Fo, Dario (1926- )

Cuban President Fulgencio Batista is forced to flee the country because of the success of the revolution led by Fidel Castro.

The one millionth Morris Minor family car - designed by Sir Alec Issigonis - comes off the production line at Cowley near Oxford.

A report funded by The Department of Health in England finds that the convicted serial killer, former GP Harold Shipman, may have killed in excess of 300 of his patients.

In one of the closest fought American Presidential elections in history, Vice President Al Gore presides over a joint session of Congress that certifies George W. Bush as the winner of the 2000 election.

Disgraced former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken is released from jail after serving less than half of his 18 month sentence.

Aitken had been convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice after his libel case against the Guardian Newspaper and Granda Television collapsed.

After three months of unsuccessful negotiations, Britain’s coal miners go on strike for the first time in almost fifty years.

United Nations Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar sets off for Baghdad in a final diplomatic effort to avoid war with Iraq.

British Airways is forced into an embarrassing climb-down in relation to a campaign of 'dirty tricks' it launched against rival airline Virgin Atlantic. BA is forced to pay damages to both Virgin Atlantic and its boss Richard Branson.

Sven-Goran Eriksson starts his job as the manager of the England football team. He is the first foreigner to hold this position.

As protesters continue to fight for Lithuanian independence, 13 people are killed and more than 140 injured by the Soviet military.

In North Wales, baby twins are taken into care by social services from a couple who bought the children for £8000 from America over the internet.

Philippine President Joseph Estrada is replaced by his deputy Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, after the military withdraw their support for Estrada.

The Vietnam War: The battle for Khe Sanh begins.

R. Budd Dwyer, an American politician in Pennsylvania, shoots and kills himself at a press conference live on television. Dwyer, who had been convicted of accepting bribes, strongly professed his innocence before putting a gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger.

World War II: Australian and American forces defeat the Japanese army in Papua.

In London, Newspaper workers launch a strike against Rupert Murdoch's News International for wanting to move newspaper production away from Fleet Street. The action comes to be known as the Wapping dispute.

The second NASA rover, sent to explore Mars, lands on the surface of the planet, where it will look for signs of water.

The first American forces arrive in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.

Manchester United player Eric Cantona is fined £20,000 and banned from playing football for nine months after he attacked a fan who taunted him.

In South Africa, four police officers, appearing before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, admit to the 1977 killing of Stephen Biko, a leader of the South African 'Black consciousness' movement.

As a form of protest against the governments cuts to the education budget, Oxford University dons refuse to confer an honorary degree on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The Beatles perform in public together for the last time, on the roof of Apple Records in London.

Robert McCartney dies from stab wounds in Belfast. McCartney’s family, who blame the IRA for the killing, subsequently launch a high profile campaign to obtain justice for Robert.

The trial of former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic begins at the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

In Glasgow, Stephen Kelly goes on trial for knowingly infecting a woman with the HIV virus in a case believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland. Kelly is found guilty.

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is killed by a car bomb in Beirut.

The singer Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, wins damages from two UK newspapers which falsely claimed he supported terrorism.

Following Hamas’ victory in the Palestinian elections, Ismail Haniya is chosen to be the new Prime Minister.

In London, a congestion charge of £5 is introduced for motorists who want to drive through central London.

Fox hunting with dogs becomes illegal in England and Wales.

In England, an abattoir in Essex is suspected of having Foot-and-mouth disease. It is later confirmed that it has the disease, starting a crisis in British farming.

Controversial British historian David Irving is sent to jail in Austria for denying the Holocaust.

The European Green Party is formed.

Former American Olympic ice-skater, Tonya Harding loses her first professional women’s boxing fight.

Uganda holds its first multi-party parliamentary and presidential elections for the first time in twenty five years.

British Home Secretary Jack Straw publishes the McPherson Report into the police handling of the murder inquiry into the killing of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. The Metropolitan Police are criticised for what the report calls ‘institutionalised racism’.

In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni is re-elected for a third term.

The British government sues former British spy David Shayler for breaking the official secrets act.

Architect Daniel Libeskind wins the competition to design the former World Trade Centre site.

In Waco, Texas US police raid the Branch Davidian church with a warrant to arrest the group’s leader David Koresh. Four BATF agents and five Davidians die in the initial raid. A siege starts, which lasts for 51 days.

During anti-capitalist protests in London hundreds of demonstrators are arrested for rioting. 

In a court case in South Africa, former deputy president Jacob Zuma is cleared of rape.

In Ghana, during a football match at Accra Stadium 126 fans lose their life during a stampede.