1997 Tony Blair, 44, becomes Great Britain's youngest prime minister in 185 years.

1997 A proposal to create seven new top-level WWW domain names is signed in Geneva. The proposal recommended the appointment of twenty-eight different registrars to dole out names, replacing Network Solutions as the single assigning agency.

1996 The US Senate passes, 97-3, an immigration bill to tighten border controls, make it tougher for illegal aliens to get US jobs and curtail legal immigrants' access to social services.

1972 John Edgar Hoover dies, born on 01 Jan 1895.

1946 Prisoners revolted at California's Alcatraz prison

1890 Territory of Oklahoma is created.

1865 US President Andrew Johnson offered $100'000 reward for the capture of fugitive Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

1840 Theodor Herzl born - founded Zionist movement

1808 Madrid revolts against French rule.

1780 William Herschel discovers first binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris

1519 Leonardo da Vinci dies, Italian sculptor, scientist, visionary, mathematician, painter - born on 15 April 1452.

1507 Two years after entering the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt, future German reformer Martin Luther, 23, is ordained a priest. (Luther remained in the order until 1521, when he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.)