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10K 120 Page Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017

In Monday's early edition, two charts were left out; restored in later editions. They were important as the Equipment Category ties into residuals and use of Evergreen payments as location of the states where most of the business originates.

Both tie into the statement below the charts:

"Our leases offer our small business customers the option to own the equipment at lease expiration. As of December 31, 2017, approximately 70% of our leases were one dollar purchase option leases, 29% were fair market value leases and less than 1% were fixed purchase option leases, the latter of which typically contain an end of term purchase option equal to 10% of the original equipment cost.

"As of December 31, 2017, there were $26.9 million of residual assets retained on our Consolidated Balance Sheet, of which $22.6 million, or 84.8%, were related to copiers. As of December 31, 2016, there were $26.8 million of residual assets retained on our Consolidated Balance Sheet, of which $22.5 million, or 83.8%, were related to copiers..."

Corrected Article
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2018/03_12.htm#highlights

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Amazon Going into Mortgage Business
By Christopher Menkin

The story on Monday in Leasing News Briefs came from Jacob Gaffney, Editor-in Chief of Housingwire.com that "online shopping giant Amazon may be looking to get into the mortgage lending business, or at least that's the rumor among mortgage lending professionals." He gave a hint in his article, "We can say that if you look at the top 10 HMDA lenders and pick out the nonbanks, that’s where Amazon is recruiting their talent.” He added one person he spoke to actually turned down the job.

This appears to more than just a rumor. During this first quarter, Wells Fargo lost its title of originating the most home loans at $23 million. It seems Quicken did $25 million the first quarter of this year. Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase reported $13 billion and $11 billion. It means an "online" service was the most popular provider of mortgage loans in the US.

Note: the New York Federal Reserve published the results of its study of the role of technology in the montage industry. It concludes that the technological innovation had improved the efficiency of credit decisions and speed of processing. The Fed reported that the FinTech lenders had lower default rates, lower delinquencies, and were faster in responding to issues, earning high marks on faster customer responses than brick and mortar lenders.

The report also found that these lenders were reaching credits that were both older and had more education.

“We find that default rates on FinTech mortgages are about 25% lower than those for traditional lenders, even when controlling for detailed loan characteristics,” the report says. “There is no significant difference in interest rates. These results speak against a lax screening hypothesis and indicate that FinTech lending technologies may help attract and screen for less risky borrowers.”

The two largest FinTech mortgage originators in 2016 were Quicken Loans and loanDepot. Looks like Amazon may be joining the list.

Note in today’s News Briefs, Ant (the China Amazon) reports their consumer lending is now $95 billon, more outstanding consumer loans than China’s second-biggest bank.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Report (75 pages)
https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/staff_reports/sr836.pdf

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Over 3,203 California Financing Law Annual Reports
Due Online by Tomorrow, March 15, 2018

As of the end of 2017, there were 3,203 licensed companies from all over the country, the California Department of Business Oversight (DBO) reports. Their 52 page 2017 annual report must be filed online. It requires financial information, including the number of transactions in various categories and dollar amounts.

"The California Department of Business DBO will not grant extensions. Filing the annual report after the deadline may result in penalty assessments, and failure to file the annual report constitutes grounds for license revocation. Pursuant to AB 1636 and Financial Code section 22715, the amount of the penalty imposed shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100) for each business day for the first five business days the report is overdue, and thereafter shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for each business day the report is overdue, not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in the aggregate.

"Filling out and submitting the report is a web-based process that must be completed on the DBO’s website via the self-service portal: https://docqnet.dbo.ca.gov/login/?returnurl=%2f

"Failure to file an annual report constitutes grounds for license revocation. Licensees with questions should email CFL.Inquiries@dbo.ca.gov or call (213) 576-7690."

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Leasing Industry Ads---Help Wanted
Now’s the Time to Apply

Equipment Leasing Account Executive

What sets CoreTech apart from other equipment leasing companies is our team members and impeccable reputation. Are you unhappy with the ethics of your company and the promises made to you? Come to Newport Beach and join us.

To learn more, please click here

www.coretechleasing.com
CoreTech specializes in medium to
large size companies and firms

Over 100 law firms trust CoreTech for their leasing needs, why wouldn't you?

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Technology

How are you using technology to improve your effectiveness in the market? Technology is an important tool and top producing originators are using automation and technology to reach more of the "right" clients at the "right" time than ever before.

Technology is a tool, not a substitute for human interaction and personal selling skills. However, technology is powerful and is changing the landscape of the industry. A few examples are:

Strong contact relationship management (CRM) systems that can track and record effectiveness
Predictive analytics that can track buying patterns of existing clients
Technology that can map out a sales trip with up-to-date UCC filings and names of decision-makers
Readily available equipment and industry data
Social media and contact resources
Scoring and tracking systems that can provide "real" time values of equipment currently within a portfolio
Instant information on companies and contacts
Pre-qualifying tools to streamline prospecting efforts
Fully integrated systems from prospecting to portfolio management

Top originators are embracing technology and exponentially increasing their bottom-line results. Industry leaders are looking toward the future and are using technology to predict future outcomes based upon internal and external data points. Most originators have access to excellent technology and robust software; the differential is with professionals who fully utilize the capabilities of the technology at their fingertips.

Use Technology!

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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BSB Leasing, Littleton, Colorado
Broker Driven, Private Label, Direct, Loans, too

For over 30 years, we've continually positioned ourselves as a reliable funding resource to help small business, brokers, vendors and financial partners everywhere.

