Artificial Intelligence (AI): Friend or Foe
for Finance and Leasing?
By Kenneth C. Greene, Esq., Leasing News Emeritus

I was a diehard skeptic about artificial intelligence (“AI”). Nonetheless, perhaps out of sheer curiosity, I recently decided to jump on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss is about. I am now sufficiently conversant with the concept to understand that my reluctance to adopt it was based on a combination of ignorance, paranoia, and fear. Perhaps this was the byproduct of too many sci-fi books and movies. My thoughts always jumped to a worst-case scenario of a post-apocalyptic computer-controlled world, or, more disturbing, were based on an overreaction to the prevalence of seemingly intelligent algorithms and even more intelligent AI models that have already infiltrated our daily lives.

I am not quite equipped to talk about the technology of AI, or how it can help or harm you in your business and personal life. I am, however, able to envision and discuss the burgeoning legal landscape necessitated by the increasing presence of AI in our lives.

There is currently no real federal legislation on Artificial Intelligence. Regulation at this level is still in its early stages. However, it is almost certainly just around the corner. President Biden recently announced his “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights”, ostensibly to protect people from abuses related to civil rights and/or democratic values. The 73-page document addresses unsafe and ineffective systems, algorithmic discrimination policies, data privacy, notice and explanation of use, human alternatives, consideration, and fallback.

To access the Blueprint, click here:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blueprint-for-an-AI-Bill-of-Rights.pdf  

These new laws will impact finance, credit, and collections, which of course are at the heart of the equipment finance industry. It will also impact housing, education, employment, and, hypothetically, almost every other face of life. When using AI, caution is key. If you don’t know what you’re doing, find someone who does before you light that candle. You can do irreparable damage to yourself, your business, your clients, and your friends by unleashing the force of AI without appropriate and effective safeguards.

As the ELFA reported in its recent, excellent seminar about the use of AI in marketing, at least six states have enacted legislation regulating AI and/or algorithms in 2023.  26 states have introduced such legislation. What does that look like? Here are some examples:

California: Urges the U.S. government to impose an immediate moratorium on the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months to allow time to develop much-needed AI governance systems. (Assembly Bill No. JR6, pending)

California: Affirms the state legislature's commitment to President Biden's vision for safe artificial intelligence and the principles outlined in the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights (see below). (Senate Bill No. SCR 17, adopted)

New York: Requires disclosure of the use of AI in political communications, directs the state board of elections to create criteria for determining whether a political communication contains an image or video footage created through generative AI, and creates a definition of content generated by AI. (Assembly Bill A 7904, pending)

New York: Restricts the use by an employer or an employment agency of electronic monitoring or an automated employment decision tool to screen a candidate or employee for an employment decision. (Senate Bill 7623, pending)

These are only a handful of the dozens of laws and bills from this year alone. For a comprehensive list of all of the legislation, pending and passed, visit https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2023-legislation.

Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene
Suite 208
5743 Corsa Avenue
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
Email: ken@kengreenelaw.com

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

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

5 Takeaways on AI for Leasing & Financial Marketers
from ELFA Webinar

WASHINGTON, DC, – From optimizing advertising campaigns and personalizing customer experiences, to predicting consumer behavior and automating routine tasks, artificial intelligence (AI) is dramatically reshaping the marketing landscape. Members of ELFA’s Communications Committee led an informative discussion of issues around implementing AI during the association’s recent webinar, “AI for Marketers: Embracing Analytics and Creativity.”

More than 250 industry professionals registered for the September 28 event, which kicked off with an interactive poll about attendees’ usage of AI tools. The top response revealed attendees use various AI tools daily, followed by use of one or two tools to accomplish weekly tasks. The webinar, designed for all levels of familiarity with AI, included the following highlights.

• What is AI?
Generative AI is a model or algorithm that creates new output or content from data it is trained on. It is distinguished by three characteristics: its generalized rather than specialized use cases; its ability to generate novel human-like output rather than merely describing or interpreting information; and the approachable interfaces that help understand and respond with natural language, image, audio and video. Iterative AI’s ability to generate new content that is indistinguishable from human creative output and break down communication barriers between humans and machines reflect a major advancement with potentially large economic impacts.

• Marketing leads adoption of AI.
Over the last decade marketing functions have been implementing the precursors that allow for widespread organizational use of AI. Marketing’s core activities, regulation and natural gravitation toward direct customer interactions are uniquely well suited to benefit from AI. Having both the digital infrastructure and a direct connection to customers enables AI’s greatest use case in marketing and financial services.

• Integrated machine learning.
One of the most common AI applications used by marketers, machine learning can create large efficiency gains and inspire new tactics for go-to-market efforts and lead generation. However, it’s not a pre-built, stand-alone platform that is just installed; it’s constantly growing and evolving. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges is how you enable it to learn, and teaching it what to look at and what to understand. An advanced CRM platform will have elements of AI built in. Ultimately your technology, teams and strategy will determine what’s appropriate for how your group leverages this tool.  

• Potential pitfalls.
AI is far from perfect, and there are pitfalls to be aware of and steps to mitigate them when creating AI-generated content. Factual fallacies occur with machine learning since it’s programmed with human input, so cross checking output with other sources is needed. It’s also not SEO-friendly, so adjustments must be made for tone or slant, keywords and optimizing for web use. For privacy and data protection, ensure your AI tool is reputable and not malware, and never input proprietary information since it can be shared with competitors and other external users. Machine learning bias exists which can show a preference for a particular demographic. Finally, AI generates homogenous content so human input is still needed to provide nuance and review.  

• Legislative response.
There are currently no comprehensive federal regulations in place for AI. The White House has issued a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, a list of proposed principles to guide the design and use of AI technology that protects the public, and would need to be enacted by Congress. At the state level, nearly 90 pieces of AI legislation were either enacted or proposed during the 2023 legislative session. Ten states included AI regulation as part of wider consumer privacy laws, and more states have proposed similar bills. The following map illustrates AI legislative action taken in the U.S. in 2023.

