THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9 1972 British government declared a state of emergency as the miners' strike entered its third month. 1979 First British £1 million soccer transfer when Trevor Francis joined Nottingham Forest. Birthdays: Carole King, singer-songwriter,

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9 1972 British government declared a state of emergency as the miners' strike entered its third month. 1979 First British £1 million soccer transfer when Trevor Francis joined Nottingham Forest. Birthdays: Carole King, singer-songwriter, 64; Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, 62; Mia Farrow, actress, 61; Gordon Strachan, Celtic FC boss, 49. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10 1840 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married at St James Palace. 1940 First showing of cartoon Tom and Jerry. Birthdays: Robert Wagner, actor, 76; Roberta Flack, singer-songwriter, 69; Mark Spitz, Olympic swimming champion, 56. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11 1920 First meeting of the council of the League of Nations. 1975 Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party. 1990 Nelson Mandela released from jail after 27 years imprisonment. Birthdays: Leslie Nielsen, actor, 80; Dennis Skinner, rebel Labour MP, 74; Mary Quant, designer, 72; Burt Reynolds, actor, 70; Sheyl Crow, singer-songwriter, 44; Jennifer Aniston, once of Friends, 37. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 12 1924 First performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. 1986 Britain and France signed a treaty to build the Channel Tunnel. Birthdays: Franco Zeffirelli, director, 83; Annette Crosbie, from One Foot in the Grave, 72; James Taylor, singer-songwriter, 58. MONDAY FEBRUARY 13 1959 The Barbie doll launched in the United States. 1967 Monkees-mania caused chaos as the pop group arrived at Heathrow airport. Birthdays: George Segal, actor, 72; Jerry Springer, talk show host, 62; Peter Gabriel, singer-songwriter, 56; Robbie Williams, pop star, 32. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14 1946 The Bank of England was nationalised. 1972 Original stage version of Grease opened in New York 1963 Harold Wilson became leader of the Labour Party. 1995 Commercial radio station Talk Radio launched. Birthdays: Alan Parker, director of Evita and Mississippi Burning, 62; Carl Bernstein, ex-Washington Post journalist, 62; Kevin Keegan, ex-Liverpool and England soccer star, 55.