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Why you should dress up for your next flight
An airplane isn’t a gym, so ditch the elastic pants

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How Do I Tell Them Politely – Not Interested?

Career Crossroads---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

I have mentioned many times in my columns that your reputation is everything in this very small industry. Watch how you conduct yourself; word will get around!

If you:

1. Have gone through a series of interviews and determined a particular company/opportunity is a good fit and you: ACCEPT an offer (verbally or in writing) NEVER EVER, RENEGE or take a
COUNTER-OFFER

2. If you receive an offer and are not sure, let the Hiring Manager or Recruiter know you need some time to review. Then, in a TIMELY MANNER, follow up with questions and/or acceptance and/or decline. NOTE: if you have taken the process seriously, you should only need 48 hours, as due diligence should have been occurring along the way.

As soon as you think the company/offer is not a good fit for your current and/or long-term goals, then cease the process ASAP (in a professional manner)!

Best practice is to CALL the Hiring Manager and/or Recruiter to advise you would like to cease the interview process (only address what you feel is most appropriate, e.g. I do not think this is a good long-term fit for my career goals, or the amount of travel is more than I anticipated). The Recruiter and/or Hiring Manager will RESPECT the fact you took the time to make the awkward call (it is not the easiest thing to do, but shows professionalism and courage).

Furthermore, make sure to thank them for their time and effort. Note the first call you should make is to your Recruiter as they will know how to address the situation and will offer tips on how to handle the call to the point of contact with the hiring organization (ALWAYS keep in touch with your Recruiter).

In addition, you will need to email a note all interviewers involved in your interview process. You don't have to give extensive details and definitely do not include any offensive reasons, e.g., a poor work environment or feeling uncertain about the company's long-term future and profitability.

Sample Letter:

Dear Name (s) with Title(s):

Thank you very much for considering me for the position of Job Title and for inviting me to interview with Company Name. However, I would like to withdraw my application for the job. Give “mini” explanation, but say something positive about the organization: its people, etc.… If you like, mention your interest for future consideration (IF THIS IS True) for more “suitable” opportunities (e.g. one that does not require so much travel).

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to review my credentials (and/or application).

Best Regards,
Your Name
Email address
Phone

As with any communication sent to an employer, it's important to make sure that your letter is well-written and does not contain typos or grammatical errors. Even though you are declining the job, you want to make sure all your correspondence is professional.

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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Average Rent Increased 17% Year-Over-Year
Or Is Buying a Home May Be Cheaper?

Now is not a great time to be a renter according to new data from Redfin which found that the median rent surged 17% in March to $1,940, its largest annual increase since February 2020.

At the same time, the median price of a mortgage rose twice as fast: it rose by 34% as compared to last March to $1,910, which was also the biggest increase in Redfin’s records.

The cause of the rapid rise in mortgage payments is largely due to climbing mortgage rates which have now reached 5%. The rise in mortgage rates is also now pushing would-be buyers out of the purchase market, thus increasing demand for rentals which in turn is forcing rent prices up.

Even with these rises, buying a home is still cheaper than renting, even if the cost savings per month is marginal.

Looking forward, economists at Redfin say the market is showing early signs cooling heading into summer, typically the busiest time of the year, but do not expect sale prices or mortgage rates to drop.

Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather, said, “Many potential first-time homebuyers are quickly being priced out of the market by record-high home prices and fast-increasing mortgage rates.

“They are then faced with two options: rent or move somewhere with a lower cost of living. Those who choose to rent may save money in expensive housing markets in the near term, but long term, they may have to deal with continued rent increases, year after year. Those who move and buy somewhere more affordable now will be paying considerably more than if they bought last year, but will be able to build equity in the long run and ensure relatively stable monthly housing costs going forward.”

Among the top 50 largest metropolitan areas, mortgage payments increased in 44 of the top-50 cities, while rents rose in 48 of the top 50 cities. Rents only declined in Milwaukee (-10%) and Kansas City, Missouri (-1%).