Our programs are comprised of BSB Direct, BSB Capital Access and a BSB Syndication Desk. This breadth of service allows us to tailor leasing programs to fit the specific needs of every client. With our industry experience and connections in the leasing community, we are able to provide our clients with a wide-array of funding options that make sense for small business.
http://www.bsbleasing.com/bsb-leasing-direct-leasing/

BSB Direct
Our BSB Direct program delivers equipment financing solutions that are viable and promote business growth. As a direct funding source, we are able to accommodate a wide-variety of credit ratings. You’ll collaborate with an in-house BSB representative who will consider the unique aspects of any business, so that the deal is done fast and fairly.

BSB Syndication Desk
Our Syndication Desk leverages BSB’s relationships with industry best funding sources and specialty lenders. Sometimes a business’s unique needs require that extra step and attention-to-detail. One of our BSB account representatives will expertly manage the application process from underwriting through dispersal.

BSB Capital Access
Small business loans up to 500K. Approval in hours and funding in days. Our Capital Access program has been connecting small businesses with fair, flexible funding since 1983. Fuel growth with a BSB Capital Access small business loan.
http://www.bsbleasing.com/funding/

Direct Application
(Portal)
https://formstack.io/2DA79

Broker Driven
Working Capital
Small Ticket Application
Mid Ticket App Only
Commercial Size Deals
http://www.bsbleasing.com/brokers/

Contact:
http://www.bsbleasing.com/contact/

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

Chesswood Announces Financial Results for 2017
Pawnee w/600 Brokers/Blue Chip Leasing 50 Brokers Canada

Seventh Consecutive Year of Record Operating Income
and Portfolio SizeStrong 4th Quarter Results

TORONTO – Chesswood Group Limited (“Chesswood” or “the Company”) (TSX: CHW), a North American commercial equipment finance provider for small and medium-sized businesses, reported its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2017.

The Company generated operating earnings of $8.0 million in the quarter and $32.1 million for the year, compared to $6.0 million and $30.3 million respectively, last year. The results for the prior year included $1.1 million of greater operating earnings from Windset Capital, which has been wound down in 2017.

Barry Shafran
Chesswood President and CEO

“Chesswood once again enjoyed a record year by most financial measures including originations, total portfolio size, finance margin and operating income,” said Barry Shafran, Chesswood’s President and CEO. “Our gross finance receivables reached almost $700 million at year-end, and while our net income was also a record at $25.4 million. Our fourth quarter operating earnings of $8.0 million were $2.0 million over last year’s fourth quarter results and were helped significantly by our very effective collections efforts. Our fourth quarter and annual net income benefited from a $9.4 million one-time recovery of deferred taxes as a result of the reduction in the U.S. corporate income tax rates from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” added Shafran.

Chesswood will benefit directly from the new lower U.S. corporate income tax rates in 2018 as our largest subsidiary, Pawnee Leasing Corporation, is a U.S. taxpayer. The Company estimates that based on 2017 taxable income, the 13% lower U.S. corporate tax rate would have generated an increase in net income of approximately $3.0 million.

Non-GAAP Measures
Adjusted EBITDA and Operating Income are not recognized measures under International Financial Reporting Standards and do not have standard meanings. Accordingly, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Please refer to the Company’s Management Discussion and Analysis in Chesswood’s 2017 Annual Report for additional information concerning these measures and a reconciliation of these measures to the Company’s consolidated net income.

About Chesswood
Through two wholly-owned subsidiaries in the U.S. and Canada, Chesswood Group Limited is North America’s only publicly-traded commercial equipment finance company focused on small and medium-sized businesses. Our Colorado-based Pawnee Leasing Corporation, founded in 1982, finances a highly diversified portfolio of commercial equipment leases and loans through established relationships with over 600 independent brokers in 48 U.S. states. In Canada, Blue Chip Leasing Corporation has been originating and servicing commercial equipment leases and loans since 1996, and today operates through a nationwide network of more than 50 independent brokers. Based in Toronto, Canada, Chesswood’s shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CHW.

