|  | Date | Event(s) | 
	
| 1 | 1898 |  | 
| 2 | 1959 |  | 
| 3 | 1961 |  | 
| 4 | 1963 | 1963—1963: France vetoes Britain's entry into EECJan 1963—Jan 1963: Cold weather forces cancellation of most football matches (only 4 English First Division matches in the month) -  the first 'pools panel' created27 Mar 1963—27 Mar 1963: Beeching Report on British Railways (the 'Beeching Axe')1 Aug 1963—1 Aug 1963: Minimum prison age raised to 178 Aug 1963—8 Aug 1963: 'Great Train Robbery' on Glasgow to London mail train17 Sep 1963—17 Sep 1963: Fylingdales (Yorks) early warning system operational18 Nov 1963—18 Nov 1963: Dartford Tunnel opens22 Nov 1963—20 Jan 1969:  Lyndon B. Johnson U.S. Presidency23 Nov 1963—23 Nov 1963: First episode of 'Dr Who' on BBC TV
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| 5 | 1964 | 1 Jan 1964—1 Jan 1964: First 'Top of the Pops' on BBC TV9 Apr 1964—9 Apr 1964: First Greater London Council (GLC) election21 Apr 1964—21 Apr 1964: BBC2 TV launched22 Aug 1964—22 Aug 1964: 'Match of the Day' starts on BBC24 Sep 1964—4 Sep 1964: Forth road bridge opens
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| 6 | 1965 | 1965—1965: Britain enacts first Race Relations Act7 Feb 1965—7 Feb 1965: First US raids against North Vietnam7 Apr 1965—7 Apr 1965: Winston Churchill dies1 Aug 1965—1 Aug 1965: TV cigarette advertising banned in Britain8 Oct 1965—8 Oct 1965: Post Office Tower operational in London28 Oct 1965—28 Oct 1965: Death penalty for murder suspended in Britain for five-year trial period, then
abolished 18 Dec 196922 Dec 1965—22 Dec 1965: 70mph speed limit introduced on British roads
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| 7 | 1966 | 14 Feb 1966—14 Feb 1966: Australia converts from ? to $3 May 1966—3 May 1966: 'The Times' begins to print news on its front page in place of classified
Advertisements30 Jul 1966—30 Jul 1966: World Cup won by England at Wembley (4-2 in extra time v West Germany)8 Sep 1966—8 Sep 1966: First Severn road bridge opens21 Oct 1966—21 Oct 1966: Aberfan disaster -  slag heap slip kills 144, incl. 116 children1 Dec 1966—1 Dec 1966: First Christmas stamps issued in Britain
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| 8 | 1967 | 4 Jan 1967—4 Jan 1967: Donald Campbell dies attempting to break his world water speed record on
Conniston Water -  his body and Bluebird recovered in 200218 Mar 1967—18 Mar 1967: 'Torrey Canyon' oil tanker runs aground off Lands End  first major oil spill28 May 1967—28 May 1967: Francis Chichester arrives in Plymouth after solo circumnavigation in Gipsy Moth IV (he was knighted 7th July at Greenwich by the queen using the sword with which Elizabeth I had knighted Sir Francis Drake four centuries earlier27 Jun 1967—27 Jun 1967: First withdrawal from a cash dispenser (ATM) in Britain -  at Enfield branch of Barclays1 Jul 1967—1 Jul 1967: First colour TV in Britain14 Aug 1967—14 Aug 1967: Offshore pirate radio stations declared illegal by the UK20 Sep 1967—20 Sep 1967: 'QE2' launched on Clydebank27 Sep 1967—27 Sep 1967: 'Queen Mary' arrives Southampton at end of her last transatlantic voyage30 Sep 1967—30 Sep 1967: BBC Radios 1 2 3 & 4 open first record played on Radio 1 was the controversial 'Flowers in the Rain' by 'The Move'5 Oct 1967—5 Oct 1967: Introduction of majority verdicts in English courts
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| 9 | 1968 | 18 Feb 1968—18 Feb 1968: British Standard Time introduced -  Summer Time became permanent but arguments prevailed and Britain reverted to GMT in October 197118 Apr 1968—18 Apr 1968: London Bridge sold (and eventually moved to Arizona) -  modern London Bridge, built around it as it was demolished, was opened in Mar 197320 Apr 1968—20 Apr 1968: Enoch Powell 'Rivers of Blood' speech on immigration23 Apr 1968—23 Apr 1968: Issue of 5p and 10p decimal coins in Britain29 May 1968—29 May 1968: Manchester United first English club to win the European Cup11 Aug 1968—11 Aug 1968: Last steam passenger train service ran in Britain (Carlisle- Liverpool)16 Sep 1968—16 Sep 1968: Two-tier postal rate starts in Britain5 Oct 1968—5 Oct 1968: Beginning of disturbances in N Ireland
