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Five years ago: One of the world's largest mobile cranes collapsed at a refinery in southeast Houston, killing four people and injuring seven others. Two French humanitarian aid workers were kidnapped in Afghanistan's Day Kundi province. (They were released about two weeks later.) The epic Batman sequel "The Dark Knight," starring Christian Bale as the caped crusader and Heath Ledger as the Joker, premiered.
One year ago: Rebels penetrated the heart of Syria's power elite, detonating a bomb inside a high-level crisis meeting in Damascus that killed three leaders of the regime, including President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law and the defense minister. A bus bombing at the Burgas airport in Bulgaria killed five Israeli tourists, the bus driver and the alleged perpetrator.
Today's birthdays: Former South African President Nelson Mandela is 95. Former Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, is 92. Conductor Kurt Masur is 86. Skating champion and commentator Dick Button is 84. Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 75. Musician Brian Auger is 74. Singer Dion DiMucci is 74. Actor James Brolin is 73. Baseball executive Joe Torre is 73. Singer Martha Reeves is 72. Blues guitarist Lonnie Mack is 72. Pop-rock musician Wally Bryson (The Raspberries) is 64. Country-rock singer Craig Fuller (Pure Prairie League) is 64. Actress Margo Martindale is 62. Singer Ricky Skaggs is 59. Actress Audrey Landers is 57. Golfer Nick Faldo is 56. Rock musician Nigel Twist (The Alarm) is 55. Actress Anne-Marie Johnson is 53. Actress Elizabeth McGovern is 52. Rock musician John Hermann (Widespread Panic) is 51. Rock musician Jack Irons is 51. Actor Vin Diesel is 46. Actor Grant Bowler is 45. Retired NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway is 42. Alt-country singer Elizabeth Cook is 41. Actor Eddie Matos is 41. MLB All-Star Torii Hunter is 38. Dance music singer-songwriter M.I.A. is 38. Rock musician Daron Malakian (System of a Down; Scars on Broadway) is 38. Rock musician Tony Fagenson (Eve 6) is 35. Movie director Jared Hess is 34. Actor Jason Weaver is 34. Actress Kristen Bell is 33. Rock singer Ryan Cabrera is 31. Christian-rock musician Aaron Gillespie (Underoath) is 30. Actor Chace Crawford is 28. Bluegrass musician Joe Dean Jr. (Dailey & Vincent) is 24.
Thought for today: "I'm nuts and I know it. But so long as I make 'em laugh, they ain't going to lock me up." -- Red Skelton (1913-1997)
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