History 101 for March 9th, 2012

Poncho Villa ravaged Columbus, New Mexico, on this day in 1916.

So General Pershing and 6,000 U.S. troops invaded Mexico to capture Poncho. Eleven months and $130-million later, the troops gave up and went home. But Poncho did not return to the U.S. — except once. To buy a new car. (Honest.) At least that’s one version of history. Others believe he went to El Paso regularly to visit lady friends. There is a Goodwill celebration at Pancho Villa State Park tomorrow in Columbus.

1964: The first Mustang rolled off of the Ford assembly line.

And on March 9, 1987, Carole Klein was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in New York City. Most people knew her better as Carole King: