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Five years ago: The White House said President George W. Bush had approved "a significant reduction" in the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, cutting it to less than one-quarter its size at the end of the Cold War. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to extend the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq for one year. Jacob Zuma was elected leader of the African National Congress, South Africa's ruling party, defeating incumbent Thabo Mbeki (TAH'-boh um-BEH'-kee).

One year ago: The last convoy of heavily armored U.S. troops left Iraq, crossing into Kuwait in darkness in the final moments of a nine-year war. Vaclav Havel, 75, the dissident playwright who became Czechoslovakia's first democratically elected president, died in the northern Czech Republic. Medical student Sophie Clarke was crowned the winner of CBS' "Survivor: South Pacific."

Today's Birthdays: Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark is 85. Actor-producer Roger Smith is 80. Blues musician Lonnie Brooks is 79. Actor Roger Mosley is 74. Rock singer-musician Keith Richards is 69. Writer-director Alan Rudolph is 69. Movie producer-director Steven Spielberg is 66. Blues artist Ron Piazza is 65. Movie director Gillian Armstrong is 62. Movie reviewer Leonard Maltin is 62. Rock musician Elliot Easton is 59. Actor Ray Liotta is 57. Comedian Ron White is 56. Actor Brad Pitt is 49. Professional wrestler-turned-actor "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is 48. Actor Shawn Christian is 47. Actress Rachel Griffiths is 44. Singer Alejandro Sanz is 44. Country/rap singer Cowboy Troy is 42. Rapper DMX is 42. International Tennis Hall of Famer Arantxa Sanchez Vicario is 41. DJ Lethal (Limp Bizkit) is 40. Actor Josh Dallas is 34. Actress Katie Holmes is 34. Singer Christina Aguilera is 32. Christian rock musician Dave Luetkenhoelter (Kutless) is 30. Actress Ashley Benson is 23. Actress-singer Bridgit Mendler is 20.

Thought for Today: "When you make a world tolerable for yourself, you make a world tolerable for others." — Anais Nin, French-born author (1903-1977).

(Above Advance for Use Tuesday, Dec. 18)

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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