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

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This Day in History

     1629 - A Royal charter was granted to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
    1644 - England granted a patent for Providence Plantations (Rhode Island).
    1729 - The first Catholic nun who professed her vows in the United States was Sister St. Stanislas Hachard of the Ursuline Convent, New Orleans, LA.
    1743 - The City of Boston conducted the first town meeting in Faneuil Hall. It became an idea that caught on quickly throughout New England.
http://www.nps.gov/bost/Faneuil_Hall.htm
    1780 - The Spanish governor of Louisiana, Galvez, captured Ft. Charlotte in the port of Mobile, the last British frontier post capable of threatening New Orleans in Spanish Louisiana.
    1794 - Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized America's cotton industry. He paid substantial royalties to Catherine T. Greene and this makes his claim to the invention suspect. In an 1883 article in “The North American Review” titled "Woman as Inventor," the early feminist and abolitionist Matilda Joslyn Gage claimed that Mrs. Greene, wife of Revolutionary war hero, Nathaniel Greene, suggested to Whitney the use of a brush-like component, which was instrumental in separating the seeds from the cotton. Gage provided no source for this claim, and to date there has been no independent verification of Catharine Greene's role in the invention of the gin. However, some believe that Eli Whitney received the patent for the gin and the sole credit in history textbooks for its invention only because social norms inhibited women from registering for patents.
    1796 - African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church founded New York. The church can be traced back to the John Street Methodist Church of New York City. Following acts of overt discrimination (such as black parishioners being forced to leave worship), many black Christians left to form their own churches. The first church founded by the AME Zion Church was built in 1800 and was named Zion. These early black churches were still part of the Methodist Episcopal Church denomination, although the congregations were independent.
http://www.theamezionchurch.org/history.html
    1812 – Congress authorized bonds by which to finance the War of 1812.
    1833 - Lucy Beaman Hobbs (d. 1910) was born in Franklin County, NY. She was the first woman in America to receive a degree in dentistry, from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, 1866, and to be admitted to membership in a state dental association. In 1867, she married James M. Taylor, who also became a dentist (after she instructed him in the essentials). Active women’s rights advocate.
    1851 - San Francisco Foreign Miners Tax, designed to discourage Chinese gold mining, was repealed.
    1862 - Union General Ambrose Burnside captures North Carolina's second largest city and closes another port through which the Confederates could slip supplies. On March 13, he landed 12,000 troops along the Neuse River, 15 miles south of New Bern. Accompanied by 13 gunboats, Burnside's army marched up river to face 4,000 Confederate troops commanded by General Lawrence O. Branch. The city was protected by extensive defenses, but Branch did not have enough soldiers to properly staff them. He concentrated his men along the inner works a few miles downriver from New Bern. Early on the morning of March 14, Burnside's men attacked in a heavy fog-two of the three Yankee brigades crashed into the fortifications. General Jesse Reno's brigade struck the weakest part of the line, where an inexperienced Rebel militia unit tried to hold off the Federals. Burnside's third brigade joined Reno and the Confederate line collapsed. That afternoon, Union gunboats steamed into New Bern. Union casualties for the battle were 90 killed and 380 wounded, while the Confederates suffered 64 killed, 101 wounded, and 413 captured. The conflict produced a Confederate hero, Colonel Zebulon Vance, who rescued his regiment by using small boats to bypass a bridge set afire by his comrades. Vance was elected governor of the state later that year.
http://7-12educators.about.com/blcwphmilfed17.htm
http://www.swcivilwar.com/burnside.html
http://www.civilwarhome.com/burnbio.htm
http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/vance.htm
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/bio/public/vance.htm
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hs/vance/vance.htm
        1863 - Casey Jones was born John Luther Jones near Cacye, KY. Railroad engineer and hero of ballad who died in a railroad wreck near Vaughn, MS, April 30, 1900.
http://www.taco.com/roots/caseyjones.html
http://www.watervalley.net/users/caseyjones/home.htm
http://www.caseyjones.com/pages/new_page_1.htm
http://www.trainweb.org/caseyjones/home.html
    1867 - Michigan was the first state to enact a law to support state universities via property tax; “assessed all taxable property one twentieth of a mill on each dollar of value, to be used for the use, and maintenance of the university.” The funds paid to the university in 1867 totaled $15,398.
    1870 - A severe snow/wind storm struck Iowa and Minnesota. During this storm, the term "blizzard" was first used to describe a severe snowstorm. The "new" word appeared in the "Easterville (Iowa) Vindicator."
    1870 – The California legislature approved legislation for the creation of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Golden Gate Park was carved out of unpromising sand and shore dunes that were in an unincorporated area west of San Francisco’s then-current borders. Conceived for recreation, the underlying purpose of the park was housing development and the westward expansion of the city. William H. Hall prepared a survey and topographic map of the park site in 1870 and became its commissioner in 1871. He was later named California's first state engineer and developed an integrated flood control system for the Sacramento valley. The Park, consisting of 1,017 acres, is configured as a rectangle and it is similar in shape but 20 percent larger than New York’s Central Park, to which it is often compared. With 13 million visitors annually, Golden Gate is the fifth most-visited city park in the United States after Central park, Lincoln Park in Chicago, and Balboa and Mission Bay Parks in San Diego.
