Signature Financial
Societe Generale Equipment Finance
Sterling National Bank Equipment Finance Division
Stonebriar Commercial Finance
Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing Co., Ltd.
SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing Corp.
TCF Equipment Finance, a division of TCF National Bank
TIAA Commercial Finance, Inc.
U.S. Bank Equipment Finance
Verdant Commercial Capital LLC
VFI Corporate Finance
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
Wintrust Commercial Finance
Wintrust Specialty Finance 

 

News Briefs----

SBA Processes Significant Loan Volume
   in Days After the Shutdown
https://debanked.com/2019/02/sba-funds-significant-amount-in-days-after-the-shutdown/  

Poor Credit History? No Problem: E-Commerce Firm
   and charges 0% interest. Can this business really work?
http://www.cfo.com/growth-strategies/2019/02/poor-credit-history-no-problem-fintech-lender/

 

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

You May Have Missed---

Tech Is Splitting the U.S. Work Force in Two
Automation is splitting the American labor force into two worlds
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/04/business/economy/productivity-inequality-wages.html

 

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Winter Poem
Shortcut Through the Storm 

by Robert Savino 

There were too few roads.
There were too many motorists.
My choice was longer in distance,
but far less travelled.

I took a shortcut through the storm,
crawling over the black-iced asphalt,
too close behind Boyd’s black flower car,
in the dreary pitch of Ocean Parkway.

Storm clouds shifting and changing,
pass over, so low, engulf my presence.
I exit in an angel’s breath,
a winged spirit of the Great South Bay,

greeted by Moses at the foot of the bridge,
moments from home and the neon lights
of strip mall shops, that brighten the bus
stop at the corner of Oak Neck Road.

Minutes pass slowly within these hours.
Sounds of snow plows wake me from sleep.

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Briefs---

Patriots' victory parade: Diamond chains,
    shirtless players and a rolling party
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/patriots-victory-parade-diamond-chains-shirtless-players-rolling-party-173731468.html

Secret of Patriots' success could be their meticulous preparation
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/9234586-181/secret-of-patriots-success-could

Why would Giants welcome Raiders to Oracle Park?
https://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/annkillion/article/Why-would-Giants-welcome-Raiders-13589110.php?cmpid=gsa-sfgate-result

San Francisco mayor: Raiders should play in Oakland in 2019
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/raiders/2019/02/05/oakland-raiders-san-francisco-mayor-oracle-park/2779248002/

Larry Fitzgerald plays football for a living
   — but he’s consumed by golf
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/golf/article/Larry-Fitzgerald-plays-football-for-a-living-13586262.php

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

California Nuts Briefs---

San Jose devotes nearly $100 million to affordable housing
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/04/san-jose-devotes-nearly-100-million-to-affordable-housing/

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Gimme that Wine”

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

The Chardonnay Style Spectrum: Vintners and Marketers
Discuss the Evolving Style of California's Greatest Grape
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=209073

Icewine harvest is about to begin as temperatures drop in Kelowna
https://www.lakecountrycalendar.com/news/icewine-harvest-is-about-to-begin-as-temperatures-drop-in-kelowna/

Grgich Hills Estate Releases Napa Valley Rosé Into National Market
https://www.winebusiness.com/newreleases/?go=getArticle&dataId=209131

