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Leasing News Advisor
David C. Lee

David C. Lee
Chairman and CEO
North Mill Equipment Finance
dlee@nmef.com
North Mill Equipment Finance LLC
50 Washington Street, 10th Floor
Norwalk, CT 06854
203-354-6001

Mr. Lee has over 30 years of executive financial services experience as an investment banker, private equity investor, lender and operating executive. He has served as the Chairman and CEO of NMEF since December 2016 and previously was the CEO of Colford Capital Holdings, the former parent company of NMEF and its asset-based lending affiliate, North Mill Capital, from 2012 until the sale of NMEF to Wafra Capital Partners in August 2018.

Previously, Mr. Lee served as President of D.B. Zwirn & Co., a $6.5 billion AUM alternative asset manager and successfully navigated that firm through the 2008 financial crisis and eventual merger integration into Fortress Investment Group. He was the Founding Managing Partner of Saturn Venture Partners and a Partner with the private equity firm of Sandler Capital.

For the first half of his career, Mr. Lee was an investment banker, most recently serving as a Managing Director at Lazard, where he advised on M&A transactions valued in excess of $50 billion.

Mr. Lee graduated magna cum laude from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1986.

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Marlin Business Services Corp. (MRLN) on Q4 2019 Results
11-Page Earnings Call Transcript, Seeking Alpha Highlights

Jeffrey A. Hilzinger, President and CEO

"Total origination volume of $236.5 million increased 9.3% year-over-year driven by increasing customer demand for both our equipment finance and working capital loan products as well as solid growth in our direct origination channel. For the full year total origination volume of $877.9 million grew 18.7% year-over-year, more than double the prior year's growth rate...
Given our strong originations volume and favorable capital markets conditions, we sold $114.5 million in assets during the fourth quarter that generated an immediate net pretax gain on sale of $8.8 million."

page 1

"Fourth quarter working capital loan origination volume expanded by 58% year-over-year to $31.3 million. For the full year, working capital loan origination volume of $108.7 million increased nearly 46% over the prior year...During the fourth quarter direct originations volume increased to $50.4 million up from $40.4 million in the fourth quarter last year and resulted in a year-over-year increase of nearly 25%. This wrapped up a solid year for our direct business with origination volume of $184.6 million which was an increase of 29% over the prior year.

Page 2

Lou Maslowe, SVP and Chief Risk Officer

"Our analysis revealed that there was a much larger increase in delinquency and charge offs during the second half of 2019 from the lower credit quality borrowers in our portfolio. Based on our analysis, we've made underwriting adjustments for borrowers of lower credit quality."

Page 4

Jeffrey A. Hilzinger, President and CEO

"So I think the goal here is to try to get the actual capital and the business down to a level that's more approximate to what the economic capital should be. But, we're not going to be able to make significant progress on that until we get relief from the capital limitation agreement, which is a very, very important strategic objective for the company but it's not one that we control. "

"You know, I think that we are, with the way we think about it is that, you know, we're going to be digitizing the platform over the next two to three years. And that the combination of common relief and digitizing the platform and removing the capital and increasing the margin in the business is a result of being able to offer these digital products, I think will ultimately get us to where the guidance was that we provided three years ago. But it's, we're in a much more competitive environment in the equipment finance business than we thought we were going to be when we provided that guidance to begin with. We think we have a really good litigant in our capital market strategy. But ultimately, I think the basic structure of the business needs to change from a calmer perspective to the amount of capital that's in the business and we need to really make progress on digitizing the platform so that we can continue to offer more higher margin products to the platform. "

page 8

Lou Maslowe, SVP and Chief Risk Officer

"But, there were three parts of our portfolio that showed particular weakness in Q3 and even more so in Q4 that was transportation. Our broad based retail business, we refer to it as retail but its multiple industries that we solicit business from through our dealer partners and then lastly, our broker space. So, we talked last quarter we'd made changes to our transportation underwriting guidelines. We've continued to see deterioration as that market still is suffering from lower freight volume, lower freight rates, higher insurance costs. So we've made -- we've tightened even further the transportation sector. We have basically completely eliminated other operators. We've limited transportation business to our commercial vehicle group and to two large partners whose portfolios are performing well, much of which is vocational anyhow. So we've really tightened up on the transportation fees I think sufficiently well at this point. But still, Q4 was weak and we had increased charge offs there.

"In terms of our retail business and our broker business, as we did a deep analysis into that portfolio, we really saw a marked difference between the better half I would say of our credit quality in terms of the movement of the higher delinquency and charge offs in the lower half. So what we've done is we've made some pretty significant changes in terms of those transactions, lower grade credits that in the past might have been approved without personal guarantees, were now requiring personal guarantees. We've also increased the requirements in terms of the quality of those guarantors, both in terms of their credit scores, their personal credit scores and the revolving availability. So the analysis revealed to help us identify the steps we needed to take and we've implemented those changes."

Page 9

Christopher York, JMP Securities

"...maybe just comments on working capital and what you're seeing there, you've got a confluence of potential competitors, so any comments on qualitative competitive pricing or pressure? "

Jeffrey A. Hilzinger, President and CEO

"Yeah. I think unlike equipment finance where it's -- there's both a cycle impact and there's also potentially a structural impact as these banks move down market, in the working capital case what we're seeing is just the market is really maturing and I think there is while the product has it cycles yet, I think a lot of the competitors in that market are so data driven and they have -- they really have a lot of data that they've accumulated over the last two or three years. And they're discovering that, the better economic outcome is to reduce price a little bit and be able to increase volume. The market or the product is really becoming more mainstream. We see it with our customers as well. It used to be the product, the last resort, and we don't see that anymore. And so you've got it, you've got tenders extending, you've got going from daily and weekly repayments, monthly repayments. You've got deal sizes going up. There's a more specific stratification of credit quality and the way that FinTech or all lenders are providing that product in the market.

"So I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. And I think we're in a really good place to be able to evolve with it and to take advantage of it, because I think, the tailwinds that come from having the market or having the product use being more mainstream, it just all both rise is that as that occurs and there's certainly going to be dog fights and competition and so forth. And, over time as everybody tries to settle into the place that they want to compete in that environment but there are good tailwinds in the working capital product because it is becoming a more -- it's being viewed and consumed in a more mainstream way."

Page 10

Transcript Requires Signing in:
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4320592-marlin-businesPresident and CEO-services-corp-mrln-ceo-jeff-hilzinger-on-q4-2019-results-earnings-call?utm_medium=email&utm_source=seeking_alpha

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

SLIM Capital Reports Tremendous Growth
for Year 2019

SLIM Capital, located in Beverly Hills, California, reported 2019 as its busiest year to date! SLIM Capital continues to grow by adding instrumental Operations and Sales personnel to their team. He is optimistic that SLIM will continue to see significant growth in 2020 while still providing superior service to their brokers and customers.

