NEWS

837 - Halley's comet passed close to Earth.

1861 - The American Civil War began when Confederate troops fired on the general garrison at Fort Sumter.

1912 - The White Star liner Titanic embarked on her doomed voyage.

1925 - F Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' was published.

1945 - Allied troops liberated the first Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald in Czechoslovakia.

1961 - Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the earth. He was in space for 108 minutes.

1981 - The first American space shuttle, Columbia, was launched from Cape Canaveral.

2001 - Dutch politicians legalised euthanasia.

ENTERTAINMENT

1915 - The Charlie Chaplin film, 'The Tramp' was released.

1956 - The first video was demonstrated.

1962 - 'Animal Magic' with Johnny Morris was broadcast for the first time.

1983 - 'Gandhi' won eight Oscars.

1992 - Euro Disney opened at Marne-la-Vallee in France.

SPORT

1916 - The first-ever PGA championship was held with British golfer Jim Barnes winning the trophy and the $2,500 prize.

1959 - Billy Wright became the first footballer to win 100 international caps.

1986 - Jack Nicklaus won his sixth Masters tournament.

2001 - American Samoa set a record for the worst result in international football when they lost 31-0 to Australia.

2003 - Paula Radcliffe beat her own world record in the London marathon.

MUSIC

1742 - The world premiere of Handel's oratorio 'Messiah' took place in Dublin.

1970 - Paul McCartney announced that he was quitting the Beatles.

1973 - EMI launched Queen at a concert in London's Marquee Club.

1986 - Sonny Bono was elected mayor of Palm Springs.

NUMBER ONES

2006 - Gnarls Barkley: 'Crazy'.

2002 - Gareth Gates: 'Unchained Melody'.

1999 - Mr Ozio: 'Flat Beat'.

1992 - Shakespeares Sister: 'Stay'.

1977 - ABBA; 'Knowing Me Knowing You'.

1967 - Frank & Nancy Sinatra: 'Something Stupid'.