Session presenters Keara M. Piekanski, MBA, Director of Marketing Oakmont Capital Services and  ELFA Communications Committee Chair; Chelsea Jensen, MBA, Senior Employee Engagement Specialist, Sasser Family Companies; Kyle Mallinger, SVP, Marketing, Financial Partners Group; Kristi Schon, Chief Marketing Officer, Channel; and Joseph Vu, Sr. Vice President, Marketing, QuickFi by Innovation Finance USA LLC, shared real world case studies and success stories, uncovered the latest AI-powered tools and techniques, and provided actionable insights to empower attendees to harness the potential of AI in marketing initiatives.

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

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

CLFP Foundation Adds 18 New CLFPs
 With Photographs

The Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation is pleased to announce that 18 individuals who recently sat through the 8-hour online proctored CLFP exam, have passed. They are:

Syed Bilam Alam, CLFP
Implementation Consultant, Leasepath

Michael Baez, CLFP
Vice President, Professional Services
and Customer Strategy, Leasepath

Kathleen Baxter, CLFP
Senior Accountant
Nexseer Capital

Dominick Cevet, CLFP
Assistant Vice President of Portfolio Management,
Auxilior Capital Partners, Inc.

Tyler Cox, CLFP Associate
Credit Analyst,
Transport Enterprise Leasing LLC

Theresa Eichten, CLFP
Senior Consultant,
Tamarack Technology, Inc.

Kai Fuller, CLFP
Lead Operations Coordinator,
AP Equipment Financing

Gregory Henderson, CLFP
Systems Operations Manager
Tamarack Technology, Inc.

Kathryn LeConey, CLFP
Relationship & Marketing Manager
North Mill Equipment Finance

Garrick Lin, CLFP
Director, Lease Purchase Advising,
Transport

David Riecken, CLFP
Assistant Vice President,
Tokyo Century (USA) Inc.

Renee Rogers, CLFP
Finance Manager,
BrainLAB Inc.

Shayanette Schriver, CLFP
VP Operations,
First Citizens Bank Equipment Finance

Ariel Stich, CLFP
Broker Supervisor,
Stearns Bank

Troy Vosberg, CLFP
Director of Finance/Leasing,
North American Equipment Solutions dba Finance Scope

Kyle Yockel, CLFP Associate
Assistant Vice President of Business Development,
Delta Financial Group

Amy Wagner, CLFP
Chief Executive Officer,
American Financial Partners

Gina Ware, CLFP Associate
Account Manager,
KLC Financial, Inc.

Syed Bilal Alam, Implementation Consultant at Leasepath attended the Leasepath ALFP this summer with several teammates, where the company’s 2023 goal is to ‘Cross Every Finish Line’. After attending the class and passing the CLFP Exam, Alam shares,

“I decided to pursue the CLFP designation because I wanted to enhance my professional skills and credibility in the equipment finance industry. With over 10 years of experience in investment banking, asset and equipment financing, I have gained a lot of knowledge and expertise in this field. However, I also wanted to validate my skills and knowledge in the North American market, where the CLFP is the most prestigious and respected credential.”

Alam continues, saying, “By earning the CLFP designation, I have demonstrated my commitment to excellence, ethics, and continuous learning in the equipment finance profession. I have also joined a network of elite professionals who share the same passion and vision for the industry.

“The CLFP designation has given me a platform to showcase my skills and experience to my clients, peers, and employers, and to grow my career and business opportunities. I am honored and excited to be one of the very first CLFPs in Pakistan, and I hope to inspire more professionals in my country to pursue this prestigious designation.”

Troy Vosberg, Director of Finance and Leasing at North American Equipment Solutions (dba Finance Scope) recently attended the Fall Stearns Bank ALFP in Minnesota and shares, “I am a believer in life-long learning and becoming a master of your trade.  My focus continues to become the best of the best in all areas of my life and the CLFP is the highest designation in our industry.

“Leading by example is a staple in our company and when I learned about the opportunity and what it stood for, it was a no-brainer.  We will continue to develop people in our company along the same path and grateful to the CLFP Foundation for continuing to better our education opportunities and careers.”

The CLFP designation identifies an individual as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers, and peers in the commercial equipment finance industry. There are Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates located throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, India, Pakistan, Africa, and Australia. For more information, visit http://www.CLFPFoundation.org

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Academy for Certified Lease & Finance Professionals
 October to November – Updated

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.

Great America Private, In-Person ALFP
October 10 – 17

DLL Private, Virtual ALFP
October 18 – 18

Southern University Private, In-Person ALFP
November 3 – 4

Claflin University, Private, Online
November 5 – 8

Oakmont Public, Virtual ALFP  (See article that follows)
November 8 – 10

Clark Atlanta University Private In-Person
ALFP (for CAU students)
November 10 - 11

Arvest Public, In-Person
November 16 – 18, 2023

Elizabeth City State University (ECSU)
In Person Private ALFP (North Carolina)
(November  17 – 19)

Professional Handbook for Taking the Test in 2023
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TZM6SJ9?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

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

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

New CLFP Program Online
to Become Certified Leasing and Finance Professional

“There is another opportunity available to feel supported in your CLFP Journey if you aren't yet a CLFP," Reid Raykovich, CLFP, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, announced.

"Our New Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals (ALFP) is available online November 8-10, thanks to Oakmont Capital Services who will host. This course is 3 half days of CLFP Exam prep, and will fully prepare a CLFP Candidate to sit for the CLFP exam assuming the attendee has read and thoroughly studied The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals’ Handbook prior to attending."

