Lockerbie Trial: Timetable
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21 December Bomb explodes on London to New York Pan Am 103 at 31,000ft. All 259 aboard and 11 on ground killed as wreckage crashes on Lockerbie in Scotland
28 December US government offers pounds 250,000 to catch killers
1989
31 January US government identifies 100 flaws in airport security
1 April Lockerbie victims' committee called UK Families Flight 103 set up
1990
10 May Pan Am reaches out-of-court settlement with Scottish relatives
1 October A 55-day Fatal Accident Inquiry opens in Dumfries
1991
16 October US Supreme Court rejects relatives' appeal for punitive damages against Pan Am
14 November Charges announced against Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah
15 November Libya calls for international inquiry, offering to send dispute to neutral authority
1992
22 January UN Security Council Resolution 731 urges Colonel Gaddafi to comply with extradition of suspects
31 March Security Council Resolution 748 tells Libya to surrender them by 15 April or face world ban on air travel and arms sales, plus diplomatic restrictions
15 April UN embargo takes effect
1993
8 April Security Council decides to retain sanctions
13 August US, France and Britain threaten to inflict far tougher embargo measures
1 October UN deadline expires for Libya to surrender suspects
2 October Britain, France and US stiffen sanctions
21 December Fifth anniversary of bombing is marked with ceremony in Washington, services in Westminster Abbey and in Lockerbie churches
1994
17 February Britain rejects Libyan offer of trial in Muslim court anywhere
1995
23 March FBI offers pounds 2.7m for information aiding arrest of suspects
November Families secure out-of-court settlements from Pan Am insurers
1996
April Suspects willing to be tried under Scottish law in neutral location, says their Libyan lawyer
1997
July German police probe claims by former Iranian spy that late Ayatollah Khomeini ordered bombing in revenge for downing of Iran Air plane
10 July UN sanctions crumbling, many countries said to be allowing flights to Libya
October Victim's father Jim Swire meets the South African President, Nelson Mandela
25 October Mr Mandela urges compromise at Commonwealth conference in Edinburgh, asking Britain and US to accept trial in neutral state
28 October Tony Blair says men should stand trial in Scotland
1998
20 April Jim Swire (right) travels to Libya with a law expert, Professor Black, to broker terms of trial
24 August Britain and US say trial can be held in neutral country. Colonel Gaddafi agrees in principle
1999
19 March Mr Mandela persuades Colonel Gaddafi to handover by 6 April
5 April Suspects handed over in Tripoli and arrive in the Netherlands
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