REVIEW 20TH CENTURY: 1965-1985

From left to right:

The Six-Day War erupted between Israel and forces from Jordan, Egypt and Syria. Defence minister Moshe Dayan was credited with a stunningly successful campaign in which Israel seized East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from her Arab neighbours

Pop Art embodied the spirit of the 1960s. Often using brilliant colours and working on a giant scale, leading exponents like Peter Blake, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol incorporated techniques of sign painting and commercial art into their work, with common imagery such as targets, comic strips and soup cans used to express formal abstract relationships

In 1965, U.S. combat troops were dispatched to Vietnam in support of the South Vietnamese, who were losing a lengthy civil war against Communist forces from North Vietnam. Despite a massive U.S. military presence (nearly 550,000 by 1969) and heavy bombing, they were unable to defeat the Viet Cong. America pulled out in 1973 after a peace agreement was reached, but this did not hold and South Vietnam capitulated in 1975. Over 50,000 Americans died in the conflict; South Vietnamese dead were estimated at more than 400,000, and Viet Cong and North Vietnamese at over 900,000

Best known for his mastery of the electric guitar, rock musician Jimi Hendrix was a gifted singer and songwriter whose roots sprang from the blues, R&B, and soul. A former session musician, he shot to superstardom in 1966 but success was brief Ð he died from a drug overdose just four years later

Marijuana has been used as a means of achieving euphoria since ancient times. Obtained from flowers, stems and leaves of the hemp plant, the 1960s saw an explosion in its use as the pop culture adopted it wholeheartedly

To the dismay of fans everywhere, the Beatles decided to part company. The band dominated rock music in the 1960s but by the end of the decade ÒBeatlemaniaÓ had abated somewhat and John, Paul, George and Ringo pursued increasingly separate interests. Acrimonious financial wrangles made the break-up inevitable, though speculation about a reunion continued until John LennonÕs tragic murder

Muhammad Ali Òfloated like a butterfly and stung like a beeÓ, to become Heavyweight Champion of the World, a title he defended nine times before being stripped of his title for refusing to enter the U.S. military on religious grounds. Permitted to resume his career in 1971, he remains the only man ever to win the heavyweight crown three times, while his fights against Joe Frazier and George Foreman rank among boxingÕs supreme contests  

ÒThatÕs one small step for man, one giant leap for mankindÓ. So said Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, making history by becoming the first man to walk on the surface of the moon, in July 1969

The supersonic era in commercial aviation got underway in 1969 when the Anglo-French Concorde made its maiden flight. Despite taking under three hours to cross the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound, concerns over cost and noise have meant that Concorde remains the only supersonic airliner in regular service

Elected president for a second term by a landslide in 1972, Richard NixonÕs popularity plummeted after he was found to be linked to a break-in at the Democratic Party HQ during his re-election campaign. Taped conversations confirmed he had lied to Congress about his involvement in the Watergate affair and impeachment proceedings began. He resigned in August 1974, the first U.S. president ever to do so 

Considered by many to be a living saint, Mother TeresaÕs dedication to the poor and dying of Calcutta won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. The tiny, Albanian-born nun founded her own order, the Missionaries of Charity, to run hospitals, schools, orphanages, youth centres and shelters. Today more than 3,000 sisters in 517 missions worldwide care for the destitute in her name

Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982 over a sovereignty dispute with Great Britain, but British forces responded quickly, forcing a surrender by the Argentines within six weeks. Over 250 Britons and 650 Argentinians were killed in the conflict 

One of the most successful movies of all time, ÒE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialÓ, about a loveable alien stranded on Earth, was yet another box-office smash for Steven Spielberg and confirmed his status as HollywoodÕs leading director

Margaret Thatcher became BritainÕs first woman prime minister in 1979, pledging to reduce the influence of the trade unions and combat inflation. A successful prosecution of the Falklands War contributed to a landslide re-election victory in 1983. A third victory in 1987 made her BritainÕs longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century 

Following the fundamentalist revolution that deposed the Shah of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini returned in triumph from exile in France in 1979. He immediately imposed a strict Islamic code and severed links with the West 

Watched by 700 million viewers around the world, the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in a magnificent wedding at St PaulÕs Cathedral. Prince CharlesÕs choice of bride had been the subject of intense media speculation since he came of age. The shy, 20 year-old kindergarten teacher seemed ideal but sadly the fairytale was not to lastÉ