To start, be sure to order and study your CLFP Handbook if you haven't already done so: https://buff.ly/3OnufRn

Then, sign up for the Academy today: https://buff.ly/3OW8OFM

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Leasing and Finance Industry Help Wanted

Stand Out and Succeed: Leveraging Technology
for Self-Promotion in Your Career
By Ken Lubin, ZRG Partners, Managing Director

As an executive recruiter with years of experience, I have witnessed firsthand the impact of self-promotion on career advancement. In this blog post, I will share insights on how technology can be harnessed to effectively differentiate oneself and achieve success in today's competitive job market.

Understanding the Power of Self-Promotion: Self-promotion is not about boastful self-aggrandizement, but rather about showcasing your unique value proposition and positioning yourself as an ideal candidate for career growth opportunities. Executives who master the art of self-promotion understand that their accomplishments and expertise must be communicated effectively to key decision-makers and industry influencers.

Utilizing Technology for Self-Promotion: In the digital era, technology provides a plethora of tools and platforms that can enhance your self-promotion efforts. Here are some key strategies to consider:

a) Optimize Your Online Presence: Establish a compelling and professional online presence through platforms like LinkedIn, personal websites, or online portfolios. Craft a concise and impactful professional summary that highlights your key achievements, skills, and career progression. Leverage keywords relevant to your industry to improve search ability and attract the attention of recruiters.

b) Thought Leadership Content: Creating and sharing thought-provoking content positions you as a subject matter expert in your field. Start a blog or contribute articles to industry publications, focusing on topics that showcase your knowledge and insights. Leverage social media platforms to amplify the reach of your content and engage with industry peers.

c) Networking and Relationship Building: Technology has revolutionized networking, providing ample opportunities to connect with professionals across industries. Leverage platforms like LinkedIn to expand your network, engage in meaningful conversations, and cultivate relationships with influencers and decision-makers. Actively participate in relevant industry forums or virtual communities to demonstrate your expertise and build a reputation within your field.

As an executive recruiter, I have observed that those who effectively leverage technology for self-promotion often enjoy enhanced career opportunities and professional growth. By understanding the power of self-promotion and employing ethical strategies, you can stand out from the crowd and achieve success in your chosen career path. Embrace technology as a valuable tool, and combine it with authenticity and integrity to unlock the key to career advancement.

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

The Ultimate Hire Collections:
http://leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/ultimate.html

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Ten Leasing News Read by Readers
October 2- October 6

(1) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_02.htm#hires

(2) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_06.htm#hires

(3) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_04.htm#hires

(4) Nebraska Farmer’s Silent at Auction
Photo
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_04.htm#neb

(5) As Credit Decisions Change in the Tightening Economy
  Originators Must Also Change
By Scott Wheeler, CLFP
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_06.htm#as

(6) Full Circle Finance Is Now Employee Owned
Tim Cetto to Stay on as Board Member
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_06.htm#full

(7) Four Types of Interim Rent
By Christopher Menkin
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_06.htm#four

(8) Atlanta’s abundance of available office space
    exceeds record
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlantas-abundance-of-available-office-space-exceeds-record/S3LXYN5L4BEBNE6WCI2TSJIQYE/

(9) Tesla Looms Large over UAW Strike
By Mathew W. Daus, Esq.
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_02.htm#tesla

(10) NVLA Webinar Before You Go to Conference
Today, Monday, October 2 - 3pm ET
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Oct2023/10_02.htm#nvla

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Top Three Reasons to Attend the NVLA Conference
October 13-13, 2023 Austin, Texas

This year's conference will feature networking, general sessions, and more! Take advantage of the multitude of opportunities to greet friends, connect with vehicle leasing industry experts, and explore the issues impacting our industry.

Check out the top 3 reasons to attend the National Vehicle Leasing Association (NVLA) Conference here:
https://lnkd.in/gZau-sHJ

Conference Program
https://www.nvla.org/page/2023NVLAProgram

Registration:
https://www.nvla.org/general/custom.asp?page=2023NVLAConference

Mixed Breed
Portsmouth, Virginia  Adopt-a-Dog

Gobi

ID- 24664
Male
6 Years old
78 lbs.
Location: Shelter
Adoption Fee: $115

Hello, my name is Gobi. As you can tell, I am kind of a big deal... I like to show off my Zoolander Blue Steel look because it is hard to be this ridiculously good looking. I am a very active guy. Full of energy. I need a forever family who will help me burn off some of it. We can grab Orange Mocha Frappuccino's! Like Fraps, I am very sweet. I'm a people pleaser. I like some other dogs but not all just like you probably like some humans but not all... I also like kids.

Thank you for your interest in adopting from Portsmouth Humane! We are often asked specific details about the pets in our care, such as if they get along with dogs, cats or children. Our Animal Care Team (ACT) does its best to learn the preferences of each pet and make recommendations based on our experience and information from the previous home.

If you'd like to know more about this, or any of our other pets, we invite you to schedule an appointment to meet them. The ACT can provide you with first-hand information on the personality of the adoptable animals. The ACT will be able to recommend pets that are a good fit for your family, as we recognize that each animal and home is unique. If you currently own a dog, our team will schedule a time for you to bring them in to meet the dog you are interested in adopting.

Portsmouth Humane | PHS
4022, Seaboard Court
Portsmouth, Virginia, 23701
info@portsmouthhumanesociety.org
757-397-6004
https://portsmouthhumanesociety.org

News Briefs---

New Hampshire’s C&S Wholesale Grocers holds
    the key to supermarket megamerger
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/08/business/cs-wholesale-grocers-kroger-albertsons/

How Beyoncé and Taylor Swift Struck
    a New Kind of Movie Deal
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/business/dealbook/how-beyonce-and-taylor-swift-struck-a-new-kind-of-movie-deal.html

Holiday shopping season is here
    at least according to retailers
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/10/08/holiday-shopping-sales-amazon-target-walmart/

Mexican liquors and beers are on the rise
    — here’s what’s driving the torrid growth
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/08/mexican-tequila-and-beers-don-julio-modelo-boom-in-the-us.html

