A massive earthquake, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, unleashed a huge tsunami which crashed onto Japan’s eastern coastline, leaving thousands of people dead, and hundreds of thousands homeless or without water.

A ‘state of emergency’ was declared at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, 30 miles inland, after it suffered a cooling system failure. About 3,000 people were evacuated.

The following day, there was an explosion at one of the reactors. 170,000 more people were evacuated from a 12-mile radius. Two more explosions followed over the next few days, but the complete nuclear meltdown many had feared was averted.

Here, a campaign was launched to save the children’s heart surgery unit at Leeds General Infirmary. Allan and Jacqui Scott from Heworth, the parents of four-year-old Cameron Scott who had emergency heart surgery at the unit when he was just days old, said their son might not have survived if he had had to travel further for the operation that saved him.

A murder enquiry was launched after York father-of-five Mark Webb was stabbed in the throat and died at a house in Acomb. Brian Cox, the boyfriend of Mr Webb’s estranged wife Susan, was subsequently jailed for 18 years for murder. Mrs Webb, 30, was convicted of perverting the curse of justice by misleading police and cleaning blood from the murder scene.

Proud father Russ Murray talked for the first time in public about the ‘miracle’ chilling technique which saved his baby son Kian’s life.

Newborn Kian stopped breathing for 15 minutes. Doctors in the special care baby unit at York Hospital resuscitated him, and he was then rushed to Leeds General Infirmary, where he spent three days in a machine which lowers body temperature to reduce the risk of brain damage. “If it wasn’t for the treatment we might not have the son we have now,” Mr Murray told The Press.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at York Minster for the funeral of Ian Thompson, the former chairman of legendary York hardware store Barnitts; Clifford’s Tower was daubed with graffiti; and hope emerged that the White Swan, an eyesore hotel in Piccadilly, could finally be redeveloped, after the city council opened negotiations with its owner.

York RUFC rugby star Billy Cakaunitabua was jailed after he ‘glassed’ a man in a York bar; and the trial began of former village postmaster Robin Garbutt, charged with murdering his wife Diana.

Garbutt was later found guilty and given a life sentence, though he is appealing against his conviction.