Shervin Rashti, CEO, declared,” With the use of technology, systems and clear workflow processes, we continue to streamline our business to manage large volumes of transaction flow in an efficient and successful manner. I’m excited to see what 2020 has in store for our team and clients!”
Here is a look back at 2019 Business Lending for SLIM Capital:

Largest Deal Funded: $2,106,000

Average Amount Funded: $137,238

Lowest FICO Score: 593

Total Number of Applications Processed: 1,761

Total Dollar Amount of Applications Processed: $453,508,361

Quickest Look to Book Time: 1 Day

Some of the top industries that SLIM Capital was able to make an impact in were:

Transportation: Four of the ten largest deals that SLIM funded were from this industry.
Petroleum: SLIM funded $1.5M in this space and was able to help a business that had just one and half years’ time in business. The customer was extremely grateful.
Laundry: No dirty laundry here! There was a total of $1.1M financed this year for this industry.
Construction: This industry continues to grow and SLIM is excited to be a part of it. SLIM was able to help a customer get a new John Deere Loader with under three years’ time in business and take it out to a 60 months term.
Scaffolding: SLIM went to new heights in this industry! Funding businesses with less than three years’ in business and helping clients save on rental payments.
Entertainment: Being headquartered in the heart of the entertainment industry, SLIM Capital was fortunate to be an integral part of growth for many well-known entertainment companies.

About SLIM Capital
SLIM Capital, LLC is a nationwide direct finance company that specializes in financing equipment acquisitions for our clients. We have credit-based programs as well as collateral-based programs that secure hard assets to structure financing transactions. We consider equipment with a strong secondary market value, real estate and other assets that can be easily monetized as collateral. With over 40 years of experience between the two lead partners, we have a wealth of knowledge and skill in recognizing deals and formulating structures efficiently and effectively. For more information, please contact us at: deals@slimcapital.com or visit Slim Capital website at www.slimcapital.com

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

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

Gary Batchelor passed away unexpectedly
on January 29, 2020

With great sadness, Hitachi Capital Canada (CLE Capital Inc.) announces that Gary Batchelor, Senior Vice-President, Strategy and Business Development, Equipment Finance, passed away unexpectedly on January 29, 2020.

The entire Hitachi Capital Canada team is heartbroken and wishes to extend their heartfelt sympathies to Gary’s family and friends.

François Nantel, President of Hitachi Capital Canada has issued this statement: “Gary was a devoted leader and most importantly a mentor to many over his 30+ years in the equipment finance industry. Gary’s infectious laugh and contagious work ethic will be greatly missed by all.”

Gary worked passionately and was an integral member of the financing community since his beginnings in 1992. He arrived at CLE Capital in 2011. His tenure began as the Vice President of Sales and he established the first sales team in Ontario and Western Canada. He went on to form the Service Level Agreement in 2012 that commenced the relationship with Hitachi Capital Group and spear headed the launch of Hitachi Capital Canada in 2013.

He went on to be promoted in 2016 to Vice President, Intermediary Relations where his strong relationship development skills were of paramount importance in developing the Intermediary channel within the company.

He believed that hard work, dedication and consistent learning was the key to the growth of the company. That is just one of the many reasons why in 2019 he was once again promoted to Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Equipment Finance.

Additionally Gary liked to give back to the community that he loved. He was involved with the CFLA since 1997 and won the “Member of the Year” award in 2008.

Within the Canadian Finance & Leasing Association, Gary has been dedicated to promoting the industry as a career path of choice for up and coming individuals.

He was the Chairman of the Education and Planning Committee. Whilst also being a contributing member of the “Women in Asset Financing” committee he, along with the committee members were recently awarded with a “CFLA 2019 Member of the Year” award at the annual CFLA conference last September in Vancouver.

Aside from work, Gary’s passions were golf, cars, scotch, travel, sushi and Blackberry. He’s a well-known ambassador in the industry and he will be sorely missed by many.

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

Labrador Mastiff Mix
San Francisco, California Adopt a Dog

Koda
13-year-old male black Lab/Mastiff mix 92 pounds neutered (Our lab is 14 years old, sleeps in same room, listens, likes people, and we enjoy his company very much—Kit.)

Background: Likely dumped by his owner due to his age and medical condition. Koda was picked up as a stray but found to be microchipped so the shelter contacted his owner – his owner refused to come in and get him. Grrrr. So Koda languished in the county shelter with this huge ugly growth on his left shoulder. We fell in love with his mellow demeanor. It was time to get Koda out of there.

What Koda’s Foster says: One mellow fellow. Koda loves lounging on the dog chair watching squirrels. He loves sleeping in my little garden cottage bedroom. Koda loves car rides. He loves my own dog Anna Belle and looks to her for guidance (I think he'd do well in a house with another mellow dog). Are we really sure Koda is 13? He loves his walks. When on walks, he is always on the lookout for squirrels, joggers, people, squawking birds. Koda is responsive to my commands, and he is even starting to give me a few tail wags. I think he is some much more comfortable now that the nasty growth thing is gone; and his fur is starting to grow back where it was shaved for the surgery. He is not so interested in balls or toys, but does love to chew on dog bones. Koda has been nonchalantly curious about my dog-savvy cat.

What Koda’s Rescue Rep says: What a gentle giant. Koda just wants to be with his peeps. He loves being close to you; lying nearby, watching the world go by. We believe Koda is a bit under-socialized with other dogs so his adopter with have to use care when meeting other dogs; he does fine with older mellow dogs, but is a bit snarky towards smaller dogs. We envision his adopter will give him a couple easy walks each day, followed by lots of lounging around, watching Animal Planet, and reading doggie magazines. Belly rubs and ear scratches are welcome at any time.

Medical Information: We had Koda’s ugly growth removed – biopsy revealed it to be a malignant trichoepithelioma, but the vet feels she got all of the growth. Koda is now on a special diet and medicine (Enalapril) to address a urine protein and blood albumin issue. He is neutered, current on vaccinations, heartworm negative, and microchipped.

Koda is located in: Oakland.
If you are interested in adopting Koda, please contact Rescue Rep Dave at david.c.ely@sbcglobal.net or 415-686-4248.

Koda in Cesar Chaveb dog park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVluZUCMdSk&feature=youtu.be

Koda on Leash-Waking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1k5yTM_DcY&feature=youtu.be

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Eleven Attorneys Against Evergreen Abuse
Help in Leasing News’ Bulletin Board Complaint Issues

The original intention of the Evergreen clause in an equipment leasing contract was to have an alternative to when the lessee did not exercise the residual at the end of the contract. Often the clause calls for an automatic additional twelve months when the residual is not resolved.

In most cases, the lessor notifies the lessee that the residual will be due, often ninety days in advance. However, often there is nothing in the contract that requires the lessor to notify the lessee regarding the expiration of the contract.

Contrarily, many small ticket lessors do not notify the lessee, and automatically continue the lease, often via an ACH or continued billing, which often goes unnoticed until many payments have already been made.

Leasing News would like to see an industry standard that lessees are notified in advance of the expiration of their contract regarding its termination. We support the clause, and the notification requirement is wide open, meaning 90, 60, even 30 days and by telephone or mail.

This list of attorneys agrees with this and will be available to lessees, sometimes able to help them without a fee, or at a reduced rate, in an effort to end the abuse of Evergreen clause leases.

Joseph G. Bonanno, Esq., CLFP
Attorney at Law, Massachusetts
Andover Landing at Brickstone
300 Brickstone Square, Ste. 201
Andover, MA 01810
Tel: (781)328-1010
Fax: (781) 827-0866
Email: law@jgbesq.com
"Industry expert witness in litigation, numerous authored and
co-authored published articles and conducting educational
seminars. Very well-known in the industry."

Jim Coston
Coston & Coston LLC
105 W. Adams Street
Suite 1400
Chicago, Illinois 60603
(312) 205-1010
jcoston@costonlaw.com
(In 1998, he was elected to the United Association of Equipment
Leasing Board of Directors, and in 2003-04 was the first
attorney to become UAEL President, very active in his political party.)

