Ted Stevens: Longtime Alaska Senator Dies in Plane Crash at 86

Ted Stevens was a Republican U.S. senator from Alaska for 40 years. Born on November 18, 1923, in Indianapolis, he was a pilot in World War II and later a lawyer in Alaska.

He was appointed to the Senate in 1968 and served until 2009, the longest tenure of any Republican senator at the time. He was known as Uncle Ted and brought huge amounts of federal money to Alaska. He chaired the Appropriations Committee.

He was convicted in 2008 of lying on disclosure forms, but the case was later thrown out because of prosecutorial misconduct. Stevens died in a plane crash near Dillingham, Alaska, on August 9, 2010, at age 86. Four others also died.

Achievements: U.S. Senator from Alaska (1968-2009).

Birth: November 18, 1923 - Indianapolis, Indiana.

Profession: Politician.

Interesting Facts: He was a World War II pilot who flew in China.