1957: Britain drops its first H-bomb
After just two years of development, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb over Christmas Island, as the arms race begins to escalate.

1974: Teenagers die in Israeli school attack
Sixteen teenagers die along with three Palestinians holding them hostage at an Israeli school near the Lebanese border.

1993: French police rescue child hostages
A hostage crisis at a nursery school in Paris ends when commandos storm the school - and the children's teacher is hailed a hero.

1954: Queen returns after lengthy voyage
The Royal Family returns safely from their six-month tour of the Commonwealth to a rapturous welcome in London.

2001: UK supermarkets slash price of drugs
British consumers reap the benefits of cheaper over-the-counter medicine after a court ruling puts an end to the drug industry's price-fixing policy.