THURSDAY MAY 4 1780 First Derby, run at Epsom. 1896 First publication of the Daily Mail. 1904 Work began on the Panama Canal. 1979 Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. 1982 HMS Sheffield sunk by an Exocet missile in the Falklands War. Birthdays: Eric

THURSDAY MAY 4

1780 First Derby, run at Epsom.

1896 First publication of the Daily Mail.

1904 Work began on the Panama Canal.

1979 Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.

1982 HMS Sheffield sunk by an Exocet missile in the Falklands War.

Birthdays: Eric Sykes, comedian, 83.

FRIDAY MAY 5

1821 First publication of the Manchester Guardian.

1912 First publication of the Russian newspaper Pravda.

2000 Ken Livingstone became mayor of London.

Birthdays: Michael Palin, comedian and traveller, 63; Richard E Grant, actor, 49; James Cracknell, British Olympic rowing champion, 34; Craig David, singer, 25.

SATURDAY MAY 6

1910 George V became King.

1954 Roger Bannister ran a mile in under 4min.

1961 Tottenham Hotspur completed the FA Cup and League double.

1966 Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley jailed for life.

1994 Opening of the Channel Tunnel.

Birthdays: Tony Blair, Prime Minister, 53; George Clooney, actor, 46.

SUNDAY MAY 7

1765 Nelson's HMS Victory launched.

1960 Leonid Brezhnev became president of the USSR.

1995 Jacques Chirac elected president of France.

Birthdays: Nicholas Hynter, theatre director, 50.

MONDAY MAY 8

1429 Joan of Arc defeated the English army at Orleans.

1970 The Beatles last album Let It Be released.

1984 Opening of the Thames Barrier.

Birthdays: Sir David Attenborough, naturalist and broadcaster, 80; Jack Charlton, England 1966 World Cup hero, 71; Norman Lamont, ex-Conservative chancellor, 64; Pat Barker, author, 63.

TUESDAY MAY 9

1974 Impeachment proceedings began against President Richard Nixon.

2001 Harry Redknapp quit as manager of West Ham U.

Birthdays: Richard Adams, author of Watership Down, 86; Alan Bennett, playwright, 72; Albert Finney, actor, 70; Glenda Jackson, MP and actress, 70; Billy Joel, singer-songwriter, 62; Matthew Kelly, television presenter, 56.

WEDNESDAY MAY 10

1940 Neville Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister.

1981 Francois Mitterand became president of France.

1994 Nelson Madela became president of South Africa.

Birthdays: Barbara Taylor Bradford, author of A Woman of Substance, 73; Maureen Lipman, actress, 60; Bono, singer-songwriter, 46; Jonathan Edwards, British triple jump Olympic champion.