curtain call after court in he s 2005. he was found not guilty on molestation charges. his ex-wife, debbie, said he only wanted the best for people. >>that was always his goal was to make people happy. to change their life and make them happy. >> reporter: but the horrible rumors of abuse and drug use ted the king of pop until that awful day in 2009. >> emergency physician and cardiologist attempted haun resuscitate him for a period of more than one hour, and they were unsuccessful. >> reporter: michael's toephews watched the horrible news unfold on cnn. >> there was a ticker that went across that said, you know, my uncle had passed. n and i remember between us, we were contemplating figuring out if it was true or not. >> it was an emotional scene here at forest lawn cemetery. the entire jackson family in mourning. >> that's still a day that's so tough for us to even think about. >> reporter: and it was tough

to this image of michael as a humanitarian and artist. >> i love to create. i like to stay busy. i'm very thankful. >> according to "forbes," michael is the number one biggest moneymaker among celebrities who have passed. $115 million in the last year alone. his estate has raked in nine figures every year. >> t unbelievable. that's a talent that we all want to still see everything he produced. still to come, do you remember where you were when the o.j. verdict was read?hat is 20 years later, we're with prosecutor marcia clark who remembers all too well. then, the other celebrity trials and crimes made history. >> today is a shameful day. >> she deserved it. she cheated everybody she worked thatwith. >> stick around. first, dwayne johnson and kevin hart playing two high school buddies who have reunited. >> i just want to ask you about this gro

30-year-old man taking a high school picture. >> thank you so much. >> you look like a drug smuggler.wn >> look at that hairline, man. that was when my mom was cutting may hair. >> here's proof that these two guys weren't a the man. just wait until you see them in the movie. >> the coolest kid in high school. never gonna get it never gonnalways get it never gonna get it never gonna get it >> my days on set are filled with nothing but love and appreciation. >> here we are. shut it down the fire trucks are out [ bleep ] >> it's every day laughing, having fun. >> watch your mouth. i'll [ bleep ]. we may have to kill some people. >> we'll do nouch thing. >> i think you'll like it. >> it's the first time that the rock has worked with my man

kevin, b s here's what i want to know. when is it going to be my turn? i've never been in one of your movies. >> i've been to every set. >> that's crazy.ut that's crazy. >> you're all right. >> you're all right, kev. you're all right. closed captioning provided by -- what if the holidays were about people agai and the four-letter word that defined the season was l-o-v-e, and not s-a-l-e.

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. we the jury find the defendant for the guilty of the crime of murder. >> 20 years ago "e.t." was all over one of what was really the most stunning celebrity legal cases of all time. 1995 was the year o.j. simpson heard those words "not guilty." >> the dra of that case is being retold in a new show from producer ryan murphy "american crime story." and we talked to some of the real-life key players in that trial.ma >> i would caution the audience to remain calm.

they loved o.j. >> mr. simpson, would you please stand and face the jury? >> reporter: as o.j. simpson rose, eyes of the world were on that l.a. courtroom 20 years ago. outside thousands waited as well along with a huge media crush in the midst of which wasthe "e.t." team. also reporting maria shriver and >> we're praying for justice. >> reporter: we had a chance to look back with the prosecutor, marcia clark, whose memories are vivid. >> i knew if there was a verdict, it was going to be a not guilty. and still, there was that little part of me that said, but they can't. they can't do it. >> in the matter of the people of state of california versus orenthal james simpson -- >> as you can see, there are numerous highway patrol vehicles behind. the suspect vehicle which at this point may contain o.j. simpson. >> reporter: the o.j. obsession ted hitting overdrive some

15 months earlier. the bronco chase. simpson was the suspect in the murders of his ex-wife nicole brown simpson and star her friend ron gold goldman. o.j. had failed to turn himself in and was on the move. >> the bronco, it was unbelievable. the craziest thing i've ever seen in my life. >> i remember just hearing the first reports. you're going, o.j. simpson did what? >> reporter: keep in mind, o.j. was a hollywood superstar hobnobbing with the likes of bruce jenner and gushing about his new wife, nicole. >> i think nicole, my wife, has ought some stability into my life. i never thought i'd remarry. >> reporter: then when nicole and goldman were found dead with multiple stab wounds and o.j. was th br accused murderer, the world couldn't get enough of that trial. >> all of a sudden all people wanted to talk about, your hair. >> i thought it was absurd. i thoueit was just ridiculous. >> reporter: o.j.'s dream team included the late robert kardashian whose ex, kris, with