How High Can It Go? What Private Equity Needs to Know about How Professional Sports Leagues’
    Rules Impact Sports Franchise Valuations
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/how-high-can-it-go-what-private-equity-needs-know-about-how-professional-sports

Home Depot Tracked a Crime Ring
    and Found an Unusual Suspect
https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/home-depot-tracked-a-crime-ring-and-found-an-unusual-suspect-ed31f6e8?st=cxxa7nitzajq3zb&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Why No One’s Going Into Accounting
    Pay has stagnated in a profession once seen as a sure thing
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/accounting-salary-cpa-shortage-dec2caa2?st=3ldv54ng6er7buy&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Mapped: The Age of U.S Senators by State
    plus Chronological List and Background
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-age-of-u-s-senators-by-state/

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Briefs---

The Patriots didn’t just lose to the Saints.
    Bill Belichick gave up.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/08/sports/patriots-didnt-just-lose-saints-bill-belichick-gave-up/

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

California News Briefs---

Rents in this SF Bay Area city have fallen more
     than in any of the other largest U.S. towns.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-apartment-rent-bedroom-18411037.phpgest U.S. towns

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Gimme that Wine

 

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

Harvest Update: After a Record-Cool September,
    Things Heat Up (Thankfully)
https://tablascreek.typepad.com/tablas/2023/10/harvest-update-after-a-record-cool-september-things-heat-up-thankfully.html

Sterling winery near Calistoga to reopen Oct. 29
after repairs from 2020 Glass Fire
https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/wine/sterling-winery-near-calistoga-to-reopen-oct-29-after-repairs-from-2020-glass-fire/article_89451d2e-62f2-11ee-9100-c75298d51ea7.html

In Provence, Winemakers Confront
Climate Change
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/business/economy/wine-climate-change-provence.html

Spain's Wine Giants Face Court
Tagging Wine Being Made Past Years
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2023/10/spains-wine-giants-face-court

This Day in History

 

