In the Falkland Islands the day was remembered by former radio broadcaster Patrick Watts, who kept the 2000-strong local population informed as events unfolded on 2 April 1982.

In London former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher attended a ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral. She laid a wreath bearing the message: "In memory of those who have given their lives for Britain and for the Falkland Islands."

Prime Minister Tony Blair was on board HMS Liverpool where he presented Falklands veterans, from the Scots Guards and the Royal Navy, with badges and certificates to honour their contribution to their country. He said:

"I was honoured, on my visit to HMS Liverpool, to meet some of those whose courage and professionalism served this country so well 25 years ago. It's a day to reflect on just how much as a country we owe to our Armed Forces."

In Argentina, the main ceremony was held in the southern city of Ushuaia. Vice-President Daniel Scioli joined veterans and families to mourn those who lost their lives in 1982.

The Falklands Conflict, 2 April to 14 June 1982, followed the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina on 2 April 1982. Although war was never formally declared, the brief conflict, in which a joint British Task Force was despatched at very short notice to recapture the Islands, saw nearly 1000 lives lost and many more wounded.

During the Argentine invasion, despite being heavily outnumbered, a small Royal Marines force put up a spirited defence of Government House. But their efforts were in vain and at 0925 the Falkland Islands Governor, His Excellency Rex Hunt, gave orders that the Royal Marines should lay down their arms as the situation was "hopeless".

Yesterday in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, Patrick Watts, who was decorated by the Queen for his work on Falklands radio during the night of the invasion and the subsequent occupation, was remembering the dramatic events which took place 25 years ago.

Patrick, who at the time was the manager of the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service, kept his station on air and broadcast a running commentary through the night and the following day, keeping the islanders informed of events as they unfolded:

"So much happened around that time," he said. "It actually all began on 1 April with the Governor announcing that he believed an invasion was imminent. That announcement was made at 8.15 in the evening which meant we had around 12 hours notice. It was difficult to accept that it could happen to us as we are such an isolated population.

"The next morning the Governor announced a State of Emergency because all efforts to get the Argentine troops to stop their actions had failed. Then we heard the bangs and thumps of grenades and shells being aimed at the Royal Marine barracks. At that point it suddenly felt very real.

"The shelling was quickly followed by the Governor telling us that the first attack had been repelled, that the Royal Marines had fought off the attack on Government House. The radio station was only a couple of hundred yards from Government House and it was all a bit strange to be so close to what was going on."

Finally, with nearly 1000 Argentine troops having come ashore and, realising that the situation was in fact hopeless, the Governor announced that he had asked the small contingent of Royal Marines to lay down their arms:

"They had no choice really as so many Argentine troops had landed," Patrick continued, "so it was impossible to keep them at bay. At the radio station we were getting calls from local people saying that shells were landing around their properties."

Now an experienced guide and lecturer on all aspects of the Falklands way of life, Patrick recalls what it was like for him trying to continue broadcasting:

"During the early hours of the morning and leading up to the takeover, it wasn't difficult - it was interesting, absorbing even. Our programme was completely unplanned; people were ringing in giving us all sorts of information. Our objective became to produce a good programme.

"I realised that I was a broadcaster and I had a duty to let people know what was happening. The population responded brilliantly, they were telling us what was going on all over the Islands. I was just there coordinating it all; that included broadcasting regular updates from the Governor, who kept us fully informed throughout. But it was completely different to anything I had done before."

Commenting on yesterday's anniversary Patrick said:

"I think most of the anniversaries have come and gone and I've not dwelt too much on them. With there being so much interest this time, it's been almost impossible to let it pass without thinking about what happened back then. I woke around 5 am, I looked at the time and immediately thought '25 years ago they hadn't landed, I was still in the studio broadcasting'.

"I remember when they came into the studio I just obeyed their instructions. They had weapons, so I was helpless really. They brought with them pre-prepared cassette tapes for broadcast, which explained why they were there. They were all very excited, even asking me to play their national anthem. Luckily I managed to calm them down and I was able to restore some order to the studio."

A series of events are planned in the coming months to remember those who took part in the 1982 conflict.