Milestones

Ten years ago: French hostages Jean-Louis Normandin and Roger Auque were freed by their pro-Iranian captors in west Beirut, Lebanon.

Five years ago: President-elect Clinton met for more than an hour with former President Reagan in Los Angeles. Rebel forces in Venezuela tried but failed to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez for the second time in 10 months.

One year ago: A federal judge blocked enforcement of a California initiative to dismantle affirmative action, saying civil rights groups had a “strong probability” of proving it unconstitutional. Evan C. Hunziker, an American jailed by North Korea on spy charges, was set free, ending a three-month ordeal.