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

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

This Day in History

      1756 - Birthday of Aaron Burr (d. 1836), 3rd Vice President of the US (Mar 4, 1801-Mar 3, 1805) at Newark, NJ. While in office, Burr is remembered most for challenging political enemy Alexander Hamilton to a duel and mortally wounding him July 11, 1804, at Weehawken, NJ.  Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson tied in the electoral vote and the election went to Congress. Hamilton, a leading Federalist, supported Jefferson. In those days, President and Vice-President were elected separately (Jefferson when he ran for re-election, choose his own Vice-President, George Clinton, starting the tradition.) It was Hamilton who denied Burr the presidency by his one vote, and lead against Burr's politics. (Hamilton was not familiar with firearms, but was a Man of Honor” and despite pleas from friends, his wife, sons, he felt he had to defend his honor, knowing it meant his death.) Indicted for the challenge and for murder, Burr returned to Washington to complete his term of office, during which he presided over the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. Ironically, the man who was almost President joined forces, centered around land before Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase.  In 1807, one of his "partners" turned evidence against Burr to escape hanging, and Burr was arrested, tried for treason in an alleged scheme to invade Mexico and set up a new nation in the West and acquitted. Burr journeyed to New Orleans and entered into a conspiracy with U.S. Gen. James Wilkinson, although it is not clear what they conspired about. Wilkinson was actually in the employ of Spain at the time. This was about the time of great wars in Europe and the need for cash had France sell "the Louisiana Purchase" to the U.S. Speculation was that Burr intended either to establish an independent nation in the Southwest or to seize territory, now known as Texas, for the same purpose in Spanish America. Burr secured financing from Harman Blennerhassett, of Blennerhassett Island in the Ohio River near present-day Parkersburg, West Virginia. He set out from there in the fall of 1806 with about 60 well-armed men and headed downstream. The expedition aroused suspicion and Wilkinson, seeking to save his own skin, turned against Burr. He spread stories of Burr's intentions and sent dispatches to the government in Washington accusing Burr of treason. Burr was arrested and charged with treason, but still had many friends in Washington and was acquitted in 1807.
    1788 - By a vote of 187 to 168, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution. The people of this state drafted the first constitution eight years earlier, which was utilized in the formation of the US constitution. Massachusetts is derived from two Indian words meaning ‘great mountain place.' This great mountain place in New England was one of the most important of the 13 colonies in the new America, which gave it its other nickname, Old Colony State. Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, has been the center of activity in the state since those old colony days. Massachusetts state symbols include the chickadee, state bird; American elm, state tree; ladybug, state insect; "All Hail to Massachusetts," state song; and mayflower, the state flower. Which arrived first, the ship or the flower? Unique to Massachusetts is a state beverage: cranberry juice and a state muffin; I am not making this up, the corn muffin is official. The Massachusetts state motto is: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (By the sword we seek peace; but peace only under liberty).
    1788 - France was the first country to recognize the independence of the United States. In Paris, the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb06.html
    1815 - New Jersey issued the first U.S. railroad charter, to John Stevens.   Stevens constructed the first U.S. steam locomotive, first steam-powered ferry, and first U.S. commercial ferry service from his estate in Hoboken. He was influential in the creation of U.S. patent law.  Stevens Institute is named in his honor.
    1820 – The US population was announced at 9,638,453.  There were 1,771,656 blacks (18.4%).  The number of college graduates in the U.S. was estimated by James Fenimore Cooper to be 8,000. A financial panic that struck the U.S. in 1819 still brought fear as many state banks were closed and much western property was turned over to the Bank of the United States. Immigration slowed to a trickle for almost two decades, especially after the new immigration law was enacted by Congress. Strained relations between the North and the South hinted at trouble to come as the Union consisted of 11 free and 11 slave states. The North, however, was rapidly outdistancing the South in population and held a growing numerical advantage in the House of Representatives. Ready for statehood were Maine, certain to be a free state, and Missouri, part of the Louisiana Purchase and likely to be a slave state. Big time political machines were introduced in the US led by a group of New York Democrats known as the Albany Regency. Martin Van Buren was among the leaders of the group, which controlled New York politics for two decades.
    1820 - The first organized emigration of U.S. blacks to Africa began when the "Mayflower of Liberia" sailed from New York City for Sierra Leone with 86 blacks aboard. The ship arrived in Sierra Leone on March 9. Twenty-two years later, it took a U.S. Supreme Court ruling for 35 former passengers of the "Amistad" to accomplish the same thing. During this period of history, there was a growing movement of “free” blacks to return to their native continent. As Northern states made slavery “illegal,” the “free” Blacks’ numbers grew from a few thousand in 1760 to 319,000 by 1830. Many of the movements were for the benefit of the organizer, who received fees as a “travel agent.” Some were outright “scams,” and others started the free state of Liberia. At the turn of the century, Marcus Garvey actually bought a steamship to send his followers to Liberia, and other countries in Africa.
http://www.connerprairie.org/historyonline/colon.html
http://www.columbia.edu/~gtl5/seminar6.html
http://www.blackvoices.com/feature/blk_history_98/fleming/column5.htm