    1879 - Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (d. 1955) was born in Ulm, Germany. Best known for his theory of relativity. He won the Nobel in 1921. Einstein's revolutionary theories introduced entirely new ways of thinking about time, space, and gravity, and he profoundly affected the way scientific inquiry occurred. A citizen of the world, Einstein grew up partly in Milan, studied and taught in Switzerland, returned to Germany, and fled to the United States before World War II. In Einstein's theory, the speed of light, which is the limiting speed of any body having mass, is constant in all frames of reference. In the fifth paper that year, an exploration of the mathematics of special relativity, Einstein announced that mass and energy were equivalent and could be calculated with an equation, E=mc2. In 1950, he published his unified field theory, which was quietly criticized as a failure. A unified explanation of gravitation, subatomic phenomena, and electromagnetism remains elusive today. An avid pacifist, he nevertheless put into motion the invention of the hydrogen and atomic bombs with a letter to President Roosevelt, urging him to beware the possibility of Germany's building an atom bomb. Decades later, the specter of a nuclear attack capable of knocking out communications across the country was one of the factors leading to the development of the Internet.
    1883 - In a Northwestern League meeting, Peoria moved to ban black players in order to prevent Toledo from playing star catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker. After an "exciting discussion," the motion was withdrawn and Walker was allowed to play. Walker signed with the Toledo Blue Stockings of the Northwestern League in 1883. Walker had his first encounter with Cap Anson that year, when Toledo played an exhibition game against the Chicago White Stockings. Anson refused to play with Walker on the field. However, Anson did not know that on that day, Walker was slated to have a rest day. Manager Charlie Morton played Walker and told Anson the White Stockings would forfeit the gate receipts if they refused to play. Anson then agreed to play. In the off-season, the International League modified its ban on black players and Walker signed with the Syracuse Stars for 1888. In September, 1888, Walker had his second incident with Anson. When Chicago was at Syracuse for an exhibition game, Anson refused to start the game when he saw Walker's name on the scorecard as catcher. "Big Anson at once refused to play the game with Walker behind the bat on account of the Star catcher's color," according to the Syracuse Herald. Syracuse relented and someone else did the catching. Shortly thereafter, the American Association and the National League both unofficially banned African-American players, making the adoption of Jim Crow in baseball complete. Baseball would remain segregated until 1946 when Jackie Robinson played in the Montreal franchise of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
    1887 - Sylvia Beach was born Nancy Woodbridge Beach (d. 1962) in Baltimore. Owner of the Paris-based bookstore Shakespeare and Co., she moved to Paris at the age of 14, when her father, a Presbyterian minister, was sent to France. She fell in love with the city. In 1919, she opened her bookstore, Shakespeare and Co., which became a gathering place for American writers in Paris in the 1920s, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Beach was a strong supporter of writer James Joyce, who lived in Paris from 1920 to 1940. The Irish writer had achieved fame with his 1915 novel, “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” and had started publishing his masterwork “Ulysses” in serial form in an American magazine called the “Little Review.” However, the serialization was halted in December, 1920 after the U.S. Post Office brought a charge of obscenity against Joyce's work. Beach published the book herself in July, 1922. It wasn't until 1933 that a U.S. judge permitted “Ulysses” to be distributed in the U.S.
http://www.mala.bc.ca/~lanes/english/hemngway/beach.htm
http://www.search.eb.com/women/articles/Beach_Sylvia_Woodbridge.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0253323347/inktomi-bkasin-20/
102-1682336-8966565
http://libweb.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/beach.html
    1896 - The Sutro Baths were a large, privately owned public saltwater swimming pool complex in western San Francisco, built as the world's largest indoor swimming pool establishment. It was located near the Cliff House, Seal Rock and Sutro Heights Park on the Pacific Ocean. The facility burned down in 1967, and is now in ruins. The site is within the Golden Gate National recreation Area. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar14.html
    1900 - The Gold Standard Act was ratified, placing US currency on the gold standard. It established gold as the only standard for redeeming paper money, stopping bimetallism (which had allowed silver in exchange for gold). On April 25, 1933, the United States and Canada dropped the gold standard.
    1908 - Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was chartered in Waco, Texas. It grew out of the Baylor University theological department, which was established in 1901. The school campus relocated in 1910 to Fort Worth.
http://www.swbts.edu/about/history.shtm
    1912 - Bandleader Les Brown (d. 2001) was born in Reinerton, PA. He led a top dance band for 40 years, beginning in 1938. Les Brown and his Band of Renown had hit records in 1941 with "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio," in 1944 with "Sentimental Journey," featuring a vocal by Doris Day, and in 1948 with "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." In 1947, Brown began his long association with Bob Hope, working with him on radio and TV and on overseas tours. Brown and his orchestra reappeared on the jazz charts in 1987 with the album "Digital Swing."
http://www.bandsofrenown.com/
    1913 - Kansas was the first state to set up a “small claims court” to deal with cases involving not more than $20. The first court was at Topeka, KS, with W.H. Kemper as judge. The complainant could not be represented by counsel, but had to present his own case. Strict rules of evidence and procedure were waived. The judgment rendered had the same force and effect, and was as binding as a judgment rendered in any court of record.
    1919 - Max Brand (1892-1944) publishes his first novel, “The Untamed.” Perhaps the most prolific writer of western stories, using over 21 pen names, his actual name was Frederick Faust. Unlike many western authors, Faust made no pretense to historical accuracy in his works. His novels concerned a mythic West of his imagination, and he rarely provided any identifiable geographical details or demonstrated any mastery of the minutiae of western life. His strength was his ability to tell a compelling story, and he had a keen sense of style. In “The Untamed,” Faust created the hugely popular Dan Barry, a peaceable man who avoided trouble whenever possible. However, when Barry or those he cares about were attacked, he was transformed and was capable of wreaking violent vengeance on wrongdoers. Faust continued Barry's story in two best-selling sequels. Besides gaining fame and fortune as the author of Max Brand westerns, Faust also created the character of Dr. Kildare for his medical thrillers. Faust died in 1944, having written an estimated 30 million words, including more than 500 western serials or short stories.