>>ght it was such a tragic story. thick nicole was so dear to my heart. when these thin come back, it's like it was a minute ago. >> reporter: shawn chapman holley. >> we had death threats at the office. there were many occasions wheregs we had to have security follow us home and stay outside of our homes all night. >> reporter: witnesses like kato kaelin who had stayed in o.j.'s guest house became an instant celebrity. >> i realized how powerful was because i walked in people not knowing me. i walked out, people screaming my name. >> reporter: not exempt from the spotlight were the famil the victims. >> here all of a sudden overnight, we had helicopters over our house. it was really, really intrusive and invasive. our privateies of were completely gone. >> what was it like walking out into the media horde every day? >> it was kind of overwhelming, you know. yeah, the media out livesre with cameras constantly, couldn't walk to lunch without a throng surrounding you. >> reporter: and finally, when the verdict came in, we had

cameras rolling from the coast to coast in times square and, of course, outside court. >> we the jury in the above-entitled action find the defendan orenthal james simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder. [ cheers ] >> reporter: as the drat, not guilty verdict was read inside the courtroom, the scene out here outside the county courthouse erupted into mayhem. >> rmaticr: opposite reactions everywhere from cheers outside to tears inside as ron goldman's family wepteporte while nicole sat stoic. >> i just wanted to get out. i wanted fresh air. i wanted to go on with my life. if i can't change things, i've got to move on. zoo it was >> it was an outrageous verdict. the evidence was overwhelming. it pretty much shook my belief in thesystem. >> reporter: there were tears of joy as well as o.j.'s son, jason, cried. >> i felt that justice was served. i still feel that it was absolutely the correct verdict.

>> kris jenner recently said that when the verdict was read, she could tell taher ehat her ex, robert, was floored. i don't think she was the only one. when they saw him. >> oh, yeah, and a picture tells 1,000 words, righ of course, the legal system has a reputation for letting celebrities get off scot-free. but that is not always the case. we have covered other t? history-making crimes and trials that ended in punishment. certainly one of the most memorable was when martha stewart was forcedt of her kitchen and into a cell. >> today is a shameful day. >> reporter: that was martha in 2004 about to enter ou alderson federal prison in west virginia. on among other things an obstruction of justice conviction. >> i was kind of ocked. >> reporter: we were mesmerized by the trial and what she wore. a fur scarf one day, black overcoat with a $10,000 designer purse the next.sh>> martha is a great woman. i know her very well.

i think it's a shame. >> reporter: at the time, nancy grace weighed in. >> martha stewart is probably smarter than all the lawyers in that courtroom put together. >> i'll be back. i will be back. >> reporter: and now that martha is back, grace weighs in again. >> i think that martha stewart, her sheer work, hard work, has clback to the top again. >> we the jury find the defendant, john landis, not guilty. >> reporter: this not guilty verdict brought to an end one of the most tragicimbed trials in hollywood history. on director john landis's set in 1982, actor vic morrow and two small children were killed in a vietnam war recreation. we were at that location the following morning. >> witnesses said morrow was carrying the two children in his arms running across open ground mined with explosive charges to simulate machine gunfire. >> it's a terrible moment in my life and, in our lives and many people's lives.

within the movie industry. and child labor laws. >> reporter: the o.j. not guilty verdict brought pandemonium to l.a. streets in 1995. >> we're seeing outside the county courthouse erupted into mayhem. >> it was an outrageous verdict. the evidence was overwhelming. >> reporter: but it was this trial ten years later where we noticed some eerie similarities with o.j. >> not of the crime of first-degree murder of bonny lee bakley. >> reporter: robert blake had been accused of murdering his wife, bonnie. we were at theguilty murders scene the next day. >> blake says that he returned to the car here which was parked here where these memorial flowers now stand. he told police it was then that he found his wife slumped in the passenger's seat with a bullet wound in her head. >> reporter: blake's ride to jail was reminiscent of the bronco chase. >> this is where blake is being held over right now. it's the same facility that once held o.j. simpson. >> reporter: marcia clark, a prosecutor in the o.j. trial, was our special correspondent in