    1833 - Jeb Stuart was born James Ewell Brown Stuart (d. 1864) in Patrick County, VA. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use of cavalry in support of offensive operations. While he cultivated a cavalier image, his serious work made him the trusted eyes and ears of Robert E. Lee’s army and inspired Southern morale.  Stuart graduated from West Point in 1854 and served in Texas and Kansas with the U.S. Army, a veteran of the frontier conflicts with Native Americans, the Bleeding Kansas campaign, and the capture of John Brown at Harpers Ferry. Resigning when his home state of Virginia seceded, he served first under Gen. Stonewall Jackson, but then in increasingly important cavalry commands of the Army of Northern Virginia, playing a role in all of that army's campaigns until his death.  On 5/12/1864, he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Yellow Tavern at Richmond.  He was 31.
    1843 - "The Virginia Minstrels," the first minstrel show in the United States, opened at the Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City.
    1845 – Isadore Straus (d. 1912) was born in Otterberg, Germany.  He was a co-founder of Macy’s department store with his brother Nathan.  He and his wife perished on Titanic in 1912.
    1862 - General Ulysses S. Grant provides the first major Union victory of the war when he captures Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. Ten days later, he captured Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, which gave the Yankees control of northern Tennessee and paved the way for the occupation of Nashville.
http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/tn001.htm
http://users.aol.com/greenup1/page1.html
    1865 - Dashing Confederate General John Pegram is killed at the Battle of Dabney's Mill, Virginia, only three weeks after marrying Hetty Cary, the "handsomest women in the Southland." Pegram graduated from West Point in 1854, 10th in a class of 46. He served in various posts in the west before resigning his commission at the start of the Civil War. He was well connected, a Southern gentleman, but not considered a good military officer by the troops he served under. After leaving the US Army, Pegram received an appointment as a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate army. Sent to fight in western Virginia during the summer of 1861, he was captured by General George McClellan's men at the Battle of Rich Mountain. Pegram was exchanged in April 1862 and sent to serve with General Pierre G. T. Beauregard in Mississippi. He fought in Tennessee and Kentucky and earned a promotion to brigadier general. After the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, Pegram was transferred to General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. He was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864, but recovered to fight with General Jubal Early during the Shenandoah Valley campaign in the summer of 1864. That fall, he was sent to defend his native city of Petersburg. On January 19, Pegram married Hetty Cary, a prominent Richmond socialite who many called the "handsomest women in the Southland." Even in the gloom of the ongoing siege, the ceremony was a grand affair attended by nearly all of the high-ranking Confederates, including President Jefferson Davis and his wife, Varina. The bride, commented onlookers, was a vision of beauty and one said that the "happy gleam of her beautiful brown eyes seemed to defy all sorrow." Just three weeks later, Pegram's body was returned to the same church, St. Paul's Episcopal, and his young widow knelt beside his coffin as the minister who married them presided over the dashing general's funeral.
http://www.richmountain.org/pegram.htm
http://www.ehistory.com/uscw/library/essays/paradoxicacavalier.cfm
http://router.patch.net/misc/cary.html
    1867 - The Peabody Fund is established to promote Black education in the South.
http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/11767/mcms.html
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1776/
The_Peabody_Fund_established
(see the Letters of Robert C. Winthrop:
http://muweb.millersville.edu/~winthrop/news2.html )
    1869 – “Uncle Sam” first appeared as a picture with chin whiskers in Harper's Weekly.
    1891 - The Dalton Gang's first attempt at train robbery was a fiasco as Bob, Grat, and Bill tried to rob a Southern Pacific train near Alila, California. While Bill kept any passengers from interfering by shooting over their heads, Bob and Grat forced the engineer to show them the location of the cash-carrying express car. When the engineer tried to slip away, one of the brothers shot him in the stomach. Finding the express car on their own, Bob and Grat demanded that the guard inside open the heavy door. The guard refused and began firing down on them from a small spy hole. Thwarted, the brothers finally gave up and rode away. The Daltons were accused of the robbery, based on little evidence. Grat escaped and Bill was acquitted, but Grat was arrested, convicted, and given a 20-year prison sentence. According to one account, Grat was handcuffed to one deputy and accompanied by another while being transferred by train. After the train had gone some distance, one deputy fell asleep and the other was talking to other passengers. It was a hot day, and all the windows were open. Suddenly, Grat jumped up and dived head first out of the train window. He landed in the San Joaquin River, disappeared under water, and was carried downstream by the current. The deputies were astounded. Grat must have taken the key to the handcuffs from the first deputy's pocket as he slept and timed his escape for when the train would be on a bridge. If he had landed on the ground, he would almost certainly have been killed. Grat found his brothers, and they made their way back to Oklahoma Territory.  The Daltons would have done well to heed the ominous signs of that first failed robbery and seek safer pursuits. Instead, they returned to Oklahoma, reunited with young Emmett, and began robbing in earnest. A year later, the gang botched another robbery, boldly attempting to hit two Coffeyville, Kansas, banks at the same time. Townspeople caught them in the act and killed Bob, Grat, and two of their gang members. Emmett was seriously wounded and served 14 years in prison. Of all the criminal Dalton brothers, only Emmett lived into old age. Freed from prison in 1907, he married and settled in Los Angeles, where he built a successful career in real estate and contracting.
