On Dec. 5, 1945, five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers mysteriously disappeared after taking off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a training mission (designated as Flight 19) with the loss of all 14 crew members; “The Lost Squadron,” as it came to be known, later contributed to the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.

Ten years ago

The trial of Saddam Hussein resumed in Baghdad with gruesome testimony from witnesses who offered accounts of killings and torture. French engineer Bernard Planche was kidnapped in Baghdad (he was later freed). Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied the United States was engaged in torture or lesser forms of cruel treatment against terror suspects.

Five years ago

On the eve of talks with six world powers, Iran announced that it had produced its first batch of locally mined uranium ore for enrichment. The Kennedy Center Honors paid tribute to Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Merle Haggard, Broadway composer Jerry Herman and dancer Bill T. Jones.

One year ago

President Barack Obama announced his choice of Ashton Carter to be the new U.S. secretary of defense. NASA’s newest space vehicle, Orion, accomplished its first test flight, shooting out more than 3,600 miles from Earth for a hyperfast, hot return. Rolling Stone magazine issued an apology casting doubt on its story of a young woman who said she’d been gang-raped at a fraternity party at the University of Virginia, saying it had since learned of “discrepancies” in her account.

— By The Associated Press