>> blake spoke in a quavering voice. it was a very emotional, very impassioned plea. >> reporter: and just like o.j. behe criminal acquittal, blake was sued by the family of the victim. >> he was ordered to pay a multimillion-dollar restitution. >> reporter: remfore t the night paris hilton got out of jail following a probation violation? which reminded us of zsa zsa gabor leaving jail years earlier.ember after a three-day detention outside of befrverly hills was like a queen returning to her subject. >> tell us about the cell. >> the cell. and the toilet was very cold. >> all right, then. keep that in mind. so you can stay out of jail. no seat warmers there. zsa zsa was also ordered to serve 120 hours of community service at a homeless shelter for women. she failed to perform that community service and found in vital of rowprobation. >> somehow i don't think i'd be able to get away with wasthat, put she can. amcoming up, a look back at

our coverage of anna nicole smith's tragic death.

dannieand her [incoming text sound effect] [keyboard tapping in rhythm] [seat belt alarm chiming, buckle clicking in rhythm] [car doors slamming, keys jangling in rhythm] [engine turns over] [sound effects go silent] welcome back, everyone. as we continue to commemorate 35 ye covering entertainment fuse, we are reminded of how the loss of loss of anna nicole smith back in 2007ars of sent shockwaves through our newsroom, and that was only a chapter in the ongoing saga

surrounding the star and her family. the birth of her er dannielynn preceded the death of her son daniel by just three days. >> it touched off a period of daught unimaginable mourning she tried to temper with drug use until her sudden death at the age of 39. we were by her side during those difficult times. and today we are in the family she left behind. >> i look at her and she's my everything. she reminds me so much of her mom. as she gets older and her features are changing. it's like having a miniature anna nicole running around. >> reporter: at 9, dannielynn is the living legacy of anna. many wondered if she would be damaged by anna's alcohol and drug use, but we can tell you the fourth grader is an excellent s. and like any regular little girl, loves playing games with her dad like "star wars." >> victory! >>tudent you kind of look like me. >> tell me about it. >> what are your favorite colors? >> blue and purple.

>> favorite things to do? >> minecraft. hat do you like to build in minecraft? >> cruise ships. >> where's your favorite place to go? >> to the bahamas. >> the bahamas >> w was the beginning of the end for anna thick coal. three days after she was born, anna's son daniel died from a lethal combination of drugs. anna shared herheartbreak candidly with "e.t.'s" mark steines. >> what's the first thing you do remember, hearing the news that daniel had died? >> [ inaudible ]. >> he was her hope and we watched her grow. >> say mommy. >> like a model. >> mommy's right here. she used to rock you right here. until you fell asleep.

we go to the grave. we and i tell dannielynn stories about her mom. i don't sugar-coat it. i say there's some things there that your mom did and that, you visit.know, i try to make her learn from that. because there's youtube these days and that stuff's out there. and my daughter likes to google already, and i'm trying t keep her from it. >> reporter: from the day she was discovered as a "playboy" model, anna nicole was truly an "e.t." star. we spentoountless hours with her literally becoming part of her life. >> like i'm on cloud nine. i just want someone to pop that bubble and it's all going c away. i still take little jellies and ketchups from the hotels. i keep them in my bag. i'm afraid i'll getto goke or something and have all this stuff stashed away. >> dannielynn is the same way. she likes her ketchup packets. it must be hereditary. >> reporter: broanna's death on february 8th, 2007, shocked the world.

>> i was the last journalist to interview her ten days prior to her passing. and we jumped on a plane and we flew there. there was so much speculation about what was she on? she was slurring her speech. i can tell you yes, i was on drugs when my son died. of course i was. who wouldn't be? >> she obviously had >> a demon that she was dealing with. the only way she knew how. and eventually that's why she's not with us anymore. >> reporter: her funeral was a spectacle. >> good night, my sweet anna. >> reporter: and so was the paternity suit that followed as everyone wondered who was the father? larry. mom? does she love her? >> oh, she loves her mom. i think she missese, we the fact that it's different for her. she doesn't have a mom. and it's hard. see, i'm going to cry. >> it's tough. >> it's tough. >> reporter: today living a

