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01 Dec 1942: Beveridge lays welfare foundations

26 May 1950: UK drivers cheer end of fuel rations

12 Feb 1954: New authority for atomic energy

17 May 1955: Eden takes to the airwaves

05 Mar 1956: US court victory for black students

18 Apr 1956: Macmillan unveils premium bond scheme

07 May 1956: Minister rejects anti-smoking lobby

20 Jul 1957: Britons 'have never had it so good'

30 Oct 1957: Lords to admit first women peers

18 Apr 1960: Thousands protest against H-bomb

19 Mar 1964: 'Ambitious' plans for south east

23 Dec 1964: Beeching to leave British Railways

16 Feb 1965: Beeching plans for 'bloated' railways

18 Jun 1965: Drink-drive limit to be introduced

04 Oct 1965: Immigrants feel at home with BBC

01 Mar 1966: Britain to go decimal in 1971

04 May 1966: Doctors and dentists get huge pay rise

15 Feb 1971: D-Day delivers new UK currency

24 Feb 1971: UK restricts Commonwealth migrants

27 Apr 1971: Protest disrupts Welsh language trial

15 Jun 1971: Councils defy Thatcher milk ban

15 Jul 1971: Seals shot by government decree

20 Jan 1972: UK unemployment tops one million

23 Jun 1972: Chancellor orders pound flotation

06 Nov 1972: Pay and price freeze aims to curb inflation

13 Dec 1972: New offer for Thalidomide victims

01 Jan 1973: Britain joins the EEC

09 Mar 1973: Northern Ireland votes for union

01 May 1973: Thousands strike over pay and prices

24 Jun 1974: Labour rift over nuclear test

15 Dec 1974: New speed limit to curb fuel use

26 Apr 1975: Labour votes to leave the EEC

06 Jun 1975: UK embraces Europe in referendum

09 Jun 1975: First live broadcast of Parliament

19 Jul 1976: Fight for fishing rights in Europe

25 Jul 1978: Motability gets moving in the UK

14 Dec 1978: Labour faces vote of confidence

20 Dec 1979: Council tenants will have 'right to buy'

02 May 1982: British sub sinks Argentine cruiser

31 Jan 1983: British drivers ordered to belt up

28 Mar 1983: Macgregor named as coal boss

01 Apr 1983: Human chain links nuclear sites

08 Dec 1983: Television cameras allowed into Lords

21 Mar 1984: EEC summit collapses over rebate row

20 Jun 1984: O-Levels to be replaced by GCSEs

19 Dec 1984: Britain signs over Hong Kong to China

16 Feb 1985: Falklands' row civil servant resigns

09 Jan 1986: Heseltine quits over Westland

31 Jul 1987: Newspaper caught in Spycatcher row

23 Sep 1987: Ban lifted on MI5 man's memoirs

13 Oct 1988: Government loses Spycatcher battle

20 Oct 1988: New law could erode right to silence

18 Dec 1989: Labour's union U-turn

01 Mar 1990: Secrets act gags whistleblowers

31 Mar 1990: Violence flares in poll tax demonstration

11 Apr 1990: Customs seize 'supergun'

14 Aug 1990: One in five yet to pay poll tax

08 Oct 1990: Britain's first full day in ERM

01 Nov 1990: Howe resigns over Europe policy

10 Dec 1990: Iraq frees British hostages

23 Mar 1991: Tories launch 'citizen charter'

04 Jun 1991: UK army spending to be cut

11 Jul 1991: Anti-poll tax MP jailed

22 Jul 1991: Citizen's charter promises better services

07 Feb 1992: Maastricht treaties make EU official

16 Sep 1992: UK crashes out of ERM

26 Nov 1992: Queen to be taxed from next year

16 Jul 1993: Secret Service goes public

29 Nov 1993: Secret meetings with IRA revealed

01 Feb 1994: MPs condemn sale of Rover

25 May 1994: Camelot wins UK lottery race

06 Jun 1994: Asylum seekers flee detention centre

03 Mar 1995: MPs move to outlaw hunting

09 Mar 1995: Queen marks peace in Belfast

15 Feb 1996: Arms-to-Iraq report published

16 Oct 1996: Handguns to be banned in the UK

06 May 1997: Brown sets Bank of England free

19 May 1997: Labour to stub out tobacco sponsorship

12 Sep 1997: Scots say 'Yes' to home rule

23 Sep 1997: Peace talks wobble after Unionist outburst

29 Sep 1997: Scientists confirm brain diseases link

18 Dec 1997: Dawn of Scottish parliament

10 May 1998: Sinn Fein backs peace deal

23 May 1998: Leaders welcome 'yes' vote for N Ireland

31 Jul 1998: UK imposes total ban on landmines

24 Nov 1998: Queen's speech spells end for peers

06 Jan 2000: Flu outbreak stretches NHS resources

26 Feb 2000: UK Government moves to gag ex-spy

03 Apr 2000: Asylum voucher scheme enforced

04 May 2000: Ken Livingstone voted London mayor

27 May 2000: GM blunder leaves farmers in uproar

07 Jun 2000: Blair 'handbagged' by the WI

01 Jul 2000: Ex-Blair ally attacks prime minister

04 Jul 2000: Litter louts escape the law

27 Jul 2000: Labour publishes plans to revolutionise NHS

14 Jul 2001: NI agreement stalls in Staffordshire

16 Jul 2001: Rebel MPs defeat the government

25 Oct 2001: Crime rates lowest for 20 years

16 Dec 2001: Thousands rally for Scots countryside

23 Jan 2002: Elderly patient sparks Commons row

18 Nov 2003: High security as Bush visits UK
 
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