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| 10 | 1969 | 20 Jan 1969—9 Aug 1974:  Richard Nixon U.S. Presidency2 Mar 1969—2 Mar 1969: Maiden flight of 'Concorde', at Toulouse7 Mar 1969—7 Mar 1969: Victoria Line tube opens in London17 Apr 1969—17 Apr 1969: Voting age lowered from 21 to 182 May 1969—2 May 1969: Maiden voyage of liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2)20 Jul 1969:  Apollo 11 Moon Landing31 Jul 1969—31 Jul 1969: Halfpenny ceases to be legal tender in Britain14 Aug 1969—14 Aug 1969: Civil disturbances in Ulster -  Britain sends troops to support civil authorities7 Sep 1969—7 Sep 1969: First episode of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' recorded14 Oct 1969—14 Oct 1969: 50p coin introduced in Britain (reduced in size 1998)
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| 11 | 1970 | 1970—1970: Boeing 747 (Jumbo jet) goes into service17 Jun 1970—17 Jun 1970: Decimal postage stamps first issued for sale in Britain19 Jun 1970—19 Jun 1970: Edward Heath becomes Prime Minister30 Jul 1970—30 Jul 1970: Damages awarded to Thalidomide victims19 Sep 1970—19 Sep 1970: First Glastonbury Festival held20 Nov 1970—20 Nov 1970: Ten shilling note (50p after decimalisation) goes out of circulation in Britain
 | 
| 12 | 1971 | 1971—1971: Banking and Financial Dealings Act -  replaced the Bank Holidays Act of 18711971—1971: Sunday becomes the seventh day in the week as UK adopts decision of the International
Standardisation Organisation (ISO) to call Monday the first day1971—1971: 'Greenpeace' founded1971—1971: Rolls-Royce declared bankrupt3 Jan 1971—3 Jan 1971: Open University starts15 Feb 1971—15 Feb 1971: Decimalisation of coinage in UK and Republic of Ireland9 Aug 1971—9 Aug 1971: Internment without trial introduced in N Ireland28 Oct 1971—28 Oct 1971: Parliament votes to join Common Market (joined 1973)28 Oct 1971—28 Oct 1971: UK launches its first (and only) satellite, Prospero
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| 13 | 1972 | 1972—1972: Britain imposes direct rule in Northern Ireland1972—1972: Strict anti-hijack measures introduced internationally, especially at airports1972—1972: Dutch Elm disease devastates trees across UK1972—1972: Domestic video cassette recorders introduced30 Jan 1972—30 Jan 1972: 'Bloody Sunday' in Derry, Northern Ireland28 May 1972—28 May 1972: Duke of Windsor (ex-King Edward VIII) dies in Paris
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| 14 | 1973 | 1 Jan 1973—1 Jan 1973: Britain enters EEC Common Market (with Ireland and Denmark)17 Mar 1973—17 Mar 1973: Modern London Bridge opened by the Queen1 Apr 1973—1 Apr 1973: VAT introduced in Britain26 Sep 1973—26 Sep 1973: Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking
time14 Oct 1973—14 Oct 1973: Marriage of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey31 Dec 1973—31 Dec 1973: Miners strike and oil crisis precipitate 'three-day week' (till 9 Mar 1974) to
conserve power
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| 15 | 1974 | 1974—1974: New counties formed in Britain after re-organisation of some county boundaries1 Jun 1974—1 Jun 1974: Flixborough disaster: explosion at chemical plant kills 28 people9 Aug 1974—20 Jan 1977:  Gerald Ford U.S. Presidency7 Nov 1974—7 Nov 1974: Lord Lucan disappears21 Nov 1974—21 Nov 1974: Birmingham pub bombings by the IRA