Ronald J. Eisenberg
Schultz & Associates LLP
640 Cepi Drive, Suite A
Chesterfield, MO 63005
(636) 537-4645 x108
(636) 537-2599 (fax)
www.sl-lawyers.com
(Proven Leasing Litigator, well respected by all sides)

Marshall Goldberg, Esq.
GLASS & GOLDBERG, ALC
22917 Burbank Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367-4203.
(818) 888-2220
mgoldberg@glassgoldberg.com
www.glassgoldberg.com

Ronald P. Gossett
Gossett & Gossett, P.A.
400 Seridan Street, Building I
Hollywood, Florida
954-983-2828
Fax: 954-983-2850
rongossett@gossettlaw.com
(Many cases including NorVergence, Brican, among others, a winner)

Ken Greene
Law Offices of Kenneth Charles Greene
5743 Corsa Avenue Suite 208
Westlake Village, California 91362
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
Skype: 424.235.1658
kenlaw100@gmail.com
(Ken was involved in the formation of Leasing News and
represented it (pro bono) in the early days.)

Peter S. Hemar, Esq.
Hemar & Associates, Attorneys at Law
2001 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 510
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Telephone: (310) 829-1948
Fax: (310) 829-1352
phemar@hemar.com
(My firm supports the clause giving lessees advance
notice of the expiration of their contract.)

Brandon J. Mark
Attorney at Law, Admitted in Utah and Oregon
Parsons Behle & Latimer
201 South Main Street, Suite 1800
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Direct Dial 801.536.6958
Facsimile 801.536.6111
www.parsonsbehle.com
BMark@parsonsbehle.com
(His firm represents banks who buy leases, and his
clients refuse to buy these types of leases.)

Frank Peretore
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi
West Orange, New Jersey
http://www.csglaw.com/biographies/frank-peretore
Phone 973-530-2058
fperetore@csglaw.com
(Experienced leasing attorney, aggressive, author, active
National Equipment Finance Association, ELFA, too)

Kevin E. Trabaris, Partner
Culhane Meadows PLLC
30 S. Wacker Drive, 22nd floor
Chicago, IL 60606
Telephone: 847-840-4687
Email: ktrabaris@culhanemeadows.com
llflegal.com/attorneys/kevin-trabaris
"In my career, I’ve repeatedly seen this provision misused
by unscrupulous lessors and think it’s a bad idea for both
the lessee and the lessor."

Michael J. Witt, Esq.
MICHAEL J. WITT LAW OFFICES
4342 Oakwood Lane
West Des Moines, IA 50265
Tel: (515) 657-8706
Mobile: (515) 868-1067
Fax: (515) 223-2352
email: MWitt@Witt-Legal.com
Web: www.witt-legal.com
(Former Advanta Leasing
and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance attorney)

