Major Changes to Doing Leasing and Finance Business
 in California as Two Bills Move Along in the Process

Several bills in California have been presented and are going through the system to change the California Finance Laws. Two are aimed at commercial transactions:

AB 3207  Assemblywoman Limon

"The bill would exempt specified persons from the definition of broker, including the operator of an Internet search engine or social media platform. Because the bill would expand the definition of an existing crime by broadening the definition of a broker for purposes of the CFL, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would prohibit a licensed broker from performing an act that falls within the definition of a broker without first obtaining the borrower’s express consent."

The commercial loan contract provides for an annual percentage rate that does not exceed 36 percent. Add the residual, the upfront money, interim rent, document fee, and 20% commission to the broker, and you are over 36 percent.

"(1) The referral by the unlicensed person leads to the consummation of a commercial loan, as defined in Section 22502, between the licensee and the prospective borrower referred by the unlicensed person.
(2) The commercial loan contract provides for an annual percentage rate that does not exceed 36 percent.
(3) Before approving the commercial loan, the licensee does both of the following:
(A) Obtains documentation from the prospective borrower documenting the borrower’s commercial status. Examples of acceptable forms of documentation include, but are not limited to, a seller’s permit, business license, articles of incorporation, income tax returns showing business income, or bank account statements showing business income."

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB3207

(2) Interest rates on commercial loans. (This does not appear to include Capital Leases or Merchant Cash Advance. Editor).

AB1235  Senator Glazer
To require some commercial lenders to disclose interest rates in some commercial loans. The disclosure will be consistent with Regulation Z in consumer transactions. Most banks disclose the APR even in commercial transactions.

The Bill in its present form:

    ▪ Requires disclosure for all commercial loans over $5,000. This was increased from $2,500.
    ▪ Commercial leasing transactions are exempt. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, this means a true lease.  So if the lender is doing 10% purchase option transactions, the lender must still disclose
    ▪ Loans secured by real estate are exempt.
    ▪ Prepayment Fees must now be disclosed.
    ▪ The provision relative to loans disguised as “merchant cash advances” remains in effect.
    ▪ Banks and open ended credit programs (similar to credit lines) are also exempt
    ▪ Lenders which makes 5 or less loans per year would also be exempt.
    ▪ Transactions over $500,000 are exempt.

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1235

 

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Bad Guys: Companies That Utilize Evergreen Clauses 
for Extra Lease Payments

These companies use language in their lease documents regarding purchase options to confuse, perhaps to deceive, resulting in an automatic continuation for an additional twelve months of payments. Often they win transactions with lower monthly payments as the lessee does not carefully read and prepare for the end-of-lease notification requirement (many are on ACH payments).

Several have continuation of payments and the requirement of replacing the equipment for a new lease. Leasing News has had complaints involving companies who invoke the twelve months on a $1.00 purchase option, as well as on an Equipment Finance Agreements.

Two of the companies on this list do a lot of copier leasing where it is reported manufacturers are now getting a piece of auto-renewals and  insisting that they be in the lease as a condition of the business. Leasing News has heard from a very reliable source that some copier manufacturers also give dealers 4-5 months’ notice of a discontinued model and agree to sell it to the dealer at 40% of list price, on the condition that the captive finance divisions not receive the business. Also buried in the contract on one is a one- month rental return fee including an inspection fee at the location specified by lessor and at lessee’s return expense (often not the local dealer who supplied the copier).

Advice for Broker or Lessor
Dealing with a Company that Uses Evergreen Clauses
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2013/11_18.htm#advice

Complaints on Extra Payments

ACC Capital, Midvale, Utah
Balboa Capital, Irvine, California
De Lage Landen, Wayne, Pennsylvania
IFC Credit, Morton Grove, Illinois
Jules and Associates, Los Angeles, California 
LEAF Financial Group, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Marlin Business Leasing, Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Marquette Equipment Finance, Midvale, Utah 
Mazuma Capital Corporation, Draper, Utah
Onset Financial, South Jordan, Utah
Pacific Western Equipment Finance, Cottonwood Heights, Utah 
Republic Bank, Bountiful, Utah
Tetra Financial Group, Salt Lake City, Utah
Winthrop Resources, Minnetonka, Minnesota 

 

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Help Wanted


 

"Assessing Your Career"
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

As an Executive Recruiter and Career Consultant, I have worked with  professionals at various levels in their career. Often, they have failed to take a hard look at their current state of their careers. 

When was the last time you examined your career, where it stands, and if you are meeting the goals planned or envisioned years ago? Be realistic, your personal career goals are not likely to match your employer’s goals. If you are not on the right track, it may be time for a change. Connect with a dedicated Career Consultant who can help evaluate your current and future state.

A simple approach is to ask if you are fulfilled in your current situation and if it will sustain you during the life of your career. If you are interested in an analytical approach, there are many assessment tools which may give the validation needed to move forward. Career assessments are tools designed to help individuals understand how a variety of personal attributes (i.e., values, interests, and skills) impact their potential success and satisfaction with career options and environments.

These decisions are beneficial for helping experienced professionals assess why they are feeling unfulfilled in their current occupations or “burned out.” Additionally, some individuals are forced into exploring careers because the career path they were on is no longer viable, either because of industry, economic, or life changes.

Today’s world is tricky to navigate, positions and industries are fading, others emerging. The likelihood that you will remain with the same company until you retire is extremely remote. You must consider every and all possibilities.

It is time to move forward. This process will be daunting. Solution: collaborate with a consultant. A typical timeframe could take anywhere from one to six months (flexibility will determine this) and will include a series of stages, e.g., exploratory, research, document and correspondence prep, marketing, follow up, offer, and onboarding.

Please call me if you would like to discuss this in person.

