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lenger disaster, roared into life in its first full-scale test-firing near Brigham City, Utah.
• In 1991, Azerbaijan (ah-zur-by-JAHN') declared its independence, joining the stampede of republics seeking to secede from the Soviet Union.
• In 1993, "The Late Show with David Letterman" premiered on CBS-TV.
• In 1997, Americans received word of the car crash in Paris that claimed the lives of Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul. (Because of the time difference, it was Aug. 31 where the crash occurred.)
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• Ten years ago: A Russian submarine being towed to a scrap yard sank in a gale in the Barents Sea, killing nine of the 10-member crew. The World Trade Organization agreed to let impoverished nations import cheaper copies of patented medicines needed to fight killer diseases. Actor Charles Bronson, 81, died in Los Angeles. Inventor Robert Abplanalp, confidant of President Richard Nixon, died in Bronxville, N.Y., at age 81.
• Five years ago: Hurricane Gustav slammed into Cuba as a monstrous Category 4 storm, damaging 100,000 homes and causing billions of dollars in damage, but no reported fatalities. Pro wrestling pioneer Walter "Killer" Kowalski died in Everett, Mass., at age 81.
• One year ago: Mitt Romney launched his fall campaign for the White House with a rousing, remarkably personal speech to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., proclaiming that America needs "jobs, lots of jobs." Earlier in the evening, actor-director Clint Eastwood offered an endorsement of Romney that entailed using an empty chair to represent President Barack Obama. The Justice Department announced it had ended its investigation into CIA interrogations of terrorist detainees without bringing criminal charges. Twin satellites were launched by NASA on a quest to explore Earth's treacherous radiation belts and protect the planet from solar outbursts.
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• Today's Birthdays: Actor Bill Daily is 86. Actress Elizabeth Ashley is 74. Actor Ben Jones is 72. Cartoonist R. Crumb is 70. Olympic gold medal skier Jean-Claude Killy is 70. Actress Peggy Lipton is 66. Comedian Lewis Black is 65. Actor Timothy Bottoms is 62. Actor David Paymer is 59. Jazz musician Gerald Albright is 56. Actor Michael Chiklis is 50. Music producer Robert Clivilles is 49. Actress Michael Michele is 47. Country musician Geoff Firebaugh is 45. Country singer Sherrie Austin is 42. Rock singer-musician Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) is 42. Actress Cameron Diaz is 41. Rock musician Leon Caffrey (Space) is 40. TV personality Lisa Ling is 40. Rock

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