Top 10 Metro Areas With Fastest-Rising Rents Year Over Year

Portland, Oregon (+40%)
Austin, Texas (+38%)
New York, New York (+35%)
New Brunswick, New Jersey (+35%)
Newark, New Jersey (+35%)
Nassau County, New York (+35%)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida (+33%)
Miami, Florida (+33%)
West Palm Beach, Florida (+33%)
Orlando, Florida (+30%)

Source: NReport.com

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This Day in History

     1507 - Little is known about the obscure scholar now called the "godfather of America," the German geographer and mapmaker Martin Waldseemuller, who gave America its name. In a book titled “Cosmographiae Introductio,” published this day, Waldseemuller wrote: "Inasmuch as both Europe and Asia received their names from women, I see no reason why anyone should justly object to calling this part Amerige, i.e., the land of Amerigo, or America, after Amerigo, its discoverer, a man of great ability." Believing it was the Italian navigator and merchant Amerigo Vespucci who had discovered the new continent, Waldseemuller sought to honor Vespucci by placing his name on his map of the world. First applied only to the South American continent, it soon was used for both the American continents. Waldseemuller did not learn about the voyage of Christopher Columbus until several years later. Of the thousand copies of his map that were printed, only one is known to have survived. Waldseemuller probably was born at Radolfzell, Germany, about 1470. He died at St. Die, France, about 1517-20.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15531a.htm
    1719 - Daniel Defoe published "Robinson Crusoe." The first edition credited the protagonist, Robinson Crusoe, as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. It was published under the full title “The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliver'd by Pyrates.”
    1781 - Gen. Nathanael Greene engaged British forces at Hobkirk’s Hill, South Carolina, and was forced to retreat.
    1831 - The first streetcar company was incorporated, to be known as the New York and Harlem Railway.
http://www.westchestergov.com/wcarchives/sneakapeek/Mar2000/
march2000sneakapeek.htm
http://www.aggreen.net/ny_railroads/ny_rails.html
http://www.harlem.org/
    1861 – Sarah Emma Edmonds (1841-98), alias Frank Thompson, became a male nurse in the Second Volunteers of the United States Army. She later wrote “Nurse and Spy,” published in 1865, a rather lurid and perhaps not too accurate an autobiographical account of her exploits as a Union field nurse in northern Virginia and Kentucky but who was also a spy for the union forces. It has been estimated that approximately 400 women succeeded in enlisting in the army (either Union or Confederate) during the Civil War. She is buried in Washington Cemetery, Houston Texas, in lot G-26. This is a GAR lot that belonged to George B. McClellan Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. She is the only female member of the organization formed after the Civil War by Union veterans - The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Her biography, “She Rode with Generals,” was written by Sylvia Gannett. Also, Richard Hall in “Patriots in Disguise” has some biographical information on Edmonds, including her postwar career, but the source of Hall’s comments appears to be from Gannett's book.
    1861 - 7th New York arrived to reinforce Washington, D.C. where it was mustered for thirty days until June 3, 1861. Also known as the "Blue-Bloods" due to the disproportionate number of its members who were part of New York City's social elite.
    1862 - Admiral Farragut occupies New Orleans, Louisiana.
    1865 - Four of the five Lincoln assassination suspects arrested on the 17th were imprisoned on the monitors U.S.S. Montauk and Saugus which had been prepared for this purpose on the 15th and were anchored off the Washington Navy Yard in the Anacostia River. Mrs. Mary E. Surratt was taken into custody at the boarding house she operated after it was learned that her son was a close friend of John Wilkes Booth and that the actor was a frequent visitor at the boarding house. Mrs. Surratt was jailed in the Carroll Annex of Old Capitol Prison. Lewis Paine was also taken into custody when he came to Mrs. Surratt's house during her arrest. Edward Spangler, stagehand at the Ford Theater and Booth's aide, along with Michael O'Laughlin and Samuel B. Arnold, close associates of Booth during the months leading up to the assassination, were also caught up in the dragnet. They were joined by Arnold on the 19th and Spangler on the 24th. George A. Atzerodt, the would-be assassin of Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Ernest Hartman Richter, at whose home Atzerodt was captured, were brought on board the ships on the 20th. Joao Celestino, Portuguese sea captain who had been heard to say on the 14th that Seward ought to be assassinated, was transferred from Old Capitol Prison to Montauk on the 25th. The last of the eight conspiracy suspects to be incarcerated on board the monitors was David E. Herold. The prisoners were kept below decks under heavy guard and were manacled with both wrist and leg irons. In addition, their heads were covered with canvas hoods, the interior of which were fitted with cotton pads that tightly covered the prisoners' eyes and ears. The hoods contained two small openings to permit breathing and the consumption of food. An added security measure was taken with Paine by attaching a ball and chain to each ankle.