Emily Fitzpatrick
Sr. Recruiter
Recruiters International, Inc.
Phone:  954-885-9241
Cell:  954-612-0567
emily@riirecruit.com
Invite me to connect on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-fitzpatrick/4/671/76
Also follow us on Twitter #RIIINFO
Career Crossroads Previous Columns
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/crossroad.html

 

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Developing Strong Leaders for the
Commercial Equipment Leasing/Financing Industry

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

The equipment leasing and finance industry is constantly changing to meet the needs of the market. The industry is known for its flexibility and innovation. There is no doubt that the industry is currently in a transformation stage and will be significantly different in next five years. Change is good. Enhancements to the experience of purchasing and leasing commercial equipment are exciting. The strongest organizations and professionals are embracing change and leading the industry into a smarter, larger, and safer environment for investors, owners, vendors and end-users. As a savvy originator are you:

• Using technology to enhance your ability to better serve your clients?
• Planning for 2023 and beyond?
• Thinking about the future and what is on the horizon for you, your company, and your clients?
• Considering how the next generation of decision makers will be using your products and services?
• Gathering the proper data and developing predictive analytics?
• Educating yourself about the newest and best practices in the industry?

Top producers are thinking and acting bolder than in the past. They are leading the industry by looking forward, rather than backward.

https://www.createspace.com/5355516 

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

 

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Paul Bent
Senior Managing Director
Leader, Legal Services Practice
The Alta Group, LLC
(562) 426-1000 Office
(562) 754-7744 Mobile
Skype: callpaulbent
pbent@thealtagroup.com
www.thealtagroup.com

Haiku Collection
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/haiku.htm

 

June 29, 2007, the day the first-generation iPhone was released, is often considered the birthday of the modern smartphone. And while that may be true in terms of its (at the time) revolutionary touchscreen user interface, another, less noted event probably played an even bigger role in shaping today’s smartphone experience.

Ten years ago, on July 10, 2008, Apple introduced the App Store, opening up its famously walled garden and paving the way for today’s app economy. “We’re excited about creating a vibrant third-party developer community with potentially thousands of native applications for iPhone and iPod touch,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs had said a few months earlier at the unveiling of the iPhone software development kit, illustrating that even Jobs, surely among the keenest of optimists, couldn’t imagine apps becoming as big as they eventually did.

Instead of “thousands of applications” the App Store now has more than two billion apps and many app developers/publishers have made a fortune building apps for Apple’s mobile ecosystem. As our chart illustrates, iOS developers have earned more than $100 billion since the App Store’s inception in 2008, making July 10, 2008 the starting point of what has essentially been the gold rush of the early 21st century.

By Felix Richter  statista.com

https://www.statista.com/chart/9671/developer-earnings-apple-app-store/

 

 

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

CWB National Leasing Inc. to Receive
ELFA’s 2018 Operations and Technology Excellence Award

Washington, D.C. — The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) announces that its 2018 Operations and Technology Excellence Award will go to CWB National Leasing Inc. The award-winning project will be showcased during ELFA’s Operations and Technology Conference, Sept. 17-19 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia, PA.

CWB National Leasing is recognized for developing and implementing FELIX, a custom-built core system replacement that streamlines all aspects of the financing process from beginning to end. CWB National Leasing developed the system in house, allowing them to tailor the system to specific processes in order to deliver the best service possible. The new system replaced a number of legacy systems with one final product, designed to be scalable with the ability to react quickly to market changes and take on future growth, while serving customers with increased speed, accuracy and efficiency.

Jennifer Martin, VP, Vendor Program Development and Operational Controls at Key Equipment Finance and Subcommittee Chair for the award, said, ““CWB National Leasing’s transformation project embodies many of the areas that challenge organizations’ ability to successfully untangle the wires and evolve their business. Use of a progressive project methodology, implementing technology to prepare their business for the future and focusing on the people and processes needed to excel are all reasons

“CWB National Leasing was chosen as this year’s award winner. We look forward to hearing their story at the ELFA Operations and Technology Conference in September.”

ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta, said, “ELFA is pleased to showcase innovative uses of technology in the equipment finance industry. We congratulate CWB National Leasing, whose winning project is a testament to the spirit of innovation underway in the equipment finance industry and the commitment to excellence that embodies the spirit of this award.”

The Operations and Technology Excellence Award identifies and recognizes equipment leasing and finance companies that have demonstrated best practices in developing and implementing innovative uses of technology or creative business processes to improve operations, enhance customer interactions, enter new markets and build overall ROI. The program brings the backroom to the foreground, spotlighting the best in the industry as an example for others. More information about the award and a list of previous winners is available at www.elfaonline.org/about/awards/OTE. 

Information about the 2018 ELFA Operations and Technology Conference, Sept. 17-19 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia, PA, is available at www.elfaonline.org/events/2018/OT. 

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 580 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
San Francisco area  Adopt-a-Dog

"Kona: 5-year-old male black Lab 75 pounds neutered

"Watch Kona's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU24GQORjjo&feature=youtu.be

"Background: A beloved pet that was left behind as his family grew and their human schedules changed. Kona is in his prime now, but no one at his former owner’s home had time for the exercise and engagement he needed. Left in the backyard for long periods of time, he voiced his displeasure by barking to the neighbors’ dismay… and escaping from time to time to explore the world around him and visit the other neighborhood dogs.

"What Kona’s Foster says: Kona is equally affectionate with men and women, and has settled in with our existing 3-dog pack easily. He’s healthy, slim and (of course) always hungry. Kona is playful and loves to fetch – doing our best to tire him out at this. He hasn’t met our royal cat yet, but he has a reputation for chasing felines, though the queen of the cats may give him a quick lesson in good behavior!

"What Kona’s Rescue Rep says: Kona needs a new Ohana (Hawaiian for family)! He's definitely a family dog – and will do best in an active pack of humans that will do their best to wear him out. He is a healthy, handsome fellow, affectionate and energetic. Kona would love to run, hike, or bike with you! His family must be committed to not leaving him alone for long periods of time. Kona has a propensity to escape and bolt. He is able to scale a 6-foot fence to get out of a backyard. He may also run away if his new owner drops his leash. Kona needs a patient and committed owner who will work with Kona to crate train him and teach him that his new home is the greatest place in the world. “Stay” and “Come” will become critical commands.

