1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991   Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 72 seconds after lift-off, killing its crew of seven Permanently-armed police begin patrolling Heathrow airport World's first test-tube quins are born Buckingham Palace announces engagement of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson The Greater London Council "the largest local government unit in the world" is abolished Reactor at Chernobyl power station in the Ukraine is ablaze, raising fears of world's worst civil nuclear disaster Prince Charles admits on TV that he talks to his plants Edwina Currie says northerners have generally poorer health because of ignorance Nissan opens car plant in Sunderland The biggest ever health campaign is launched in Britain to stop AIDS Davina Thompson becomes world's first triple "heart, lungs and liver" transplant patient     Copyright © 1998, NHS