Timeline

• 1981. 04.11 Racial tensions spark riots in Brixton and other areas
• 1981.06.24 Humber Bridge opens, the longest single-span bridge in the world
• 1981.10.03 Hunger strike by Republican prisoners ends after ten deaths
• 1982.01.26 Economic recession leads to high unemployment
• 1982.04.02 Argentina invades the British territory of the Falkland Islands
• 1983.0610 Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is re-elected by a landslide
• 1984.03.12 12-month 'Miners' Strike' over pit closures begins
• 1984.10.12 IRA bombers strike at the Conservative conference in Brighton
• 1986.12.08 Major national industries are privatised
• 1987.06.11 Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wins a third term
• 1989 Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web
• 1990.03.31 Introduction of new local taxes sparks 'poll tax' riots in London
• 1990.11.22 Margaret Thatcher resigns and John Major becomes prime minister
• 1991.01.17 Liberation of Kuwait begins as Allies launch Operation Desert Storm
• 1992.04.09 Conservatives win the general election, returning John Major as prime minister
• 1992.05.06 Channel Tunnel opens, linking London and Paris by rail
• 1992.09.16 'Black Wednesday' forces withdrawal of sterling from the ERM
• 1994 First women priests are ordained by the Church of England
• 1997.05.01 Labour wins the general election, with Tony Blair as prime minister
• 1997.07.01 Britain hands Hong Kong back to China
• 1997.08.31 Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash in Paris
• 1997.09 Scotland and Wales vote in favour of devolution
• 1998.04.10 Good Friday Agreement establishes a devolved Northern Irish assembly
• 1999.01.01 Britain decides not to join the European Single Currency
• 2001.09.11 Twin towers bombings affects the world