It was in 2007 that at a hotly anticipated presentation in California, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils a new gadget called an iPhone. In politics, big wins for the SNP make Alex Salmond Scotland’s new first minister in a minority administration, with Nicola Sturgeon becoming his deputy and raising the prospect of a vote on Scottish independence. After a decade in power, Tony Blair resigns as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, and following a brief Labour leadership campaign, chancellor Gordon Brown takes over.

Glasgow wins the vote to decide which city will host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. There are warning signs of a global financial crisis in the mortgage markets, while in the UK the Northern Rock bank struggles to generate income and collapses. Glasgow Airport is attacked by Islamic militants on the busiest travel day of the year. Five members of the public are injured and one of the attackers later dies in hospital.

In music, Dumfries native Calvin Harris releases his first single, Acceptable in the 80s. His album, recorded in his bedroom, was discovered by Sony records on the social network MySpace. Meanwhile, Aberdeenshire council rejects Donald Trump’s application to build 'the best golf course in the world', but the Scottish government intervenes to decide if the development should proceed. They will reveal their decision in 2008. Show less