How to select unique records when duplicates exist

Question

I am trying to write a query that will show only the latest HEAR_DT for each APEL_ID

SELECT APEL_ID, HEAR_DT 
FROM HEARINGS

APEL_ID	HEAR_DT
101	01-OCT-08
101	02-OCT-08
101	03-OCT-08
102	06-OCT-08
102	07-OCT-08
102	08-OCT-08
103	09-OCT-08
103	10-OCT-08
103	11-OCT-08
104	23-OCT-08
104	24-OCT-08
104	25-OCT-08
104	25-OCT-08

When I write the query as usual, I get the unique records to an extent, but the records where the HEAR_DT are identical are both showing up

The HEAR_DT is a "date" and not a "datetime" data type so I have no way of using the time component to select the Max

Is there anything that can be done to this query (or a different query written), that can show only unique records. I will like to show any of the ones that are showing as duplicates. It does not matter which of them get picked. (something like "Top 1" or "Any")

SELECT APEL_ID, MAX(HEAR_DT) AS LATEST_HEAR_DT 
FROM HEARINGS 
GROUP BY APEL_ID

APEL_ID	LATEST_HEAR_DT
101	03-OCT-08
102	08-OCT-08
103	11-OCT-08
104	25-OCT-08
104	25-OCT-08

Answer 1

Here is the solution. This works

SELECT UNIQUE APEL_ID, MAX(TO_DATE(HEAR_DT, 'DD-MON-YY')) AS LATEST_HEAR_DT 
FROM mytable  
GROUP BY APEL_ID