    1895 - George Herman “Babe” Ruth (d. 1948) was born at Baltimore, MD in a home that is now the Babe Ruth Museum.  His father’s saloon was at what is now the outfield of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. One of Major League baseball's greatest heroes, Ruth was raised at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys after repeated failed attempts by his parents to keep him in line. On February 27, 1914, he was signed to a minor league baseball contract by Jack Dunn of the Baltimore Orioles and became known as “Dunn's Babe.” Soon sold to the Red Sox, by 1916, he had built a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs, a feat unusual for any player in the pre-1920 dead-ball era. Although Ruth twice won 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of three World Series championship teams with Boston, he wanted to play every day and was allowed to convert to an outfielder. He responded by breaking the single season HR record in 1919.  Until Whitey Ford broke it in the 1961 World Series, Ruth held the record for most consecutive scoreless innings in the World Series, and he was considered by many to be the left-handed Walter Johnson.  After the 1919 season, Sox owner Harry Frazee, needing cash for his play, “No, No, Nanette” and wanting to rid himself of Ruth’s incessant behavior, sold him to the New York Yankees where he proceeded to take on stardom not only of baseball but all sports.  With Ruth, the Yankees went to the World Series for the first seven times in their history, winning four.  He hit 714 home runs (holding the record until 1974 when Hank Aaron hit #715) in 22 Major League seasons of play and played in 10 World Series. He was the game's greatest star and became an enduring legend and American icon. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Charter Class in 1936. Died at New York, NY, on August 16, 1948 after a long bout with cancer.  He was one of the first cancer patients to receive both drugs and radiation treatment simultaneously, then considered experimental but many of which remain as staples of chemotherapy.
    1898 - Melvin Tolson (d. 1966) was born in Moberly, MO.  An African-American Modernist poet, educator, columnist, and politician, his work concentrated on the experience of African-Americans and includes several long historical poems. His work was influenced by his study of the Harlem Renaissance, although he spent nearly his entire career in Texas and Oklahoma.
    1899 - The Treaty of Paris was ratified by the United States Senate by one vote, ending the Spanish-American War.  The Treaty allowed temporary American control of Cuba, and ceded indefinite colonial authority over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, essentially dismantling Spain’s global possession.
    1900 – President McKinley appointed William Howard Taft as commissioner to report on the Philippines.
    1902 - The Young Women's Hebrew Association was organized in New York City. Mrs. Bella Unterberg was the founder and the first president. The first building used by the organization was at 1584 Lexington Avenue, New York City.    
    1910 – Mobster Carlos Marcello (d. 1993) was born in Tunisia.  Marcello is high among conspiracy theorists as one of the Mafia heads behind the assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963.  He became head of the New Orleans crime family during the 1940s.  On March 24, 1959, Marcello appeared before a Senate committee investigating organized crime. Serving as Chief Counsel to the committee was Robert F. Kennedy whose brother, Sen. John F. Kennedy, was a member of the committee. In response to committee questioning, Marcello invoked the Fifth Amendment in refusing to answer any questions relating to his background, activities and associates.  In 1960, Marcello donated $500,000, through Teamsters Union President Hoffa, to the Republican campaign of Richard Nixon, challenging the Democrat John F. Kennedy.  In its investigation of the Kennedy Assassination, the House Select Committee on Assassinations noted the presence of "credible associations relating both Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby to figures having a relationship, albeit tenuous, with Marcello's crime family or organization." Their report stated: "The committee found that Marcello had the motive, means and opportunity to have President John F. Kennedy assassinated, though it was unable to establish direct evidence of Marcello's complicity."  In his 1994 autobiography, Frank Ragano said that he relayed a message from Hoffa to Trafficante and Marcello asking the two Mafia bosses if they would kill Kennedy.   Santo Trafficante was head of the Chicago family and it is known that one of Kennedy’s mistresses, Judith Exner, was also seeing Trafficante. 
    1911 - Birthday of Ronald Wilson Reagan (d. 2004), 40th president of the US (1981-89) at Tampico, IL. Former sportscaster, motion picture actor, governor of California (1967-74); he was the oldest and the first divorced person to become President. He would visit John Birch meetings down the street from us in the Pacific Palisades, CA, as I parked cars for our neighbor who held the meeting at his house. I also delivered flowers to his house when I was working for Oliver Bente Florist in Brentwood, CA. Married actress Jane Wyman in 1940 (divorced in 1948); married actress Nancy Davis, Mar 4, 1952.  Late in life, Reagan suffered from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease that ultimately led to his death.
    1911 – The first old-age home opened in Prescott, Arizona
    1918 - Birthday of trumpet player Howard McGhee (d. 1987), Tulsa, OK. 
http://www.4stardust.com/howard.htm
http://www.trumpetjazz.com/artists.cgi?name=
Howard+McGhee&x=23&y=12
    1919 - A heady display of labor's growing power concluded when a general strike was called off in Seattle, Washington. World War I had swelled the ranks of the nation's unions, while the Marxist revolution in Russia raised hopes of deliverance for the world's workers. In the days before the war, a strong alliance of craft unions enabled Seattle's 35,000 dockworkers to gain some of the highest wages in the nation. With the outbreak of war, the government placed constraints on the shipyard worker's wages, in hopes of rolling their earnings back in line with the rest of the country. In January, the dockworkers retaliated by walking off the job, and on February 1, 25,000 of Seattle's other workers joined the dockworkers on the picket line. The workers began the strikes in response to government sanctioned wage cuts. A riff occurred in the various labor unions, some say due to anarchists, Marxists, socialist and other “malcontents.” The mood definitely was to protest the wage cuts. The five-day strike effectively shut down Seattle: factories, shops and the waterfront all sat dormant, waiting for a resolution to the dispute. A General Strike Committee swiftly stepped in and established temporary systems for feeding and protecting Seattle's citizens. Although the strike was peaceful, and the Committee judged that people were rapidly "learning to manage" the city's daily operations, local government and business chiefs threatened action against the country's unions. Feeling the fire of a potential legal or political nightmare, national labor leaders stepped in and urged Seattle's workers to end their strike. Seattle's strikers had not yet gained ground on their wage demands, but they heeded the call and headed back to work, releasing the city from their grip on this day in 1919.
