The Noughties also brought tears to our eyes as we said farewell to a host of stars and famous faces from the worlds of stage, screen, music, politics and fashion.

Freshest in our memories will of course be the loss of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, killed this year at the age of just 50 by an administered overdose of painkillers.

However, spare a thought for the likes of Heath Ledger, Les Paul, Aaliyah, Johnny Cash, Sir Alec Guinness, Luciano Pavarotti, Steve Irwin, Peggy Lee, Bob Hope, Princess Margaret, Yves St Laurent, Dudley Moore, the Queen Mother, Joe Strummer, Marlon Brando, Gerald Ford, Paula Yates, Sir Edmund Hillary and Spike Milligan - all taken from us during these last 10 years.

One death, however, may remain a cause for celebration rather than one for regret: Saddam Hussein, 1937 - 2006.