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This Day in History

     1734 - Birthday of Robert Morris (d. 1806) at Liverpool, England. Signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, one of two men who signed all three documents. He was the country’s first “Superintendent of Finance”. The Robert Morris Association, formed by the Bankers Association, honors him.
http://www.robert-morris.com/
    1752 - The procession ceremony for her profession of faith by Sister St. Martha Turpin was held at Ursuline Convent in New Orleans, LA. She was the first American-born woman to become a nun in the Catholic Church. She was born in Illinois, and entered the Ursuline Convent in 1748. She began her novitiate on July 2, 1749. She died on November 20, 1761, at the age of 30.
http://www.ursulineneworleans.org/history.htm
http://www.accesscom.net/ursuline/
http://new-orleans.travelape.com/attractions/old-ursuline-convent/index.html
    1795 - Wounded by the sharp criticism of his colleagues, Alexander Hamilton resigned his post as the Secretary of the Treasury. During his run as the first U.S. Treasury Secretary, Hamilton put his conservative stamp on the young nation’s finances, establishing a national bank and a tax-based system to fuel the repayment of national and foreign debts. Hamilton also pushed for the Federal government to assume full responsibility for debts incurred by the states during the Revolutionary War. However, Hamilton’s Federalist ardor was a frequent target for controversy. He also saw the brewing of the wars in Europe and European powers’ growing interest in the Americas, which was not a popular view with a country that wanted to remain isolationist.
    1801 – John Marshall was appointed to be the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
    1848 -John C. Fremont is court-martialed. An outstanding military leader and abolitionist, known for being ahead of his time, he sided with the wrong political group. He was later pardoned by President Polk, but he resigned his commission. The Gold Rush made him a multimillionaire, whereupon he moved to New York, became actively involved in politics and ran for president. He was defeated by Democrat James Buchanan because of his anti-slavery views. He was appointed a general by President Lincoln, but got into political trouble again by proclaiming freedom for all slaves in military campaigns he was winning (this was before the emancipation doctrine). In 1864, he was again considered for the Republican presidential nomination. Popular but controversial, Frémont decided that his bid for the office would cause division within the party. He retired from public life and returned to the West. From 1878 to 1883, Frémont held public office again as appointed governor of the territory of Arizona. Just months before his death on July 13, 1890, Congress granted him a pension, acknowledging the importance of Frémont's early explorations of the West.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan31.html
    1851 - San Francisco Orphan's Asylum, first in California, founded.
    1863 - The first Union regiment in the Civil War made up of African-American soldiers was the 1st Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, organized in the summer of 1862 by Major General David Hunter. Since there was no authority at that time for its muster into federal service, it was disbanded then reorganized in October, 1862 and mustered into federal service at Buford, SC, on January 31, 1863. Its designation was changed on February 8, 1864, to the 33rd U.S. Colored Infantry.
    1865 - The controversy of free slaves continued until the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States. It read, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” When the Civil War began, President Lincoln's professed goal was the restoration of the Union. But early in the war, the Union began keeping escaped slaves rather than returning them to their owners, so slavery essentially ended wherever the Union army was victorious. In September, 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in areas that were still in rebellion against the Union. This measure opened the issue of what to do about slavery in border states that had not seceded or in areas that had been captured by the Union before the proclamation. In 1864, an amendment abolishing slavery passed the Senate but died in the House as Democrats rallied in the name of states' rights. The election of 1864 brought Lincoln back to the White House and significant Republican majorities in both houses, so it appeared the amendment was headed for passage when the new Congress convened in March, 1865. Lincoln preferred that the amendment receive bipartisan support--some Democrats indicated support for the measure, but many still resisted. The amendment passed 119 to 56, seven votes above the necessary two-thirds majority. Several Democrats abstained, but the 13th Amendment was sent to the states for ratification, which came in December, 1865. With the passage of the amendment, the institution that had indelibly shaped American history and had started the Civil War was eradicated.
    1865 – Gen. Robert E. Lee was appointed General-in-Chief of the Confederate Army.
    1871 - Birds fly over the western part of San Francisco in such large numbers that they actually darken the sky.
    1874 - Jesse James gang robs train at Gads Hill, MO.
http://www.rosecity.net/trains/picture4.html
    1892 – Birthday of Eddie Cantor, born Edward Israel Iskowitz (d. 1964), NYC. Actor, singer: “If You Knew Susie like I Know Susie,” “Alabamy Bound,” “Dinah,” “Ida,” “Makin’ Whoopee,” “Ma He’s Makin’ Eyes at Me.” His eye-rolling song-and-dance routines eventually led to his nickname, "Banjo Eyes". In 1933, artist Frederick J. Garner caricatured Cantor with large round eyes resembling the drum-like pot of a banjo. Cantor's eyes became his trademark, often exaggerated in illustrations, and leading to his appearance on Broadway in the musical “Banjo Eyes” (1941). His charity and humanitarian work was extensive, and he is credited with coining the phrase, and helping to develop the March of Dimes. He was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 1956 for distinguished service to the film industry.
http://www.eddiecantor.com/
    1872 - Zane Grey was born Pearl Grey (d. 1939) at Zanesville, OH. American dentist and prolific author of tales of the Old West, Grey eventually wrote more than 80 books that were translated into many languages and sold more than 10 million copies. The novel “Riders of the Purple Sage” (1912) was the most popular. In 1886, he graduated with a degree in dentistry and moved to New York to begin his practice. Grey's interest in dentistry was half-hearted at best, and he did not relish the idea of replicating his father's safe but unexciting career path. Searching for an alternative, Grey decided to try his hand at writing. His first attempt was an uninspiring historical novel about a family ancestries. At that point, Grey might well have been doomed to a life of dentistry, had he not met Colonel C. J. "Buffalo" Jones in 1908, who convinced Grey to write Jones' biography. More importantly, Jones took him out West to gather material for the book and Grey became deeply fascinated with the people and landscape of the region. Grey's biography of Jones debuted in 1908 as “The Last of the Plainsmen” to little attention but he was inspired to concentrate his efforts on writing historical romances of the West. In 1912, he published the novel that earned him lasting fame, “Riders of the Purple Sage.” Like the equally popular Owen Wister novel, “The Virginian” (1902), the basic theme of Riders revolves around the transformation of a weak and effeminate easterner into a man of character and strength through his exposure to the culture and land of the American West. Grey's protagonist, the Ohio-born Bern Venters, spends several weeks being tested by the rugged canyon country of southern Utah before finding his way back to civilization. Venters, Grey writes, "had gone away a boy-he had returned a man." Though “Riders of the Purple Sage” was Grey's most popular novel, he wrote 78 other books during his prolific career, most of them Westerns. Grey's work continued to be extraordinarily popular for decades after his death, and, by 1955, his books had sold more than 31 million copies around the world. With the possible exception of “Riders”, today Grey's books are little read, and most modern readers find them insufferably pompous, moralizing, and sentimental. In 1895 and 1898, he was a minor baseball player.
    1907 - Birthday of trombonist Benny Morton (d. 1985), born New York City, New York.
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/m1/benny_morton_b.htm
http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Benny%20Morton_1.htm
    1905 - American novelist/short story writer John O'Hara (d. 1970) born, Pottsville, Pennsylvania. A keen observer of social status and manners in early to mid-20th century America and pre-eminent among his contemporaries at depicting social realism. He first earned a reputation for short stories and later became a best-selling novelist before the age of 30 with “Appointment in Samarra” and “Butterfield 8.”
http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/litmap/ohara_john_pa.htm
http://oharas.com/directory/johnohara.html
    1911 - Congress passes resolution naming San Francisco as the site of the celebration of the opening of the Panama Canal.
    1911 - Tamarack, CA, was without snow the first eight days of the month, but by the end of January had been buried under 390 inches of snow, a record monthly total for the U.S.
