FACTBOX: Who are the Spice Girls?

(Reuters) - British girl band the Spice Girls announced on Thursday they were reforming for a world tour.

Here is some background:

WHO WERE THE SPICE GIRLS?

-- The Spice Girls' sexy charisma, modest musical talent, and "girl power" philosophy made them pop music's "Next Big Thing" in the mid-1990s.

-- The British band was created in 1994 by two would-be managers who advertised for women to form an all-girl group. The five winning applicants each took nicknames:

* Sporty Spice / Melanie Chisholm, also known as Mel C born January 1974.

* Posh Spice / Victoria Adams (married surname Beckham), born April 1974.

* Ginger Spice / Geri Halliwell, born August 1972.

* Baby Spice / Emma Bunton, born January 1976.

* Scary Spice / Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B, born May 1975.

THEIR SUCCESS:

-- Their 1996 album "Spice" included the hit singles "Wannabe" and "Say You'll Be There" and launched them to international fame.

-- They hit the peak of their fame in 1997 with the release of a second album, "Spiceworld," plus a feature film of the same name.

THE SPLIT:

-- Halliwell left the group in 1998 and the other four went their separate ways after releasing the album "Forever" in 2000.

-- This month, a DNA test confirmed actor-comedian Eddie Murphy was the father of Brown's newborn daughter. Brown gave birth to her second daughter on April 3 in a California hospital, naming the girl Angel Iris Murphy Brown after the Hollywood star. Brown and Murphy split up last December.