    1875 - New York City received three inches of snow, the latest measurable snow of record for that location.
    1898 - The U.S. declares war on Spain.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr25.html
    1898 - The temperature at Volcano Springs, CA hit 118 degrees to establish a U.S. record for the month of April.
    1901 - New York began requiring license plates on automobiles, the first state to do so.
    1904 – New York Highlanders pitcher Jack Chesbro won the first of his 41 wins on the season, a Major League record that still stands.
    1907 - Revolutionizing shipping, covered in a “History” Television documentary very well, was the first turbine-propelled naval ship “Chester,” commissioned this day and built at the Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME. The contract price for the hull and machinery was $1,688,000, quite a bit of money for its day. The “Chester” was equipped with four Parsons turbines. It trail speed was 26.52 knots, freeing ships from relying on wind to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
    1908 - Birthday of pianist Joe “from Bowling Green” Dean, St. Louis, MO.
    1908 - Birthday of Edward R. Murrow (d. 1965), born Egbert Roscoe Murrow in Greensboro, North Carolina. He first came to prominence with a series of radio broadcasts for the CBS news division during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States. A pioneer of television news broadcasting, Murrow produced a series of reports that helped lead to the censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy. On November 18, 1951, his popular radio show, “Hear It Now” moved to television and was re-christened “See It Now.” In the first episode, Murrow explained: "This is an old team, trying to learn a new trade." “See It Now” focused on a number of controversial issues in the 1950s, but it is best remembered as the show that criticized McCarthyism and the Red Scare, contributing, if not leading, to the political downfall of Senator McCarthy.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/murrow_e.html
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/murrowedwar/murrowedwar.htm
    1910 - Chicago, IL, was blanketed with 2.5 inches of snow, and a total of 6.5 inches between the 22nd and the 26th. It was the latest significant snow of record for the city.
    1913 - Birthday of the great alto sax player Earl Bostic (d. 1965), Tulsa, OK.
http://www.spaceagepop.com/bostic.htm
http://www.jazzradio.net/jazzcity/m_earl_bostic.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/bostic.html
(When I was learning how to play the alto sax, he was my favorite in the early 1950’s. I played along with “Harlem Nocturne” for hours until I memorized every lick and turn. It was not until I went to California and saw Charlie Parker in person that I decided I would never become an alto saxophone player and took up playing the Dixieland clarinet and fronting a 21 piece dance band sans musical instrument. I realized I had no talent to be an alto sax player after hearing “the Bird” in person. Charlie Parker with strings is perhaps my favorite album, next to Gil Evans and Miles Davis “Sketches of Spain” or “Old Bottle, New Wine.” or Basie’s “Atom Bomb” album. I also like both “Turk Murphy Plays WC Handy” and “Louis Armstrong plays WC Handy.” I like my friend Warren Luening's Big Band recordings. On yes, forgot, Bill May plays Jimmy Lunceford. Love all the Billy May albums. What a great arranger!!!!
My dance band could play “Lean Baby, Lean.” Kit Menkin).
    1913 - Birthday of accordion player Santiago “Don” Jimenez (d. 1984), San Antonio, TX.
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/JJ/fji3.html
http://www.arhoolie.com/titles/7023.shtml
    1915 - Birthday of guitarist Johnny Shines (d. 1992), Frayser, TN. http://www.island.net/~blues/johnnys.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000003OQZ/inktomi-musicasin-20/
103-6620160-9563023
    1917 - Birthday of Ella Fitzgerald (d. 1996) in Newport News, Virginia. She was reared in a New York City orphanage. Ella Fitzgerald was admired for her superlative musicianship and her skill in scat singing (singing improvised syllables while using the voice as an instrument). Fitzgerald was discovered at the age of 16, singing in a Harlem talent show. From 1934 until 1939, she sang with the Chick Webb Band, directing it for a time after the leader's death in 1939. One of her first hit tunes is now an Easter favorite,” A Tisket, A Tasket.” In the mid-1940s, working with the American impresario Norman Granz, she toured Europe and Asia and performed in his Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts. Fitzgerald appeared in the 1955 film "Pete Kelly's Blues." In 1958, Fitzgerald appeared with the American jazz composer Duke Ellington at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has also toured Europe frequently with the Oscar Peterson Trio.
http://museum.media.org/ella/
http://www.redsugar.com/ella.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000047FO/inktomi-musicasin-20/
103-6620160-9563023
    1923 - Birthday of guitarist/singer Albert King, born Albert King Nelson, (d. 1992), Indianola, MS. He was a star at the Fillmore’s East and West during the 1960's, appearing on the bill with top rock stars. King's most popular records were made for the Stax label in Memphis in the late '60s and early '70s. "Cold Feet" made the pop charts in 1968.
http://home.t-online.de/home/MSilberberg/king.htm
http://www.blueflamecafe.com/index.htm
    1928 - Birthday of tenor sax player Willis “Gator Tail” Jackson (d. 1987), Miami, FL. http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/j/J14.HTM