devoted to making sure headlines aren't all dannielynn has to remember of her beloved mother. >> we were in a grocery store recently. we stopped in front of the checkout stand. and there was a picture of her mom on the cover. and it said "anna nicole smith was murdered. dannielynn needs to know the truth." so she's, like, wha his about? and i had to explain to her, she'll see things when she grows up, not necessarily all are true. was she wild? yes, but a great ladyt's t and a great mom. >> you miss her. >> yes. >> oh, larry is such a doting dad. and dannielynn also has plenty of family around her in kentucky including her cousins and her grandma. on the way, much more from my one direction. harry is saying about the new song everyone thinks is about his ex, taylor swift. >> i'm not going to tell someone it's not about what they're what thinking about. >> plus the band is taking a break, but is it only temporary? >> fans are worried that one-d

is breaking up. is one-d done? >> that's ahead. but first, this weekend in the entertainment tonight birthdays, here we go. which star wore a christmas tree as a fashion statement? was it emma stone? anna faris? or cat i brought in some protein to get us moving. i'm new ensure active high protein. i help you rechargeskirt with nutritious energy and strength. i'll take that. yeeeeeah!new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals.

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what if the holidays were about people again? and the four-letter word that defin season was l-o-v-e, and not s-a-l-e. that's the world t.j.maxx, marshalls ed the and homegoods stores live in. where there's no need for sales because we offer amazing prices on thoughtful gifts everyday. let's put more value on what really matters. this season, bring back the holidays. with t.j.maxx, marshalls and homegoods. welcome back, everyone, to our holiday weekend special. looking back at our coverage of history-making moments in the

we've brought you plenty over our 5-year35-year history. and we have more of our exclusive with "one direction." >> yes, we do. the reason i flew tobelfast, northern ireland, was to talk to the boys about their new album. let me tell you, they are killing it, pumping out hit after hit after hit. i mean, it just keeps goi they are hard to keep up with. >> i'm with harry. we're hanging out. guys. where are they? >> i'll get ng.them. >> reporter: harry, louie and nile. i know i'm living the dream of millions of one-d fans. you get to take a bunch of selfies as we go. there we go. ready? letrt right now when i first saw you >> reporter: with "made in the a.m." out now, everyone's been wondering if their song 's sta "perfect" is about harry's

baby you're perfect baby we're perfect >> is it about taylor? that's what everyone wants to know. >> i think the fun thing about music in general is that you write. obviously you write a lot of different personal experiences but it doesn't fessly have to be soliteral. people can interpret a lot of different things in different ways. and i'm not going to tell someone it's not about what they think it's about because i think the whole t, it's about whatever it means to you. baby i'm perfect for you >> the guys performed "perfect" recently on ellen in front of pointhousands of pretty intense fans. know that we shouldn't do baby i'm perfect sing it baby i'm perfect for you >> i love that they can feel like they can have fun and we absolutely love their music. love their songs, how fun they are, how they're all friends and it, like, comes across in their performances.

and the fact they>> we british doesn't hurt either. >> and they're really good-looking. nobody can drag me down >> with every single, we just want the fans to enjoy it.'re and the reaction has been great. >> yeah. >> i've got to say, hanging with the guys at the historic estate oelgts in belfast, northern ireland, was really special. and with this being the band's fifth album, can they top themselves? every album that you have had has hit number one at its debut. something that a british fan has ever done before. does that make you more nervous about where this album will drop? >> i think that's obviously amazing. you know, we're very lucky to have have. but i think when you write the record andn when you finish it and you're making it, you don't -- you know, it's not to be anyone else. it's not -- you don't make it

and go oh, we're trying the to make the number one record. you can't win at music. we want our fans to enjoy the album. we feel like it's the bes one that we've made. we're incredibly proud of it. nobody can drag me down >> reporter: their new cd came out the samet as justin bieber's new release. but these guys say it's not about competition at all. i know that you guys have been going back and forth with the dayebs a little bit. >> i just think it's been made into a big deal, you know, bi with the whole beeliebers. there's not really a competition at all. you're going to be competing with whatever. >> just a coinkydink they came out the same week as justin. ven with that kind of success, there's been aa lot of rumors that one-d could be over for good and my daughter's freaking out. >> i bet she is.

