Virginia May Be for Lovers But Not MCA's
Kenneth C. Greene, Leasing News Legal Editor

As some of you know, the Virginia State legislature unanimously passed House Bill 1027 on March 7, 2022 which will require brokers or providers of sales-based financing to provide certain disclosures at the time of extending a specific offer. “Sales-based financing”, which encompasses merchant cash advances (“MCA’s”), is defined under Virginia law as a transaction that is repaid by the recipient to the provider, over time, based on a percentage of sales or revenue, in which the payment amount may increase or decrease according to the volume of sales made or revenue received by the recipient. Code of Virginia §6.2-2228.

The new law prohibits a sales-based financing contract from including a confession of judgment, much like New York, though New York’s prohibition is limited to out of state recipients. The Virginia bill requires the State Corporation Commission to adopt regulations to implement the bill’s provisions. It is intended to go into effect for transactions on or after July 1, 2022.

There is a pattern emerging here. Virginia has been tough on lenders, particularly in the consumer payday sector, where the maximum loan amount is $2500. It also has strict laws to curb predatory lending. Both of these consumer statutes are found in the Virginia Fairness in Lending Act. Beyond that, Virginia is the latest state to join with California, New York and several other states in requiring disclosures in virtually all kinds of commercial transactions.

Some of this might be influenced by Virginia’s next door neighbor, Maryland, which introduced a bill last year to entirely prohibit MCA’s. That bill failed, but was quickly followed by new legislation limiting the APR and imposing other restrictions on MCA’s. Maryland HB 664. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0664f.pdf

The reason for the new protective stance these states are adopting is that MCA’s and other sales-based financing, like factoring, are structures as sales, not loans, and consequently fall beyond the ambit of the lending, usury and licensing laws of most states. Given the state of the economy, the unemployment problem, and other socioeconomic forces, I believe we will see more of this over the next few years.

Ken Greene Leasing & Finance Observations
https://leasingnews.org/Pages/greene_observations.html

Ken Greene
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
ken@kengreenelaw.com
Alternate: kengreenelaw@outlook.com

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Former President and CEO of Iowa Bank Sentenced
to 9 Months & $4.5 MM in Restitution for Loan Guaranty Fraud
By Delaney Sexton, Coleman Report Contributing Editor

Three former executives of the defunct Valley Bank and the President of a lending service provider all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution at the end of 2021. In total, the defendants attempted to secure guarantees on more than $14 million in loans, and they were successful in obtaining the guaranties on over $9 million in loans. The SBA suffered losses of more than $4.5 million.

Michael Slater, Founder and President of Vital Financial Services, and Larry Henson, former President and CEO of Valley Bank, worked to fraudulently obtain loan guarantees from the SBA knowing that the loans did not meet guidelines and requirements. To achieve this, they altered loan payment histories, renamed businesses after applications were denied, and hid the borrowers’ histories of defaulted loans.

In 2011, Valley Bank made a $5 million loan to a business that was “highly leveraged and had limited capital”. Slater allegedly guided Henson to ensure the borrower is no more than 29 days late even if that required giving the borrower a 90-day payment deferral. The Valley Bank Vice President, Andrew Erpelding, was notified by Slater that the loan would not be able to be refinanced due to past-due payments. Allegedly, Erpelding and Henson instructed another Valley Bank Vice President, Susan McLaughlin, to alter loan-payment reports and hide any delinquent payments. The fraudulent documentation was sent to the SBA in an application for refinancing.

Another two loans made to companies in Florida allegedly revealed similar conduct. One loan involved a $4.6 million refinancing and the other involved a $5 million loan that defaulted. This led to $3.4 million in losses for the Small Business Administration.

Larry Henson was sentenced to nine months of incarceration in a federal prison for male inmates that require specialized or long-term medical care due to a heart condition. Prosecutors argued for some time in prison while a supporter of Henson asked that he face a shorter sentence after indicating that Henson would likely die in prison. He will also face five years of supervised release and must pay $4,528,191 in restitution.

The other defendants are expected to be sentenced during Spring 2022.

Sources:
DOJ Press Release – Guilty Pleas
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/four-executives-plead-guilty-fraud-scheme-caused-over-45-million-losses-small-business
Des Moines Register – 11/20/21 Article
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2021/11/20/4-plead-4-5-million-fraud-against-sba-small-business-administration-tied-failed-valley-bank/8689176002/
Iowa Capital Dispatch – 3/8/22 Sentencing Article
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/03/08/bank-executive-sentenced-to-nine-months-ordered-to-pay-4-5-million-in-restitution/

Coleman Report, 28081 Marguerite Pkwy.
#4525, Mission Viejo, CA 92690
bob@colemanreport.com

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Help Wanted Ads

 

New Searches Quarter 1 - Quarter 2

The Ultimate Hire by Ken Lubin, ZRG Partners

Bonus season is upon us! You have been waiting for this week all year and the checks are showing up in your account. It is also time to reevaluate and see if your check can be bigger next year!!  As potential candidates, you are in the driver’s seat.  The great resignation is real and you can make more $$$$ than ever.  Are you willing to take the next step and get out of your comfort zone to get to the next level?  I am working on a number of searches that can you help you do that.