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/jackson_w_cat.html
    1928 - Buddy, the first seeing eye dog, was presented to Morris S. Frank on this day. Many Seeing Eye organizations and schools continue to offer specially trained dogs “...to enhance the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind people...” They are now called Service Dogs. (visit http://www.seeingeye.org/).
    1932 - Birthday of Meadow George “Meadowlark” Lemon II (d. 2015), basketball Hall of Famer, born Wilmington, NC. For 22 years, he was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. He played in more than 16,000 games for the Globetrotters and was a 2003 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. When basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain was asked his opinion on the best player of all time, he responded, "For me it would be Meadowlark Lemon." From 1994, he served Meadowlark Lemon Ministries in Scottsdale, AZ.
http://www.wcgroups.com/globe.htm
    1942 - Ella Mae Morse and Freddy Slacks' "Cow Cow Boogie" hits #1
    1945 - East meets West: US Army Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue encountered a single Soviet soldier near the German village of Lechwitz, 75 miles south of Berlin. Patrols of General Leonard Gerow's V Corps saluted the advance guard of Marshall Ivan Konev's Soviet 58th Guards Division. Soldiers of both nations embraced and exchanged toasts. The Allied armies of East and West had finally met.
    1945 - GONZALES, DAVID M., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 127th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date: Villa Verde Trail, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 25 April 1945. Entered service at: Pacoima, Calif. Birth: Pacoima, Calif. G.O. No.: 115, 8 December 1945. Citation: He was pinned down with his company. As enemy fire swept the area, making any movement extremely hazardous, a 500-pound bomb smashed into the company's perimeter, burying 5 men with its explosion. Pfc. Gonzales, without hesitation, seized an entrenching tool and under a hail of fire crawled 15 yards to his entombed comrades, where his commanding officer, who had also rushed forward, was beginning to dig the men out. Nearing his goal, he saw the officer struck and instantly killed by machinegun fire. Undismayed, he set to work swiftly and surely with his hands and the entrenching tool while enemy sniper and machinegun bullets struck all about him. He succeeded in digging one of the men out of the pile of rock and sand. To dig faster he stood up regardless of the greater danger from so exposing himself. He extricated a second man, and then another. As he completed the liberation of the third, he was hit and mortally wounded, but the comrades for whom he so gallantly gave his life were safely evacuated. Pfc. Gonzales' valiant and intrepid conduct exemplifies the highest tradition of the military service.
    1945 - KNIGHT, RAYMOND L., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: In Northern Po Valley, Italy, 24 25 April 1945. Entered service at: Houston, Tex. Birth: Texas. G.O. No.: 81, 24 September 1945. Citation: He piloted a fighter-bomber aircraft in a series of low-level strafing missions, destroying 14 grounded enemy aircraft and leading attacks which wrecked 10 others during a critical period of the Allied drive in northern Italy. On the morning of 24 April, he volunteered to lead 2 other aircraft against the strongly defended enemy airdrome at Ghedi. Ordering his fellow pilots to remain aloft, he skimmed the ground through a deadly curtain of antiaircraft fire to reconnoiter the field, locating 8 German aircraft hidden beneath heavy camouflage. He rejoined his flight, briefed them by radio, and then led them with consummate skill through the hail of enemy fire in a low-level attack, destroying 5 aircraft, while his flight accounted for 2 others. Returning to his base, he volunteered to lead 3 other aircraft in reconnaissance of Bergamo airfield, an enemy base near Ghedi and 1 known to be equally well defended. Again ordering his flight to remain out of range of antiaircraft fire, 1st Lt. Knight flew through an exceptionally intense barrage, which heavily damaged his Thunderbolt, to observe the field at minimum altitude. He discovered a squadron of enemy aircraft under heavy camouflage and led his flight to the assault. Returning alone after this strafing, he made 10 deliberate passes against the field despite being hit by antiaircraft fire twice more, destroying 6 fully loaded enemy twin-engine aircraft and 2 fighters. His skillfully led attack enabled his flight to destroy 4 other twin-engine aircraft and a fighter plane. He then returned to his base in his seriously damaged plane. Early the next morning, when he again attacked Bergamo, he sighted an enemy plane on the runway. Again he led 3 other American pilots in a blistering low-level sweep through vicious antiaircraft fire that damaged his plane so severely that it was virtually nonflyable. Three of the few remaining enemy twin-engine aircraft at that base were destroyed. Realizing the critical need for aircraft in his unit, he declined to parachute to safety over friendly territory and unhesitatingly attempted to return his shattered plane to his home field. With great skill and strength, he flew homeward until caught by treacherous air conditions in the Appennines Mountains, where he crashed and was killed. The gallant action of 1st Lt. Knight eliminated the German aircraft which were poised to wreak havoc on Allied forces pressing to establish the first firm bridgehead across the Po River; his fearless daring and voluntary self-sacrifice averted possible heavy casualties among ground forces and the resultant slowing on the German drive culminated in the collapse of enemy resistance in Italy