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| 16 | 1975 | 1975—1975: Unemployment in Britain rises above 1M for first time since before WW211 Feb 1975—11 Feb 1975: Margaret Thatcher becomes leader of Conservative party (in opposition)28 Feb 1975—28 Feb 1975: Moorgate tube crash in London -  over 43 deaths, greatest loss of life on the
Underground in peacetime. The cause of the incident was never conclusively determined4 Mar 1975—4 Mar 1975: Charlie Chaplin knighted5 Jun 1975—5 Jun 1975: UK votes in a referendum to stay in the European Community29 Oct 1975—29 Oct 1975: 'Yorkshire Ripper' commits his first murder3 Nov 1975—3 Nov 1975: First North Sea oil comes ashore29 Nov 1975—29 Nov 1975: The name 'Micro-soft' coined by Bill Gates (Microsoft' became a Trademark the
following year)27 Dec 1975—27 Dec 1975: Equal Pay Act and Sex Discrimination Act come into force
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| 17 | 1976 | 1976—1976: 'Cod War' between Britain and Iceland1976—1976: Deaths exceeded live births in E&W for first time since records began in 18371976—1976: James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister1976—1976: National Theatre opens in London21 Jan 1976—21 Jan 1976: Concorde enters supersonic passenger service1 Apr 1976—1 Apr 1976: Apple Computer formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak6 Aug 1976—6 Aug 1976: Drought Act 1976 comes into force ? the long, hot summer
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| 18 | 1977 | 20 Jan 1977—20 Jan 1981:  Jimmy Carter U.S. Presidency2 Mar 1977—2 Mar 1977: 'Red Rum' wins a third Grand National 25 May 1977—25 May 1977: George Lucas' film Star Wars' released 5 Jun 1977—5 Jun 1977: Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale7 Jun 1977—7 Jun 1977: Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in London22 Nov 1977—22 Nov 1977: Regular supersonic Concorde service between London and NY inaugurated
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| 19 | 1978 | 8 Apr 1978—8 Apr 1978: Regular broadcast of proceedings in Parliament starts1 May 1978—1 May 1978: First May Day holiday in Britain25 Jul 1978—25 Jul 1978: World's first 'test tube' baby, Louise Browne born in Oldham30 Nov 1978—30 Nov 1978: Publication of The Times suspended -  industrial relations problems (until 13
Nov 1979)
 | 
| 20 | 1979 | 1 Mar 1979—1 Mar 1979: 32.5% of Scots vote in favor of devolution (40% needed) -  Welsh vote overwhelmingly against30 Mar 1979—30 Mar 1979: Airey Neave killed by a car bomb at Westminster31 Mar 1979—31 Mar 1979: Withdrawal of the Royal Navy from Malta4 May 1979—4 May 1979: Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman UK Prime Minister1 Jul 1979—1 Jul 1979: Sony introduces the Walkman27 Aug 1979—27 Aug 1979: Lord Mountbatten and 3 others killed in bomb blast off coast of Sligo, Ireland18 Sep 1979—18 Sep 1979: ILEA votes to abolish corporal punishment in its schools
 | 
| 21 | 1980 | 5 May 1980—5 May 1980: SAS storm Iranian Embassy in London to free hostages8 Dec 1980—8 Dec 1980: John Lennon assassinated in New York
 | 
| 22 | 1981 | 20 Jan 1981—20 Jan 1989:  Ronald Reagan U.S. Presidency25 Jan 1981—25 Jan 1981: Launch of SDP by 'Gang of Four' in Britain29 Mar 1981—29 Mar 1981: First London marathon run11 Apr 1981—11 Apr 1981: Brixton riots in South London -  30 other British cities also experience riots25 Apr 1981—25 Apr 1981: Worst April blizzards this century in Britain27 Apr 1981—27 Apr 1981: First use of computer mouse (by Xerox PARC system)29 Jul 1981—29 Jul 1981: Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (divorced 28 Aug 1996)12 Aug 1981—12 Aug 1981: IBM launches the first PC12 Aug 1981—12 Aug 1981: IBM launches its PC ? starts the general use of personal computers12 Aug 1981:  Personal Computer