"Medical Information: He is in excellent health. Kona is microchipped, current on distemper and Rabies vaccinations, and now neutered.

"Kona is located in: Vacaville

"If you are interested in Kona, call, text, or email Rescue Rep Dave, 415-686-4248, david.c.ely@sbcglobal.net.

"(Please keep in mind we are all volunteers, most of us work full time and we all have personal lives. I do call everyone back within 2-3 days so please be patient and I will be back in touch with you. When the dogs are in foster homes then it may take longer as we need to touch base with the fosters for updates on the dogs. We work very hard to make the right matches for the dogs and for the new owners. We get 3-5 dogs per week and we do not have a facility that we keep the dogs housed in. They are scattered all over the Bay Area.) "

Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Rescue
Placing Labs in loving homes since 1986

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

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Jodi and Tom McCurnin Himalayan Trip

"Jammu and Kashmir is a state in northern India, often denoted by its acronym, J&K. It is located mostly in the Himalayan mountains, and shares borders with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south." Wikipedia.

Srinagar pronounced Shrin -e-gar is the largest city in the twin provinces of Jammu and Kashmir.
It’s a beautiful old city with some wonderful Islamic architecture. It also has a natural lake North of town called Lake Dal. The lake has houseboats for rent and we stayed in one. Pictures follow of the houseboat:

Houseboat in Kashmir

Srinagar is also a hot bed of the Muslim rebellion, so the place is an armed camp with soldiers posted every 200 yards on major roads and checkpoints.

India ain’t giving this up any time soon.

The lake has its own community including small floating towns and a floating vegetable market.

Floating vegetable market

Doing Laundry in the Floating City

Clothes, washing pots, cooking everything is done via the lake. Houses are on stilts. I took an Indian cooking class at one of these houses.

Fish Hawk Outside Our Houseboat
Other Houseboat in background and Kashmir Mountains.

Transportation in Lake Dai, Srinagar, Kashmir

Dining Room in Our Houseboat. Pretty nice, eh? It’s good to be the King.

Commerce on Lake Dai, Srinagar, Kashmir

City Gate Srinagar, Kashmir

Thoughts on the Pakistan-India Conflict Over Kashmir
Political Graffiti in Kashmir

We saw lots of this type of stuff in English like this or India Go Home or Pakistan Forever.
English is, by the way, one of the four required languages taught here in public schools.
Every Friday the main mosque whips people up and there were violent protests in 2014.
96% of the people are Muslim, ruled by Hindus.

India reacted to the violence by the main mosque and people were killed.

The place is presently an armed camp with checkpoints and Indian soldiers every 200 yards.
I spoke to our guide and he tried to make the case for independence. But when the argument is framed as "turn over the two states (Jamu and Kashmir) to Pakistan," it is obvious to me that India ain’t giving this up ever. 5 wars have been fought over this place since 1948. So, I said you really have to move on.

Aside from the army presence, they are allowed to openly practice their religion.
It is also not as restricted as Western China which is also Muslim ruled by Buddhists. Western China had metal detectors every couple blocks.

At some point, the Muslims must simply accept reality and move on.
                                   ------------------

Traveling with Jodi and Tom McCurnin, Leasing News Legal Editor

Tom and Jodi McCurnin Wagah Border, Lahore
   Daily Sunset Lowering of the Flag at the Pakistan/India Border
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jul2018/07_09.htm#tom

Tom McCurnin Climbs Himalayas Photos/Comments
  Says “I’m getting too old for this…”
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jul2018/07_03.htm#tom

Photos for Fans of Leasing News’ Tom McCurnin
  He and His Wife with Group to Climb Himalayas
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2018/06_25.htm#photos

News Briefs----

Tesla Plans China Plant With 500,000 Vehicle Capacity
   The Question: "Who is going to pay for it."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-10/tesla-is-said-to-plan-china-plant-with-500-000-vehicle-capacity

Good News for Solar and other ITC Projects
  The National Law Review Article
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/irs-issues-beginning-construction-guidance-solar-projects

Business-Loan Drought Ends for Banks
  a welcome relief for banks/sign of strength U.S. economy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/business-loan-drought-ends-for-banks-1531058400

BMW to shift some SUV production overseas
     in response to tariffs
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/international-taxes/396248-bmw-to-shift-some-suv-production-overseas-in-response-to

Speeding is going to cost you more in these states
  Check Out Map, move cursor over state
https://tandemthoughts.landlinemag.com/in-the-news/speeding-going-cost-state/

Whoa! Meet the future phones that fold up,
   have 9 cameras and charge over thin air.
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/wapowhoa-meet-the-future-phones-that-fold-up-have-9-cameras-and-charge-over-thin-air/

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You May Have Missed---

Warehouse automation: the best in trends and innovations
https://blog.bankofthewest.com/2018/07/05/warehouse-automation-best-trends-innovations/

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A Poem about Baseballs

By Denis Johnson

for years the scenes bustled  
through him as he dreamed he was  
alive. then he felt real, and slammed

awake in the wet sheets screaming  
too fast, everything moves
too fast, and the edges of things  
are gone. four blocks away

a baseball was a dot against  
the sky, and he thought, my  
glove is too big, i will

drop the ball and it will be  
a home run. the snow falls  
too fast from the clouds,  
and night is dropped and

snatched back like a huge
joke. is that the ball, or is
it just a bird, and the ball is
somewhere else, and i will
miss it? and the edges are gone, my

hands melt into the walls, my  
hands do not end where the wall  
begins. should i move
forward, or back, or will the ball

come right to me? i know i will  
miss, because i always miss when it
takes so long. the wall has no  
surface, no edge, the wall

fades into the air and the air is  
my hand, and i am the wall. my  
arm is the syringe and thus i

become the nurse, i am you,  
nurse. if he gets
around the bases before the  
ball comes down, is it a home

run, even if i catch it? if we could  
slow down, and stop, we
would be one fused mass careening  
at too great a speed through
the emptiness. if i catch

the ball, our side will
be up, and i will have to bat,  
and i might strike out.