http://users.rcn.com/figgins/generalstrike/northamerica/
unitedstates/washington.html
http://www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/cspn/curcan/main.html
    1919 – Zsa Zsa Gabor (d. 2016) was born in Budapest, Hungary as Gábor Sári.  Nine husbands later, she was still with us until passing in Dec, 2016.
    1921 - "The Kid," starring Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan, released.
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~anpajune/chaplin/chaplin.html
    1921 - Birthday of lead trumpet player Ernie Royal (d. 1983), Los Angeles, CA
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,487546,00.
html?artist=Ernie+Royal
http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Ernie%20Royal.htm
    1922 - Lead trumpet player great Conrad Gozzo’s (d. 1964) birthday in New Britain, CT.
http://www.trumpetstuff.com/images/Goz/
http://www.jazztrumpet.com/tofc/charts/gozzovol1.html
    1924 – Birthday of arranger Sam Nestico, Pittsburgh, PA.  Nestico is best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra. 
http://www.52ndstreet.com/reviews/mainstream/cappplayitagain.html
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/basie_c_cat3.html
    1924 - Station KFSG (Kall Four Square Gospel) went on the air. One of the earliest radio stations licensed, it broadcast the services of Angelus Temple, the flagship congregation of the International Foursquare Gospel Church, founded by Aimee Semple Mc Pherson in 1923.
    1926 - Norman Rockwell's Colonial Sign Painter cover for the “Saturday Evening Post” was the first to appear in full color. It depicted a Rockwell kindred spirit--a Colonial sign painter
    1929 - Rudy Vallee recorded "Deep Night"
    1931 – Actor Rip Torn was born Elmore Rudolph Torn, Jr.  in Temple, TX.
    1931 - Mamie Van Doren was born Joan Lucille Olander in Rowena, SD.  She was an actress, model, singer, and sex symbol who is known for being one of the first actresses to recreate the look of Marilyn Monroe…and there were several!
    1933 - The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted, allowing the president to take office in January instead of March.
    1933 – Birthday of Walter E Fauntroy (Representative-D-DC, 1971-1991) in DC.  In 2012, Fauntroy disappeared and presumably fled the United States after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest in conjunction with allegations he had written a fraudulent check for $55,000. Fauntroy's wife was eventually forced to file for bankruptcy. While his whereabouts were initially unknown to even his family, it was assumed Fauntroy was living somewhere in the Persian Gulf. In 2016, Fauntroy returned to the United States and was arrested at Dulles International Airport. He had been hiding in Ajman in the UAE.  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000046
http://www.nblr.org/WEF.htm
    1935 – ‘Monopoly’ went on sale for the first time.
    1936 – Birthday of rocker Otis Williams (Charms and the Temptations) in Texarkana, TX.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=4:40:55|
PM&sql=B2kq4g4jttv5z
http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=199
    1937 – Donnie Brooks was born John Dee Abohosh (d. 2007) in Dallas.  His March 1960 hit single, "Mission Bell" peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 
    1937 - John Steinbeck's novella “Of Mice and Men,” the story of the bond between two migrant workers, is published. He adapted the book into a three-act play, which was produced the same year. The story brought national attention to Steinbeck's work, which had started to catch on in 1935 with the publication of his first successful novel, “Tortilla Flat.” Steinbeck was born and raised in the Salinas Valley, CA where his father was a county official and his mother a former schoolteacher. A good student and president of his senior class in high school, Steinbeck attended Stanford intermittently in the early 1920s. In 1925, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a manual laborer and a journalist while writing stories and novels. His first two novels were not successful. In 1930, he married Carol Henning, the first of his three wives, and moved to Pacific Grove, California. Steinbeck's father gave the couple a house and a small income while Steinbeck continued to write. He shortly thereafter moved to Los Gatos, California, where he lived in two homes, trying to avoid visitors and celebrity status. His third novel, “Tortilla Flat” (1935), was a critical and financial success, as were such subsequent books as “In Dubious Battle” (1935) and “Of Mice and Men”(1937), both of which offered social commentaries on injustices of various types. In 1939, Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for “The Grapes of Wrath”, a novel tracing a fictional Oklahoma family as they lose their family farm in the Depression and move to California seeking a better life. His work after World War II, including “Cannery Row” and “The Pearl”, continued to offer social criticism but became more sentimental. Steinbeck tried his hand at movie scripts in the 1940s, writing successful films like “Forgotten Village” (1941)and “Viva Zapata” (1952). He also took up the serious study of marine biology and published a nonfiction book, “The Sea of Cortez”, in 1941. His 1962 nonfiction book, “Travels with Charlie”,describes his travels across the United States in a camper truck with his poodle, Charlie. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize in 1962 and died in New York in 1968.
    1938 - Birthday of Isaac Hayes (d. 2008), one of the most important forces in the development of Memphis soul music, in Covington, Tennessee. He played piano in the house band at Stax Records in the 1960's, and also began composing hit songs, such as "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming" for Sam and Dave and "BABY" for Carla Thomas. Hayes's 1969 album "Hot Buttered Soul" established his reputation as a performer. The lushly orchestrated and often lengthy songs that became his trademark laid the foundation for the disco music of such artists as Barry White. Hayes himself, with tights, cape and gold chains around his bare chest was the '70s forerunner to Mr. T. Hayes's commercial peak came in 1971 with his double soundtrack album for "Shaft." "The Theme from Shaft" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and made Hayes an international superstar. But by 1976, mismanagement and personal excesses had forced Isaac Hayes into bankruptcy. He made several comeback attempts, one of them in 1979 producing the gold album, "Don't Let Go." He is currently the voice of 'Chef' on the hit adult cartoon "South Park."