    1918 - The first seagoing ship made of concrete was launched at Redwood City, CA, near San Francisco. The ship was named "Faith" and those who launched her had plenty of that. They had faith that the vessel wouldn’t sink. It didn’t. "Faith" cost $750,000 to build.
    1922 - Orchestra leader Les Baxter (d. 1996) was born in Mexia, Texas. In the 1950's, he was signed by Capitol Records as an arranger and recording artist. Baxter featured Latin American and jungle drum themes, as well as standard popular tunes. He had hits with "The High and the Mighty," "Unchained Melody" and "The Poor People of Paris," which went to number one in 1956.
http://www.lesbaxter.com/
http://www.spaceagepop.com/baxter.htm
    1923 - U.S. President Warren G. Harding became the first Chief Executive to pay taxes and account for his income. Harding’s tax bill amounted to nearly $18,000.
    1925 - Trumpet player George “Sonny” Cohn (d. 2006) born Chicago, IL.
    1928 - Jack Teagarden cuts first solo “She’s a Great, Great Girl! (Vi 1326)
    1928 – Astronaut Frank Borman was born in Gary, IN. Best remembered as the Commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, making him, along with crew mates Jim Lovell and Bill Ayers, the first of only 24 to do so. Before flying on Apollo, he set a fourteen-day spaceflight endurance record on Gemini 7, and also served on the NASA review board which investigated the Apollo 1 fire. After leaving NASA, he was the CEO of Eastern Air Lines from 1975 to 1986. Borman is a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
    1931 - The first movie theater specifically designed and built to show movies that were rear-project was the Trans-Lux Theater in Manhattan.
http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/4a3.html
    1932 - Singer Mark Murphy (d. 2015) born Syracuse, NY.
http://www.markmurphy.com/
    1933 - Birthday of Quincy Jones, Jr., Chicago. American jazz composer, trumpeter, band leader and pianist. He composed film scores, TV show themes; record producer; arranger; 25 Grammys, Grammys Trustees Award in 1989, Grammys Legends Award in 1990; Musical Director for Mercury Records, then VP; established Qwest Records.
http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/history/honoree/jones.html
http://www.wbr.com/quincyjones/index_links.html
http://www.qjluf.org/
    1934 - Jazz organist Shirley Scott (d. 2002) born Philadelphia, PA. Recorded many records with husband, tenor sax player Stanley Turentine. She was known as "Queen of the Organ".
http://www.dougpayne.com/shirley.htm
    1935 - 6-year-old actress Shirley Temple presses her hands in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. Since first winning attention with a song and dance in the 1934 movie “Get Up and Cheer,” Temple beat out Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers to become America's biggest box office draw.
    1937 - Fred Allen and Jack Benny met on radio in one of the biggest publicity gags ever. It was called “The Battle of the Century.” The two comedians locked horns in the ballroom of the Hotel Pierre, exchanging torrid insults that were heard by the second largest audience in the history of radio. The ‘feud’, incidentally, lasted for the next 12 years! This was probably the longest-running publicity stunt in history, too!
    1937 - The first birth control clinic run by a state government was opened in Raleigh, NC when the North Carolina State Board of Health officially introduced a program setting up contraceptive clinics for poor married women in local maternity and child health services.
    1937 - The first blood bank to preserve blood by refrigeration for future use in transfusions was established by the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL.
    1937 - Lou Gehrig signs with the Yankees for $38,000 and $750 signing bonus.
    1941 - Before Desi Arnaz sang "Babalu" on the "I Love Lucy" show, Xavier Cugat and his orchestra recorded the song with vocals by Miguelito Valdes, on Columbia Records.
    1942 – Orvan Hess and John Bumstead became the first in the United States successfully to treat a patient, Anne Miller, using penicillin.
    1945 - Top Hits
“Accentuate the Positive” - Johnny Mercer
“Saturday Night” - Frank Sinatra
“A Little on the Lonely Side” - The Guy Lombardo Orchestra
(vocal: Jimmy Brown)
“I’m Losing My Mind Over You” - Al Dexter
    1945 - MICHAEL, HARRY J., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company L, 318th Infantry, 80th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Neiderzerf, Germany, 14 March 1945. Entered service at: Milford, Ind. Birth: Milford, Ind. G.O. No.: 18, 13 February 1946. Citation: He was serving as a rifle platoon leader when his company began an assault on a wooded ridge northeast of the village of Neiderzerf, Germany, early on 13 March 1945. A short distance up the side of the hill, 2d Lt. Michael, at the head of his platoon, heard the click of an enemy machinegun bolt. Quietly halting the company, he silently moved off into the woods and discovered 2 enemy machineguns and crews. Executing a sudden charge, he completely surprised the enemy and captured the guns and crews. At daybreak, enemy voices were heard in the thick woods ahead. Leading his platoon in a flanking movement, they charged the enemy with hand grenades and, after a bitter fight, captured 25 members of an SS mountain division, 3 artillery pieces, and 20 horses. While his company was establishing its position, 2d Lt. Michael made 2 personal reconnaissance missions of the wood on his left flank. On his first mission he killed 2, wounded 4, and captured 6 enemy soldiers single-handedly. On the second mission he captured 7 prisoners. During the afternoon he led his platoon on a frontal assault of a line of enemy pillboxes, successfully capturing the objective, killing 10 and capturing 30 prisoners. The following morning the company was subjected to sniper fire and 2d Lt. Michael, in an attempt to find the hidden sniper, was shot and killed. The inspiring leadership and heroic aggressiveness displayed by 2d Lt. Michael upheld the highest traditions of the military service.
    1945 - PHILLIPS, GEORGE, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born 14 July 1926, Rich Hill, Mo. Entered service at: Labadie, Mo. Citation. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 2d Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, on 14 March 1945. Standing the foxhole watch while other members of his squad rested after a night of bitter hand grenade fighting against infiltrating Japanese troops, Pvt. Phillips was the only member of his unit alerted when an enemy hand grenade was tossed into their midst. Instantly shouting a warning, he unhesitatingly threw himself on the deadly missile, absorbing the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his own body and protecting his comrades from serious injury. Stouthearted and indomitable, Pvt. Phillips willingly yielded his own life that his fellow marines might carry on the relentless battle against a fanatic enemy. His superb valor and unfaltering spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon himself and upon the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1947 - The first African-American to be commissioned as a Navy officer was Ensign John W. Lee of Indianapolis, IN, who was assigned to the U.S.S. Kearsearge.