Denis Johnson, “A Poem about Baseballs” from The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly: Poems Collected and New. Copyright © 1995 by Denis Johnson. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

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Sports Briefs---

NFLPA officially files a grievance over
    league's new national anthem policy
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nflpa-officially-files-grievance-leagues-new-national-anthem-policy-160258762.html

Five reasons why the Packers will make the 2018 NFL playoffs
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000939800/article/five-reasons-why-the-packers-will-make-the-2018-nfl-playoffs

France advances to World Cup final, beats Belgium 1-0
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/8519508-181/france-advances-to-world-cup

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California Nuts Briefs---

Million-square-foot office complex coming next year near
     San Jose’s Google village site
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/07/09/million-square-foot-office-complex-sprout-downtown-san-jose-google-village-site-apple-facebook-amazon-adobe/

Contra Costa severing contract for jailing immigration
    detainees in Richmond
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Contra-Costa-severing-contract-for-jailing-13063679.php

On San Francisco’s next mayor
https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-On-San-Francisco-s-next-mayor-13061353.php

Former mayor of Santa Clara dies
Larry Marsalli died Monday surrounded by family
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/07/06/former-mayor-of-santa-clara-dies/

 

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Changing Of The Guard: Ernest J. Gallo To Lead California Wine Giant
http://www.shankennewsdaily.com/index.php/2018/07/09/21111/changing-of-the-guard-ernest-j-gallo-to-lead-california-wine-giant/

Napa's Cabernet Dependency Deepens
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2018/07/napa-s-cabernet-dependency-deepens

Winemaker Joel Gott Purchases Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen 
   With Big Plans for St. Helena
https://sf.eater.com/2018/7/6/17541938/joel-gott-cindys-backstreet-kitchen-the-station-gotts-saint-helena

A Wine Stopper That Does Double Duty
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/dining/drinks/rabbit-wine-stopper.html

The Ultimate Anderson Valley Winery Bucket List
http://thepress.sfchronicle.com/review/anderson-valley-winery-bucket-list/

Taking the Temperature of Magnum Sales
https://daily.sevenfifty.com/taking-the-temperature-of-magnum-sales/

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

    1656 - Ann Austin and Mary Fisher, two Englishwomen, become the first Quakers to enter the American colonies when the ship carrying them lands at Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The pair had come from Barbados, where Quakers had established a center for missionary work. The Religious Society of Friends, whose members are commonly known as Quakers, was a Christian movement founded by George Fox in England during the early 1650s. Quakers opposed central church authority, preferring to seek spiritual insight and consensus through egalitarian Quaker meetings. They also advocated sexual equality, and became some of the most outspoken opponents of slavery in early America. Shortly after arriving in Massachusetts, Austin and Fisher, whose liberal teachings enraged the Puritan colonial government, were arrested and jailed. After five years in prison, they were deported back to Barbados. In October of 1656, the Massachusetts colonial government enacted their first ban on Quakers, and on 20 October 1658, ordered Quakers banished from the colony "under penalty of death." On 27 October 1659, William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson became the first Quakers to be executed in America when they were hanged from an elm tree on Boston Common. Mary Dyer was sentenced with them but reprieved and warned not to return to Boston. She did, and was hanged on 01 June 1860. In the mid-eighteenth century, John Woolman, an anti-slavery Quaker, traveled the American colonies, preaching and advancing the abolitionist cause. He also organized boycotts of products made by slave labor, and was responsible for convincing many Quaker communities to publicly denounce slavery. Another of many important abolitionist Quakers was Lucretia Mott, who worked on the Underground Railroad in the nineteenth century, helping lead fugitive slaves to freedom in the Northern states and Canada. In addition to her anti-slavery crusade, Mott later became a leader in the movement for women's rights.    
    1735 - Mathematical calculations suggested that it is on this day that Pluto moved inside the orbit of Neptune for the last time before 1979.
    1767 - Birthday of John Quincy Adams (d. 1848), Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony.  He was the first U.S. President, sixth overall, whose father had also been President of the United States. He also has the uniqueness for serving 17 years as a member of Congress from Plymouth, Massachusetts, after serving one single term as President. He died February 23, 1848, at the House of Representatives (in the same room in which he had taken the presidential oath of Office March 4, 1825).
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ja6.html 
    1786 - Morocco agreed to stop attacking American ships in the Mediterranean for a payment of $10,000.
    1796 – The US took possession of Detroit from the British under the Jay Treaty.
    1798 - President John Adams signed the bill that re-established the Marine Corps. The Continental Congress had disbanded the service in April of 1783 at the end of the American Revolution. The Marine Corps, however, recognizes its "official" birthday to be the date that the Second Continental Congress first authorized the establishment of the "Corps of Marines" on 10 November 1775. To add to the confusion of the Corps' actual "historical" birthday, on 1 July 1797, Congress authorized the Revenue cutters to carry, in addition to their regular crew, up to "30 marines." Congress directed the cutters to interdict French privateers operating off the coast during the Quasi-War with France and thought the additional firepower of 30 marines would be needed by the under-manned and under-gunned cutters. It is unknown if any "marines" were enlisted for service with the Revenue cutters during this time.
    1804 - Alexander Hamilton was fatally wounded in a pistol duel with Aaron Burr. Since New Jersey did not have a law against dueling at the time, Burr and Hamilton, both New Yorkers, crossed the Hudson to Weehawken, New Jersey. New York had banned the practice earlier, partly due to Hamilton's own campaign efforts after his son was killed in a duel.  Hamilton had fought Burr’s run for the presidency in 1800, and for the governorship of New York in 1804, when Hamilton and others suspected that Burr intended to attach New York to the disgruntled New England states in a plan to disunite from the Union and form a northern confederacy. Jefferson and Burr had equal electoral votes, throwing the election to the House where each state would have one vote. There were 35 ballots in a row, deadlocked, until the 36th, and Burr became Vice-President (there were separate elections for the office at that time). Burr challenged Hamilton, who deliberately misfired before Burr fired with the intent to kill. Burr was later tried for treason in an attempt to have Southern states secede from the union and join Mexico.   http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul11.html  
    1819 - Birthday of Susan Bogert Warner (d. 1885), NYC.  She wrote, under the name of "Elizabeth Wetherell", thirty novels, many of which went into multiple editions. A remarkably prolific and popular author, she is said to be the first U.S. author to sell a million copies of a book. She collaborated on several with her sister Anna Bartlett Warner (b. 08-31-1827), also a successful writer. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Warner
    1838 - Birthday of John Wanamaker (d. 1922), Philadelphia.  Founder of Wanamaker’s Department Store, at Philadelphia.  A merchant, religious leader, civic and political figure, he was considered by some to be an early proponent of advertising and a "pioneer in marketing.”  He opened his first store in 1861, in partnership with his brother in-law, called "Oak Hall", at Sixth and Market Streets in Philadelphia, adjacent to the site of George Washington's Presidential home. In 1889, Wanamaker began the First Penny Savings Bank in order to encourage thrift. That same year, he was appointed Postmaster General by President Benjamin Harrison. Wanamaker was credited by his friends with introducing the first commemorative stamp, and many efficiencies to the Postal Service. He was the first to make plans for free rural postal service in the United States, although the plan was not implemented until 1897.
    1846 - The American flag replaced the California Republic flag at Sutter's Fort today. As soon as he received word that the U.S. and Mexico were at war, John Fremont quickly enrolled local Anglo settlers, mostly recent immigrants from Missouri and Iowa, into a militia force. Numbering about 500 men, Fremont moved the battalion south toward Los Angeles. He soon took the city without a fight. In fact, except for one small engagement of Mexican cavalry against a force of Army Regulars lead by General Stephen Kearny, coming into California from New Mexico, the rest of the colony willingly accepted American control.
    1848 - Governor of California, Gen. Richard Barnes Mason, visited gold fields to gather information for a report to the U.S. Government. He was accompanied by his aide, Capt. William T. Sherman. 
    1854 – Birthday of actress Georgiana Barrymore (d. 1893) at Philadelphia, PA.  She is the mother of John, Ethel, and Lionel Barrymore and her maiden name, Drew, is that of her great, great granddaughter and current actress.
   