 | 
| 23 | 1982 | 26 Jan 1982—26 Jan 1982: Unemployment reached 3 million in Britain (1 in 8 of working population)5 Feb 1982—5 Feb 1982: Laker Airways collapses19 Feb 1982—19 Feb 1982: DeLorean Car factory in Belfast goes into receivership18 Mar 1982—18 Mar 1982: Argentinians raised flag in South Georgia2 Apr 1982—2 Apr 1982: Argentina invades Falkland (Malvinas) Islands5 Apr 1982—5 Apr 1982: Royal Navy fleet sails from Portsmouth for Falklands2 May 1982—2 May 1982: British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks Argentine cruiser General
Belgrano28 May 1982—28 May 1982: First land battle in Falklands (Goose Green)14 Jun 1982—14 Jun 1982: Ceasefire in Falklands21 Jun 1982—21 Jun 1982: Prince William is born20 Jul 1982—20 Jul 1982: IRA bombings in London (Hyde Park and Regents Park)19 Sep 1982—19 Sep 1982: Smiley emoticon :-) said to have been used for the first time1 Oct 1982:  Compact_Disc11 Oct 1982—11 Oct 1982: Mary Rose' raised in the Solent (sank in 1545) 31 Oct 1982—31 Oct 1982: Thames Barrier raised for first time (some say first public demonstration Nov 7)2 Nov 1982—2 Nov 1982: Channel 4 TV station launched -  first programme 'Countdown'4 Nov 1982—4 Nov 1982: Lorries up to 38 tonnes allowed on Britain's roads12 Dec 1982—12 Dec 1982: Women's peace protest at Greenham Common (Cruise missiles arrived 14 Nov
1983)
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| 24 | 1983 | 1983—1983: First female Lord Mayor of London elected (Dame Mary Donaldson)17 Jan 1983—17 Jan 1983: Start of breakfast TV in Britain31 Jan 1983—31 Jan 1983: Seat belt law comes into force21 Apr 1983—21 Apr 1983: ?1 coin into circulation in Britain7 Oct 1983—7 Oct 1983: Plans to abolish GLC announced26 Nov 1983—26 Nov 1983: Brinks Mat robbery: 6,800 gold bars worth nearly ?26 million are stolen from a
vault at Heathrow Airport
 | 
| 25 | 1984 | 6 Mar 1984—6 Mar 1984: Miners strike begins17 Apr 1984—17 Apr 1984: Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher killed by gunfire from the Libyan Embassy in
London22 Jun 1984—22 Jun 1984: Inaugural flight of Virgin Atlantic9 Jul 1984—9 Jul 1984: York Minster struck by lightning -  the resulting fire damaged much of the building
but the Rose Window' not affected 12 Oct 1984—12 Oct 1984: IRA bomb explodes at Tory conference hotel in Brighton -  4 killed24 Oct 1984—24 Oct 1984: Miners' strike ? High Court orders sequestration of NUM assets3 Dec 1984—3 Dec 1984: British Telecom privatised -  shares make massive gains on first day's trading
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| 26 | 1985 | 3 Mar 1985—3 Mar 1985: Miners agree to call off strike11 Mar 1985—11 Mar 1985: Al Fayed buys Harrods13 Jul 1985—13 Jul 1985: Live Aid' pop concert raises over ?50M for famine relief 1 Sep 1985—1 Sep 1985: Wreck of Titanic' found (sank 1912) 
 | 
| 27 | 1986 | 31 Mar 1986—31 Mar 1986: GLC and 6 metropolitan councils abolished26 Apr 1986—26 Apr 1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident -  radiation reached Britain on 2 Ma26 May 1986—26 May 1986: The European Community adopts the European flag23 Jul 1986—23 Jul 1986: Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey27 Oct 1986—27 Oct 1986: 'Big Bang' (deregulation) of the London Stock Market29 Oct 1986—29 Oct 1986: M25 motorway ring around London completed
 | 
| 28 | 1987 | 1987—1987: World population crossed the 5 billion mark2 Feb 1987—2 Feb 1987: Terry Waite kidnapped in Beirut (released 17 Nov 1991)6 Mar 1987—6 Mar 1987: Car ferry Herald of Free Enterprise' capsizes off Zeebrugge -  188 die 1 Jul 1987—1 Jul 1987: Excavation begins on the Channel Tunnel19 Aug 1987—19 Aug 1987: Hungerford Massacre -  Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a rifle16 Oct 1987—16 Oct 1987: The 'Hurricane' sweeps southern England19 Oct 1987—19 Oct 1987: 'Black Monday' in the City of London -  Stock Market crash8 Nov 1987—8 Nov 1987: Enniskillen bombing at a Remembrance Day ceremony18 Nov 1987—18 Nov 1987: King's Cross fire in London -  31 people die