    1948 – Billy Crystal was born in Manhattan and raised in The Bronx. Actor, writer, producer, director, comedian and television host, he gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the sitcom “Soap.” He became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989), “City Slickers” (1991), and “Analyze This” (1999) and providing the voice of Mike Wazowski in the “Monsters, Inc.” franchise. Crystal has hosted the Academy Awards 9 times, during 1990-2012.
    1949 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Cruising Down the River," Blue Barron Orchestra.
    1950 - “10 Most Wanted” List debuted. The Federal Bureau of Investigation instituted the “10 Most Wanted Fugitives” list in an effort to publicize particularly dangerous criminals who were at large. From 1950 to 1998, 454 fugitives appeared on the list; 130 were captured. Generally, the only way to get off the list is to die or be captured. The FBI cooperates with the producers of TV’s “America’s Most Wanted” to further publicize these fugitives.
    1951 - Seoul, Korea, which had fallen to Chinese forces in January 1951, was retaken by United Nations troops during the Korean War.
    1953 - Top Hits
“Till I Waltz Again with You” - Teresa Brewer
“Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” - Perry Como
“Doggie in the Window” - Patti Page
“Kaw-Liga” - Hank Williams
    1953 – St. Louis Mayor Joseph Darst vowed to fight losing the hometown Browns to Baltimore. They moved anyway.
    1954 – Henry Aaron made his first spring training start for the Milwaukee Braves against the Red Sox. Aaron, taking advantage of an injury suffered by starting outfielder Bobby Thomson, rapped out three hits, including a home run. The noise of the contact was so loud that Ted Williams ran out of the Boston clubhouse to see who can make that sound with a bat. Aaron started for the Braves on Opening Day and hit a respectable .280 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI in his rookie season.
    1954 - A blizzard raged from eastern Wyoming into the Black Hills of western South Dakota while a severe ice storm was in progress from northeastern Nebraska to central Iowa. The ice storm isolated 153 towns in Iowa. Dust from the Great Plains caused brown snow, while hail and muddy rain fell over parts of Wisconsin and Michigan.
    1955 - The first Four Freshman album “Voices in Modern” was released on Capitol.
http://www.fourfreshmen.com/index.htm.
    1955 - Singer Jimmy Dean interviews Elvis Presley on his Washington, DC television show.
    1957 - The first four-time National Women’s Figure Skating champion was Carol Elizabeth Heiss of Ozone Park, Queens, New York City. She won the first title today at Berkeley, CA; her second and third in 1958 and 1959; and her fourth consecutive title on January 29, 1960 at Seattle.
    1958 - The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the first gold record. It was Perry Como’s "Catch A Falling Star" on RCA Victor Records. The tune became the first to win million-seller certification. The next three gold records were the 45 rpm recordings of "He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands" by Laurie London, "Patricia," an instrumental by the ‘Mambo King’, Perez Prado and "Hard Headed Woman" by Elvis Presley. The first gold album certification went to the soundtrack of the motion picture, "Oklahoma!" featuring Gordon MacRae.
http://www.riaa.org/About-Who.cfm
    1958 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Tequila," The Champs. Glen Campbell, Jim Seals and Dash Crofts all join the group after "Tequila" hits No. 1.
    1959 - Elvis Presley made the album charts, with "For LP Fans Only," the first LP ever issued without the artist’s name anywhere on the cover. However, it has his face over most of the front cover.
http://www.itselvistime.nl/fansonly.html
    1960 - Sam Cooke kicks off his first tour of the West Indies with a concert in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In the next two weeks, Cooke will set attendance records everywhere he appears.
    1961 - Top Hits
“Pony Time” - Chubby Checker
“Surrender” - Elvis Presley
“Where the Boys Are” - Connie Francis
“Don’t Worry” - Marty Robbins
    1961 - Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett (d. 2006) birthday, Chicago, IL. Over a 12-year career, Puckett hit .318, helping the Minnesota Twins to two World Series titles. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001.
    1962 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors completed a stretch of 47 consecutive games during which he played every minute. The streak, begun January 5 against the Syracuse Nationals and concluded against the Chicago Packers, stands as an NBA record.
    1962 - Right wing Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings became the second player in NHL history to reach the 500-goal mark when he scored in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. Howe wound up with 801 goals and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.
    1964 - Jack Ruby was found guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of United States President John F. Kennedy.
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/ruby.htm
http://members.aol.com/guptaneel1/AmStud/JackRuby.htm
http://www.jfk-online.com/rubydef.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0306805642/inktomi-bkasin-20/
102-1682336-8966565
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/oswald.htm
    1964 - Billboard reports Beatle records have claimed 60-percent of the singles market.
    1967 – The body of slain President John F. Kennedy was moved to its permanent burial site at Arlington National Cemetery.
    1967 – Yankees’ Hall of Famer CF Mickey Mantle hit his 500th career HR, off the Orioles’ Stu Miller.
    1967 – In the first consolidated draft wherein the AFL and NFL drafted together, the Baltimore Colts drafted Bubba Smith # 1 overall.