    1864 - General Jubal A. Early, commanding Confederate troops attempting to draw Union forces away from Richmond, broke through inadequate Union forces southeast of Frederick, MD., and entered the District of Columbia. His goal was to attack the White House, as was General Lee’s original goal when his troops were caught at Gettysburg. At this time, the Union was aware of the original thrust by Lee and his forces and had been re-enforcing the capital. Noting that hastily ordered federal reserves were arriving in significant numbers, Early withdrew the next night. He continued to harass Union forces from Shenandoah Valley until the Battle of Cedar Creek in October. He was elevated by Lee to Lt. General. He was very loyal to Lee and an ardent critic of General Longstreet. 
http://www.jubalearly.org/jubal.html
http://www.civilwarhome.com/earlybio.htm
    1870 - Snowden School of Alexandria, VA, was the first African-American School established by a state. The Snowden and Hallowell schools were the first black public schools in the City of Alexandria. In 1915, the Snowden School for Boys was destroyed in a fire, but the students were allowed to attend St. Mary’s Catholic Church School which was located at the time on Wolfe and Royal Streets. In 1920, the Snowden and Hallowell schools were consolidated, and the resulting school was named the Parker-Gray School. Parker-Gray School is named for John Parker, principal of the Snowden School for Boys, and Sarah Gray, principal of the Hallowell School for Girls. 
    1884 - The first practical fountain pen was invented by Lewis Edson Waterman and was manufactured by the L.E. Waterman Company in New York City. During the first year, about 200 fountain pens were manufactured. They were originally manufactured by hand. Waterman also invented the machinery to produce fountain pens in commercial quantities.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blwaterman.htm 
    1897 - Blind Lemon Jefferson was born Lemon Henry Jefferson (d. 1929), Coutchman, TX.  A blues and gospel singer, guitarist, and songwriter, he was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s, and has been called "Father of the Texas Blues."
http://www.78records.com.au/stat-txt/bljstory.html
    1899 - Birthday of E.B. White (d. 1985), Mt. Vernon, NY.  Versatile author of books for adults and children “Charlotte’s Web,” editor of the New Yorker Magazine and co-author of the classic” “Elements of Style.”
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/tingum/ebwhite.html
http://www.ablongman.com/professional/catalog/academic/product/
1,4096,020530902X,00.html
    1905 - A group of African American intellectuals and activists, led by W.E.B. Dubois, founded the Niagara Movement in Niagara Falls, Canada. A forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the movement was formed to fight racial discrimination in the US. Image of the founding members of the Niagara Movement:
http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/scg/photo.html
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9912/naacp.html
http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/nhhs/project/1998/blkgroup.htm
    1911 - The Federal Express of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, carrying the St. Louis Cardinals to Boston, plunged down an 18-foot embankment outside Bridgeport, CT, killing 14 passengers. The team's Pullmans were originally just behind the baggage coaches near the front. When noise prevented the players from sleeping, manager Roger Bresnahan requested the car be changed. The day coach that replaced the players' car was crushed and splintered. The players helped remove bodies and rescue the injured, then boarded a special train to Boston, where the day's game was postponed. The railroad paid each player $25 for his rescue work and for lost belongings.
    1914 – After starting in his first professional baseball season with the minor league Baltimore Orioles, Babe Ruth made his Major League Baseball when he took the mound in Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox against the Cleveland Naps. Ruth was relieved for the last two innings, but was the winning pitcher in a 4-3 game. During his rookie season, Ruth made $2,900. Six years later Ruth would pocket a $52,000 a year for two years with interest as a member of the New York Yankees.
https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/short-stops/the-deal-that-changed-the-game
https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/short-stops/the-deal-that-changed-the-game
    1916 - US President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Aid Road Act, the first grant-in-aid enacted by Congress to help states build roads. In 1916, roads throughout America were generally poor and most were susceptible to weather. The advent of the Ford Model T brought on new interests in higher standards for roads, and by the early 1900s, motorist clubs like the American Automobile Association (AAA) had rallied around the call for federally funded long-distance highways. Farmers balked at the idea, arguing that paying taxes so city people could go on car tours was unfair. As the car became more important to farmers, however, the ground became fertile for legislation to raise the quality or roads across the country.
    1918 – Enrico Caruso recorded "Over There" written by George M. Cohan.
    1919 - The first golfer to play 180 holes in one day was Edward Styles, who started the marathon contest at 5:53am at the Old York Road Country Club, Philadelphia, PA.  He played 180 holes, 10 rounds of golf, in 796 strokes, and finished playing at 8:32pm. The average time per round was one hour and nineteen minutes. He walked nearly 40 miles and took time out three times for a change of shoes and for refreshments. His average score was 79.6 strokes per round.
    1919 – The eight-hour day and Sunday off became law for workers in the Netherlands.
    1920 – Birthday of actor Yul Brynner, born Yuliy Borisovich Briner at Vladivostok, Russia.  He was best known for his portrayal of the King of Siam in the musical, “The King and I,” for which he won two Tony Awards and an Academy Award for the film version; he played the role 4,625 times on stage. He is also remembered as Ramses II in the 1955 blockbuster, “The Ten Commandments,” General Bounine in the 1956 film “Anastasia,” and Chris Adams in “The Magnificent Seven.” Brynner was noted for his distinctive voice and for his shaved head, which he maintained as a personal trademark long after adopting it in 1951 for his role in “The King and I”. Earlier, he was a model and television director, and later a photographer and the author of two books.
