7th February

1821 - Seal hunter John Davis becomes the first person ever to set foot on Antarctica. He never returns.

1991 - John Major and his senior cabinet ministers escape an assassination attempt, when the IRA fire three mortar shells at 10 Downing Street from a parked van.

1999 - Blondie makes history by being the first band to have a number one single in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

2001 - An 84-year-old Austrian woman who stole a scarf during the Second World War turns herself in. The authorities decide not to pursue the matter.

2001 - A memorial service for an American sailor is called off when he is found alive in a store room on his ship.

2004 - Tickets go on sale for a Euro Lottery, with possible jackpots of up to £50 million.