    1939 – Actor Mike Farrell was born in St. Paul, MN.  He is forever known as Capt. BJ Hunnicutt on the television series “M*A*S*H (1975–83).
    1939 – Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father, was released from prison after serving 8 months for altering a check.
    1940 - TV media journalist Tom Brokaw was born in Yankton, SD.
    1943 - Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander-in-chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in North Africa.
    1943 - Frank Sinatra makes his first appearance on “Your Hit Parade.”
    1943 - Birthday of singer Fabian, born Fabiano Anthony Forte in Philadelphia, PA. One of several manufactured teen idols to come out of Philly in the late 1950's, with Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell, Fabian had three big hits in 1959, then disappeared from the charts. His most popular record was "Tiger," which hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Fabian later turned to acting, and in 1974 posed nude for Playgirl magazine.  In his latest endeavor, Forte hosts and headlines in the hit show “The Original Stars of Bandstand” at The Dick Clark Theater in Branson, MO. 
http://www.history-of-rock.com/fabian.htm
    1943 - Swashbuckler screen actor Errol Flynn, age 33, was acquitted of three charges of statutory rape by a jury in Los Angeles Superior Court. It was well known that he had a penchant for teenage girls, and in the later years of his life lived openly in Havana, Cuba with 16-17-year-old Beverly Aadland. While it is true, “In Like Flynn” became a popular expression during the 40's, the origination according to “A Dictionary of Catch Phrases” (Eric Partridge, 1986) came from: Edward J. Flynn (1892-1953), a New York City political boss who became a campaign manager for the Democratic Party during FDR's presidency. Boss Flynn's "Democratic Party machine exercised absolute political control over the Bronx.... The candidates he backed were almost automatically 'in,' and he himself permanently so," Partridge comments.
http://www.inlikeflynn.com/
http://www.shopping-entertainment-online.com/vintage-
stars/errol-flynn.htm
http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/bulletin/eddesk.nsf/All/
D3473A226D5984F2CA256CB1001633C1!open
    1943 - US government requires the 110,000 Japanese-Americans imprisoned in internment camps to answer loyalty surveys. The first questionnaire was issued on February 3 at Tule Lake, CA and by this date all the internment camp require their “prisoners” to answer: Question 27 asks draft-age men: "Are you willing to serve in the US armed forces on combat duty, wherever ordered?"  22% of the 21,000 second-generation respondents will answer "no" or give no response. Known as Nisei [nih-say], these U.S.-born Japanese-Americans are not expressing disloyalty but their protest against the internment. In January 1944, the Selective Service began reclassifying to 1-A the Nisei men who answered "yes" to the question and issuing draft notices. After more than 300 Nisei refuse to be inducted, authorities arrest and indict Frank Emi and six others for conspiracy to violate the Selective Service Act. The seven are found guilty and sentenced to four years at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas.
http://www.us-immigration.com/asian-american-history-timeline/
http://www.cetel.org/timeline.html#4
http://www.ww2pacific.com/relocation.html
    1945 - Birthday of Bob Marley (d. 1981) at Rhoden Hall in northern Jamaica. With his group, The Wailers, Bob Marley was one of the most popular and influential performers of reggae music, an "off-beat-accented Jamaican" music closely associated with the political/religious Rastafarian movement who were admirers of the late Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, who was formerly called Ras Tafari. In 1963, Marley formed a vocal quintet, the Wailers, who achieved some success, but little financial reward, in their native country, before disbanding in 1966.  The Wailers reunited in 1968, but for several years seemed no closer than before to establishing steady careers. Then, in 1972, Chris Blackwell signed them to Island Records and advanced them the money to record an album in Jamaica. The result was "Catch a Fire," the first album by Bob Marley and the Wailers to be marketed outside Jamaica. It was the start of their climb to international fame, aided by Eric Clapton's hit single of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff."   Over the next several years, Marley and the Wailers were largely responsible for the worldwide popularity of reggae music. Marley became a superstar in Jamaica, where he survived an assassination attempt in 1976. In 1980, a tour of the US was cancelled when Marley collapsed on stage during a concert. He had developed brain and lung cancer, which killed him in May, 1981, Miami, FL.
http://www.bobmarley.com/
    1946 - Birthday of Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle (d. 2010) in St. Sauveur-des-Monts, Quebec. She and her sister Anna first attracted international attention in the 1970's as songwriters. Anna's "Heart Like a Wheel" was recorded in 1972 by McKendree Spring and served as the title song for a 1975 album by Linda Ronstadt. The duo's 1976 debut in London resulted in one British critic saying they were among "the very best voices to be heard in popular music today." The McGarrigles sing both their own songs and French-Canadian folk tunes.
    1949 - Top Hits
“A Little Bird Told Me” - Evelyn Knight
“Far Away Places” - Margaret Whiting
“Powder Your Face with Sunshine” - Evelyn Knight
“I Love You So Much It Hurts” - Jimmy Wakely
    1950 - Birthday of singer Natalie Cole (d. 2015) daughter of Nat “King” Cole, in Los Angeles, Ca.  Among her hits, “This Will Be” and “Unforgettable,” the latter a duet with her father whose voice from his original hit was electronically synchronized to create the duet.    
    1951 – The third-worst rail disaster in US history occurred in Woodbridge, NJ when a Pennsylvania railroad passenger train derailed, killing 85 people and injuring over 500 more.
    1953 - US controls on wages and some consumer goods were lifted
    1955 - Horace Silver Quintet records “The Preacher” (Blue Note 5062)