    1921 – Former President William Howard Taft was sworn in as the 10th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, becoming the only person ever to hold both offices.
    1931 – Actor Tab Hunter’s birthday, born Arthur Andrew Kelm in New York City.
    1931 – Birthday of singer Thurston Harris (d. 1990), Indianapolis.  In 1957, Harris signed as a solo artist for Aladdin. His former band, The Tenderfoots who later became The Rivingtons,  backed him when he released his version of "Little Bitty Pretty One”.  It reached #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100.  The track sold over one million records, achieving gold disc status.  The Rivingtons went on to record “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” that reached #48 in 1962.  
    1939 - Birthday of Clara Adams-Ender, Willow Springs, NC.  U.S. nurse who became the first black woman to be made Chief, Department of Nursing, Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 
http://www.dom.com/about/education/strong/1993/claraadamsender.jsp
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9152636
    1943 - *CRAIG, ROBERT, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Favoratta, Sicily, 11 July 1943. Entered service at: Toledo, Ohio. Birth: Scotland. G.O. No.: 41, 26 May 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, on 11 July 1943 at Favoratta, Sicily. 2d Lt. Craig voluntarily undertook the perilous task of locating and destroying a hidden enemy machinegun which had halted the advance of his company. Attempts by 3 other officers to locate the weapon had resulted in failure, with each officer receiving wounds. 2d Lt. Craig located the gun and snaked his way to a point within 35 yards of the hostile position before being discovered. Charging headlong into the furious automatic fire, he reached the gun, stood over it, and killed the 3 crew members with his carbine. With this obstacle removed, his company continued its advance.
    1944 - *ENDL, GERALD L., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U S. Army, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Anamo, New Guinea, 11 July 1944. Entered service at: Janesville, Wis. Birth: Ft. Atkinson, Wis. G.O. No.: 17, 13 March 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Anamo, New Guinea, on 11 July 1944. S/Sgt. Endl was at the head of the leading platoon of his company advancing along a jungle trail when enemy troops were encountered and a fire fight developed. The enemy attacked in force under heavy rifle, machinegun, and grenade fire. His platoon leader wounded, S/Sgt. Endl immediately assumed command and deployed his platoon on a firing line at the fork in the trail toward which the enemy attack was directed. The dense jungle terrain greatly restricted vision and movement, and he endeavored to penetrate down the trail toward an open clearing of Kunai grass. As he advanced, he detected the enemy, supported by at least 6 light and 2 heavy machineguns, attempting an enveloping movement around both flanks. His commanding officer sent a second platoon to move up on the left flank of the position, but the enemy closed in rapidly, placing our force in imminent danger of being isolated and annihilated. Twelve members of his platoon were wounded, 7 being cut off by the enemy. Realizing that if his platoon were forced farther back, these 7 men would be hopelessly trapped and at the mercy of a vicious enemy, he resolved to advance at all cost, knowing it meant almost certain death, in an effort to rescue his comrades. In the face of extremely heavy fire he went forward alone and for a period of approximately 10 minutes engaged the enemy in a heroic close-range fight, holding them off while his men crawled forward under cover to evacuate the wounded and to withdraw. Courageously refusing to abandon 4 more wounded men who were lying along the trail, 1 by 1 he brought them back to safety. As he was carrying the last man in his arms he was struck by a heavy burst of automatic fire and was killed. By his persistent and daring self-sacrifice and on behalf of his comrades, S/Sgt. Endl made possible the successful evacuation of all but 1 man, and enabled the 2 platoons to withdraw with their wounded and to reorganize with the rest of the company.
Lt. Craig and his platoon, in a position devoid of cover and concealment, encountered the fire of approximately 100 enemy soldiers. Electing to sacrifice himself so that his platoon might carry on the battle, he ordered his men to withdraw to the cover of the crest while he drew the enemy fire to himself. With no hope of survival, he charged toward the enemy until he was within 25 yards of them. Assuming a kneeling position, he killed 5 and wounded 3 enemy soldiers. While the hostile force concentrated fire on him, his platoon reached the cover of the crest. 2d Lt. Craig was killed by enemy fire, but his intrepid action so inspired his men that they drove the enemy from the area, inflicting heavy casualties on the hostile force. 
    1944 - Top Hits
I’ll Be Seeing You - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Frank Sinatra)
Long Ago and Far Away - Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes
I’ll Get By - The Harry James Orchestra (vocal: Dick Haymes)
Straighten Up and Fly Right - King Cole Trio
    1946 - Dean Martin begins his recording career mere weeks before teaming up with nightclub comic Jerry Lewis. 
    1950 – During the All-Star Game in Chicago, Ted Williams fractured his left elbow in making a leaping, off-the-wall catch of a Ralph Kiner drive in the 1st inning.  Remaining in the game, he put the AL ahead, 3 - 2, with an RBI single. Kiner's 9th-inning home run tied the game, and Red Scheondienst's blast in the 14th won it. Williams later stated he was never the same after this injury. It was a game of firsts - the first extra-inning All-Star Game, the first time the NL won at an AL park, and the first All-Star Game ever shown on national television.
    1951 - Birthday of Patricia Eva ‘Bonnie’ Pointer (Pointer Sisters), Oakland, CA. 
http://www.thepointersistersfans.com/bonnie.html.  