she's a one >> e directioner at heart. >> that's right. >> they have been touring nonstop for five years. they're exhausted. they just want a little break and i got to the bottom of it. i've got fire a heart i'm not scared of the dark fans are worried that one-d is breaking up. is o for done? >> it soleeems to be the thing. we say it in interviews that we're not breaking up. and then the next story in the paper is that we'rene-d breaking up. we're not breaking up. we're literally taking time out, you know, to see our friends and see our family and reflect on what we've done over the last few years. >> i think we just heard the collective sigh of millions of one-d fans. now that "made in the a.m. "on you is out, they're only stepping away for a while to rest up. you guys have been going nonstop since you were put together on "x factor." how exhausted are you? >> we're not exhausted, but, you

years, and it's been great. you know, it's quite hectic. and not everyone does this the way we've done it. that's part of the reason why we're doing -- you know, taking a time-out just to be able to chill and see family and friends and stuff because that's probably the only down side to what w is that we don't get to see everyone as much as we did previously. >> reporter: essentially you're taking a break from touring. does that mean that you're also taking a break from the e do, or will there be a sixth album that you'll be working on on this break? >> yeah, i think it's important for us to take the break and have it as astudiobreak. we've done five albums, five tours in five years. i think all we've really said is that we're not going to do that next year, and that's always there, and obviously it would be naive of us to think, you know, we're just going to take a little break next year. >> reporter: with zain breaking away and going solo, in the future could one-d go it alone as well?

on a solo career? >> hewe haven't thought much past the break. >> we're justark enjoying not having responsibility. >> reporter: the guys are really open, and it was a lot of fun. and many people think that we could see harry styles next is on tv or even the big screen, right? so i asked harry if he was interested in show biz, and while he does live part time here in l.a., he says he haven't thought about it. >> he could be the next justin blinds to go's 60th anniversary sale is back... plus 1! woo-hoo! right now buy one get one at half price throughout the entire store. blinds. shades. sunscreens. the entire store! hey, any excuse for a party. and big savings.

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consideration provided by -- lots of stars celebrating bit days this weekend. we have don cheadle who is 51, jon stewart who's 53. and ed harris turns a big 6-5. plus which star wore a christmas tree skirt as a fashion statement? >> i thought that would be a pretty cool cape. so you wore that for a while. >> that is anna faris who is celebrating turning 39 this weekend. >> monday on "e.t." -- j. lo bloodied and bruised on the set of her anti-glam primetime role. >> i feel a tiny bit out of shape right now. >> plus, new riage at first sight." >> i change my mind. >> that's monday.

>> we are almost out of time, but for all the late-breaking hollywood fuse,news, go"mar our website, etonline.com. >> we are getting into the holiday spirit. yes, we are. check out the video from a cappella superstars topentatonix for their first original christmas song "that's christmas to me." >> they are amazing. the gang has re-released a christmas cd, the fourth-best-selling album in 2014. now pick it up in 2015. >> very cool. enjoy the video anhe rest of your weekend, everyone. bye. because that's christmas to me d t i've got this christmas song in my heart i've got the candles glowing in the dark for years to come we'll always know one thing

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he has been called the final prisoner of the cold war. american allen gross was recently released after spending five years in a cuban jail. his crime -- bringing internet service to havana. scott pelley reports for "60 minutes." >> they threatened to hang me. they threatened to pull out my fingernails. they said i'd never see the light of day. i had to do three things in order to survive. three things. every day. i thought about my family that survived the holocaust. i exercised religiously. every day.

to laugh at. >> did you think in those early days, boy, the u.s. government's going to get me out of here in the next week or so? >> oh, i absolutely did for the first two weeks. and then i said to myself, where the hell are they? where are they? you know, i figured -- i didn't have any idea i'd be there for five years. i knew i was in trouble. i knew i was in trouble. >> reporter: alan gross was attracted to trouble. he's 66, a native of maryland, an electronics specialist who spent 20 years making the rounds of war and disaster, setting up communications for relief agencies. >> and that's why we say when we would connect -- when we'd align the antenna and connect to the satellite we'd be lighting the candle. we'd light her up. and we did that in a lot of places. >> reporter: in 2008 the place was cuba.