 | 
| 29 | 1988 | 5 Feb 1988—5 Feb 1988: First 'Red Nose Day' in UK, raising money for charity6 Jul 1988—6 Jul 1988: Piper Alpha disaster -  North Sea oil platform destroyed by explosion and fire
killing 167 men15 Nov 1988—15 Nov 1988: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act -  reformulated the statutory basis of
copyright law (including performing rights) in the UK12 Dec 1988—12 Dec 1988: Clapham Junction rail crash kills 35 and injures hundreds after two collisions of
three commuter trains21 Dec 1988—21 Dec 1988: Lockerbie disaster -  Pan Am flight 103 explodes over Scotland
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| 30 | 1989 | 1989—1989: Poll Tax implemented in Scotland20 Jan 1989—20 Jan 1993:  George H. W. Bush U.S. Presidency14 Feb 1989—14 Feb 1989: The first of 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System is placed into orbit2 Mar 1989—2 Mar 1989: EU decision to ban production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of
the century9 Nov 1989—9 Nov 1989: Berlin Wall torn down21 Nov 1989—21 Nov 1989: Proceedings of House of Commons first televised live
 | 
| 31 | 1990 | 11 Feb 1990—11 Feb 1990: Nelson Mandela released in South Africa31 Mar 1990—31 Mar 1990: Riots in London against Poll Tax which had been implemented in England &
Wales25 Apr 1990—25 Apr 1990: Hubble space telescope launched2 Aug 1990—28 Feb 1991:  Gulf War22 Nov 1990—22 Nov 1990: Margaret Thatcher resigns as Conservative party leader (and Prime Minister)1 Dec 1990—1 Dec 1990: Channel Tunnel excavation teams meet in the middle
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| 32 | 1991 | 1991—1991: Poll Tax replaced (by Council Tax)1991—1991: The 'Internet' comes into existence18 May 1991—18 May 1991: Helen Sharman is first British Astronaut in SpaceAug 1991—Aug 1991: Collapse of the Soviet Union6 Sep 1991—6 Sep 1991: Leningrad renamed St Petersburg5 Nov 1991—5 Nov 1991: Robert Maxwell drowns at sea
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| 33 | 1992 | 7 Feb 1992—7 Feb 1992: European Union formed by The Maastricht Treaty22 Apr 1992—22 Apr 1992: Betty Boothroyd elected as first female Speaker of the House of Commons15 Aug 1992—15 Aug 1992: Football Premier League kicks off in England16 Sep 1992—16 Sep 1992: 'Black Wednesday' as Pound leaves the ERM20 Nov 1992—20 Nov 1992: Fire breaks out in Windsor Castle causing over ?50 million worth of damage24 Nov 1992—24 Nov 1992: The Queen describes this year as an 'Annus Horribilis'
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| 34 | 1993 | 1993—1993: Betty Boothroyd first woman Speaker of the House of Commons (to 2000)1993—1993: Elizabeth II becomes first British Monarch to pay Income Tax20 Jan 1993—20 Jan 2001:  Bill Clinton U.S. PresidencyJul 1993—Jul 1993: Ratification of Maastricht Treaty, established the European Union (EU)
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| 35 | 1994 | 1994—1994: 15 million people now connected to the Internet12 Mar 1994—12 Mar 1994: Church of England ordains its first female priests6 May 1994—6 May 1994: Channel Tunnel open to traffic19 Nov 1994—19 Nov 1994: National Lottery starts
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| 36 | 1995 | 26 Feb 1995—26 Feb 1995: Nick Leeson brings down Barings Bank15 Jul 1995—15 Jul 1995: First item sold on Amazon.com16 Nov 1995—16 Nov 1995: The Queen Mother has a hip replacement operation at 95 years old22 Nov 1995—22 Nov 1995: Toy Story' released -  first feature-length film created completely using