Below are the list of searches that we have been retained to fill- if you think you could be a fit or know anyone that could be, feel free to reach out to me at klubin@zrgpartners.com

CEO - To Build a De Novo Start up in the small and middle ticket equipment finance and leasing space for one of the largest Global Investment Funds. If you ever wanted to build your own business, this is your chance

Chief Revenue Officer - for a major arbitration and mediation player. They are looking for someone who can be a catalyst for growth and help take the company to the next level;  amazing equity play

President-New subsidiary of a leading FinTech. If you are CMO or Marketing leader that wants to build and run your own business, this is your chance to step into the lead role.  My client is looking for someone with extensive experience as a lead gen aggregator. This is One of the coolest businesses I have seen in a while with a team that is open to new ideas and developing into one of the leaders in the market.

CFO - for one the strongest independent leasing companies in the US, the CFO will be an integral part of the executive team and will need to have the foresight and strategic ability to help take the company to next level

Enterprise Sales - Private Equity Owned tech player that is looking for key rainmakers to call on Fortune 1000 companies to sell an AI Based SaaS solution.  Must have experience making $500k plus and know how to close large enterprise deals.

VP of Sales - Diversified Equipment- Private Equity owned independent equipment finance company is looking for a strong sales leader to go after diversified equipment vendors.  Must be able to lead a sales team as well as roll up their sleeves.

Business Development (multiple)-Equipment Finance - Direct and vendor) A top tier, storied credit player in the market. “There is no such thing as a bad credit, just a bad structure.” If you are an expert in doing storied credits or are missing the boat on deals your company won’t do, this is the place for you.

A top tier Bank Owned Equipment Finance company is looking for a number of key hires:
1. BD, Municipal Finance.
2. BD, Clean Tech/Renewable.
3. Clean Tech Sr. Underwriter.
4. BD, 3rd Party Originations.

They have become one of the strongest.

The time is now to make a change going into 2022.

If you have any questions and would like to chat, email me at klubin@zrgpartners.com

Ken Lubin
Managing Director
ZRG Partners, LLC
Americas I EMEA I Asia Pacific
C: 508-733-4789
https://www.linkedin.com/in/klubin/

"What is the Ultimate Hire? The Ultimate Hire is the professional that every business, team or leader needs in their organization. This is the high performance individual that always rises to the top, brings the team to the next level and can significantly add to the bottom line. The Ultimate Hire is the person that you can't afford to be without. Finding, Attracting, Hiring and Retaining these professionals is critical to the success of your business. We have identified these traits and can help you find these top professionals."

 

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Top Ten Leasing News Read by Readers
March 7 to March 11

(1) Went to the Shelter to Get a Cat....
Photo
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_11.htm#shelter

(2) The Top Seven Leasing/Finance Funder Websites
In North America
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_09.htm#sites

(3) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_09.htm#hires

(4) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_11.htm#hires

(5) PPP Lender CEO Allegedly Purchased Luxury Cars
  and Homes with Fraudulent Lender Fees and PPP Loan
By Delaney Sexton, Contributing Editor, Coleman Report
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_07.htm#ppp

(6) North Mill Equipment Finance Announces
Their Largest Securitization: $371 Million
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_07.htm#nm

(7) North Mill Announces a Refresh of Our Business Brand
Also Introduces New Company Logo
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_11.htm#nm

(8) Kris Roglieri, CEO Prime Commercial Lending
Announces $188 Million Development Transaction
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_11.htm#prime

(9) Obligations Regarding Situation in Ukraine and Russia
California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_07.htm#dfpi

(10) U.S. oil industry prepares to boost production
— but with a giant warning
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/07/oil-industry-production-hikes-russia-00014778

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Don't Fear the Unsubscribe
FinTech #102 by Alex Vasilakos

Don’t waste time and energy on people who aren’t open to receiving your content. It’s not personal. Beside, wouldn’t you rather focus on people who will actually read the message? Make sure the unsubscribe button in clear and functional at the bottom of the email. Failure to do so is frustrating at best and illegal at worst.