    1000 - Norse Explorer Leif Ericson (970-1020) is believed to have landed at ‘Vinland’ in North America, discovering what is to become the United States.  Details are lacking but the estimate is that this was in New England, possibly Cape Cod.
http://www.mnc.net/norway/ericson.htm
1007 - The first white child born in North America was Snorro, the son of Thorfinn and Gudrid Karlsefni, members of Leif Ericson's expedition to Vinland. Later Snorro became an important member of the Norse community in Iceland.
1635 - Colonial American Separatist Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts for preaching that civil government had no right to interfere in religious affairs. Williams was seeking to establish freedom of worship through the separation of church and state.  In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, now Rhode Island, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America, the First Baptist Church of Providence.  Williams was also a student of Native American languages, an early advocate for fair dealings with Native Americans, and arguably the first abolitionist in North America, having organized the first attempt to prohibit slavery in any of the British American colonies.
1701 - The colonial legislature of Connecticut chartered the Collegiate School. Originally based at the house of the first rector in Killingworth, the school moved to New Haven in 1716 and, shortly thereafter, took the name Yale College to honor its early benefactor, merchant Elihu Yale.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct09.html ).
1747 - Colonial missionary to the New England Indians, David Brainerd died of tuberculosis (brought on by exposure) at age 29. Following his death, the publication of "Brainerd's Journal" by Jonathan Edwards influenced hundreds to become missionaries after him.
1767 - Surveying for the Mason-Dixon Line separating Maryland and Pennsylvania was completed.
1776 - Mission Delores was completed at Yerba Buena. A party of 247 Spanish colonists consecrated their newly-founded mission, known as San Francisco. The city grew around the mission and, in 1847, changed its name to San Francisco. Formerly known as Mission San Francisco de Asis, the mission survived the great earthquake and fire of 1906. It is the oldest building in San Francisco. It also has parts of the first church built in San Francisco, Tule Arbor.
http://cohort.csus.edu/riolinda1/missions_movies/mdel/del_menu.htm
http://www.californiamissions.com/morehistory/dolores.html
1779 – One of America’s first heroes, Casimir Pulaski, was wounded during the Siege of Savannah.  He succumbed to those wounds months later.
1781 - At Yorktown, Virginia, American and French forces began shelling Gen. Cornwallis’ encircled army.
1812 - American Lieutenant Jesse Duncan Elliot captured two British brigs, the Detroit and Caledonia, on Lake Erie in the War of 1812. Elliot set the brig Detroit ablaze the next day in retaliation for the British capture seven weeks earlier of the city of Detroit.
1823 - Birthday of Mary Ann Shadd (d. 1893), Wilmington, Delaware. Publisher of Canada's first anti-slavery newspaper, "The Provincial Freeman," and the first woman in North America to publish and edit a newspaper.
1830 - Harriet Hosmer (d. 1908) birthday, Watertown, MA.  U.S. sculptor. She is best known for the sculpture of the Puck at Smithsonian and the Zenobia at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She lived most of her life in London or Rome and she is considered the first woman to actually earn an excellent living from her sculptures. Her showings in London were critically acclaimed - until her death. She was recognized as the premier woman sculptor of the times. Then in the usual way for women, her work was denigrated as not deserving a place in the first rank of sculptors. She was the toast of London, living for years under the care of noted actress Charlotte Cushman both in Rome and London. Cushman who had a lengthy history of affairs with women and played 30 masculine roles in her career including Hamlet, took Hosmer to Europe so that she could study. Her statue Beatrice Cenci was her first work in marble.
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/gallery/25gal.html
http://www.postroadgallery.com/puck.html
http://tx.essortment.com/harriethosmera_rafd.htm
http://askart.com/artist/H/harriet_goodhue_hosmer.asp
1842 - Episcopal missionary James L. Breck was ordained a priest at Duck Creek, WI. In 1850, this "apostle of the wilderness" moved to Minnesota and, in 1858, founded the Seabury Divinity School. It is said that "no priest did more for the Episcopal Church in the West than Breck."
1855 - Joshua Stoddard gets patent for steam calliope. Circus folk pronounce it "kally-ope," not "kuh-LYE-o-pee." At the start of the parade, when the boiler was filled with water, the calliope America weighed nine tons. This spectacular wagon was pulled by eight Percherons.
http://www.bendermelodies.com/calliope_history.htm
http://www.redhotjazz.com/fatem.html
http://mmd.foxtail.com/Calliope/harmony.html
1857 - Joseph C. Gayetty of New York City manufactured toilet paper of unbleached pearl-colored pure manila hemp paper. His name was watermarked on each sheet. It sold at 500 sheets for 50 cents and was known as “Gayetty's Medicated Paper—a perfectly pure article for the toilet and for the prevention of piles.” It did not catch on with the public. The first toilet paper to be marketed successfully was introduced by Edward and Clarence Scott of Philadelphia, PA, who sold it in small rolls in 1899. Son Arthur Scott invented what we call today, “Paper Towels.”
1864 - At dawn, Generals George Custer and Wesley Merritt and their respective forces attacked the two wings of the Confederate cavalry under General Thomas Rosser. General Phillip Sheridan had been using his cavalry, under the command of General Alfred Torbert, to guard the foot soldiers as they burned farms and mills and slaughtered livestock. Torbert refused to allow his generals, George Custer and Wesley Merritt, to counterattack. He insisted they continue to stick close to the Union infantry. Sheridan heard of this and demanded that Torbert attack. Merritt's 3,500 Yankees overwhelmed General Lunsford Lomax's 1,500 troopers, but Custer had more difficulty. His 2,500 men faced 3,000 under the command of Rosser, who was, coincidentally, a close friend of Custer at West Point before the war. Custer observed that the Rebels were protected by the high bank of Tom's Creek, so he sent three of his regiments around Rosser's flank. Both groups of Confederates broke in retreat. The Yankees pursued the defeated Confederates for over 20 miles, a flight called the "Woodstock Races." The chase ended only when the Confederates reached the safety of Confederate General Jubal Early's infantry. The Yankees captured 350 men, 11 artillery pieces, and all of the cavalry's wagons and ambulances. Nine Union troopers were killed, and 48 were wounded. It was the most complete victory of Union cavalry in the eastern theater during the entire war.
http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va121.htm
http://www.civilwar.org/historyclassroom/hc_tomsbrookhist.htm
http://www.hottelkeller.org/BattleOfTomsBrook.htm
1865 – An underground pipeline for carrying oil is laid in Pennsylvania, the first in the US.
1871 - The Great Chicago Fire was brought under control.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct09.html.
    1871 – Aaron Montgomery Ward (1844-1913) started his mail-order business.  It was a time when rural consumers longed for the comforts of the city, yet all too often were victimized by monopolists and overcharged by the costs of many middlemen required to bring manufactured products to the countryside. The quality of merchandise also was suspect and the hapless farmer had no recourse in a caveat emptor economy. Ward shaped a plan to buy goods at low cost for cash. By eliminating intermediaries, with their markups and commissions, and drastically cutting selling costs, he could sell goods to people, however remote, at appealing prices. He invited them to send their orders by mail and he delivered the purchases to their nearest railroad station.   Although his idea was generally considered to border on lunacy and his first inventory was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire, Ward persevered. In August 1872, with two fellow employees and a total capital of $1,600, he formed Montgomery Ward & Company.
