THURSDAY MAY 25 1923 First 24-hour motor race held at Le Mans. 1977 Star Wars opened in the US. 1989 Mikhail Gorbachev elected President of the USSR. Birthdays: Dave Lee Travis, ex-BBC Radio disc jockey, 61; Paul Weller, singer-songwriter, 48; Julian Clar

THURSDAY MAY 25

1923 First 24-hour motor race held at Le Mans.

1977 Star Wars opened in the US.

1989 Mikhail Gorbachev elected President of the USSR.

Birthdays: Dave Lee Travis, ex-BBC Radio disc jockey, 61; Paul Weller, singer-songwriter, 48; Julian Clary, comedian, 47; Jonny Wilkinson, England Rugby World Cup hero, 27.

FRIDAY MAY 26

1865 American Civil War came to an end.

1950 The evacuation of Dunkirk began.

1991 British astronaut Helen Sharman returned to earth.

Birthdays: Stevie Nicks, of Fleetwood Mac, 58; Michael Portillo, ex-Conservative MP, 54; Helena Bonham-Carter, actress, 40; Patsy Palmer, from EastEnders, 34.

SATURDAY MAY 27

1937 The Golden Gate Bridge opened in San Francisco.

1941 The Royal Navy sank the German battleship Bismarck.

1964 Pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio Atlanta went on the air.

Birthdays: Christopher Lee, horror movie actor, 84; Henry Kissinger, ex-US Secretary of State, 83; Cilla Black, television presenter, 63; Joseph Fennes, actor, 36; Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef, 31.

SUNDAY MAY 28

1937 Neville Chamberlain became British Prime Minister.

1951 First broadcast of The Goon Show.

1961 The Orient Express made its last journey from Paris to Bucharest.

Birthdays: Maeve Binchy, author of Circle of Friends, 66; Rudolph Giuliani, ex-Mayor of New York, 62; Gladys Knight, singer-songwriter, 62; Kylie Minogue, singer, 38.

MONDAY MAY 29

1942 Bing Crosby recorded White Christmas.

1950 First episode of The Archers broadcast.

1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing reached the summit of Everest.

Birthdays: Francis Rossi, of Status Quo, 57; Annette Benning, actress, 48; Noel Gallagher, of Oasis, 39.

TUESDAY MAY 30

1966 Racing driver Graham Hill won the Indianapolis 500.

1990 France banned the import of British beef in the aftermath of the mad cows disease outbreak.

Birthdays: Harry Enfield, comedian, 46; Helen Sharman, British astronaut, 43; Steven Gerrard, Liverpool and England soccer star, 26.

WEDNESDAY MAY 31

1911 The Titanic was launched.

1955 A State of Emergency was declared in Britain in the wake of a dock strike.

Birthdays: Clint Eastwood, actor and director, 76; John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister, 68; Terry Waite, ex-hostage, 67; Colin Farrell, actor, 30.