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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1989 | - 1989: Poll Tax
Poll Tax implemented in Scotland
- 14 Feb 1989: GPS
The first of 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System is placed into orbit
- 2 Mar 1989: CFCs Banned
EU decision to ban production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of
the century
- 9 Nov 1989: Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall torn down
- 21 Nov 1989: House of Commons televised
Proceedings of House of Commons first televised live
|
| 2 | 1990 | - 11 Feb 1990: Nelson Mandela released
Nelson Mandela released in South Africa
- 31 Mar 1990: Poll Tax Riots
Riots in London against Poll Tax which had been implemented in England &
Wales
- 25 Apr 1990: Hubble space telescope
Hubble space telescope launched
- 22 Nov 1990: Margaret Thatcher resigns
Margaret Thatcher resigns as Conservative party leader (and Prime Minister)
- 1 Dec 1990: Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel excavation teams meet in the middle
|
| 3 | 1991 | - 1991: Poll Tax replaced
Poll Tax replaced (by Council Tax)
- 1991: The Internet
The 'Internet' comes into existence
- 18 May 1991: Helen Sharman
Helen Sharman is first British Astronaut in Space
- Aug 1991: Soviet Union
Collapse of the Soviet Union
- 6 Sep 1991: Leningrad renamed
Leningrad renamed St Petersburg
- 5 Nov 1991: Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell drowns at sea
|
| 4 | 1992 | - 7 Feb 1992: The Maastricht Treaty
European Union formed by The Maastricht Treaty
- 22 Apr 1992: Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd elected as first female Speaker of the House of Commons
- 15 Aug 1992: Premier League
Football kicks off in England
- 16 Sep 1992: Black Wednesday
'Black Wednesday' as Pound leaves the ERM
- 20 Nov 1992: Windsor Castle Fire
Fire breaks out in Windsor Castle causing over £50 million worth of damage
- 24 Nov 1992: Annus Horribilis
The Queen describes this year as an 'Annus Horribilis'
|
| 5 | 1993 | - 1993: Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd first woman Speaker of the House of Commons (to 2000)
- 1993: Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II becomes first British Monarch to pay Income Tax
- Jul 1993: European Union (EU)
Ratification of Maastricht Treaty, established the European Union (EU)
|
| 6 | 1994 | - 1994: The Internet
15 million people now connected to the Internet
- 12 Mar 1994: Church of England
Church of England ordains its first female priests
- 6 May 1994: Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel open to traffic
- 19 Nov 1994: National Lottery
National Lottery starts
|
| 7 | 1995 | - 26 Feb 1995: Nick Leeson
Nick Leeson brings down Barings Bank
- 15 Jul 1995: Amazon.com
First item sold on Amazon.com
- 16 Nov 1995: The Queen Mother
The Queen Mother has a hip replacement operation at 95 years old
- 22 Nov 1995: Toy Story
'Toy Story' released - first feature-length film created completely using
computer-generated imagery
|
| 8 | 1996 | - 9 Feb 1996: IRA
IRA bomb explodes in London Docklands - ends 17 month ceasefire
- 13 Mar 1996: Dunblane massacre
Dunblane massacre
- 15 Jun 1996: IRA
IRA bomb explodes in Manchester
- 5 Jul 1996: Dolly
Scientists in Scotland clone a sheep (Dolly)
- 28 Aug 1996: Charles and Diana divorce
Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales are divorced
|
| 9 | 1997 | - 30 Mar 1997: Channel 5 TV begins
Channel 5 TV begins in UK (launched by the Spice Girls)
- 1 May 1997: 'New' Labour landslide victory in Britain
'New' Labour landslide victory in Britain (Tony Blair replaces John Major as
Prime Minister)
- 6 May 1997: Bank of England to be made independent
Announcement that Bank of England to be made independent of Government
control
- 11 May 1997: First time a computer beats a master at chess
First time a computer beats a master at chess (IBM's Deep Blue v Garry
Kasparov)
- 1 Jul 1997: Hong Kong returned to China
Hong Kong returned to China
- 19 Jul 1997: IRA
IRA declares a ceasefire
- 31 Aug 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales killed
Diana, Princess of Wales killed in car crash in Paris
- 25 Sep 1997: Land speed record breaks sound barrier
Land speed record breaks sound barrier for first time. RAF pilot Andy Green drives ThrustSSC through the sound barrier.
