In 1999, world leaders descended upon Pretoria for South African President Thabo Mbeki’s inauguration.  The ”Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Arab Libyan Popular and Socialist Jamahirya” received the most thunderous reception.

The Library of Congress lists the 32 most common spellings of his names:

(1) Muammar Qaddafi,
(2) Mo’ammar Gadhafi,
(3) Muammar Kaddafi,
(4) Muammar Qadhafi,
(5) Moammar El Kadhafi,
(6) Muammar Gadafi,
(7) Mu’ammar al-Qadafi,
(8) Moamer El Kazzafi,
(9) Moamar al-Gaddafi,
(10) Mu’ammar Al Qathafi,
(11) Muammar Al Qathafi,
(12) Mo’ammar el-Gadhafi,
(13) Moamar El Kadhafi,
(14) Muammar al-Qadhafi,
(15) Mu’ammar al-Qadhdhafi,
(16) Mu’ammar Qadafi,
(17) Moamar Gaddafi,
(18) Mu’ammar Qadhdhafi,
(19) Muammar Khaddafi,
(20) Muammar al-Khaddafi,
(21) Mu’amar al-Kadafi,
(22) Muammar Ghaddafy,
(23) Muammar Ghadafi,
(24) Muammar Ghaddafi,
(25) Muamar Kaddafi,
(26) Muammar Quathafi,
(27) Muammar Gheddafi,
(28) Muamar Al-Kaddafi,
(29) Moammar Khadafy,
(30) Moammar Qudhafi,
(31) Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi,
(32) Mulazim Awwal Mu’ammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi.

Twelve years ago, South Africa made its initial appearance in the World Cup, opening against France in Marseille. A few thousand gathered at a drive-in theater in Johannesburg, braving the winter chill to support the team, with barrel fires keeping the fans warm.

Nelson Mandela walked as a free man for the first time in 27 years.

This image is from a rally in Johannesburg a few years later.

Randy Kennedy described the sale for readers of the the grey lady. “It is one of the most important photography archives of the 20th century, consisting of more than 180,000 images known as press prints, the kind of prints once made by the collective to circulate to magazines and newspapers. They are marked on their reverse sides with decades of historical impasto — stamps, stickers and writing chronicling their publication histories — that speaks to their role in helping to create the collective photo bank of modern culture.”

A quick scan of the bookshelves in my office shows a couple dozen volumes from Magnum founders and early members such as both Capas, HCB and Chim.  Alex Webb, Phillip Jones Griffiths and Ian Berry have kept the traditions of the founders alive, and have pushed the medium forward, along with young guns such as fellow Indiana University alum Chien-Chi Chang, Christopher Anderson and Paolo Pellegrin.

Peress damned near invented new photographic language with his seminal Telex: Iran from the 1979 revolution, and now the agency is trying to create new material for newer viewers through Magnum in Motion.

For those who would like to donate to the people of Haiti, please click to assist via CARE and MSF.

Simon Vega served in the army with music’s King in the 1950s, and has created Little Graceland, a mini museum at his Los Fresnos, Texas home to honor his friend.

Visitors queue to enter Little Graceland during the birthday celebrations on Saturday afternoon.

6-year-old Sabrina Gonzalez poses for a photograph at Little Graceland outside of a miniature replica of the house that Elvis was born in Tupelo, Miss on Jan. 8, 1935.

Visitors walk through Little Graceland on Saturday afternoon, inspecting the Elvis memorabilia that Simon Vega has collected through the years.

Corpus Christi Elvis impersonator Danny Lee performs on Saturday evening at Little Graceland.

Joe Marquez, Rene Davis and Armin Naro gyrate on stage during Elvis Birthday celebrations at Little Graceland.

Simon Vega visits with a guest at his party celebrating Elvis' birthday on Saturday afternoon.

Delfina Aleman reacts to Joe Marquez during Elvis Fest at Little Graceland, Los Fresnos, Texas.

Mary Garza holds a plaque honoring her late husband Juan's service for his country at Little Graceland in Los Fresnos, Texas. Local familes who lost their loved ones in Iraq were recognized during Vega's bi-annual celebration for Elvis Presley.

Elvis impersonator Rene Davis places a scarf on Rima Sherman during Elvis Fest at Little Graceland, Los Fresnos, Texas.

Corpus Christi Elvis impersonator Danny Lee performs on Saturday evening at Little Graceland.