computer-generated imagery 
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| 37 | 1996 | 9 Feb 1996—9 Feb 1996: IRA bomb explodes in London Docklands -  ends 17 month ceasefire13 Mar 1996—13 Mar 1996: Dunblane massacre15 Jun 1996—15 Jun 1996: IRA bomb explodes in Manchester5 Jul 1996—5 Jul 1996: Scientists in Scotland clone a sheep (Dolly)28 Aug 1996—28 Aug 1996: Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales are divorced
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| 38 | 1997 | 30 Mar 1997—30 Mar 1997: Channel 5 TV begins in UK (launched by the Spice Girls)1 May 1997—1 May 1997: 'New' Labour landslide victory in Britain (Tony Blair replaces John Major as
Prime Minister)6 May 1997—6 May 1997: Announcement that Bank of England to be made independent of Government
control11 May 1997—11 May 1997: First time a computer beats a master at chess (IBM's Deep Blue v Garry
Kasparov)1 Jul 1997—1 Jul 1997: Hong Kong returned to China19 Jul 1997—19 Jul 1997: IRA declares a ceasefire31 Aug 1997—31 Aug 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales killed in car crash in Paris25 Sep 1997—25 Sep 1997: Land speed record breaks sound barrier for first time
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| 39 | 1998 | 10 Apr 1998—10 Apr 1998: Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland -  effectively implemented in
May 200714 Aug 1998—14 Aug 1998: Car bomb explodes in Omagh killing 29 people27 Sep 1998—27 Sep 1998: 'Google' search engine founded
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| 40 | 1999 | 1999—1999: World population reaches 6 billion1 Jan 1999—1 Jan 1999: European Monetary Union begins -  UK opts out -  by the end of the year the
Euro has approximately the same value as the US Dollar1 Jul 1999—1 Jul 1999: The Scottish Parliament is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth -  powers are
officially transferred from the Scottish Office in London to the new devolved Scottish
Executive in Edinburgh11 Aug 1999—11 Aug 1999: Total eclipse of the sun visible in Devon and Cornwall11 Nov 1999—11 Nov 1999: Hereditary Peers no longer have right to sit in House of Lords
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| 41 | 2000 | 1 Jan 2000—1 Jan 2000: The year in Britain started with a 'flu bug rather than a millennium bugMar 2000—Mar 2000: London Eye opens, late but popular22 Apr 2000—22 Apr 2000: The Big Number Change takes place in the UK -  affected telephone dialling
codes assigned to Cardiff, Coventry, London, Northern Ireland, Portsmouth and Southampton4 May 2000—4 May 2000: Ken Livingstone elected first Mayor of London (not to be confused with Lord
Mayor of London!)10 Jun 2000—10 Jun 2000: Millennium footbridge over the Thames opens, but wobbles and is quickly
declared dangerous and closed -  finally reopened Feb 200225 Jul 2000—25 Jul 2000: A chartered Air France Concorde crashes on take-off at Paris with the loss of all livesSep 2000—Sep 2000: 'People Power' emerged suddenly as protestors against high Road Fuel Tax used
mobile phones and the Internet to co-ordinate blockades on fuel depots -  resulted in
nationwide panic buying of fuel and service stations running out across the countryOct 2000—Oct 2000: Heavy rains cause worst flooding since records began (1850s) in many
parts of Britain (Oct-Dec)17 Oct 2000—17 Oct 2000: Derailment at speed on the main London-North eastern line at Hatfield caused
by a broken rail
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| 42 | 2001 | 20 Jan 2001—20 Jan 2009:  George W. Bush U.S. PresidencyFeb 2001—Feb 2001: Outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease in UK -  lasted until October -  caused