    1913 – Before Jerry Rice, there was Don Hutson (d. 1997), born Pine Bluff, AR. He played split end and spent his entire eleven-year professional career with the Green Bay Packers. Under head coach Curly Lambeau, Hutson led the Packers to four NFL Championship games, winning three. Hutson is considered to have been the first modern receiver and is credited with creating many of the modern pass routes used in the NFL today. He was the dominant receiver of his day, during which he was widely considered one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. He held almost all major receiving records at the time of his retirement, including career receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He was inducted as a charter member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hutson's number 14 was the first jersey retired by the Packers, and he is a member of their Hall of Fame. In 1994, Hutson was selected for the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team as one of the greatest players of the NFL's first 75 years.
    1914 - Jersey Joe Walcott, boxer, born Arnold Raymond Cream (d. 1994) at Merchantville, NJ. Walcott lost a heavyweight title fight to Joe Louis in 1947 but then defeated Ezzard Charles to win the title in 1951 after losing to him twice before. At 37 years of age, he was the oldest man to win the heavyweight crown.
    1915 - Trumpet player Bobby Hackett (d. 1976) birthday, Providence, RI. Perhaps best known for his solo in “String of Pearls” with Glenn Miller. He later became much more known as a Dixieland coronet player in the Dixieland revival of the 1950’s.
http://www.libertyhall.com/bobby.html
http://spaceagepop.com/hackett.htm
    1915 - American television host Garry Moore was born Thomas Garrison Morfit, III (d. 1993) at Baltimore, MD. His best-known shows were "I've Got a Secret" (1952-67) and "To Tell the Truth" (1969-76). He gave Carol Burnett her break on TV when he made her a regular on "The Garry Moore Show."
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mooregarry/mooregarry.htm
    1919 - Jack Roosevelt Robinson (d. 1972), born at Cairo, GA. Baseball Hall of Famer, Class of 1962. Robinson was a star athlete at UCLA and an officer in the US Army during World War II. In Oct, 1945, Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Robinson to a contract to play professional baseball, thereby breaking the sport’s unofficial, but firm, color line. Robinson proved to be an outstanding player who endured unimaginable racial taunts and still excelled. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1947 and was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1949. He led the Dodgers to six pennants between 1947-56, and a World Series championship in 1955. Robinson's character, his use of non-violence, and his unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation which then marked many other aspects of American life. He influenced the culture of and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement. Robinson also was the first black television analyst in MLB, and the first black vice president of a major American corporation, Chock Full o’ Nuts. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York. After his death in 1972, in recognition of his achievements on and off the field, Robinson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of freedom. In 1997, MLB universally retired his uniform number, 42, across all Major League teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored. MLB also adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day," for the first time on April 15, 2004, on which every player on every team wears No. 42.
    1921 - Birthday of tenor Mario Lanza, billed as the successor to Enrico Caruso, born Alfred Arnold Cocozza (d. 1959) in Philadelphia, PA. There were predictions that he would become the greatest tenor of his time, perhaps even of the century. But his unreliability, destructive temper tantrums and a penchant for overeating, then going on frantic diets destroyed his career. Mario Lanza's 1951 film "The Great Caruso" is reported to have grossed more than five-million dollars. And two of his '50s recordings, "Be My Love" and "The Loveliest Night of the Year," sold more than a million copies each.
http://www.rense.com/excursions/lanza/
    1923 – Birthday of Norman Mailer (d. 2007), Long Branch, NJ. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist: “The Armies of the Night,” “Miami and the Siege of Chicago,” “The Executioner’s Song,” “The Naked and the Dead,” “An American Dream.” Mailer is considered an innovator of creative non-fiction, a genre sometimes called New Journalism, which uses the style and devices of literary fiction in fact-based journalism. Mailer was also known for his essays, the most famous and reprinted of which is "The White Negro." He was a cultural commentator and critic, expressing his views through his novels, journalism, essays, and frequent media appearances. In 1955, Mailer and three others founded “The Village Voice,” an arts-and politics-oriented weekly newspaper distributed in Greenwich Village.
http://www.iol.ie/~kic/
http://www.americanlegends.com/authors/norman_mailer.html
http://www.wiredforbooks.org/normanmailer/
  1923 - Birthday of Carol Channing, Seattle, WA. Tony award winner. Best known for her portrayal of Lorelei Lee in “Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend,” and Dolly Gallaher Levi in “Hello Dolly.” She is the darling of San Francisco.
    1928 - Scotch tape was developed by Richard Drew of the 3M Company.
    1931 – Birthday of Ernie Banks (d. 2015), Dallas, TX. Baseball Hall of Famer (1977) Banks is regarded by some as one of the greatest players of all time. Spent his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. All-star: 1955-1962, 1965, 1967, 1969. National League MVP: 1958, 1959; 512 home runs; over 40 in a single season five times; record five grand slams [1955]. His 47 home runs in 1958 was the most ever hit by a shortstop and his 277 home runs as a shortstop were career records at the time of his retirement. Named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/
hofer_bios/banks_ernie.htm
    1936 - The radio show, "The Green Hornet" was introduced by its theme song, "The Flight of the Bumble Bee." The show was first heard on Detroit, Michigan's WXYZ radio, lasting for 16 years. "The Green Hornet" originated from the same station as the "The Lone Ranger." The title character in "The Green Hornet" was really named Britt Reid, who was supposed to be the great nephew of John Reid, the Lone Ranger. Both series were created by George Trendle and Fran Striker.
http://members.aol.com/meow103476/greenhornet.html
    1936 - Birthday of singer Marvin Junior (d. 2013) of The Dells, Harold, AR. Junior wrote the Dells’ first hit, “Oh What a Nite,” with the group’s Johnny Funches. Originally released in 1956, it was rerecorded with a new arrangement in 1969 and released as “Oh What a Nite.” Many more hits would follow, including “Stay in My Corner” which was originally released in 1965 and also rerecorded and released again in 1969. The reworked versions of both songs went to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and reached the Top 10 on the pop chart.
http://www.themightydells.com/
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/html/dells_bio.html
http://www.epinions.com/content_59435355780
    1936 - Birthday of trombonist Garnett Brown, Memphis, TN.
Composer, arranger, and trombonist, Garnett earned his B.S. in music at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and went on to study film scoring and electronic music at UCLA. His numerous performances and recordings include those with Herbie Hancock, Lionel Hampton, Manhattan Transfer, Quincy Jones, Billy Taylor, Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, and Dizzy Gillespie. He has coordinated, conducted, arranged, composed, and performed music for numerous feature films and television programs, including “Roots: Second Generation,” “A Soldier's Story,” and “Fat Man and Little Boy.” He has received numerous awards, including the first place trombone prize in the Downbeat Reader's Poll in 1967 and 1974. BMI has honored him twice, with the Jazz Pioneers Award in 1984 and the Contribution to American Music Recognition Award in 1990. In 1988 he played with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra in an East Coast and European tour. Recently Brown was the orchestrator, arranger, and conductor of the score for the film “Harlem Nights.” He also worked as music coordinator on a feature film with Michel Legrand, and participated in a lecture, demonstration, and concert with Billy Taylor for the Washington, D.C. National Association of Jazz Educators. He presently teaches at UCLA in the Music Department, plus is a well-known studio musician.
    1937 - Birthday of American composer Philip Glass, Baltimore, MD. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the late 20th century.
http://www.philipglass.com/
    1940 - The first Social Security check was issued. Ida May Fuller, of Ludlow, VT, received the first monthly retirement check in the amount of $22.54. Ms. Fuller had worked for three years under the Social Security program (which had been established by legislation in 1935). The accumulated taxes on her salary over those three years were $24.75. She lived to be 100 years and collected $22,888 in Social Security benefits.
    1942 – Daniela Bianchi was born in Rome, Italy. Best known for her role of Russian spy Tatiana Romanova in the 1963 Bond movie “From Russia with Love.”
    1944 - Birthday of blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite, born Kosciusko, Mississippi. Musselwhite was reportedly the inspiration for the character played by Dan Akroyd in the “Blues Brothers.”
http://www.charlie-musselwhite.com/memphis.htm
http://www.rosebudus.com/musselwhite/