Of course, you can simply ask readers what types of messages they really want to receive. Create a preferences center so they can fine-tune what they want and what they don’t. Everyone will be happier with this approach, and you might see better conversion rates in the long term.

For a true housecleaning, how about a re-engagement questionnaire? Just contact the people who haven’t opened an email in a while and ask them if they still want to hear from you. If not, no harm done. But if they do, it could refresh their interest in your messages and lead to more revenue. Plus, it helps ensure the subscriber metrics are more accurate.

Alex Vasilakos
Director of Marketing
The Finance Marketing Group
Alex@financemarketing.com
Office: 518-591-4645x102 / Fax: 518-677-1071
90 State Street, Suite 1500, Albany, NY 12207
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexvasilakos

Academy for Certified Lease & Finance Professionals
Updated - March, April, May, June, and August

The Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals (ALFP) is a three-day event designed to fully prepare an individual to sit for the CLFP exam assuming the attendee has already self-studied. A trend has begun in having virtual online sessions.

During the first two days, all of the required sections of the CLFP exam are covered in-depth. On the third day, the exam is offered but is not mandatory and may be taken on another day.

Students are strongly advised to have read and studied The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals' Handbook prior to attending the class in order to ensure success.

2022 Online Public ALFP Hosted by Northland Capital
Mar 21 – 23, 2022
Monday – 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Central Time
Tuesday – 9:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Central Time
Wednesday – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Central Time
This online ALFP will require attendees to have access to WebEx
Exam is proctored online, therefore, it may be taken at any time
To Register:
This online ALFP will require attendees to have access to WebEx

Huntington Equipment Finance – ALFP
April 7 - April 8
Private

Huntington National Bank Host-Private ALFP
April 7 – April 8
Private

DLL Host  Private ALFP
April 12 - April 13
Private

Arvest Equipment Finance Host – In Person
April 20 - 23, 2022
Private ALFP

CISCO ALP Private
May 2 - May 5
Private

AP Equipment Finance - Virtual
June 8 - June 10
Private

Great American Insurance Host – In Person
August 18 - 19
Public ALFP

Stryker Host Private ALFP
August 22 - August 23
Private

Professional Handbook for Taking the Test in 2022
Eighth Edition:
https://clfpfoundation.org/
(Note: for taking test in 2023 Ninth Edition, available.)

About Academy
https://clfpfoundation.org/academy-for-lease-and-finance-professionals/

If you are interested in attending, please contact Reid Raykovich, Executive Director: Reid@clfpfoundation.org

[headlines]
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### Press Release ############################

LTi Technology Solutions Launches ASPIRE Express
Book and Service Lease/Loans Low Cost of Entry

OMAHA, Neb.,– LTi Technology Solutions (LTi), a leading provider in lease, loan and asset finance software solutions, announced today the launch of ASPIRE Express, a pre-configured servicing platform for startup organizations. This secure SaaS solution provides the ability to book and service lease and loan contracts quickly with a low cost of entry.

With ASPIRE Express, small and startup organizations will be able to begin booking deals using the platform within 45 days. ASPIRE Express allows for scalability without the need to change platforms. When a business is ready for the next level of servicing capabilities, functionality required is simply turned on in the next phase of their growth. Also, ASPIRE Express has no limit on the number of contracts processed.

Bryan Hunt, Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of LTi said, “We are very excited to offer this pre-configured solution that will allow smaller broker-type businesses to originate broker and own-book deals. ASPIRE Express is the perfect solution, and does not require a change of system as the business grows. We provide this solution with no up-front fees, and low monthly payments to allow immediate ROI for these organizations.”

About LTi Technology Solutions
LTi Technology Solutions delivers a three tiered approach to the equipment finance, leasing and loan industry. Our solutions provide a complete end-to-end lifecycle leasing and loan finance platform for equipment finance companies, captives, small ticket, middle market, and independent banks throughout the U.S., UK, and Canada from our Omaha, NE, headquarters.
For more information, (800) 531-5086, or visit www.ltisolutions.com.

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

Collie Mix
Albany, New York  Adopt-a-Dog

Molly

#CP
Female
Puppy
When Grown: 26-30 lbs.
Red/Golden/Orange
Chestnut with White
Good with Cats
Good with Dogs
Good with Kids

Mollie & her 3 siblings were rescued from a bad hoarding situation and are in a great foster home and will be available to adopt soon. These pups have so much love to give and they would make a wonderful addition to your family. Their adoption is $225. & they will be UTD on vaccines and microchipped plus 160. transport. TO APPLY ON-LINE, GO TO https://www.faithfulcompanionsdogrescue.com/

Faithful Companions Dog Rescue
Albany, New York
Contact: Janice Berry
Email: faithfulcompanionsdogrescue@gmail.com
Website: http://faithfulcompanisdogrescue.com

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Leasing Executive Jerome Charles Withrow
Passes Away

Wife, Jerome, Daughter

Jerome Charles Withrow, age 90, of Shady Cove, Oregon passed away. Jerome was born February 28, 1932.