1873 – A meeting at the US Naval Academy established the US Naval Institute.
1877 - The first animal humane society (national) was the American Humane Association, which was organized in Cleveland, OH. The first president was Edwin Lee Brown of Chicago, IL.
1888 – The Washington Monument was officially opened to the public.
1890 - Aimee Semple McPherson (d. 1944) birthday, Salford, Ontario, Canada.  Controversial U.S. Pentecostal evangelist. For the last 20 years of her life, she held sway in a $1.5 million Los Angeles temple, and broadcast the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. She was wealthy, famous and infamous, adored and hated. She built her appeal around faith healing and unfailing optimism. She used dramatic settings and costumes, a full orchestra, and highly dramatic sermons to mesmerize her audience. Her congregation numbered in the tens of thousands; she had a national broadcast, started a bible college, and churned out magazines eagerly purchased by her followers. Her church had 22,000 members at her death in 1944 and it quadrupled over the next decades. All this in spite of a scandalous private life that included three marriages, mysterious "disappearances" that were rumored to include a men (one proved) - and a raft of legal actions. She was called the "P.T. Barnum of religion.” Actually, she simply used modern music syncopations, lighting, and electricity to augment the bible-thumping style she had learned as a child with the Salvation Army in Canada.
http://www.christianhistory.org/mcpherson.html
http://www.aimeesemplemcpherson.org/
1903 - New York City received its heaviest rainfall with 9.40 inches at Battery Park and 11.17 inches at Central park in 24 hours, which established a state record. Severe flooding occurred in the Passaic Valley of New Jersey where more than fifteen inches of rain was reported.
1903 – Traitor to Brooklyn, Walter O’Malley (d. 1979), was born in The Bronx.  In 1958, a time when the western-most Major League team was the Kansas City A’s, as owner of the Dodgers, he brought Major League baseball to the west coast, moving the Dodgers to Los Angeles despite the Dodgers being the 2nd most profitable team in baseball from 1946-1956. For this, he was long vilified by Brooklyn Dodgers fans.  However, pro-O'Malley parties describe him as a visionary for the same business action, and many authorities cite him as one of the most influential sportsmen of the 20th century. Other observers say that he was not a visionary, but instead a man who was in the right place at the right time, and regard him as the most powerful and influential owner in baseball after moving the team.   Regardless, they still hate him in Brooklyn!
1905 – Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants defeated 26-game winner Ed Walsh, 3-0, in the first game of the all-shutout World Series.
1910 - Forest fires in Minnesota destroy six towns, killing 400 people & destroying $100 million worth of property.
1915 - Singer Lee Wiley (d. 1975) born Fort Gibson, OK. http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ismael/jazz/1930/wiley.html
1915 – President Woodrow Wilson became the first President to attend a World Series game.
1916 - The recently formed Professional Golfers’ Association of America held it first championship (PGA) at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, NY. The trophy and the lion's share of the $2,850 purse, both offered by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker, were won by British golfer Jim Barnes. The next two championships were canceled by World War I, Barnes won again in 1919.
1916 - Babe Ruth pitches and wins longest World Series baseball game (14 innings), 2-1.  Thus began the longest consecutive scoreless innings streak, 29 2/3, in the World Series, a record that would last until 1961 when Whitey Ford’s streak reached 33 1/3, still the record.
1918 – Watergate co-conspirator E. Howard Hunt (d. 2007) was born in Hamburg, NY.
1919 - Cincinnati Reds defeat Chicago White Sox, 10-5, to win the World Series, five games to three, in an outstanding upset. It is later revealed that eight key Chicago players, subsequently dubbed the "Black Sox," conspired with gamblers to "throw" the series in response to working for one of the cheapest/sleaziest owners in the biz. Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of them. “Eight Men Out” is a loose film history, directed by John Sayles, of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal. The players received a pittance and turned to the only source of financial security they could find, the bookies.  Solid performance by John Cusack as the only player who refuses to go along, and a cameo by Studs Terkel.
1920 - Birthday of flute and sax player Yusef Lateef (d. 2013), Chattanooga, TN.
http://www.yuseflateef.com/
1926 – The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was established by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). NBC is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States. At that time the parent company of RCA was General Electric (GE). In 1932, GE was forced to sell RCA and NBC as a result of antitrust charges. 
1928 – Babe Ruth, for the second time in his career, hit 3 HRs in a World Series game.  The Yankees swept this Series, becoming the first team in MLB history to sweep consecutive World Series.   
1936 –  Count Basie records “Quintet,” first record date with great tenor sax player Lester Young, Chicago, IL.
1936 - Harnessing the power of the mighty Colorado River, Hoover Dam begins sending electricity over transmission lines spanning 266 miles of mountains and deserts to run the lights, radios, and stoves of Los Angeles. Initially named Boulder Dam, work on the dam was begun under President Herbert Hoover's administration but was completed as a public works project during the Roosevelt administration (which renamed it for Hoover). When it was finished in 1935, the towering concrete and steel plug was the tallest dam in the world and a powerful symbol of the new federal dedication to large-scale reclamation projects designed to water the arid West. In fact, the electricity generated deep in the bowels of Hoover Dam was only a secondary benefit. The central reason for the dam was the collection, preservation, and rational distribution of that most precious of all western commodities, water. Under the guidance of the Federal Reclamation Bureau, Hoover Dam became one part of a much larger multipurpose water development project that tamed the wild Colorado River for the use of the growing number of western farmers, ranchers, and city dwellers.
http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
http://www.1-hoover-dam.com/
http://www.sunsetcities.com/hoover-dam.html
1938 - Sweeping the Cubs in four games, the Yankees become the first team in Major League history to win three consecutive World Series. Red Ruffing goes the distance beating Chicago, 8-3, at Yankee Stadium.  These were the Yankees of Gehrig, DiMaggio, Dickey, Gomez, and Henrich for Manager Joe McCarthy.
1940 - Singer/composer John Lennon (d. 1980) birthday in Liverpool, England.
http://www.john-lennon.com/