    1946 - Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra recorded "Cement Mixer", (Majestic).
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_lunceford_jimmie.htm
http://home.swipnet.se/bearrecords/luncef.htm
http://www.cleveland.oh.us/wmv_news/jazz54.htm
    1947 - Theodore Roosevelt National Park established. Located in North Dakota, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park includes two sections of the Badlands on the Missouri River as well as Theodore Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch.
http://www.theodore.roosevelt.national-park.com/
    1949 - An article by Deac Aylesworth in Look Magazine predicted that radio was doomed and that within three years, TV would overshadow radio completely.
    1950 - The Boston Celtics made Chuck Cooper, an All-American from Duquesne University playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, the first black player drafted by any NBA team when they selected him in the second round.
    1952 - ESSEBAGGER, JOHN, JR., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company A, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Popsudong, Korea, 25 April 1951. Entered service at: Holland, Mich. Born: 29 October 1928, Holland, Mich. G.O. No.: 61, 24 April 1952. Citation: Cpl. Essebagger, a member of Company A, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. Committed to effect a delaying action to cover the 3d Battalion's withdrawal through Company A, Cpl. Essebagger, a member of 1 of 2 squads maintaining defensive positions in key terrain and defending the company's right flank, had participated in repulsing numerous attacks. In a frenzied banzai charge the numerically superior enemy seriously threatened the security of the planned route of withdrawal and isolation of the small force. Badly shaken, the grossly outnumbered detachment started to fall back and Cpl. Essebagger, realizing the impending danger, voluntarily remained to provide security for the withdrawal. Gallantly maintaining a l-man stand, Cpl. Essebagger raked the menacing hordes with crippling fire and, with the foe closing on the position, left the comparative safety of his shelter and advanced in the face of overwhelming odds, firing his weapon and hurling grenades to disconcert the enemy and afford time for displacement of friendly elements to more tenable positions. Scorning the withering fire and bursting shells, Cpl. Essebagger continued to move forward, inflicting destruction upon the fanatical foe until he was mortally wounded. Cpl. Essebagger's intrepid action and supreme sacrifice exacted a heavy toll in enemy dead and wounded, stemmed the onslaught, and enabled the retiring squads to reach safety. His valorous conduct and devotion to duty reflected lasting glory upon himself and was in keeping with the noblest traditions of the infantry and the U.S. Army.
    1953 - MIYAMURA, HIROSHI H., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company H, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Taejon-ni, Korea, 24 and 25 April 1951. Entered service at: Gallup, N. Mex. Birth: Gallup, N. Mex. G.O. No.: 85, 4 November 1953. Citation: Cpl. Miyamura, a member of Company H, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. On the night of 24 April, Company H was occupying a defensive position when the enemy fanatically attacked threatening to overrun the position. Cpl. Miyamura, a machine gun squad leader, aware of the imminent danger to his men unhesitatingly jumped from his shelter wielding his bayonet in close hand-to-hand combat killing approximately 10 of the enemy. Returning to his position, he administered first aid to the wounded and directed their evacuation. As another savage assault hit the line, he manned his machine gun and delivered withering fire until his ammunition was expended. He ordered the squad to withdraw while he stayed behind to render the gun inoperative. He then bayoneted his way through infiltrated enemy soldiers to a second gun emplacement and assisted in its operation. When the intensity of the attack necessitated the withdrawal of the company Cpl. Miyamura ordered his men to fall back while he remained to cover their movement. He killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was depleted and he was severely wounded. He maintained his magnificent stand despite his painful wounds, continuing to repel the attack until his position was overrun. When last seen he was fighting ferociously against an overwhelming number of enemy soldiers. Cpl. Miyamura's indomitable heroism and consummate devotion to duty reflect the utmost glory on himself and uphold the illustrious traditions on the military service.
    1953 - NBC-TV presented "Ethel and Albert", the video version of the popular radio show. Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce starred in the program
http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/ethelAndAlbert.html.
    1954 - Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York City, announced the invention by Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and Daryl Chapin of a solar energy battery to convert the sun’s energy into useful amounts of electricity. Made of specially treated strips of silicon, the battery needed no fuel other than the light of the sun. It had no moving parts, nothing in it was consumed or destroyed, and theoretically it was possible for it to last indefinitely.