http://www.harlem.org/people/silver.html
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/silver_discography.html)
    1956 – The University of Alabama refused admission to African-American Autherine Lucy
    1957 - Top Hits
“Too Much” - Elvis Presley
“Young Love” - Tab Hunter
“Banana Boat (Day-O)” - Harry Belafonte
“Young Love” - Sonny James
    1957 - The Del-Vikings' first and biggest hit, "Come Go with Me," debuts on the pop chart. In four weeks, it peaks at #5 while on the R&B chart, it hits #3. “…dom, dom, dom, dom, dom-dee-dobee-dom, dom, dom, dom, dom…”
    1958 - Ted Williams signs with Red Sox for $135,000, making him highest paid in baseball. He retired from the Boston Red Sox at the end of the 1960 season, homering into the right field seats at Fenway in his last at-bat, with a lifetime batting average of .344, a lifetime home run count of 521 and a reputation that endures as “the greatest hitter who ever lived.” 
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/
hofer_bios/williams_ted.htm
http://www.boston.com/sports/redsox/williams/
http://www.redsox.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/history/bos_history_timeline
_article.jsp?article=1939
    1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed the first patent for an integrated circuit.
    1960 – Singer Jesse Belvin, “Goodnight, My Love,” and his wife died in an automobile accident in Los Angeles.
    1961 - The Capris' "There's a Moon Out Tonight" enters the R&B charts.
    1962 - Birthday of singer Axl Rose, born William Bruce Rose in Lafayette, IN (Guns & Roses)
http://www.celebritystorm.com/mcelebs/pics/AxlRose/
    1965 - Top Hits
“You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'” - The Righteous Brothers
“The Name Game” - Shirley Ellis
“This Diamond Ring” - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
“You're the Only World I Know” - Sonny James
    1965 - The Temptations' "My Girl" hits #1 R&B.
    1967 - Muhammad Ali retained his world heavyweight title and won the WBA heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Ernest Terrell in the Houston Astrodome.
    1968 - Joan Whitney Payson was elected as president of the New York Mets. One year later, the ‘Miracle' Mets would become world champions.
    1968 - The X Winter Olympic Games opened in Grenoble, France. Some 18,000 people participated in the opening ceremonies as the games were dedicated by General Charles de Gaulle. Thousands of scented paper roses were dropped from helicopters against a background of five circles drawn in the sky by the smoke of parachutists. And Olympic flags were shot into the air by cannons.
    1970 – The NBA expanded, adding teams in Buffalo (Sabres), Cleveland (Cavaliers), Houston (Rockets) and Portland (Trail Blazers).
    1971 - NASA Astronaut Alan B. Shepard took a six-iron stashed inside his spacecraft took a swing at three golf balls on the surface of the moon. Shepard whiffed the first swing. The others were good shots that went a few hundred yards in space's vacuum. Because his moonwalk suit was so bulky, he didn't get enough of a swing to launch the golf balls into orbit. But he did get a couple of divots.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/9804/moonpunt_a15.jpg
    1973 - Top Hits
“Crocodile Rock” - Elton John
“Why Can't We Live Together” - Timmy Thomas
“Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?” - Hurricane Smith
“She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)” - Conway Twitty
    1974 – The House of Representatives began determining grounds for the impeachment of President Nixon.
    1976 - In testimony before a US Senate subcommittee, Lockheed president Carl Kotchian admitted that the company had paid out approximately $3 Million to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka.
    1976 - The American League granted the new expansion franchise in Seattle to a six-man investment group that includes movie star and entertainer Danny Kaye. The new franchise, to be called the Mariners, will start play in 1977.
    1978 - A massive nor'easter buried the cities of the northeastern U.S. Storm totals included 18 inches at New York City, 16 inches at Philadelphia, and 14 inches at Baltimore. The Boston area received 25 to 30 inches in "The Great New England Blizzard", and the mayor outlawed travel in the city for an entire week.   [I was living in Wilmington, DE at the time and we got about two feet.  After the storm left us, it went out over the Atlantic, picked up more moisture and hit New England and Long Island.  It then circled back over the Atlantic and hit Boston again.  I recall that the city was paralyzed for over a week.  Our neighbors in Wilmington recalled that it was the worst snowstorm there since 1887. Ralph Mango.]
    1981 - Top Hits
“The Tide is High” - Blondie
“Celebration” - Kool & The Gang
“I Love a Rainy Night” - Eddie Rabbitt
“I Feel like Loving You Again” - T.G. Sheppard
    1985 - For the first time in 123 years, French mineral water company, Perrier, debuted a new product. On grocery store shelves and in trendy establishments, you could find water with a twist of lemon, lime or orange.
    1985 - Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer and inventor of the best-selling Apple II computer, resigned from the company. The company, which started in Wozniak's garage in 1976, had become a massive bureaucracy by the mid-1980s. Wozniak had developed his first computer, the Apple I, as a project to impress his friends in the Homebrew Computing Club. With Steve Jobs' help, he created the Apple II, which went on sale in 1977 and quickly became popular with mass-market consumers, not just electronics hobbyists. As the fastest growing company in history, Apple experienced serious growing pains, including the hiring of a professional management team. Wozniak, who preferred to remain an engineer rather than participate in management politics, objected to the tactics and strategies of Apple's management. He lives in Los Gatos, California, where he has attempted to start several companies, but basically remains a “dilettante.” The San Jose Technology Museum is located on a street named after him called “Woz Way.”
    1985 - Skier Dianne Roffe, 17, took first place in a giant slalom race to become the first US woman to win a gold medal in a World Alpine Skiing Championship race.
