MADRID TRAIN BOMBINGS• On 11 March 2004, a series of bombs exploded within minutes of each other on four

commuter trains in the Spanish capital Madrid.• The blasts killed 191 people and wounded 1,841. It was the worst terror attack in Europe

since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988• Seven of the key suspects - including the alleged mastermind, Tunisian Serhane ben

Abdelmajid Fakhet - died in an explosion at a Madrid flat in April 2004 as police were closing in on them. A policeman also died.

• Twenty one people, mostly Moroccans, were convicted of involvement in the attacks. Three of the key defendants received maximum jail sentences.

JOSÉ LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO

• In 2004 , in a televised address to the nation, he said he could not ignore what he called the will of the Spanish people.

• Spain's foreign minister told his Egyptian counterpart the pull-out would be "within 15 days", the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

• Spain has about 1,300 troops stationed in southern central areas of Iraq.

2006 MADRID BARAJAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BOMBING

• Three members of the Basque separatist group Eta were convicted today of a 2006 bombing at Madrid airport that destroyed a Madrid airport parking garage and killed two people in an attack that shattered a ceasefire.

• The three men were each given prison sentences of 1,040 years. Spain frequently hands down lengthy sentences in terrorism cases – although they are mostly symbolic because the maximum jail sentence a person can serve for a terrorism conviction is 40 years.

SPAIN WON THE EURO CUP FINAL

• Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was Spain's goal hero, striking after 33 minutes when he cleverly lifted Xavi's pass over Germany keeper Jens Lehmann.

• Spain dominated the final throughout, with Torres heading against the post and Marcos Senna almost adding a second from close range after 80 minutes.

SPAIN WON THE FIFA WORLD CUP• Spain’s Andres Iniesta fired in a dramatic winner late in extra-time to make his

country champions of the world. It was heartbreak for the Netherlands who lost their third World Cup final. The result was perhaps a victory for football. It was a largely bad-tempered match in which the referee awarded 14 yellow cards and one red. Spain tried to play their attractive one-touch football throughout the game. The Dutch seemed to be doing everything they could to stop them with non-stop fouls. They were very lucky not to have more players sent off. The Netherlands had their chances during the game but were denied by some outstanding goalkeeping from Spanish captain Iker Casillas.