    1956 - Malcolm McLean of Maxton, NC invented containerized shipping. He developed a large shipping container that could be packed with goods at the factory, hauled by truck to a port facility, carried on a specially fitted ships to a port terminal, offloaded from the ship, and hitched directly to trucks or loaded on freight cards for cross-continental transport, all without unpacking the containers' contents. The first containership facility was the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal, operated by the Port of New York Authority. It opened for business on August 15, 1962, when Sea-Land Service’s SS Elizabethport docked in New Bay, Elizabeth, NJ. During its first year, the facility handled 1.5 million tons of cargo on 242 vessels and employed 730 people, who earned a total of more than $4 million. This revolutionized the entire shipping industry, plus gave birth to container and railroad carrier leasing.
http://lonestar.texas.net/~mdmclean/MDM_BIO.html
    1956 - Elvis Presley reached number one on the charts for the first time, with "Heartbreak Hotel." It was Presley's first hit for RCA Victor after the company purchased his contract from Sam Phillips of Sun Records for $35,000.
    1956 - The Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria collides with the Swedish liner Stockholm, the latter tearing a hole in the starboard hull of the former, killing 52 instantly and causing the Andrea Doria to sink by morning. On board is one Mike Stoller, who would go on to become one of the famous Lieber-Stoller songwriting team.
    1957 – Major League Baseball adopted a new rule that prohibits runners from interfering with batted balls in the field of play. The rule was adopted in reaction to recent actions by several Cincinnati Reds baserunners. Earlier in the week, Don Hoak and Johnny Temple had intentionally interfered with batted balls as a way of preventing double plays. The rule gives the batter a single and the runner, if hit by the batted ball, is out and the play is dead.
    1958 - Arnold Palmer struggled to a final round 73, one over par, but still won the first of his four Masters championships. Palmer finished at 284, one shot better than Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins. He would win the tournament again in 1960, 1962 (in a playoff) and 1964.
http://www.palmergolf.com/
    1959 - The canal incorporated into a seaway opened a 400-mile waterway between Montreal and Lake Erie, connecting the St. Lawrence River with the Great Lakes. It formed part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, 2,342 miles long, which allowed oceangoing ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, MN.
    1960 - Elvis Presley's first release since leaving the US Army, "Stuck On You" tops the Billboard chart. The record had been so highly anticipated, it sold over one million copies before it was even recorded.
    1960 - With the Folk music craze in full swing, The Brothers Four enjoyed their biggest hit as "Greenfields" reached #2 on the Billboard chart.
    1961 - Robert Noyce patented the integrated circuit which he invented with Jack Kilby. Noyce, nicknamed "the Mayor of Silicon Valley," co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel in 1968.
    1964 - President Lyndon B. Johnson announces that General William Westmoreland will replace Gen. Paul Harkins as head of US Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) as of 20 June. The assignment would put Westmoreland in charge of all American military forces in Vietnam. One of the war's most controversial figures, General Westmoreland was given many honors when the fighting was going well, but when the war turned sour, many Americans saw him as a cause of US problems in Vietnam. Negative feeling about Westmoreland grew particularly strong following the Tet Offensive of 1968, when he had requested a large number of additional troops for deployment to Vietnam. On 22 March 1968, President Johnson announced that Westmoreland would leave South Vietnam to take on the post of Army Chief of Staff; Gen. Creighton Abrams replaced him as the senior US commander in South Vietnam.
    1964 - Dionne Warwick's "Walk on By" enters the Hot 100. Her fifth and thus far, biggest hit will eventually get to #6 on the chart for 13 weeks.
    1964 - Peter and Gordon reach Number One on the U.K. pop chart with "World without Love," a song composed by Paul McCartney of the Beatles
    1965 - Backed by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bob Dylan takes the stage at the Newport Folk Festival and plays his first-ever set of electric songs, horrifying many (but, contrary to legend, not all) in the crowd. After three songs, an upset Dylan says "Let's go, man, that's all," and the band leave the stage, only to be coaxed back out by Peter, Paul and Mary to play two more originals in the more "appropriate" acoustic manner. (Mainly because the band, a last-minute idea of Dylan's, only knew the three songs.)
    1967 - Abortion first legalized: the first law legalizing abortion in the US was signed by Colorado Governor John Arthur Love. The law allowed therapeutic abortions in cases in which a three-doctor panel unanimously agreed.
