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Five years ago: Declaring "the aggressor has been punished," the Kremlin ordered a halt to Russia's devastating assault on Georgia -- five days of air and ground attacks that had left homes in smoldering ruins and uprooted 100,000 people. Michael Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle for his third gold medal at the Beijing Games.
One year ago: The U.S. men's basketball team defended its title by fighting off another huge challenge from Spain, pulling away in the final minutes for a 107-100 victory and its second straight Olympic championship. The victory by the men's basketball team gave the United States its 46th gold medal in London, the most ever by Americans in a "road" Olympics. The U.S. won 104 medals overall. With a little British pomp and a lot of British pop, London brought the curtain down on the Olympic Games with a spectacular pageant. Rory McIlroy won the PGA Championship with a 6-under 66 for an eight-shot victory at Kiawah Island, S.C.
Today's birthdays: Former Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., is 88. Actor George Hamilton is 74. Actress Dana Ivey is 72. Actress Jennifer Warren is 72. Rock singer-musician Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) is 64. Actor Jim Beaver is 63. Singer Kid Creole is 63. Jazz musician Pat Metheny is 59. Actor Sam J. Jones is 59. Actor Bruce Greenwood is 57. Country singer Danny Shirley is 57. Pop musician Roy Hay (Culture Club) is 52. Rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot is 50. Actor Peter Krause (KROW'-zuh) is 48. International Tennis Hall of Famer Pete Sampras is 42. Actor-comedian Michael Ian Black is 42. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown is 42. Actress Rebecca Gayheart is 42. Actor Casey Affleck is 38. Rock musician Bill Uechi (Save Ferris) is 38. Actress Maggie Lawson is 33. Actress Dominique Swain is 33. Actress Imani Hakim is 20.
Thought for today: "Wisdom is born, stupidity is learned." -- Russian proverb
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