Saturday,  March 1, 2014 • Vol. 16--No. 228 • 34 of 34

(Continued from page 33)

Aristide the day before, on Leap Day 2004. Iraqi officials approved an interim constitution. The California Supreme Court ruled a Roman Catholic charity had to pay for workers' contraceptive health insurance benefits.
Five years ago: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded its 14th annual summit in Thailand by vowing to push ahead with plans to become a European Union-style economic community by 2015. At a one-day summit in Brussels, European Union leaders flatly rejected a new multibillion euro bailout for eastern Europe.
One year ago: President Barack Obama, still deadlocked with Republican congressional leaders, formally enacted $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts a few hours before the midnight deadline required by law. Actress Bonnie Franklin, who played divorced mom Ann Romano on the long-running sitcom "One Day at a Time," died in Los Angeles at age 69.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Robert Clary is 88. Singer Harry Belafonte is 87. Actor Robert Conrad is 79. Rock singer Mike D'Abo (Manfred Mann) is 70. Former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., is 70. Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 70. Actor Dirk Benedict is 69. Actor Alan Thicke is 67. Actor-director Ron Howard is 60. Actress Catherine Bach is 60. Country singer Janis Gill (aka Janis Oliver Cummins) (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 60. Actor Tim Daly is 58. Singer-musician Jon Carroll is 57. Rock musician Bill Leen is 52. Actor Bryan Batt (TV: "Mad Men"; Film: "12 Years a Slave") is 51. Actor Maurice Bernard is 51. Actor Russell Wong is 51. Actor Chris Eigeman is 49. Actor John David Cullum is 48. Actor George Eads is 47. Actor Javier Bardem (HAH'-vee-ayr bahr-DEHM') is 45. Actor Jack Davenport is 41. Rock musician Ryan Peake (Nickelback) is 41. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 40. Singer Tate Stevens (TV: "The X Factor") is 39. Actor Jensen Ackles is 36. TV host Donovan Patton is 36. Rock musician Sean Woolstenhulme (WOOL'-sten-hyoolm) is 33. Actress Lupita Nyong'o (Film: "12 Years a Slave") is 31. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sammie is 27. Pop singer Justin Bieber is 20.

Thought for Today: "Keep the circus going inside you, keep it going, don't take anything too seriously, it'll all work out in the end." - David Niven, British actor (born this date in 1910, died 1983).

© 2013 Groton Daily Independent • To send correspondence, click here.