Mendela's birthday today

Photo: The stars turned out in droves, but Nelson Mandela was by far the biggest attraction at a concert in London's Hyde Park to mark his 90th birthday. The anti-apartheid crusader spent 27 years in prison before going on to become South Africa's first black president. Dave Hogan, Getty Images

A birthday party was held in June for Nelson Mandela. Here is some info on the event:

Acts including Queen, Razorlight, Leona Lewis and a host of African stars joined more than 40,000 music fans for the outdoor show in London's Hyde Park, hosted by movie star Smith and held to mark Mandela's birthday on July 18. osh Groban and the Soweto Gospel Choir also performed at the event, which comes 20 years after a 70th birthday concert for an absent Mandela at London's Wembley Stadium. Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist, had at that point been imprisoned in South Africa for 25 years. He told Friday's crowd that that concert made a big difference in his eventual release and the fight against the racist system, which was dismantled in the early 1990s.

"Your voices carried across the water to inspire us in our prison cells far away," said Mandela, who received the biggest cheers of the night. "We are honored to be back in London for this wonderful celebration.

"But even as we celebrate, let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete."

Mandela was released from prison in 1990 after spending 27 years behind bars. He was elected South Africa's first black president in 1994 and retired from politics in 1999. He has since campaigned to prevent the spread of AIDS. Proceeds from the show -- for which there were 46,664 tickets -- are going to 46,664 -- the AIDS charity named for the number Mandela wore in prison.

I share his birthday….. but I am a few years younger, well, like 37 years younger. Hope I never spend time in prison, and I hope I promote the ideas of freedom and justice like Nelson Mandela has.

And, just last month, the bushies took Mandela off the terrorist list. He has been on that list all these years. Unfortunately, they forgot to put THEMSELVES on the terrorist list.