From Jim Swander
Phnom Penh, Cambodia:

"Jerry’s company was LeaseSource in Sacramento, California.  He was an avid golfer, contributor to UAEL and WAEL, and all round good guy.

"I woke to a sad post on FB this morning that my friend, Jerry had passed away. I met Jerry at Mudshark's Brewery in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, in March 2011 when Brenda and I visited there. We bonded over our love of good beer!! Jerry and I kept in touch via email and FB since then.

“We talked of meeting back up in LHC one day, but unfortunately that day never happened. Jerry, I think you made it to your 90th birthday on 2/28, and I know you must have celebrated with a few beers.

“The world is a little less bright without your smile in it. Where ever you are, I know you were reunited with your true love, Sandy; and you're golfing and of course, enjoying some brews. When I'm in Lake Havasu City in April, I'll raise a glass in your memory at Mudshark's!!

“I'll miss you, my friend; and give 'em hell where ever ya are! "

-------------
        
Pictures from the Past

1990

Jim Swander, CLP
Hathaway Capital, Mokteo, Washington Formerly with Duane Russell at RS Leasing, Santa Clara, California, and then it became RSN Leasing, eventually owned by Stan Nathanson when both Russell and Swander sold their shares to him. “No longer with Hathaway. This has been a crazy year, but still reading your updates.  I'm selling equipment now, but that's slow as the economy in the NW is still slower than the rest of the country.”

News Briefs---

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Increased to 3.85%
    Up from Last Year 3.06%
https://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/mortgage-rates-rise-inflation

Exclusive: Russia's attack on Ukraine halts
    half of world's neon output for chips
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-ukraine-halts-half-worlds-110634039.html

Russian internet users are learning how
     to beat Putin's internet crackdown
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/tech/russia-internet-censorship-circumvention/index.html

McDonald's new threat in Russia? Loss of reputation
     and loss of Business Assets in Russia
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/restaurants/ukraine-invasion-mcdonalds-faces-trademark-loss-russia

McDonald's Is Still Paying Its Workers in Ukraine
      Despite Restaurant Shut-Downs
https://www.eatthis.com/news-ukraine-mcdonalds/

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You May Have Missed---

BlackRock funds just lost $17 billion due to Russian exposure.
    Western banks are owed $121 billion by Russian entities
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/blackrock-just-lost-17-billion-190247855.html

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs---

Brady returning
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33495804/tom-brady-says-returning-tampa-bay-buccaneers-qb-next-season

Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews get married
in lavish Hawaiian wedding
https://nypost.com/2022/03/13/patrick-mahomes-and-brittany-matthews-get-married-in-lavish-hawaiian-wedding/

Warriors’ new 3-guard starting lineup heats up to burn Bucks
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/03/13/warriors-debut-a-new-starting-lineup-in-win-against-bucks-and-it-worked-like-a-charm/

10 tournaments, 106 teams, 96 games:
How March Madness became a staple in Sin City
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/03/12/

Marcus Mariota in play as potential Colts QB?
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/21515/Marcus-Mariota-in-play-as-potential-Colts-QB-

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

EPA restores California’s authority to set
    its own auto pollution rules
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-03-09/epa-restores-californias-authority-to-set-its-own-auto-pollution-rules?utm_id=49948&sfmc_id=1646692

Curbside pickup for marijuana? California agency
is poised to allow it indefinitely
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/california-weed/article259151993.html?ac_cid=DM617172&ac_bid=-813915850

Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith announces
she won’t seek re-election
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/03/10/santa-clara-county-sheriff-laurie-smiths-statement-on-why-she-wont-run-again/

[headlines]
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"Gimme that wine"

San Jose, California, Won’t Split From
     Sister City Over Ukraine Conflict
https://patch.com/california/saratoga/s/i5y3y/san-jose-wont-split-from-sister-city-over-ukraine-conflict

As California’s drought intensifies, the pain spreads
https://capitolweekly.net/as-californias-drought-intensifies-the-pain-spreads/

“Gimme that Wine”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

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

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

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 Long Beach, NY 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.
2019 - Google announces its employee Emma Haruka Iwao has broken the world record for calculating pi, to 31.4 trillion digits, on pi day using Google Cloud.
2019 - California was officially declared free of drought for the first time in more than 7 years.