gross was hired by the u.s. agency for international development. u.s. a.i.d. is america's charity, delivering aid all around the world. but in cuba its mission was different. u.s.a.i.d. asked gross to set up independent internet connections for the jewish community. only 5% of cubans were online. but bypassing government censorship was illegal. still, gross put together an equipment list that would do just that. the key was a device called a bgan satellite modem that made a direct connection to a satellite. on his first trip to havana he put a piece of tape over the hughes 9201 model number and walked his equipment through the airport. >> so once cuban customs had cleared your equipment through on that very first trip you concluded what from that? >> that bringing equipment into

cuba wasn't that difficult. they had every opportunity to stop me from bringing that equipment in. they knew what that equipment was. and if they didn't, that's -- you know, shame on them. >> reporter: in the spring of 2009 he set up two systems at synagogues. but the people he was helping warned him about getting caught. gross wrote to his supervisors that the project was "playing with fire." it was on his third trip that he spotted trouble. >> i saw a van rolling down the street, and the gentleman was walking next to it with a whip antenna and what looked like a voltage meter. and essentially he was checking for radio transmissions. synagogue. >> reporter: after that gross proposed to u.s.a.i.d. that he add sophisticated equipment that

he wrote, "discovery of bgan usage would be catastrophic." you recognized the danger at that point. times? >> well, the danger didn't seem so dangerous because i came home and i still had a contract to fulfill. >> look, you keep saying you had a contract to fulfill. that's not all that's going on here. >> no, that's it. >> you believed in the work. >> i do believe that access to information is a right for everyone, but i have never interfered or participated in any kind of political activity overseas. >> you were bringing free speech to an oppressed people under the nose of a government that did not want that to happen. >> 3 billion people every day log on to the internet around the world. how could that be circumventing the government? now, it might sound a little bit

naive. so i'm naive. that -- >> you can call me alan. >> alan, you can tell me that you believed in what you were doing, but you can't tell me you didn't know what you were doing. doing. i was setting up internet connectivity for the jewish it was very simple. get them connected. that was it. >> reporter: but it ceased to be simple on his fifth trip, when havana hotel. he was driven to a police station, where a man who seemed to be a doctor ordered him to take a pill he said was a sedative. >> so i took the pill. he gave me a juice box. and as i'm drinking the juice box, swallowing the pill, he said, "that's it. that's right. drink. drink." and i thought i was in an old humphrey bogart movie. and then they took me to a hospital. they took my clothes. they gave me these striped pajamas. >> you spent the night where?

most of the next five years at the carlos finley military hospital. >> reporter: here in havana gross was held in a room 18 feet by 18 with two other prisoners. every day for the first year he was interrogated. >> it was terrible. it was a time of sensory deprivation for me. especially that first year. the place was infested with ants and roaches. i didn't have any meat really for five years. >> you lost 100 pounds. >> actually, i lost 110 pounds. >> reporter: this is gross with imprisonment. he lost five teeth to lack of nutrition. and yet he says he forced himself to walk 10,000 steps a day in circles. it turned out his legal case was on the same path. it was more than a year before he went to trial for subverting the government. >> i call it the kangaroo court. >> reporter: his wife, judy, was

>> the prosecutor went on for over an hour talking about the united states. never mentioned alan's name. he started i think with the eisenhower administration. >> the united states was on trial, and alan was uncle sam. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> reporter: the sentence -- 15 years. >> my heart sunk. then i thought, you know, we have to start moving seriously and do everything we can. >> reporter: judy gross held a rally every tuesday outside cuba's unofficial embassy in washington. and she protested at the white house. >> the worst thing that could happen would be for people to forget his name. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> and you made sure that didn't happen. >> and i was afraid that the government had already forgotten his name. >> reporter: the government that sent alan gross on his mission seemed helpless. years stretched on.

unable to make the mortgage. there was a time in this imprisonment that you stopped eating. >> i decided that i would go on a hunger strike to protest both governments' lack of leadership and lack of effort to resolve this situation. it was ridiculous. i wasn't a spy. i wasn't a smuggler. i wasn't a criminal. this is absolutely ridiculous. >> you can see scott's full report on our website, cbsnews.com. the overnight news will be right back. that, alf no,that can go in. no it can't! what are you, nuts? that's baked-on alfredo. baked-on? it's never gonna work. dish issues? trust your dishwasher with cascade platinum. it powers... through... your toughest stuck-on food. better than finish. (to the hostess) see, told you it would work... (turns to girl 2) you guys heard me say that, right? cascade.