    1967 - STUMPF, KENNETH E., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sp4c.), U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam, 25 April 1967. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 28 September 1944, Neenah, Wis. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Stumpf distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader of the 3d Platoon, Company C, on a search and destroy mission. As S/Sgt. Stumpf's company approached a village, it encountered a North Vietnamese rifle company occupying a well-fortified bunker complex. During the initial contact, 3 men from his squad fell wounded in front of a hostile machinegun emplacement. The enemy's heavy volume of fire prevented the unit from moving to the aid of the injured men, but S/Sgt. Stumpf left his secure position in a deep trench and ran through the barrage of incoming rounds to reach his wounded comrades. He picked up 1 of the men and carried him back to the safety of the trench. Twice more S/Sgt. Stumpf dashed forward while the enemy turned automatic weapons and machineguns upon him, yet he managed to rescue the remaining 2 wounded squad members. He then organized his squad and led an assault against several enemy bunkers from which continuously heavy fire was being received He and his squad successfully eliminated 2 of the bunker positions, but one to the front of the advancing platoon remained a serious threat. Arming himself with extra hand grenades, S/Sgt. Stumpf ran over open ground, through a volley of fire directed at him by a determined enemy, toward the machinegun position. As he reached the bunker, he threw a hand grenade through the aperture. It was immediately returned by the occupants, forcing S/Sgt. Stumpf to take cover. Undaunted, he pulled the pins on 2 more grenades, held them for a few seconds after activation, then hurled them into the position, this time successfully destroying the emplacement. With the elimination of this key position, his unit was able to assault and overrun the enemy. S/Sgt. Stumpf's relentless spirit of aggressiveness, intrepidity, and ultimate concern for the lives of his men, are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
    1967 - Just days after completing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", The Beatles laid down tracks for "Magical Mystery Tour" at Abbey Road studios in London.
    1968 - SPRAYBERRY, JAMES M., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Company D, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 25 April 1968. Entered service at: Montgomery, Ala. Born: 24 April 1947, LaGrange, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Sprayberry, Armor, U.S. Army, distinguished himself by exceptional bravery while serving as executive officer of Company D. His company commander and a great number of the men were wounded and separated from the main body of the company. A daylight attempt to rescue them was driven back by the well-entrenched enemy's heavy fire. Capt. Sprayberry then organized and led a volunteer night patrol to eliminate the intervening enemy bunkers and to relieve the surrounded element. The patrol soon began receiving enemy machinegun fire. Capt. Sprayberry quickly moved the men to protective cover and without regard for his own safety, crawled within close range of the bunker from which the fire was coming. He silenced the machinegun with a hand grenade. Identifying several l-man enemy positions nearby, Capt. Sprayberry immediately attacked them with the rest of his grenades. He crawled back for more grenades and when 2 grenades were thrown at his men from a position to the front, Capt. Sprayberry, without hesitation, again exposed himself and charged the enemy-held bunker killing its occupants with a grenade. Placing 2 men to cover his advance, he crawled forward and neutralized 3 more bunkers with grenades. Immediately thereafter, Capt. Sprayberry was surprised by an enemy soldier who charged from a concealed position. He killed the soldier with his pistol and with continuing disregard for the danger neutralized another enemy emplacement. Capt. Sprayberry then established radio contact with the isolated men, directing them toward his position. When the 2 elements made contact he organized his men into litter parties to evacuate the wounded. As the evacuation was nearing completion, he observed an enemy machinegun position which he silenced with a grenade. Capt. Sprayberry returned to the rescue party, established security, and moved to friendly lines with the wounded. This rescue operation, which lasted approximately 71/2 hours, saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. Capt. Sprayberry personally killed 12 enemy soldiers, eliminated 2 machineguns, and destroyed numerous enemy bunkers. Capt. Sprayberry's indomitable spirit and gallant action at great personal risk to his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1969 - At the end of their gig at the Fillmore in San Francisco, Crosby, Stills and Nash invite Neil Young on stage to back them on a couple of songs, and they like the result so much he almost immediately becomes part of the band.
    1970 - DJs around the U.S. played the new number one song, "ABC", quite often, as the Jackson 5 reached the number one spot in pop music for two weeks. "ABC" was the second of four number one songs in a row for the group from Gary, IN. "I Want You Back" was their first. "ABC" was one of 23 hits for Michael, Tito, Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon. "ABC" was knocked out of first place by The Guess Who and their hit, "American Woman".
    1970 - The Carpenters' "(They Long To Be) Close To You" hits #1
    1972 - Bill Sharman, ending his first year as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, was named Coach of the Year in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sharman had a first year record of 69-13.
