Reuters historical calendar - April 22

LONDON, Apr 21 (Reuters) Following are some of the major events to have occurred on April 22 in history: 1915 - The second battle of Ypres started when German troops released clouds of deadly chlorine gas on British troops. It was the first major gas attack of World War One.

1969 - British lone yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnston arrived at Falmouth after completing the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the Earth in 312 days.

1990 - A US hostage in Lebanon, Robert Polhill, was released. He had been held since January 24, 1987.

1994 - Former US president Richard Nixon died aged 81. He was the 37th president of the United States from 1969 until his resignation in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal.

1997 - Peruvian troops stormed the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima, freeing 71 hostages. One hostage, three soldiers and all 14 guerrillas were killed.

2000 - French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen was deprived of his right to take up his seat in the European Parliament in a decree signed by Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.

2002 - Former Sotheby's chairman A Alfred Taubman was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and fined 7.5 million dollars for fixing commission fees with rival auctioneer Christie's.

2004 - A train laden with explosives blew up at a station near the centre of Ryongchon in North Korea. At least 161 people were killed, hundreds injured and nearly 2,000 homes destroyed in the blast.

2005 - Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged in the United States in connection with the September 11 attacks, pleaded guilty and said Osama bin Laden handpicked him to fly a plane into the White House.

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