FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23 1919 Benito Mussolini set up the Italian Fascist Party. 1981 Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement. 2000 The Skoda Fabia was named Car of the Year. Births: Samuel Pepys, civil servant and diarist

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23

1919 Benito Mussolini set up the Italian Fascist Party.

1981 Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement.

2000 The Skoda Fabia was named Car of the Year.

Births: Samuel Pepys, civil servant and diarist, 1633; George Frederick Handel, composer, 1685.

Deaths: Joshua Reynolds, portrait painter, 1792; John Keats, poet, 1821; John Quincy Adams, US President, 1848; Edward Elgar, composer, 1934; LS Lowry, artist, 1976; Andy Warhol, pop artist, 1987; James Herriot, author of All Creatures Great and Small, 1995; Sir Stanley Matthews, soccer legend, 2000.

Today's birthdays: Peter Fonda, actor, 67; Anton Mosimann, chef and restaurant owner, 60; Melinda Messenger, television presenter, 36.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24

1917 Start of the Russian Revolution.

1932 Malcolm Campbell broke his own land speed record at 253.96mph.

1964 Juan Peron elected President of Argentina.

1997 Fire broke out on the Mire space station.

Births: George Harrison, of The Beatles, 1943.

Deaths: Bobby Moore, England's 1966 World Cup hero, 1993.

Today's birthday's: Denis Law, Manchester United soccer star, 67; Paul Jones, once of Manfred Mann, 65; Dennis Waterman, actor, 59; Alain Prost, Formula 1 racing driver, 52; Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player, 26.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25

1939 First Anderson air raid shelter was built.

1964 Cassius Clay became world heavyweight boxing champion.

2000 The Teletubbies was sold to Russian television.

Births: Anthony Burgess, author of The Clockwork Orange, 1917; Bernard Breslaw, from the Carry On team, 1934.

Deaths: Christopher Wren, architect of St Paul's Cathedral, 1723; Paul Julius von Reuter, creator of the Reuter's news agency, 1899; Tennessee Williams, dramatist, 1983; Sir Donald Bradman, Australian cricket legend, 2001.

Today's birthdays: David Puttman, dirtector of Chariots of Fire and Memphis Belle, 66; Elkie Brooks, singer-songwriter, 62.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 24

1839 First Grand National at Aintree.

1935 Robert Watson-Watt gave a demonstration of radar.

Births: Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables, 1802; William (Buffalo Bill) Cody, Wild West showman, 1846; Johnny Cash, singer-songwriter, 1932; James Goldsmith, creator of the Referendum Party, 1933.

Today's birthdays: Sandie Shaw, singer, 60; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United star, 34.

TIESDAY FEBRUARY 25

1948 The Communists seized power in Czechoslovakia after a coup.

1991 The Gulf War came to an end with the liberation of Kuwait.

Births: Henry Longfellow, poet, 1807; John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, 1902.

Deaths: Pat Smythe, international showjumper, 1966; Spike Milligan, comedian, 2002; Linda Smith, comedienne and broadcaster, 2006.

Today's birthdays: Elizabeth Taylor, actress, 75; Paddy Ashdown, ex-leader of the Liberal Democrats, 66; Steve Harley, singer-songwriter, 56; Timothy Spall, actor, 50.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28

1749 First edition of Henry Fielding's Tom Jones published.

1966 The Cavern Club in Liverpool closed.

2000 David Lloyd sacked by the Lawn Tennis Association as Davis Cup coach.

Births: Brian Moore, soccer commentator, 1932; Brian Jones, of the Rolling Stones, 1942; Robin Cook, Labour MP, 1946.

Deaths: Henry James, author of The Wings of a Dove, 1916; Colin Milburn, England Test cricket batsman, 1990; Chris Brasher, athlete and journalist, 2003.

Today's birthdays: Peter Alliss, the voice of golf, 76; Stephanie Beacham, actrees, 60; Barry McGuigan, boxer, 46.

THURDAY MARCH 1

1940 Vivien Leigh won an Oscar for her role in Gone With the Wind.

1945 The US conducted an H-bomb test at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

1976 Wearing car seat-belts became law.

Births: Frederic Chopin, composer and pianist 1810; Glenn Miller, bandleader, 1904; David Niven, actor, 1910; Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli leader, 1922.

Deaths: Dixie Dean, legendary Everton player, 1980.

Today's birthdays: Harry Belafonte, singer, 80; David Broome, show jumper, 67; Roger Daltrey, of The Who, 63.