Ten years ago: South Korea's Ban Ki-moon was sworn in as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations. A British police inquiry concluded that the deaths of Princess Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, in a 1997 Paris car crash were a "tragic accident," and that allegations of a murder conspiracy were unfounded. Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun (AH'-meht EHR'-teh-guhn) died in New York at age 83. Actor Mike Evans, who played Lionel Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," died in Twentynine Palms, California, at age 57.
Five years ago: President Barack Obama, visiting Fort Bragg in North Carolina, saluted troops returning from Iraq, asserting that the nearly nine-year conflict was ending honorably. The House voted 283-136 to approve a massive $662 billion defense bill (the Senate gave its approval the following day). The NFL renewed its television deals with CBS, Fox and NBC for nine years through the 2022 season. Singer Billie Jo Spears, 73, whose performance of "Blanket on the Ground" went No. 1 on the country charts in 1975, died in Vidor, Texas.
One year ago: Bill Cosby fired back at seven women who were suing him for defamation, accusing them in a federal countersuit of making false accusations of sexual misconduct for financial gain. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Pete Rose, serving a lifetime ban for betting on baseball, would continue to be banned from working in the sport. Lillian Vernon, 88, creator of a multimillion dollar catalog business that sold specialized gifts and home goods, died in New York. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" had its world premiere at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theater.
