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In 1992, opening ceremonies were held in Barcelona, Spain, for the Summer Olympics.

In 2000, a New York-bound Air France Concorde crashed outside Paris shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four people on the ground; it was the first-ever crash of the supersonic jet.

Ten years ago: Encouraged by a tapping sound coming up from the depths, rescuers in Somerset, Pa., brought in a huge drill in a race to save nine coal miners trapped 240 feet underground by a flooded shaft. Zacarias Moussaoui (zak-uh-REE'-uhs moo-SOW'-ee) declared he was guilty of conspiracy in the September 11 attacks, then dramatically withdrew his plea at his arraignment in Alexandria, Va.

Five years ago: A presidential commission urged broad changes to veterans' care that would boost benefits for family members helping the wounded, establish an easy-to-use Web site for medical records and overhaul the way disability pay was awarded. The bullet-riddled body of one of 23 South Koreans held hostage in Afghanistan by Taliban kidnappers was found; eight other captives were released. Pratibha Patil (PRUH'-tee-bah puh-TIHL') was sworn in as India's first female president.

One year ago: In a prime-time address to the nation, President Barack Obama made a last-ditch call for compromise on raising the government's borrowing ability before an Aug. 2 deadline; in a rebuttal, House Speaker John Boehner said negotiations with the White House had been futile. The NFL Players Association executive board and 32 team reps voted unanimously to approve the terms of a deal to end a 4 1/2-month lockout.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Barbara Harris is 77. Rock musician Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds) is 69. Rock musician Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire) is 61. Singer-musician Jem Finer (The Pogues) is 57. Model-actress Iman is 57. Cartoonist Ray Billingsley ("Curtis") is 55. Rock musician Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) is 54. Actress-singer Bobbie Eakes is 51. Actress Katherine Kelly Lang is 51. Actress Illeana Douglas is 47. Country singer Marty Brown is 47. Actor Matt LeBlanc is 45. Actress Wendy Raquel Robinson is 45. Rock musician Paavo Lotjonen (PAH'-woh LAHT'-joh-nehn) (Apocalyptica) is 44. Actor D.B. Woodside is 43. Actress Miriam Shor is 41. Actor James Lafferty is 27. Actress Shantel VanSanten is 27. Actor Michael Welch is 25. Classical singer Faryl Smith is 17.

Thought for Today: "The truth is all things seen under the form of eternity." — George Santayana, Spanish-American philosopher (1863-1952).

(Above Advance for Use Wednesday, July 25)

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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