    1944 - OLSON, TRUMAN O., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 7th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, 30-31 January 1944. Entered service at: Cambridge, Wis. Birth: Christiana, Wis. G.O. No.: 6, 24 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Olson, a light machine gunner, elected to sacrifice his life to save his company from annihilation. On the night of 30 January 1944, after a 16-hour assault on entrenched enemy positions in the course of which over one-third of Company B became casualties, the survivors dug in behind a horseshoe elevation, placing Sgt. Olson and his crew, with the 1 available machinegun, forward of their lines and in an exposed position to bear the brunt of the expected German counterattack. Although he had been fighting without respite, Sgt. Olson stuck grimly to his post all night while his gun crew was cut down, 1 by 1, by accurate and overwhelming enemy fire. Weary from over 24 hours of continuous battle and suffering from an arm wound, received during the night engagement, Sgt. Olson manned his gun alone, meeting the full force of an all-out enemy assault by approximately 200 men supported by mortar and machinegun fire which the Germans launched at daybreak on the morning of 31 January. After 30 minutes of fighting, Sgt. Olson was mortally wounded, yet, knowing that only his weapons stood between his company and complete destruction, he refused evacuation. For an hour and a half after receiving his second and fatal wound he continued to fire his machinegun, killing at least 20 of the enemy, wounding many more, and forcing the assaulting German elements to withdraw.
    1945 - US Army Private Eddie Slovik was shot for desertion, the first such execution since the Civil War. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, personally ordered the execution during the closing days of World War II to deter other potential deserters. The story of his execution was made into a motion picture with actor Martin Sheen in the role of Private Slovik.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Slovik.html
    1947 – Birthday of Lynn Nolan Ryan, Refugio, TX. Hall of Fame pitcher with the NY Mets [World Series: 1969], California Angels [all-star: 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979], Houston Astros [all-star: 1981, 1985], Texas Rangers [all-star: 1989]. His 5,714 career strikeouts rank first in baseball history by a significant margin, as do his 7 no-hitters. He is tied with Bob Feller for the most 1-hitters. These with his 324–292 record and 3.19 ERA are among the reasons he is in the Baseball Hall of Fame (1999).
    1948 - J. D. Salinger's short story "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish" appears in The New Yorker. It was the earliest mention of the “Glass” family,” which was to appear in many of the short stories to follow.
http://www.biblion.com/litweb/biogs/salinger_j_d.html
http://members.aol.com/jdsletters/index.html
    1949 - The first soap opera on daytime television was “These Are My Children,” by Irna Phillips, which was aired between 5 and 5:15pm every weekday from January 21 to February 25, 1949, by NBC from Chicago, IL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irna_Phillips
    1949 - The temperature at San Antonio, TX plunged to a record low of one degree below zero. Helena, MT reached 42 degrees below zero.
    1950 - George Mikan, center for the Minneapolis Lakers, was chosen the greatest basketball player of the half-century by a national poll of sportswriters.
    1950 – President Harry Truman announced plans for the US to develop the hydrogen bomb. The idea of a thermonuclear fusion bomb ignited by a smaller fission bomb was first proposed by Enrico Fermi to his colleague, Edward Teller in 1941 at the start of what would become the Manhattan Project. Teller spent most of the Manhattan Project attempting to figure out how to make the design work, to some degree neglecting his assigned work on the fission bomb program. His difficult and devil’s advocate attitude in discussions led Robert Oppenheimer to sidetrack him and other "problem" physicists into the super program to smooth his way. On January 7, 1953, Truman announced the detonation of the first U.S. hydrogen bomb.
    1951 - DODD, CARL H., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. Army, Company E, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Subuk, Korea, 30 and 31 January 1951. Entered service at: Kenvir, Ky. Born: 21 April 1925, Evarts, Ky. G.O. No.: 37, 4 June 1951. Citation: 1st Lt. Dodd, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. First Lt. Dodd, given the responsibility of spearheading an attack to capture Hill 256, a key terrain feature defended by a well-armed, crafty foe who had withstood several previous assaults, led his platoon forward over hazardous terrain under hostile small-arms, mortar, and artillery fire from well-camouflaged enemy emplacements which reached such intensity that his men faltered. With utter disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Dodd moved among his men, reorganized and encouraged them, and then single-handedly charged the first hostile machine gun nest, killing or wounding all its occupants. Inspired by his incredible courage, his platoon responded magnificently and, fixing bayonets and throwing grenades, closed on the enemy and wiped out every hostile position as it moved relentlessly onward to its initial objective. Securing the first series of enemy positions, 1st Lt. Dodd again reorganized his platoon and led them across a narrow ridge and onto Hill 256. Firing his rifle and throwing grenades, he advanced at the head of his platoon despite the intense concentrated hostile fire which was brought to bear on their narrow avenue of approach. When his platoon was still 200 yards from the objective he moved ahead and with his last grenade destroyed an enemy mortar killing the crew. Darkness then halted the advance but at daybreak 1st Lt. Dodd, again boldly advancing ahead of his unit, led the platoon through a dense fog against the remaining hostile positions. With bayonet and grenades he continued to set pace without regard for the danger to his life, until he and his troops had eliminated the last of the defenders and had secured the final objective. First Lt. Dodd's superb leadership and extraordinary heroism inspired his men to overcome this strong enemy defense reflecting the highest credit upon himself and upholding the esteemed traditions of the military service.
    1951 - Top Hits
“My Heart Cries for You” - Guy Mitchell
“Tennessee Waltz” - Patti Page
“A Bushell and a Peck” - Perry Como & Betty Hutton
“The Shot Gun Boogie” - Tennessee Ernie Ford
    1951 - Rock vocalist Phil Collins was born in London. He joined the art-rock group Genesis in 1970 as drummer, replacing John Mayhew. Collins became the lead vocalist for Genesis after the group's front man, Peter Gabriel, left in 1974. With Collins fronting the band, Genesis began to score hit singles, starting with "Follow You, Follow Me" in 1978. Collins, while remaining with Genesis, started a solo career in 1982. His first album, "Face Value," sold two-million copies. He's had numerous single hits as well, including such chart- toppers as "Against All Odds," "One More Night," "Sussudio" and "Separate Lives," a 1986 duet with Marilyn Martin.
    1951 – Birthday of Harry Wayne Casey, Opalocka, Florida. Musician: keyboard, singer with KC and the Sunshine Band. http://discomuseum.com/KCSunshineBand.html
http://www.harrywaynecasey.com/
    1952 - Birthday of harmonica player Paul deLay (d. 2007), Portland, Oregon
http://www.cascadeblues.org/NWBlues/PauldeLay/PauldeLay.htm
http://www.pauldelay.com/about.ihtml
http://www.mnblues.com/review/delaylive.html
http://home.europa.com/~damray/welcome.html
    1956 - Elvis Presley signs with the William Morris Agency in order to make himself available to film studios.
    1958 - "Jackpot Bowling" premieres on NBC with Leo Durocher as host
    1958 - The first successful US satellite. Although launched four months later than the Soviet Union's Sputnik, Explorer reached a higher altitude and detected a zone of intense radiation inside Earth's magnetic field. This was later named the Van Allen radiation belts. More than 65 subsequent Explorer satellites were launched through 1984.
    1959 - Just three days before their death in a plane crash, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper play the Armory in Duluth, MN. In attendance: a seventeen-year-old Robert Zimmerman, who would be inspired to become a musician by this performance. We now know him as Bob Dylan.
    1959 - Top Hits
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” - The Platters
“Donna” - Ritchie Valens
“The All-American Boy” - Bill Parsons
“Billy Bayou” - Jim Reeves
    1960 - Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man" enters the R&B chart, soon to be #3. The song is written and produced by Otis Blackwell. James Taylor will make it a #4 pop hit in 1977.
    1961 - A test of Project Mercury spacecraft accomplished the first US recovery of a large animal from space. Ham, the chimpanzee, successfully performed simple tasks in space.
    1961 - The first African-American Commander of a combat ship was Lieutenant Commander Samuel Lee Gravely, Jr., of Richmond, VA. On January 31, 1961, he assumed command of the destroyer escort U.S.S. Falgout, one of the vessels of Escort Squadron 5 on duty with the barrier Pacific force. The ship had a crew of 150 and 13 officers.
    1961 - NBC airs the “Bobby Darin and Friends” television special, originally meant as a pilot for a weekly variety series.
    1961 – Houston voters approved a bond to finance the construction of a luxury domed stadium, clearing the final hurdle standing between the city and Major League Baseball. The stadium would become the 8th Wonder of the World, The Astrodome, and the team, originally known as the Colt 45s, became the Astros.