    1952 - Top Hits
“Kiss of Fire” - Georgia Gibbs
“I’m Yours” - Eddie Fisher
“Delicado” - The Percy Faith Orchestra
“That Heart Belongs to Me” - Webb Pierce
    1952 – The Republican National Convention, meeting in Chicago, nominated Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower for President and Richard M. Nixon for Vice–President.
    1953 – Boxer Leon Spinks was born at St. Louis, MO.  Gap-toothed fighter is best-known for his upset of Muhammad Ali on February 15, 1978, one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.  
    1955 – The Air Force Academy was dedicated at Lowry AFB, Colorado Springs, CO.
    1956 - John Coltrane Quintet cuts eight titles for Prestige records.
http://www.saintjohncoltrane.org/
    1959 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit:  “Lonely Boy,'' Paul Anka.
    1960 - Top Hits
“Alley-Oop” - Hollywood Argyles
“I’m Sorry” - Brenda Lee
“Mule Skinner Blues” - The Fendermen
Please Help Me, I’m Falling - Hank Locklin
    1960 - "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, was published.
    1960 - In Honolulu, the first tournament held outside the continental US, sanctioned by the US Golf Association, began. 
    1960 - Birthday of Richie Sambora, Perth Amboy, NJ,  guitarist with Bon Jovi.
http://www.richiesambora.com/
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=3965&cf=3965
    1961 – San Francisco’s Candlestick Park’s notoriously vicious winds dominated the first of 1961's two All-Star Games. A capacity crowd witnessed a record seven errors and hometown hero Stu Miller’s balk was caused as the wind knocked him backward off the rubber.  The AL forged a 3 - 3 tie before losing, 5 - 4, in 10 innings.
    1962 - The Telstar communications satellite picked up broadcast signals from France and bounced them down to an antenna in Maine, thus delivering the first live television picture from Europe to America. Telstar was launched from Cape Canaveral as an experiment in TV transmission, and was also used to send radio and telephone signals. Americans watched a seven-minute program, featuring a song by Yves Montand. Historians believe this changed the world more than any other invention in the 20th century.
    1964 - Although the music world was being dominated by Rock ‘n’ Roll, crooner Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody" cracked the US charts on its way to the Top Ten.  Written in 1947 by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor and pianist – and Martin’s accompanist, Ken Lane, coincidentally, Martin had sung it on Bob Hope’s radio show in 1948. “Everybody Loves Somebody” knocked the Beatles "A Hard Day's Night" off the number one slot on Billboard, going straight up to the top of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts, the latter for eight weeks.  It ultimately became Martin's signature song, and he sang it as the theme of his weekly television show from 1965 until 1974. As an apt description of the power of the song in Martin's life, the words "Everybody Loves Somebody" appear on his grave marker in LA. 
    1964 - The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?" is released and enters the Hot 100. It stays on the chart for 14 weeks and would become the group's first number one hit next August. 
    1964 - Stevie Wonder released his first single without the title "Little" in front of his name. "Hey Harmonica Man" reached number 29 on the singles chart, his third Top 40 hit. 
    1964 - With the song "My Boy Lollipop," 18-year old Millie Small found success on the pop music charts. The harmonica tracks were provided by Rod Stewart. In her native Jamaica, Millie Small was known as the "Blue Beat Girl."
    1967 - One day after he and fellow members Thelma Camacho, Mike Settle and Terry Williams left The New Christy Minstrels, Kenny Rogers formed The First Edition. In 1972, The First Edition hosted a syndicated variety show on television. Songs made popular by the group include: "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)," "But You Know I Love You," "Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town," "Ruben James," and "Something’s Burning." 
    1968 - Top Hits
“This Guy’s in Love with You” - Herb Alpert
“The Horse” - Cliff Nobles & Co.
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” - The Rolling Stones
“D-I-V-O-R-C-E” - Tammy Wynette
    1969 - ROBERTS, GORDON R., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Sp4c.), U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Thua Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam, 11 July 1969. Entered service at: Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 14 June 1950, Middletown, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Roberts distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman in Company B, during combat operations. Sgt. Roberts' platoon was maneuvering along a ridge to attack heavily fortified enemy bunker positions which had pinned down an adjoining friendly company. As the platoon approached the enemy positions, it was suddenly pinned down by heavy automatic weapons and grenade fire from camouflaged enemy fortifications atop the overlooking hill. Seeing his platoon immobilized and in danger of failing in its mission, Sgt. Roberts crawled rapidly toward the closest enemy bunker. With complete disregard for his safety, he leaped to his feet and charged the bunker, firing as he ran. Despite the intense enemy fire directed at him, Sgt. Roberts silenced the 2-man bunker. Without hesitation, Sgt. Roberts continued his l-man assault on a second bunker. As he neared the second bunker, a burst of enemy fire knocked his rifle from his hands. Sgt. Roberts picked up a rifle dropped by a comrade and continued his assault, silencing the bunker. He continued his charge against a third bunker and destroyed it with well-thrown hand grenades. Although Sgt. Roberts was now cut off from his platoon, he continued his assault against a fourth enemy emplacement. He fought through a heavy hail of fire to join elements of the adjoining company which had been pinned down by the enemy fire. Although continually exposed to hostile fire, he assisted in moving wounded personnel from exposed positions on the hilltop to an evacuation area before returning to his unit. By his gallant and selfless actions, Sgt. Roberts contributed directly to saving the lives of his comrades and served as an inspiration to his fellow soldiers in the defeat of the enemy force. Sgt. Roberts' extraordinary heroism in action at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1969 - David Bowie's single, "Space Oddity", is released to coincide with the first lunar landing.