1941 - FOSS, JOSEPH JACOB, Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Marine Fighting Squadron 121, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Place and date: Over Guadalcanal, 9 October to 19 November 1942, 15 and 23 January 1943. Entered service at: South Dakota. Born: 17 April 1 915, Sioux Falls, S. Dak. Citation: For outstanding heroism and courage above and beyond the call of duty as executive officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 121, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, at Guadalcanal. Engaging in almost daily combat with the enemy from 9 October to 19 November 1942, Capt. Foss personally shot down 23 Japanese planes and damaged others so severely that their destruction was extremely probable. In addition, during this period, he successfully led a large number of escort missions, skillfully covering reconnaissance, bombing, and photographic planes as well as surface craft. On 15 January 1943, he added 3 more enemy planes to his already brilliant successes for a record of aerial combat achievement unsurpassed in this war. Boldly searching out an approaching enemy force on 25 January, Capt. Foss led his 8 F -4F Marine planes and 4 Army P -38's into action and, undaunted by tremendously superior numbers, intercepted and struck with such force that 4 Japanese fighters were shot down and the bombers were turned back without releasing a single bomb. His remarkable flying skill, inspiring leadership, and indomitable fighting spirit were distinctive factors in the defense of strategic American positions on Guadalcanal.  Foss was later elected to be the first Commissioner of the American Football League in 1959.
1942 - The last day of the October Matanikau action on Guadalcanal as US Marines withdraw back across the Matanikau River after destroying most of the Japanese Army’s 4th Infantry Regiment.
1944 - KANDLE, VICTOR L., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near La Forge, France, 9 October 1944. Entered service at: Redwood City, Calif. Birth: Roy, Wash. G.O. No.: 37, 11 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 9 October 1944, at about noon, near La Forge, France, 1st Lt. Kandle, while leading a reconnaissance patrol into enemy territory, engaged in a duel at pointblank range with a German field officer and killed him. Having already taken 5 enemy prisoners that morning, he led a skeleton platoon of 16 men, reinforced with a light machinegun squad, through fog and over precipitous mountain terrain to fall on the rear of a German quarry stronghold which had checked the advance of an infantry battalion for 2 days. Rushing forward, several yards ahead of his assault elements, 1st Lt. Kandle fought his way into the heart of the enemy strongpoint, and, by his boldness and audacity, forced the Germans to surrender. Harassed by machinegun fire from a position which he had bypassed in the dense fog, he moved to within 15 yards of the enemy, killed a German machine gunner with accurate rifle fire and led his men in the destruction of another machinegun crew and its rifle security elements. Finally, he led his small force against a fortified house held by 2 German officers and 30 enlisted men. After establishing a base of fire, he rushed forward alone through an open clearing in full view of the enemy, smashed through a barricaded door, and forced all 32 Germans to surrender. His intrepidity and bold leadership resulted in the capture or killing of 3 enemy officers and 54 enlisted men, the destruction of 3 enemy strongpoints, and the seizure of enemy positions which had halted a battalion attack.
1945 – A ticker-tape parade in NYC honored Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz and 13 Medal of Honor recipients from the Navy and Marines.
1946 - The first electric blanket manufactured; sold for $39.50
1946 - Eugene O'Neill's "Iceman Cometh," premiered in New York City.
1948 - The first African-American baseball player to hit a home run in a World Series was Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians, who hit a 425-foot drive in the third inning into right field at Cleveland, OH. Cleveland defeated the Boston Braves, 4-2.
1950 - YOUNG, ROBERT H., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company E, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: North of Kaesong, Korea, 9 October 1950. Entered service at: Vallejo, Calif. Born: 4 March 1929, Oroville. Calif. G.O. No.: 65, 2 August 1951. Citation: Pfc. Young distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. His company, spearheading a battalion drive deep in enemy territory, suddenly came under a devastating barrage of enemy mortar and automatic weapons crossfire which inflicted heavy casualties among his comrades and wounded him in the face and shoulder. Refusing to be evacuated, Pfc. Young remained in position and continued to fire at the enemy until wounded a second time. As he awaited first aid near the company command post the enemy attempted an enveloping movement. Disregarding medical treatment he took an exposed position and firing with deadly accuracy killed 5 of the enemy. During this action he was again hit by hostile fire which knocked him to the ground and destroyed his helmet. Later when supporting tanks moved forward, Pfc. Young, his wounds still unattended, directed tank fire which destroyed 3 enemy gun positions and enabled the company to advance. Wounded again by an enemy mortar burst, and while aiding several of his injured comrades, he demanded that all others be evacuated first. Throughout the course of this action the leadership and combative instinct displayed by Pfc. Young exerted a profound influence on the conduct of the company. His aggressive example affected the whole course of the action and was responsible for its success. Pfc. Young's dauntless courage and intrepidity reflect the highest credit upon himself and uphold the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army.
1951 - Gil McDougald's World Series grand slam helps Yanks beat Giants 13-1 (World Series #48).  This Series marked the curtain call for Joe DiMaggio, who retired that winter, and the Series debuts of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.
1952 - Singer Annie Ross records “Twisted.”
http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ismael/jazz/1960/Ross.html
http://www.mrlucky.com/songbirds/html/sep99/9909_aross.html
1953 - ”Topper” premieres on television. In this sitcom, a man moves into a new home with his wife, only to discover that it's haunted by ghosts only he can see. Leo G.Carroll starred as Cosmo Topper and Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling starred as Marion and George Kerby, who had been killed in a skiing accident and returned to their former home as ghosts. The show was based on Thorne Smith's novel and used trick photography for some of the ghost scenes.  Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim wrote eleven episodes for that first season.
1953 - Birthday of actor Tony Shalhoub, born Green Bay, Wisconsin; “Monk,” “Wings, “Big Night.”
1954 - Birthday of actor Scott Bakula, St. Louis, Mo. “Star Trek Enterprise,” “Quantum Leap,” “NCIS: New Orleans.”
1956 - Smith-Corona, Syracuse, NY, introduced the first electric portable typewriter. It did not go on sale until February 4, 1957. It weighed about 19 pounds and retailed at $190.
1957 - Top Hits
“Wake Up Little Susie” - The Everly Brothers
“Chances Are/The Twelfth of Never” - Johnny Mathis
“Jailhouse Rock” - Elvis Presley
“My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You” - Ray Price
1958 - Eddie Cochran records "C'mon Everybody.
1959 - At the age of 22, Bobby Darin is the youngest performer to headline at the Sands Hotel's Copa Room in Las Vegas. The previous record-holder, Johnny Mathis, did at 23.
1961 - "Hit the Road Jack" becomes Ray Charles' second US #1 hit.
1961 - Roy Orbison's "Crying" peaks at #2 on the pop singles chart.
1962 - The BBC banned Bobby "Boris" Pickett's hit "Monster Mash," feeling the subject matter, comical as it is, may be deemed grotesque or otherwise tasteless to some listeners.
1964 - The Beach Boys record "Dance Dance Dance," with Glen Campbell playing the lead guitar intro. It would go on to become their twelfth US Top 40 hit.
1964 - The Rolling Stones canceled an upcoming South African tour when the British Musicians Union declared an embargo of the country due to their apartheid policies.