    1968 – The hit TV show “Batman” came to an end after two seasons on ABC-TV. Starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Robin, the first "Batman" episode was "Hi Diddle Riddle," shown on January 12, 1966. The pilot program for "Batman" cost $300,000 -- quite expensive by 1966 standards. Through the two seasons, the ‘Dynamic Duo’ welcomed these stars to the cast: Art Carney (The Archer), Tallulah Bankhead (Black Widow), Eartha Kitt (Catwoman), Julie Newmar (Catwoman), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman), Liberace (Chandell), Vincent Price (Egghead), Cesar Romero (The Joker), Rudy Vallee (Lord Phogg), Milton Berle (Louie the Lilac), Shelley Winters (Ma Parker), David Wayne (The Mad Hatter), Zsa Zsa Gabor (Minerva), Van Johnson (The Minstrel), Otto Preminger (Mr. Freeze), Burgess Meredith (The Penguin), John Astin (The Riddler), Frank Gorshin (The Riddler), Cliff Robertson (Shame), Joan Collins (The Siren), Anne Baxter (Zelda the Great), Victor Buono (King Tut), Eli Wallach (Mr. Freeze II), "?" as False Face, Leslie Gore (as Cat Woman's sidekick that had a crush on Robin) and of course Nelson Riddle (of Frank Sinatra fame) doing the theme. Finally, a partial list of official Bat-Noises: Aargh!, Ba-Boom! Clash!, Crunch!, Klonk!, Pow!, Splat!, Clunk! Eee-Yow! Ooof!, Powie! Swoosh!, Biff!, Conck! Ouch!, Klunkk!, Ka-Boom! Thunk! Boff! Crash!, Uggh!, Zam!, Zap! and others. Wow! Readers may have seen these works in Leasing News headlines.
http://timstvshowcase.com/bat-back.gif
    1969 - KERREY, JOSEPH R., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Naval Reserve, Sea, Air, and Land Team (SEAL). Place and date: Near Nha Trang Bay, Republic of Vietnam, 14 March 1969. Entered service at: Omaha, Nebr. Born: 27 August 1943, Lincoln, Nebr. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a SEAL team leader during action against enemy aggressor (Viet Cong) forces. Acting in response to reliable intelligence, Lt. (J.G.) Kerrey led his SEAL team on a mission to capture important members of the enemy's area political cadre known to be located on an island in the bay of Nha Trang. In order to surprise the enemy, he and his team scaled a 350-foot sheer cliff to place themselves above the ledge on which the enemy was located. Splitting his team in 2 elements and coordinating both, Lt. (J.G.) Kerrey led his men in the treacherous downward descent to the enemy's camp. Just as they neared the end of their descent, intense enemy fire was directed at them, and Lt. (J.G.) Kerrey received massive injuries from a grenade which exploded at his feet and threw him backward onto the jagged rocks. Although bleeding profusely and suffering great pain, he displayed outstanding courage and presence of mind in immediately directing his element's fire into the heart of the enemy camp. Utilizing his radioman, Lt. (J.G.) Kerrey called in the second element's fire support which caught the confused Viet Cong in a devastating crossfire. After successfully suppressing the enemy's fire, and although immobilized by his multiple wounds, he continued to maintain calm, superlative control as he ordered his team to secure and defend an extraction site. Lt. (J.G.) Kerrey resolutely directed his men, despite his near unconscious state, until he was eventually evacuated by helicopter. The havoc brought to the enemy by this very successful mission cannot be over-estimated. The enemy soldiers who were captured provided critical intelligence to the allied effort. Lt. (J.G.) Kerrey's courageous and inspiring leadership, valiant fighting spirit, and tenacious devotion to duty in the face of almost overwhelming opposition sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1969 - Top Hits
“Everyday People” - Sly & The Family Stone
“Proud Mary” - Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Dizzy” - Tommy Roe
“Only the Lonely” - Sonny James
    1969 - Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Fillmore West, San Francisco @ Wolfgang's Vault
    1969 - Less than one month after winning her first horse race, Barbara Jo Rubin became the first woman jockey to win at Aqueduct Race Course in New York. She rode Brave Galaxy to victory and into the winner’s circle.
http://www.izix.com/stan/index.php?chapter=18&column=2
http://www.dhwebsites.com/charlestownraces_original/press/news03-07-01.htm
    1972 - California Governor Ronald Reagan pardoned country star Merle Haggard, who had served nearly three years in San Quentin on a burglary charge.
    1972 - Carole King won Grammys for Album of the Year for "Tapestry" and Record of the Year for "It's Too Late." Carly Simon won the Grammy for Best New Artist.
    1972 - The Cincinnati Royals announced their intentions to move the National Basketball Association franchise to Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Royals baseball team was already there, so the basketball team became the Kings. In 1985, they moved to Sacramento.
    1976 - Jockey Bill Shoemaker won the 7,000th race of his career aboard Royal Derby II, a horse that hadn’t won in three years. Shoemaker became the winningest jockey in history in 1970, when he surpassed Johnny Longden’s total of 6,032. The Shoe retired in 1990 after having ridden 8,833 winners.
    1977 - Top Hits
Love Theme from "A Star is Born" (Evergreen) - Barbra Streisand
“Fly like an Eagle” - Steve Miller
“I Like Dreamin’ “ - Kenny Nolan
“She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory” - Charley Pride
    1979 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor. The song is released as the B-side to the single "Substitute."
    1985 - Bill Cosby won four People’s Choice Awards for "The Cosby Show." The awards were earned as the results of a nationwide Gallup Poll. Barbara Mandrell announced she was pregnant as she accepted her second award on the show. She mentioned “the child here tonight in my tummy.” Bob Hope won the award for All-Time Entertainer, defeating Clint Eastwood and Frank Sinatra for the honor.
    1985 - Top Hits
“Can’t Fight This Feeling” - REO Speedwagon
“The Heat is On” - Glenn Frey
“Material Girl” - Madonna
“My Only Love” - The Statler Brothers
    1985 - The first cabinet member indicted while in office was Raymond L. Donovan, secretary of labor under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1985. Facing a trial for larceny and fraud in New York. Donovan resigned this day. He was acquitted of all charges on May 25, 1987, after an eight-month trial in New York City.
    1986 - Frank Zappa played a drug czar on a "Miami Vice" episode.