    1969 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus),'' Zager & Evans. Evans wrote the song in the year 1964. It is their only song to make the Hot 100.
    1969 - The Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women" is released. The band started recording the tune as a Country song based on Hank Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues", but found that it made a better Rocker.
    1970 - The soundtrack to the 1969 Woodstock concert becomes the first triple-disc album to top the Billboard chart.
    1970 - The Who's "Summertime Blues" is released.
    1974 - The Grateful Dead receive two gold records for albums they released in 1970, "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty."
    1976 - Top Hits
“Afternoon Delight” - Starland Vocal Band
“Kiss and Say Goodbye” - Manhattans
“I’ll Be Good to You” - The Brothers Johnson
“The Door is Always Open” - Dave & Sugar 
    1977 - The Medal of Freedom was awarded posthumously to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in a White House ceremony.
    1978 - At Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, Steve Garvey, Dodgers 1B, became the first two-time All-Star Game MVP in history. His game-tying, two-run single and a triple helped the NL win, 7-3.  The Giants’ Vida Blue started on the mound for the NL, the first pitcher to start for both leagues. Blue also started in 1971 and 1975 for the AL.
    1979 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit:  “Bad Girls,'' Donna Summer.
    1979 - The abandoned United States space station Skylab made a spectacular return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.      
    1984 - Top Hits
“When Doves Cry” - Prince
“Jump” (“For My Love”) - Pointer Sisters
“Eyes Without a Face” - Billy Idol
“Somebody’s Needin’ Somebody” - Conway Twitty
    1985 - Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros became the first pitcher in baseball history to reach 4,000 career strikeouts when he made Danny Heep of the New York Mets his victim in the sixth inning. Ryan finished his career in 1993 with 5,714 strikeouts, Major League Baseball’s all-time leader.
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/ryan/.
    1985 - Coca-Cola returns as Classic Coke.  The company unveiled plans to return the beloved version of Coca Cola--now christened "Classic Coke"--to the market. In the wake of this groundbreaking, company officials quietly conceded that they had erred in halting distribution of the "classic" version of the drink. However, they refused to admit that releasing New Coke was a mistake. Indeed, even though American consumers reviled it, the company kept New Coke in circulation, albeit in cans and bottles that identified the drink simply as "Coke”.
    1987 - Heart's "Alone" hits #1 for the first of three weeks.
    1987 - An eight-pound baby boy, Matej Gaspar, born at 8:35 A.M. (2:35 A.M., New York time) to Sanja and Dragutin Gaspar at University Medical Hospital, Zagreb, capital of the Croatian republic, was proclaimed the five billionth inhabitant of Earth. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities, hoping to draw attention to population growth, proclaimed July 11 as “Day of the Five Billion,” noting that 150 babies are born each minute. It later became known as “World Population Day.”
http://www.unfpa.org/
(I could not find out any current information about Matej Gaspar,
whether alive or not or employed or unemployed, but according to Wiki, The Day of Five Billion, 11 July 1987, was designated by the UN Population Fund as the approximate day on which world population reached five billion. Matej Gašpar from Zagreb, Croatia, was chosen as the symbolic 5-billionth person concurrently alive on Earth. The honor went to Zagreb because the 1987 Summer Universiade was taking place in the city at the time). 
    1987 – Bill Ripken, 22, joined his brother, Cal, in the Orioles’ starting lineup in Baltimore's 2 - 1 loss to the Twins. Orioles manager Cal Ripken, Sr. is the first to manage two sons in the Majors.
    1988 - Thunderstorms produced heavy rain in southern Texas, with totals ranging up to 13 inches near Medina. Two men drowned when their pick-up truck was swept into the Guadalupe River, west of the town of Hunt. Ten cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Baltimore, MD, reported a record high reading of 102 degrees for the second day in a row.
    1989 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit:  “If You Don't Know Me by Now,'' Simply Red.
    1992 - Jerry Garcia introduces a series of neckties he's designed, bearing his name. President Bill Clinton immediately buys the set of eight. 
    1994 - Michael Dell, chairman of Dell Computers, announces that the company will pull out of retail and concentrate entirely on its mail-order business. Although the company had predicted just four months earlier that it would expand its retail efforts, the company decided its build-to-order strategy would be more profitable as a strictly mail-order operation. By 1998, the company had become the country's No. 3 seller of computers, after Compaq and IBM. 
    1995 – The US normalized relations with Vietnam.
    2000 - Lars Ulrich of Metallica was the first witness to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing over copyright law issues concerning free sharing of music files on Web sites such as Napster and MP3.com.      
    2008 - The hand-painted drum skin that appeared on the cover of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" sold for $1.1 million at a Christie's memorabilia sale in London. John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for "Give Peace a Chance" fetched $834,000, well above pre-sale expectations of around $500,000.
    2008 - Apple introduced the iPhone 3G and changed forever the phone habits around the world.
    2012 – Astronomers discover Styx, the fifth moon of Pluto.
    2014 – Free agent LeBron James, late of the Miami Heat, returned to his first team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.  James played out his option after the 2018 season and has signed with the LA Lakers.