Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu celebrated his 75th birthday Saturday, October 7, 2006, with a glamorous gala dinner attended by 1,200 guests, capping off weeks of celebration in honour of the tireless campaigner against apartheid.

Among those who attended were former South Afrian President Nelson Mandela ators Danny Glover, Samuel L Jackson, music maestro Carlos Santana, Desperate Housewives actress Alfre Woodard, CCH Pounder from the drama series ER, Christina Ricci, Stevie Wonder, Denzel Washington, Jonathan Butler, Johnny Clegg, Quincy Jones and former Robben Island political prisoner Ahmed Kathrada.

Tutu was named earlier this year as a member of a U.N. advisory panel on genocide prevention. He was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1984 for his anti-apartheid work. He retired in 1996, two years after the official end of apartheid.