    1962 - U.S. Admiral Samuel L. Gravely becomes the first Black person to achieve flag rank, rear admiral. In September, 1976, Vice Admiral Gravely assumed command of the Third Fleet. During 1978-80, he was Director of the Defense Communications Agency. Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., retired from the Navy on 1 August 1980.
http://www.raaheroes.com/military/navy/gravely.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-g/s-gravly.htm
http://www.aaregistry.com/detail.php3?id=1250
    1963 - Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara declares:
"The war in Vietnam is going well and will succeed."
    1963 - A seventeen-year-old Neil Young makes his stage debut at a country club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
    1965 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin” by The Righteous Brothers. The song is the first No. 1 song for the duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield.
    1966 - A blizzard struck the northeastern U.S. When the storm came to an end, twenty inches of snow covered the ground at Washington D.C.
    1967 - While in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, John Lennon visits an antique shop and purchases a circus poster from 1843. It is this poster which inspires most of the lyrics to the Beatles' "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite."
  1967 - Top Hits
“I’m a Believer” - The Monkees
“Tell It Like It Is” - Aaron Neville
“Georgy Girl” - The Seekers
“There Goes My Everything” - Jack Greene
    1968 - As part of the Tet Offensive, Viet Cong soldiers attack the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. A 19-man suicide squad seized the U.S. Embassy and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof and routed them. The offensive was launched on January 30, when communist forces attacked Saigon, Hue, five of six autonomous cities, 36 of 44 provincial capitals, and 64 of 245 district capitals. The timing and magnitude of the attacks caught the South Vietnamese and American forces off guard, but eventually the Allied forces turned the tide. Militarily, the Tet Offensive was a disaster for the communists. By the end of March 1968, they had not achieved any of their objectives and had lost 32,000 soldiers and had 5,800 captured. U.S. forces suffered 3,895 dead; South Vietnamese losses were 4,954; non-U.S. allies lost 214. More than 14,300 South Vietnamese civilians died. While the offensive was a crushing military defeat for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese, the early reporting of a smashing communist victory went largely uncorrected in the media and this led to a great psychological victory for the communists. The heavy U.S. casualties incurred during the offensive coupled with the disillusionment over the earlier overly optimistic reports of progress in the war accelerated the growing disenchantment with President Johnson's conduct of the war. Johnson, frustrated with his inability to reach a solution in Vietnam announced on March 31, 1968, that he “would neither seek nor accept” the nomination of his party for re-election. As reported earlier, after leaving office he retired to his ranch in Texas and shortly died a broken man as his political influence and popularity was nil.
    1968 - John Fred and his Playboy Band's "Judy in Disguise" and the American Breed's "Bend Me, Shape Me" are certified gold. Neither group came even close to selling that many records with any other release
    1968 - A Seattle City Council hearing concludes that there are no legal means to curb hippies in the U-District.
    1970 - CLAUSEN, RAYMOND M., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263, Marine Aircraft Croup 16, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 31 January 1970. Entered service at: New Orleans, La. Born: 14 October 1947, New Orleans, La. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 during operations against enemy forces. Participating in a helicopter rescue mission to extract elements of a platoon which had inadvertently entered a minefield while attacking enemy positions, Pfc. Clausen skillfully guided the helicopter pilot to a landing in an area cleared by 1 of several mine explosions. With 11 marines wounded, 1 dead, and the remaining 8 marines holding their positions for fear of detonating other mines, Pfc. Clausen quickly leaped from the helicopter and, in the face of enemy fire, moved across the extremely hazardous mine laden area to assist in carrying casualties to the waiting helicopter and in placing them aboard. Despite the ever-present threat of further mine explosions, he continued his valiant efforts, leaving the comparatively safe area of the helicopter on 6 separate occasions to carry out his rescue efforts. On 1 occasion while he was carrying 1 of the wounded, another mine detonated, killing a corpsman and wounding 3 other men. Only when he was certain that all marines were safely aboard did he signal the pilot to lift the helicopter. By the courageous, determined and inspiring efforts in the face of the utmost danger, Pfc. Clausen upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1970 - PENRY, RICHARD A., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Infantry Brigade. Place and date: Binh Tuy Province, Republic of Vietnam, 31 January 1970. Entered service at: Oakland, Calif. Born: 18 November 1948, Petaluma. Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Penry, Company C, distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman during a night ambush mission. As the platoon was preparing the ambush position, it suddenly came under an intense enemy attack from mortar, rocket, and automatic weapons fire which seriously wounded the company commander and most of the platoon members, leaving small isolated groups of wounded men throughout the area. Sgt. Penry, seeing the extreme seriousness of the situation, worked his way through the deadly enemy fire to the company command post where he administered first aid to the wounded company commander and other personnel. He then moved the command post to a position which provided greater protection and visual communication and control of other platoon elements. Realizing the company radio was damaged and recognizing the urgent necessity to reestablish communications with the battalion headquarters, he ran outside the defensive perimeter through a fusillade of hostile fire to retrieve a radio. Finding it inoperable, Sgt. Penry returned through heavy fire to retrieve 2 more radios. Turning his attention to the defense of the area, he crawled to the edge of the perimeter, retrieved needed ammunition and weapons and resupplied the wounded men. During a determined assault by over 30 enemy soldiers, Sgt. Penry occupied the most vulnerable forward position placing heavy, accurate fire on the attacking enemy and exposing himself several times to throw hand grenades into the advancing enemy troops. He succeeded virtually single-handedly in stopping the attack. Learning that none of the radios were operable, Sgt. Penry again crawled outside the defensive perimeter, retrieved a fourth radio and established communications with higher headquarters. Sgt. Penry then continued to administer first aid to the wounded and repositioned them to better repel further enemy attacks. Despite continuous and deadly sniper fire, he again left the defensive perimeter, moved to within a few feet of enemy positions, located 5 isolated wounded soldiers, and led them to safety. When evacuation helicopters approached, Sgt. Penry voluntarily left the perimeter, set up a guiding beacon, established the priorities for evacuation and successively carried 18 wounded men to the extraction site. After all wounded personnel had been evacuated, Sgt. Penry joined another platoon and assisted in the pursuit of the enemy. Sgt. Penry's extraordinary heroism at the risk of his own life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1970 - In New Orleans, the Grateful Dead are arrested for possession of LSD and barbiturates, an incident which would inspire one of their most famous songs, "Truckin'." Apparently, the band had fun afoul of mob interests in Texas, and the mob alerted the NOPD. This explains lines like "Houston, too close to New Orleans" and "Set up, like a bowling pin."
http://www.seattletimes.com/centennial/october/outrage.html
    1971 - The Winter Soldier Hearings begin in a Howard Johnson's motel in Detroit. Sponsored by the group Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the hearings are an attempt by soldiers who have served in Vietnam to publicize U.S. conduct in the war. The veterans testify that the My Lai massacre was not an isolated incident and that American troops have committed atrocities. More than 100 veterans, in fact, testify to brutal US acts. Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield will enter the Winter Soldier hearings into the Congressional Record but, otherwise, the proceedings capture little attention.
http://www.prairienet.org/vvaw/
    1971 - The first sport played on the moon was golf. Astronaut Alan Bartlett Sheppard, Jr. commander of Apollo 14, used a six-iron to hit a golf ball on the moon. In the lunar gravity, the ball kept going until it was far out of sight.
    1972 - Joan Baez claims a gold record for her album "Any Day Now," which was made up solely of songs by Bob Dylan. The LP went gold three years after its release.
    1974 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “The Way We Were,'' Barbra Streisand. The title song to the Streisand-Robert Redford film wins a Grammy for songwriters Marvin Hamlisch and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and an Academy Award for Best Song.
    1975 - Barry Manilow's "Mandy" goes gold. Originally titled “Brandy,”
Manilow changed it at the recording studio to avoid confusion with another song of the same name by Looking Glass.
http://www.ionicom.com/songs/mandy.htm
http://www.barrynet.com/
http://www.barrynet.com/discography.html