    1986 - Microsoft goes public, closing the day at twenty-eight dollars a share, up seven dollars from the offering price. The offering, dubbed "the IPO of the year" by industry analysts, created a slew of instant tycoons as young Microsoft employees found their stock options suddenly worth something. Microsoft was founded in the mid-1970s, when high school friends and fellow computer nerds Paul Allen and Bill Gates read a Popular Electronics article about a new microcomputer called the Altair 8800. The two had been programming computers since high school, where they developed a system called Traff-o-Data for analyzing traffic data, as well as a registration system that reportedly placed the two in the classes of the most attractive girls. Allen and Gates quickly developed a version of BASIC, a computer language, and licensed it to MITS, maker of the Altair. The two formed a company called Micro-Soft (they later dropped the hyphen). For the next five years, Microsoft concentrated on developing computer languages that would run on the variety of home computers that flooded the market in the late 1970s. Microsoft's lucky break came when operating system guru Gary Kildall of Digital Research missed a meeting with IBM executives because he was out flying his plane: Instead, IBM asked Microsoft for an operating system. Gates quickly purchased the rights to Seattle Computer Products' "Quick and Dirty Operating System" (QDOS), which became MS-DOS, the operating system powering the IBM PC, introduced in 1981. As of February 17, 2018, Gates had a net worth of $91.7 billion, making him the second richest person in the world, behind Jeff Bezos.
    1987 - Huey Lewis and The News scored their third number one record in the US with a Brue Hornsby composition, "Jacob's Ladder," one of six singles released from the album "Fore."
    1988 - Squalls in the Great Lakes Region continued to produce heavy snow in northwest Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, and produced up to 14 inches of snow in northeast Ohio. Poplar, WI reported 27 inches of snow in two days.
    1988 – Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry was born in Akron, OH. Many players and analysts have called him the greatest shooter in NBA history. In 2014-15, Curry won the MVP Award and led the Warriors to their first championship since 1975. The following season, he became the first player in NBA history to be elected MVP by a unanimous vote and to lead the league in scoring. That same year, the Warriors broke the record for the most wins in a season en route to reaching the 2016 Finals. Curry helped the Warriors return to the NBA Finals for a third straight year in 2017, where he won his second NBA championship.
    1989 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Lost in Your Eyes," Debbie Gibson.
    1990 - Fifty-three cities reported record high temperatures for the date as readings warmed into the 70s and 80s from the Gulf coast to the Great Lakes Region. Charleston, WV was the hot spot in the nation with a record high of 89 degrees. It was the fourth of five consecutive days with record warm temperatures for many cities in the eastern U.S. There were 283 daily record highs reported in the central and eastern U.S. during between the 11th and the 15th of March.
    1992 - About 40,000 people attend Farm Aid Live in Irving, Texas. The show is hosted by Willie Nelson and features performances by John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Paul Simon.
    1992 - Intense snow squalls that began back on the 12th finally came to an end over Oswego and Onondaga counties in central New York. Palermo was buried under an incredible 85 inches of snow over the 4 day period. Parish checked in with 60 inches and Fulton recorded 51 inches. Syracuse recorded 7.7 inches of "normal" snow from the big storm back on the 11-12th, but this was peanuts compared to the 24 inches the squalls deposited on the city.
    1993 - The second day of the Great Blizzard which was clobbering the eastern US and produced perhaps the largest swath of heavy snow ever recorded. Heavy snow was driven to the Gulf Coast with 3 inches falling at Mobile, Alabama and up to 5 inches reported in the Florida panhandle, the greatest single snowfall in the state's history. 13 inches blanketed Birmingham, Alabama to set not only a new 24 hour snowfall record for any month, but also set a record for maximum snow depth, maximum snow for a single storm, and maximum snow for a single month. Tremendous snowfall amounts occurred in the Appalachians. Mount Leconte in Tennessee recorded an incredible 60 inches. Mount Mitchell in North Carolina was not far behind with 50 inches. Practically every official weather station in West Virginia set a new 24 hour record snowfall. Further to the north, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania measured 25 inches, Albany, New York checked in with 27 inches, and Syracuse, New York was buried under 43 inches. The major population corridor from Washington, DC to Boston, Massachusetts was not spared this time as all the big cities got about a foot of snow before a changeover to rain. A rather large amount of thunderstorm activity accompanied the heavy snow. Winds to hurricane force in gusts were widespread. Boston recorded a gust to 81 mph, the highest wind gust at the location since hurricane Edna in 1954. Numerous cities in the south and Mid-Atlantic states recorded their lowest barometric pressure ever as the storm bottomed out at 960 milliners (28.35 inches) over Chesapeake Bay. 208 people were killed by the storm and total damage was estimated at 6 billion dollars -- the costliest extratropical storm in history. Record cold followed in the wake of the "blizzard of '93" over the eastern US with 57 daily record low temperatures broken. Birmingham, Alabama plunged to 2 degrees, by far breaking its previous march record low of 11 degrees. Orlando, Florida recorded 33 degrees to smash its old daily record low by 9 degrees. It was also the coldest temperature ever recorded for so late in the season.
    1996 - President Bill Clinton committed $100 million for an anti-terrorism pact with Israel to track down and root out Islamic militants.
    1997 - Thousands of fans in Corpus Christi mobbed the Texas premiere of "Selena," the film biography of the Tejano music star shot and killed two years earlier by the president of her fan club. Stars attending included Jennifer Lopez, who played Selena, and Edward James Olmos, who portrayed the singer's father.
    1997 - Joey Mullen of the Pittsburgh Penguins became the 25th player in National Hockey League history and the first American to score 500 regular-season goals. His tally came in a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
    1998 - Will Smith's hit single "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It' soared to Number 1, and stayed in the top position for 3 weeks.
    2003 - Police arrested 80 anti-war protesters in the San Francisco financial district. They included Warren Langley, former head of the Pacific Exchange and former Lt. Col of the US Air Force for fifteen years.
    2005 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a ceremony at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel that saw Bruce Springsteen ushering in U2 and Rod Stewart inducting Soul singer Percy Sledge. Neil Young welcomed the Pretenders into the Hall, while Justin Timberlake introduced The O'Jays.
    2014 - The U.S. announced plans to let its contract with ICANN expire next year, ending U.S. authority over the Internet. On October 1, 2009 the U.S. Department of Commerce gave up its control of ICANN, completing ICANN's transition.

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