Today in History：January 14

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　　January 14
        　　2002: UK declared free of foot-and-mouth
        　　Millions of animals were slaughtered during the 2001 outbreak in mass
pyres
        　　2002: UK declared free of foot-and-mouth
        　　England have
        　　The foot-and-mouth crisis that began almost 11 months ago will officially
end at midnight, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) has said.
        　　There have been no outbreaks for more than three months - the last recorded
case of the fatal and infectious disease was in Cumbria.
        　　Also, tests on sheep flocks in Northumberland, where the disease was
initially traced, have proved negative.
        　　Farmers have said the decision by Defra gives them new hope for the
industry's future.
        　　But it will be several weeks before restrictions on livestock farmers can
be lifted, and international clearance for the export trade in animals and
animal products will take longer.
        　　Currently, only limited exports are allowed within the European Union.
        　　Rural Affairs minister Lord Whitty said: "It will be some time, probably
months, before our international partners restore our trading status in the
European Union and beyond as a fully foot-and-mouth free state."
        　　Nevertheless, the National Farmers' Union says the end of the crisis
removes a "long, dark shadow" from the countryside where more than 2,000 cases
of foot-and-mouth have been recorded.
        　　Since the first signs of the disease were discovered on 19 February 2001 at
an abattoir in Essex, more than four million animals have been slaughtered - the
majority of them sheep.
        　　So huge was the cull, the army had to be called in to organise the burning
of animals on masspyresand their burial in mass graves.
        　　According to the Countryside Agency, the government body which works to
improve the life of rural England, the outbreak has cost the UK farming industry
?.4bn and the cost to tourism could be as much as ?bn.
        　　Large areas of the countryside were closed and the drop in tourism numbers
triggered a wave of bankruptcies among UK businesses, who depend heavily on high
spending overseas visitors.
        　　Farmers have criticised the government for the handling of the outbreak and
not doing enough to contain the disease.
        　　Sir Matt was knighted shortly after his team won the European Cup
        　　1969: Matt Busby retires from Man United
        　　Artificially 1969:
        　　The Football legend Sir Matt Busby has announced he will retire as manager
of Manchester United at the end of the season - FA Cup final day on 26
April.
        　　Sir Matt, who is 59, told a news conference at the club's ground at Old
Trafford: "It's time to make way for a younger man... a track-suited
manager".
        　　He said the pressures of managing a top-class team were becoming too great
for a man of his age and he would now take on the role of general manager.
        　　"United is no longer just a football club," he said, "it is an institution.
I feel the demands are beyond one human being."
        　　The new team manager has not yet been chosen but one man that may well be
considered for the job is Wilf McGuinness, a former United wing-half, a coach
and manager of England Under-23s.
        　　Sir Matt is English football's longest serving manager. He took over United
in 1945 and has since had a superlative record of achievement.
        　　With the ? million in profits he has since made for the club he rebuilt Old
Trafford, which had been badly damaged by the blitz.
        　　He has managed three highly successful teams. The first won the 1948 FA Cup
Final against Blackpool.
        　　The second team of talented young players, known as the "Busby Babes",
included Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards.
        　　In 1958 tragedy struck when eight players were killed in an air crash at
Munich after competing for the European Cup against Red Star Belgrade in
Yugoslavia.
        　　Sir Matt was seriously injured but survived, along with Charlton who said
of him today: "Matt Busby's presence will always be at Manchester United. He is
Manchester United."
        　　After the Munich tragedy, Sir Matt built up his third team, which included
the transfer of Denis Law from Italian side Torino for a record fee of
?16,000.
        　　In May last year United beat Portuguese team Benfica 4-1 to win the
European Cup - the first English side to do so.
        　　In June Sir Matt was awarded a knighthood.
        　　Vocabulary:
        　　pyre: a funeral pile(火葬用的柴堆)