    1985 - Microsoft announced it would develop a word processing program for the IBM PC. Microsoft later adapted the program, called Word, to the Macintosh. At first, Word was an underdog, competing with category dominator WordPerfect; however, Word's intuitive, user-friendly design quickly won users over, making it the most popular software in history. Word marked an important turning point for Microsoft, which moved from being an operating-systems company catering to computer manufacturers, to a consumer-oriented software company. Perhaps the best marketing ploy was the Microsoft Suite, where the software programs were bundled at a very low price and coordinated with each other: Word, Excel, Access, Money, and originally Publisher (later replaced by the browser Internet Explorer). It took up to 14 hard floppy disks to install and was quite time consuming and large for its day, but the integration between Word and Excel doomed the very popular Word Perfect and other spread sheet programs (Lotus 1-2-3) that were perhaps superior to Excel at the time but more difficult to learn and more expensive, plus they did not interface with other software.
    1987 - President Ronald Reagan turned 76 years old, adding another year to his already established record as the oldest United States President. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the previous record holder, by serving the country at age 70.
    1987 - No-smoking rules were implemented in federal buildings.
    1987 - Sonny Bono declared his candidacy for mayor of Palm Springs.  He served four years (1988 to 1992) during which time he spearheaded the creation of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, which is held each year in Bono's memory.  Bono was elected to the House in 1994 to represent California’s 44th Congressional District.
    1988 - Arctic cold invaded the south central and eastern U.S. Sixteen cities reported new record low temperatures for the date. Squalls in the Great Lakes Region produced a foot of snow at Arcade, NY in three hours.
    1988 – Michael Jordan made his signature dunk from the free throw line, inspiring the Air Jordan line of basketball shoes and the Jumpman logo.
    1989 - Top Hits
“When I'm with You” - Sheriff
“Straight Up” - Paula Abdul
“When the Children Cry” - White Lion
“What I'd Say” - Earl Thomas Conley
    1989 - The first nude musical, "Oh! Calcutta!" closed on Broadway after 5,059 performances. John Lennon was one of the writers who contributed to the show, which opened off-Broadway in 1969
    1989 - Forty-one cities in the western U.S. reported new record low temperatures for the date. Lows of -30 degrees at Ely, NV and -33 degrees at Richfield, UT were all-time records. Morning lows of 31 degrees at San Francisco and -15 degrees at Reno, NV were records for February. Logan Canyon, UT was the cold spot in the nation with a low of 54 degrees below zero, and Craig, CO hit 51 degrees below zero.
    1990 - Ground breaking began on Baltimore Orioles' new $102 million stadium that would become known as Oriole Park at Camden Yards.   While at US Leasing, we became finalists for the leasing of the scoreboard, external signs and advertising panels when the Commission failed to appropriate sufficient funds for them and decided to lease them instead.  I think the award went to Allied Irish Banks.
    1990 - Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues scored his 50th goal of the season to join his father, Hall of Fame left wing Bobby Hull, as the only father-son combination in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season.   
    1992 - Bob Dylan made a rare TV appearance on David Letterman's 10th anniversary special. He performed "Like a Rolling Stone," backed by an all-star band that included Emmylou Harris, Chrissie Hynde and Carole King.
    1993 - Tennis champion Arthur Ashe died of complications brought on by AIDS that he received from a blood transfusion.
    1995 - Keith Lockhart replaced John Williams as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. Williams had led the orchestra since 1980, when he took over after the death of the legendary Arthur Fiedler.  
    1995 – Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys wed Melinda Ledbetter
    1995 - President Clinton’s deadline for a resolution to the baseball strike, which cancelled last year’s World Series, passed without a settlement. On January 26, Clinton had told the players and owners to resume bargaining and reach an agreement by today. The strike continued for nearly two more months.
    1996 – Willamette Valley in OR suffered severe flooding and over $500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest. 
    1998 - Washington National Airport was renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport, for U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
    1998 - Carl Wilson, the Beach Boys' lead guitarist and youngest of the Wilson brothers, died at age 51 in Los Angeles. He'd been diagnosed with lung cancer which then spread to his brain. Despite chemotherapy, Wilson lost the battle. During the group's publicized ups and downs with drugs over the years, Carl's steady influence reportedly was responsible for keeping the group together. He went to University High School, West Los Angeles, CA. He really was a surfer, personal testimony: Zuma Beach, Malibu, rarely Santa Monica Beach.
    1998 - President Bill Clinton says he would never resign, 'I would never walk away from the people of this country and the trust they've placed in me,' during a press conference.
    2000 - The NFC defeated the AFC 51-31 which set an NFL record for most points scored by a conference and total points combined for a Pro Bowl.
    2000 - Janice Mirikitani, wife of Rev. Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial, was named the poet laureate for San Francisco for 2000.
    2000 - First Lady Hillary Clinton launched her successful candidacy for the U.S. Senate from New York.
    2002 - A federal judge ordered John Walker Lindh to be held without bail pending trial. Lindh was known as the "American Taliban."
    2011 – Super Bowl XLV attracted a record high television audience; the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25.  Super Bowl XLIV just became the most watched TV show ever as the New England Patriots survived a monumental blunder by Seattle at the goal line with 26 seconds remaining to defeat the Seahawks, 28-24.  There are almost 115 million viewers to this classic with 71 share.
    2013 - The U.S. postal service announced that after August 5, 2013, it will no longer deliver first-class mail on Saturdays.
    2014 – Jay Leno’s last show as host of “The Tonight Show.”
    2015 - Scientists report that climate change may be influenced by the carbon dioxide released by undersea volcanoes, which have been assumed until now to have a negligible effect; further studies are needed to assess the degree of impact.

Super Bowl Champions:
    2005 – New England Patriots
    2011 – Green Bay Packers