postponement of local and general elections from May to June12 May 2001—12 May 2001: FA Cup Final played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff -  first time away from Wembley since 19227 Jun 2001—7 Jun 2001: General Election -  Labour returned again with a large majority, the first time
they had succeeded in gaining a second term1 Sep 2001—1 Sep 2001: New-style number plates on road vehicles in UK [eg. AB 51 ABC]11 Sep 2001:  War On Terror7 Nov 2001—7 Nov 2001: Concorde flights resume after modifications to tyres and fuel tanksDec 2001—Dec 2001: UK Christmas stamps self-adhesive for the first time (self-adhesive 1st & 2nd class
definitives already on sale)
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| 43 | 2002 | 1 Jan 2002—1 Jan 2002: Twelve major countries in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Holland, Irish Republic,
Italy, Luxembourg, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Portugal) and their
dependents start using the Euro instead of their old national currencies; the UK stays
out -  the Euro worth 62?p at this time22 Feb 2002—22 Feb 2002: Millennium Bridge over the Thames in London finally opens30 Mar 2002—30 Mar 2002: The Queen Mother dies, aged 101 years2 Jul 2002—2 Jul 2002: Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a
balloon
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| 44 | 2003 | 17 Feb 2003—17 Feb 2003: Start of Congestion Charge for traffic entering central London10 Aug 2003—10 Aug 2003: Temperatures reach record high of 101 F (38.3 C) in Kent24 Oct 2003—24 Oct 2003: Last commercial flight of Concorde22 Nov 2003—22 Nov 2003: England wins Rugby World Cup in nail-biting final in Australia -  first northern
hemisphere team to do this13 Dec 2003—13 Dec 2003: Saddam Hussein captured near his home town of Tikrit (executed 30 Dec 2006)26 Dec 2003—26 Dec 2003: Queen Mary 2 arrives in Southampton from the builder's yard in France 2004
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| 45 | 2004 | 29 Mar 2004—29 Mar 2004: Ireland becomes first country in the world to ban smoking in public places29 Mar 2004—29 Mar 2004: Alistair Cooke dies at the age of 95 -  until four weeks previously, and since
1946, he had broadcast his regular 'Letter from America' on BBC radio1 May 2004—1 May 2004: Enlargement of the European Union to include 25 members by the entry of 10
new states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,
Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus
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| 46 | 2005 | 16 Feb 2005—16 Feb 2005: Kyoto Protocol on climate change came into force18 Feb 2005—18 Feb 2005: Ban on hunting with dogs came into force in England & Wales (had already
been a similar law for about two years in Scotland)6 Jul 2005—6 Jul 2005: London chosen as venue for the 2012 Olympic Games7 Jul 2005—7 Jul 2005: Suicide bombers attack London for the first time28 Jul 2005—28 Jul 2005: IRA declare an end to their 'armed struggle'12 Sep 2005—12 Sep 2005: England regain the 'Ashes' after a gripping Test series (but are whitewashed 5-0
in the return series in Australia 2007)9 Dec 2005—9 Dec 2005: Last Routemaster bus runs on regular service in London11 Dec 2005—11 Dec 2005: Explosions at the Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead21 Dec 2005—21 Dec 2005: Same-sex civil partnerships begin
-  famously, on this day, between Elton John and David Furnish
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| 47 | 2006 | 1 Mar 2006—1 Mar 2006: Welsh Assembly Building opened by the Queen26 Mar 2006—26 Mar 2006: Prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places in Scotland21 Apr 2006—21 Apr 2006: 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II21 Aug 2006—21 Aug 2006: UK postage rates start to be measured by size as well as by weight
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