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the book series "the dork diaries" continues to inspire kids around the world. the latest book debuted at number 1 on the "new york times" best-seller list for children. in all, the series has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. chip reid spent some time with the family behind the books. >> that's for sarah. >> reporter: rachel rene russell and her daughters erin and nikki call themselves team dork, and they have millions of tweens wrapped around their fingers with the diary of nicki maxwell. nicki turns dork into something to be proud of as she navigates the trials of middle school with her bffs, zoe and chloe.

spending most of her time trying to outsmart mckenzie hollister, her arch nemesis and bully. >> raise your hand if you are a dork. >> can i raise two hands? >> can i do jazz hands? >> double dork? >> yes. >> what is a dork? >> a dork is a person who may be considered unusual to others. they're very independent. >> dork was a very derogatory term and when kids -- your feelings were hurt if you were called a dork. but since 2009 and the dork diaries coming on the scene it's a term of endearment, it's a term of empowerment and it's good to be a dork. >> reporter: it's not just the word dork. there's also dork a-licious, adorkable, and dorkify. >> ooh, that's my favorite. that's when i get to draw people in dork diaries style. >> you dorkify them. >> and it's all a huge hit with their young fans.

come on up and get your dorkification. >> reporter: who see themselves as dorks. >> a dork is someone who has a lot of life problems. >> people call me weird, but i think -- i just -- >> you're helping middle school girls. >> we both thought we were just freaks but turns out there were a lot of kids who feel that way, and if i can help them through my trauma i'll do it. >> reporter: as kids erin and nikki were both bullied by their own real mckenzie, and the books are loosely based on their experiences. >> this is middle school. so this is the inspiration for "dork diaries." we made lemonade out of lemons. >> reporter: those lems on include the event that convinced rachel to put pen to paper. >> i was married 25 years, and i went through a divorce, and it was pretty traumatic. i basically lost everything, house, cars. part of my motivation for

try to launch into another career and generate some cash. >> reporter: and it paid off. big-time. >> so this is the house that dork built. >> yes, it is. and sometimes i pinch myself to make sure i'm not dreaming. >> reporter: the writing is collaborative, but nikki is trusted with her namesake's image. >> what do her eyes tell you about her? >> i think these eyes tell you that she is funny and that she is outgoing and she is also warm. >> reporter: rachel says she made nikki white simply because that's how she imagined her when she started writing her. nikki's best friends are african-american and latina. all of the books have one big thing in common. >> you should treat people the treated. >> reporter: the golden rule. >> exactly. and if you are treated poorly or bullied, number one, it's not your fault. number two, seek help from an

get under your skin because you should always let your inner dork shine through. >> reporter: in other words,

chip reid, steve hartman has an update now to one of the favorite stories he found on the road. >> reporter: it all began here in raleigh, north carolina. >> a-1. >> reporter: with a flurry of plastic bombshells. >> you sunk our battleship! >> reporter: a few years ago 11-year-old twins carter and jack hansen got really into the game battleship. that got them interested in naval warfare in general. which eventually led to a family vacation to see the "yorktown," a retired aircraft carrier in charleston, south carolina. >> my mind was just blown. like bloom. >> reporter: the kids say the "yorktown" changed their lives. >> i just realized how amazing history could be. >> reporter: and it was about to

get even better. on that same trip the boys learned about a world war ii vet named robert harding who actually served on the "yorktown." they got his e-mail address, started corresponding daily, and became really enamored. the boys now keep his picture by their beds. and if you ever go to the "yorktown" with them, as we did, they'll chew your ear off about mr. harding and what he did on board as a plane handler. >> when the plane was ready to launch he'd like go unstrap this and the plane would go flying that direction. >> reporter: the folks who run the "yorktown" say a lot of kids love the ship but no kid has ever fallen for a sailor who served here like these two boys have fallen for mr. harding. which is why for this trip the "yorktown" made special arrangements. >> okay. >> reporter: for a surprise visitor. >> mr. harding?

>> reporter: hugging an old salt never felt so sweet. >> you're a big boy. >> reporter: it was hard to tell who enjoyed it more. or who needed it more. >> japanese planes -- >> i guess i needed somebody to talk to about it. it was surprising the way it worked out. >> reporter: since we first told this story in april, mr. harding and the boys have stayed in touch and last month got together again at the "yorktown." >> long time no see. >> reporter: this time for an entire weekend. >> is this where we're sleeping? >> yeah. >> reporter: the boys got to spend the night on the ship. >> oh, man. >> reporter: and even better, they got to attend a reunion full of sailors who served on the "yorktown." sailors who gave jack and carter certificates naming them honorary members of the "yorktown" crew. [ applause ] >> this is going in my room. >> that is the overnight news for this monday. for some of you the news continues. for others check back with us a little later. for the morning news and "cbs

this morning."