1965 - The Miracles' "My Girl Has Gone" enters the Hot 100 where it will go as high as #14 in ten weeks. It's the Motown vocal group's 20th pop chart entry.
1965 - Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" becomes his 12th to enter the Hot 100. The song will stay on the chart for twelve weeks, reaching as high as #8.
1965 - Radio DJ Murray the K is fired from WOR-FM, New York where he had moved to take advantage of the new free-form format of FM radio.  The station's new owners decided to move to a set playlist instead and led to his dismissal because of his "inability to live with direction."  The direction was coming from programming consultant and format-radio pioneer Bill Drake. At the RKO General station KFRC in San Francisco where I worked, Drake came in and fired everyone on air and in the newsroom, except me. I gave him high school football coverage, other ideas, news stories for his audience, and he wanted me to go to his other stations, but I said "not at this time,” and survived until his format failed, too.
1965 - Top Hits
“Yesterday” - The Beatles
“Treat Her Right” - Roy Head
“The ‘In’ Crowd” - Ramsey Lewis Trio
“Behind the Tear” - Sonny James
1965 -  "Yesterday" by The Beatles, topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cashbox Magazine Best Sellers chart. The song was actually recorded by Paul McCartney alone, as John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were not in the studio. It would stay number #1 for four weeks.
1966 - Happening just only three times previously in World Series history, the Orioles, for the second consecutive day, win a Fall Classic game, 1-0 game decided a home run. Frank Robinson takes a Don Drysdale pitch deep over the left field fence in the fourth inning, accounting for the game's only run, and giving Baltimore a four-game sweep over the Dodgers.
1967 - Coming out of the NBC Tonight Show Orchestra to become musical director of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," Doc Severinsen replaced Skitch Henderson who retired. Doc became famous for an eccentric wardrobe, quick wit, great trumpet solos and fabulous charts. Tommy Newsome became Doc's backup arranger for many of the tunes the band played. Later, Doc and the band would move to solo albums, group CDs and incredibly successful concert tours. Doc went on to play with various symphony orchestras and even became the owner of a custom trumpet company in the San Francisco Bay Area.
1969 - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young opened at Fillmore West, San Francisco.
1969 - Supremes release "Someday We'll Be Together"
1971 - Rod Stewart has the best-selling record on both sides of the Atlantic with the two sided hit "Maggie May" / "Reason To Believe".
1971 - Van Morrison's "Wild Night" is released.
1973 - Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorce after six years of marriage. She gets a big chunk of property; $725,000 and an additional $4,200 a month for the support of their five-year old daughter, Lisa Marie; half the proceeds from the planned sale of an L.A. home; and five percent of the total outstanding stock in two publishing companies. The couple emerges from a Santa Monica, California courthouse arm in arm, kiss and depart separately.
1973 - Paul Simon received a gold record for his hit, "Loves Me like a Rock."
1974 - Olivia Newton John earns her third gold record for "I Honestly Love You." It made it to the top spot on the pop chart four days ago and will remain for two weeks.
1974 - Composer, arranger and producer Quincy Jones, who has already taken home some Grammy awards, gets his first gold record for "Body Heat" which contains the hit single, "If I ever Lose This Heaven." It is sung by Minnie Ripperton.
1975 - Sean Lennon is born.
1976 - The Who and The Grateful Dead co-headline a concert at the Oakland-Alameda County Stadium.
1979 - Styx's "Babe" is born.
1979 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," Michael Jackson.
1980 - John Lennon celebrates his 40th birthday by releasing "Starting Over," his first record in five years. His wife, Yoko Ono commissions a sky writer to etch him a "Happy Birthday" message over New York City's skyline.
1980 - Nashville, TN reached 91, highest ever for so late in the season. Just 3 days earlier, a low of 31 was reported, lowest ever so early in the season.
1981 - The temperature at San Juan, Puerto Rico, soared to 98 degrees to establish an all-time record for that location.
1982 - A record breaking snowstorm for so early in the season paralyzed the Black Hills of South Dakota with up to 3 to 6 feet of heavy, wet snow and winds of 40-70 mph. 36 inches fell at Lead and 41 inches piled up at Galena.
1984 - Kathy Sullivan becomes first US woman to walk in space.
1984 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "I Just Called to Say I Love You," Stevie Wonder. The song from the Gene Wilder film "The Woman in Red" wins an Academy Award.
1986 - Phantom of Opera makes its theatrical debut.  The musical, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe, opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in London’s West End. The musical is the longest running show on New York’s Broadway.
    1987 - Eighteen cities in the southeastern U.S. and the Middle Atlantic Coast Region reported record low temperatures for the date. Asheville, NC dipped to 29 degrees, and the record low of 47 degrees at Jacksonville, FL marked their fourth of the month. A second surge of cold air brought light snow to the Northern Plains, particularly the Black Hills of South Dakota.
1988 - Ten cities in the northeastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Hartford, CT with a reading of 28 degrees. Snow continued in northern New England through the morning hours. Mount Washington, NH reported five inches of snow. Warm weather continued in the western U.S. Los Angeles, CA reported a record high of 102 degrees.
1989 - Unseasonably cold weather continued in the Upper Midwest. Thirteen cities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana reported record low temperatures for the date, including Marquette, MI with a reading of 20 degrees. Unseasonably warm weather continued in the western U.S. as the San Francisco Giants won the National League pennant. San Jose, CA reported a record high of 91 degrees.
1989 - First NFL game coached by an African-American, Art Shell, whose LA Raiders beat NY Jets 14-7 on Monday Night Football.
1991 - The United States sent troops and warships to the Persian Gulf in response to Saddam Hussein sending thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks toward the Kuwaiti border.
1996 - The most highly regarded example of Pop Art, Andy Warhol's “Campbell Soup Cans,” was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, along with early paintings by Ellsworth Kelly. The works were valued at about $15,000,000, one of the highest prices ever listed for contemporary art.
1996 - In Game 1 of the ALCS, the Yankees received help from a young fan when 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier reached out and grabbed a ball hit by Derek Jeter that was about to be caught by Orioles’ right fielder Tony Tarasco.   It was ruled a HR and tied the game in the bottom of the 8th.  Bernie Williams hit a home run in the 11th inning to give the Yanks a 5-4 victory.
2001 - Second mailing of anthrax letters from the Hamilton, NJ post office in the anthrax aftermath of 9/11.
2005 - At Minute Maid Park, Chris Burke' 18th inning homer ends the longest postseason game in baseball history as the Astros defeat the Braves, 7-6, to advance into the National League championship series. Atlanta's five-run lead late in the game is erased with an eighth inning grand slam by Lance Berkman and a two-out ninth inning solo shot by Brad Ausmus, which barely clears Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones’ outstretched hand.

World Series Champions
1928 - New York Yankees
1934 - St. Louis Cardinals
1938 - New York Yankees
1944 - St. Louis Cardinals
1949 - New York Yankees
1958 - New York Yankees
1961 - New York Yankees
1966 - Baltimore Orioles