    1975 - Top Hits
“Mandy” - Barry Manilow
“Please Mr. Postman” - Carpenters
“Laughter in the Rain” - Neil Sedaka
“Fire” - Ohio Players
(“I’d Be) A Legend in My Time” - Ronnie Milsap
    1981 - Female disco duo, A Taste of Honey, enter the soul chart with a disco remake of Kyu Sakamoto's 1963 hits Number One hit, "Sukiyaki." The former peaked at Number One on the soul chart. It makes it to the pop chart in March and climbs to #3
    1981 - Birthday of Justin Timberlake, singer, actor, born Memphis, Tennessee.
    1982 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Hamilton
http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/page/cbs/talent/hamilton.htm
    1982 - A snowstorm struck Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Twenty- five inches of snow at Greenville IL, located east of Saint Louis, paralyzed the community. The storm left 4000 motorists stranded for two days
    1983 - Top Hits
“Down Under” - Men at Work
“Africa” - Toto
“Sexual Healing” - Marvin Gaye
“Talk to Me” - Mickey Gilley
  1984 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Karma Chameleon,'' Culture Club. The song is the group's biggest hit in England and only No. 1 single in the U.S.
    1985 - John Fogerty, formerly of Creedence Clearwater Revival, returned to A&M recording studios in Hollywood, California to perform his first ‘live’ performance in 14 years when he performed in a video called "Rock and Roll Girls."
http://www.johnfogerty.com/main.php
http://www.delafont.com/music_acts/John-Fogerty.htm
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=1648&cf=1648
    1985 - The last Jeep, the workhorse vehicle that enjoyed a successful home coming from World War II, rolled off the AMC assembly line at the plant in Toledo, Ohio. Army chief, George Marshall, said the Jeep was "America’s greatest contribution to warfare.” Jeep is now a trademark of Chrysler Corporation.
http://www.armyjeepparts.com/
    1986 - Rock star John Cougar Mellencamp, was honored by the Indiana Senate in a resolution praising his music and loyalty to the state. Mellencamp is a native of Seymour, Indiana.
http://www.mellencamp.com/
    1987 - Madonna’s record, "Open Your Heart," took over the #2 spot on the pop charts, right behind "At This Moment" by Billy Vera and The Beaters. A week later, "Open Your Heart" would become Madonna’s fifth #1 hit since 1983. She had record 11 consecutive singles in the Top 10, the most for any female artist.
    1988 - Thirty-one cities in the central and northeastern U.S. reported new record high temperatures for the date, with many occurring during the early morning hours. Temperatures in western New York State reached the 60s early in the day. Strong northerly winds in the north central U.S. produced wind chill readings as cold as 60 degrees below zero in North Dakota.
    1988 - Herb Alpert performs the national anthem at Super Bowl XXII in San Diego, CA. (Chubby Checker performs at the halftime show). The Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10. After trailing 10–0 at the end of the first quarter of Super Bowl XXII, the Redskins scored 42 unanswered points, including a record-breaking 35 points in the second quarter, and setting several other Super Bowl records. In that 2nd quarter, Redskins’ QB Doug Williams, who was asked “how long have you been a black QB?,” tossed a 70-yard TD pass to WR Ricky Sanders and a 50-yard pass setting up another TD. He threw a 27-yard TD pass to WR Gary Clark, an 8-yard TD pass to TE Clint Didier and handed off to RB Timmy Smith, who ran 58 yards for another TD. Williams easily won the game’s MVP, the first black QB to win a Super Bowl. That one quarter so inspired the Redskins, the Broncos never had another chance. Tickets: $100.00.
    1988 - Ritchie Valens' brother and sister visited for the first time the place where Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash on February 3rd, 1959. They also visited the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, where Valens made his last appearance hours before the tragedy.
    1989 - The barometric pressure at Norway, AK, reached 31.85 inches (1078.4 mb.) establishing an all-time record for the North American Continent. The temperature at the time of the record was about 46 degrees below zero (The Weather Channel). Severe arctic cold began to invade the north central U.S. The temperature at Great Falls, MT plunged 85 degrees in 36 hours. Valentine, NE plummeted from a record high of 70 degrees to zero in just nine hours. Northwest winds gusted to 86 mph at Lander, WY, and wind chill readings of 80 degrees below zero were reported in Montana. Sixty-four cities in the central U.S. reported record highs for the date as readings reached the 60s in Michigan and the 80s in Kansas.
    1990 - McDonald's Corporation opened its first fast-food restaurant in the Soviet Union.
    1991 - Saudi Arabia claimed the border town of Khafji had been captured from invading Iraqi forces.
    1991 - Top Hits
“The First Time” - Surface
“Gonna Make You Sweat” (“Everybody Dance Now”) - C & C Music
Factory featuring Freedom Williams
“Sensitivity” - Ralph Tresvant
“Forever’s as Far as I’ll Go” - Alabama
    1992 - Trans World Airlines Inc., or TWA, filed for bankruptcy protection.
    1993 - Michael Jackson provided the half-time entertainment at the Super Bowl in Pasadena, California. He sang three of his hits - "Jam," "Billie Jean" and "Black or White" - paused to deliver a peace message, then performed "Heal the World." Garth Brooks sang the US national anthem to open the game. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills, 52-17. The Cowboys victory came three seasons after they won just one game and marked their return to elite status in the NFL under Coach Jimmy Johnson. The Bills become the first team to drop three in succession (they would lose again to Dallas, 30-13, the following year and remain the only team in NFL history to go to four successive Super Bowls).
    1994 - German luxury car-maker BMW announced the purchase of Rover from British Aerospace, ending nearly a century of independent mass car production in Britain.
    1996 - Corel purchased WordPerfect Corporation from Novell. Once the best-selling word processor, WordPerfect had steadily declined in popularity throughout the '90s, until the WordPerfect suite of office applications held less than twenty percent of the market. It relied more on the keyboard and typist considered it very fast. Novell had purchased WordPerfect in 1994, in an unsuccessful attempt to combat Microsoft's growing dominance in the consumer software field. Word was much easier to use, quick to learn, and as its product developed, it become more stable and incorporated many features of Word Perfect. As Netscape had 80% of the browser market, and Word Perfect at one time, Microsoft by 1998 turned the percentages around.
    1996 - Center Dale Hawerchuk of the St. Louis Blues became the 23rd player in NHL history to score 500 regular-season goals. Hawerchuk tallied as the Blues beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0. He retired in 1977 with 518 goals and 891 assists, good for 1409 points, 10th on the all-time list.
    1997 - David Bowie became the first musician to raise funds through a bond offering. Prudential Insurance bought $55-million of Bowie bonds, which were to be paid out of future earnings from his songs. The singer got his 55-million up front and Prudential received a 7.9 per cent annual return on its investment.
    1997 - Four "Critical Mass" protesters were arrested and five police officers "injured" when police attack a peaceful bicycle protest in downtown Seattle, Washington. Critical Mass, started in San Francisco in 1992, then spread to other cities since, and claims they have no leaders.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.
http://members.aol.com/MitsuAvaco/critmas2.htm
http://www.critical-mass.org/
    1998 - The "Come Together" benefit concert is held at a small New Jersey shore theatre. The show was a benefit for the family of Sgt. Patrick King, a Long Branch, NJ, police officer killed in the line of duty in the fall of 1997. The show was a 3 1/2-hour jam which featured Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, Little Steven and a host of New Jersey musicians. It was a practical E Street Band reunion, with Max Weinberg, Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons joining in. The show featured tunes such as "Tenth Avenue Freezeout," "Backstreets," "Livin' On A Prayer," "Thunder Road," "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Born To Run."
    1999 - Super Bowl XXXIII (at Miami): Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19. Broncos’ QB John Elway (MVP) completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards and one TD -- and ran three yards for another score. Play of the game: Elway to Rod Smith for a 90-yard touchdown. Tickets: $325.00. Cher performs the national anthem while Stevie Wonder performs at the halftime show.
    2006 - Alan Greenspan, chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank since 11 August 1987, resigns. He is succeeded by Ben Bernanke who resigns 2014. Janet Yellen becomes first female Chair on February 3, 2014.
    2013 - Aaron Neville notched his first Top Ten album on the Billboard R&B chart when "My True Story" landed at #7. His first appearance on the list was in 1960 with "Over You."
    2014 - Attorney General Eric Holder authorizes federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty for Boston Marathon bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Super Bowl Champions:

    1988 - Washington Redskins (Washington 42, Denver 10)
    1993 - Dallas Cowboys (Dallas 52, Buffalo 17)
    1999 - Denver Broncos (Denver 34, Atlanta 19)

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. What could be simpler?

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