    1973 - The group, The Sweet, received a gold record for the hit "Little Willy". The English rocker band recorded four hits in addition to their first million-seller, "Ballroom Blitz", "Fox on the Run", "Action" and "Love is like Oxygen". "Little Willy" was a top-three hit, while the group’s other gold record winner, "Fox on the Run" made it to the top five.
http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Sharman.htm
    1974 - The National Football League adopted a 15-minute, sudden death quarter in an effort to reduce the number of tie games. The league also moved the goal posts from the goal line to the back line of the end zone to make it more difficult to kick field goals.
    1975 - The musical “A Chorus Line” debuts on Broadway, the first of what would be 6,137 performances over fifteen years
    1976 - Center fielder Rick Monday of the Chicago Cubs rescued an American flag from two fans who ran onto the field and attempted to set it on fire. The incident occurred in Dodger Stadium in the fourth inning of a 5-4, 10 inning victory by the Dodgers.
    1976 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Let Your Love Flow,'' Bellamy Brothers.
    1977 - At a concert at the Saginaw, Michigan Civic Center, Elvis Presley makes what will be the last recordings of his life. Three songs from the show will appear, in heavily overdubbed mixes, on the posthumously released Presley album, "Moody Blue."
    1978 - Queen's single "We Are the Champions" was certified Platinum.
    1979 - The film "Rock & Roll High School" starring the Ramones premiers.
    1980 - President Jimmy Carter tells the American people about the hostage rescue disaster in Iran.
     1985 - "Big River (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)" opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway in New York City. The Tony Award-winning score for the show was written by Roger Miller (his first Broadway production). The show, about life on the Mississippi, with Daniel Jenkins in the starring role of Huck Finn, ran for 1,005 performances and won the Tony for Best Musical of the Year. "Big River" picked up several more Tony Awards: Featured Actor in a Musical to Ron Richardson; Best Director (Musical) to Des McAnuff; Best Book (Musical) to William Hauptman; and Best Scenic Designer and Lighting Designer to Heidi Landesman and Richard Riddell respectively.
    1988 - Top Hits
“Wishing Well” - Terence Trent D Arby
“Anything for You” - Gloria Estefan
“Angel” - Aerosmith
“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” - Whitney Houston
“Pink Cadillac” - Natalie Cole
    1990 - Hubble Space Telescope: deployed by Discovery, the telescope is the largest on-orbit observatory to date and is capable of imaging objects up to 14 billion light-years away. The resolution of images was expected to be seven to ten times greater than images from Earth-based telescopes, since the Hubble Space Telescope is not hampered by Earth's atmospheric distortion. Launched Apr 12, 1990, from Kennedy Space Center, FL. Unfortunately, the telescope's lenses were defective, so the anticipated high quality of imaging was not realized. In 1993, however, the world watched as a shuttle crew successfully retrieved the Hubble from orbit, executed the needed repair and replacement work and released it into orbit once more. In December, 1999, the space shuttle Discovery was launched to do extensive repairs on the telescope.
    1990 - The Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix used to perform the "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock is auctioned off in London for $295,000.
    1993 - Top Hits
“Freak Me” - Silk
“Informer” - Snow
“Nothin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” - Dr. De
“I Have Nothing” (from the “Bodyguard”) - Whitney Houston
    1994 - Yankee Stadium in New York holds their first "Joe DiMaggio Day," featuring Paul Simon singing "Mrs. Robinson" (and cheers when he gets to "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?").
    1995 - The 257-day strike ends as the Dodgers beat the Marlins 8-7. The work stoppage caused last season to end early, force the cancellation of World Series, and delayed the opening of this season.
    1996 - U2 began their first tour in more than four years before a sellout crowd of 38,000 in Las Vegas. The band featured 11 songs from its "Pop Mart" album but the audience reacted more enthusiastically to such U2 standards as "Pride (in the Name of Love)" and "Where the Streets Have No Name." The glitzy and extravagant show featured what was billed as the world's biggest TV screen and the band emerging from an enormous lemon-shaped mirror ball suspended above the stage.
    1998 - The 'Iron Man's' streak continues as Cal Ripken plays in his 2,500th consecutive game as the Orioles host the A's at Camden Yards.
    2001 - Padres' outfielder Rickey Henderson, 42, breaks the career walks record established by Babe Ruth when he receives his 2,063rd base on balls.
    2002 - Top Hits
“Foolish” - Ashanti
“What’s Luv” - Fat Joe featuring Ashanti
“U Don’t Have to Call” - Usher
“I Need a Girl” (part 1) - P. Diddy featuring Usher and Loon
“Ain’t It Funny” - Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule
    2012 - In Illinois, a Cook County Circuit Court ruled that the tax Amazon.com levied on Internet businesses is unconstitutional.

NBA Finals Champions:
1952 - Minneapolis Lakers
1965 - Boston Celtics

Stanley Cup Champions:
1964 - Toronto Maple Leafs

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