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• Five years ago: President George W. Bush told a White House news conference the country was not recession-bound; Democratic candidate Barack Obama said the economy was "on the brink of a recession" and blamed economic policies espoused by Bush and Republican presidential contender John McCain. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told his Turkish counterpart that Turkey should end its offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq as soon as possible. Deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (TAHK'-sin SHIN'-uh-wah) returned to Thailand from 17 months in exile to face corruption charges. Mike Smith, lead singer for the British band Dave Clark Five, died outside London at age 64.
• One year ago: Republican Mitt Romney won presidential primary victories in Arizona and Michigan. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, announced she would not seek re-election, citing what she called the increasingly polarized climate of Washington. Angela Castro, 88, an elder sister of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raul Castro, died in Havana.
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• ("Bobb'e J. Thompson" is correct)
• Today's Birthdays: Producer Saul Zaentz is 92. Architect Frank Gehry is 84. Actor Gavin MacLeod is 82. Actor Don Francks is 81. Actor-director-dancer Tommy Tune is 74. Hall of Fame auto racer Mario Andretti is 73. Actor Frank Bonner is 71. Actress Kelly Bishop is 69. Actress Stephanie Beacham is 66. Writer-director Mike Figgis is 65. Actress Mercedes Ruehl is 65. Actress Bernadette Peters is 65. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is 65. Actress Ilene Graff is 64. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is 60. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried is 58. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Adrian Dantley is 57. Actor John Turturro is 56. Rock singer Cindy Wilson is 56. Actress Rae Dawn Chong is 52. Actress Maxine Bahns is 44. Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 44. Rock singer Pat Monahan is 44. Author Daniel Handler (AKA "Lemony Snicket") is 43. Actor Rory Cochrane is 41. Actress Ali Larter is 37. Country singer Jason Aldean is 36. Actor Geoffrey Arend is 35. Actress Michelle Horn is 26. Actor Bobb'e J. Thompson is 17.
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• Thought for Today: "Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know." - Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian, educator and Librarian of Congress (1914-2004).
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