|
| 10 | 1998 | - 10 Apr 1998: Good Friday peace agreement
Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland - effectively implemented in
May 2007
- 14 Aug 1998: IRA
Car bomb explodes in Omagh killing 29 people
- 27 Sep 1998: Google
'Google' search engine founded
|
| 11 | 1999 | - 1999: World population
World population reaches 6 billion
- 1 Jan 1999: European Monetary Union
European Monetary Union begins - UK opts out - by the end of the year the
Euro has approximately the same value as the US Dollar
- 1 Jul 1999: The Scottish Parliament is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth
The Scottish Parliament is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth - powers are
officially transferred from the Scottish Office in London to the new devolved Scottish Executive in Edinburgh
- 11 Aug 1999: Total eclipse of the sun
Total eclipse of the sun visible in Devon and Cornwall
- 11 Nov 1999: Hereditary Peers
Hereditary Peers no longer have right to sit in House of Lords
|
| 12 | 2000 | - Mar 2000: London Eye opens
London Eye opens, late but popular
- 22 Apr 2000: The Big Number Change
The Big Number Change takes place in the UK - affected telephone dialling
codes assigned to Cardiff, Coventry, London, Northern Ireland, Portsmouth and Southampton
- 4 May 2000: Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone elected first Mayor of London (not to be confused with Lord
Mayor of London!)
- 10 Jun 2000: Millennium footbridge
Millennium footbridge over the Thames opens, but wobbles and is quickly
declared dangerous and closed - finally reopened Feb 2002
- 25 Jul 2000: Concorde crashes
A chartered Air France Concorde crashes on take-off at Paris with the loss of all lives
- Sep 2000: People Power
'People Power' emerged suddenly as protestors against high Road Fuel Tax used
mobile phones and the Internet to co-ordinate blockades on fuel depots - resulted in nationwide panic buying of fuel and service stations running out across the country
- Oct 2000: Heavy rains
Heavy rains cause worst flooding since records began (1850s) in many
parts of Britain (Oct-Dec)
- 17 Oct 2000: Hatfield rail crash
Derailment at speed on the main London-North eastern line at Hatfield caused
by a broken rail
|
| 13 | 2001 | - Feb 2001: Foot & Mouth disease
Outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease in UK - lasted until October - caused
postponement of local and general elections from May to June
- 12 May 2001: FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff - first time away from Wembley since 1922
- 7 Jun 2001: General Election - Labour returned
General Election - Labour returned again with a large majority, the first time
they had succeeded in gaining a second term
- 1 Sep 2001: New-style number plates
New-style number plates on road vehicles in UK [eg. AB 51 ABC]
- 7 Nov 2001: Concorde flights resume
Concorde flights resume after modifications to tyres and fuel tanks following the crash of Air France Flight 4590 the previous year
- Dec 2001: Postage Stamps
UK Christmas stamps self-adhesive for the first time (self-adhesive 1st & 2nd class definitives already on sale)
|
| 14 | 2002 | - 1 Jan 2002: The Euro
Twelve major countries in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Holland, Irish Republic,
Italy, Luxembourg, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Portugal) and their
dependents start using the Euro instead of their old national currencies; the UK stays out - the Euro worth 62p at this time
- 22 Feb 2002: Millennium Bridge
Millennium Bridge over the Thames in London finally opens, after works to stop it wobbling.
- 30 Mar 2002: The Queen Mother
The Queen Mother dies, aged 101 years
- 2 Jul 2002: Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.
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| 15 | 2003 | - 17 Feb 2003: London Congestion Charge
Start of Congestion Charge for traffic entering central London
- 10 Aug 2003: Record Temperature
Temperatures reach record high of 101 F (38.3 C) in Kent
- 24 Oct 2003: End of Concorde
Last commercial flight of Concorde
- 22 Nov 2003: England wins Rugby World Cup
England wins Rugby World Cup in nail-biting final in Australia - first northern hemisphere team to do this
- 13 Dec 2003: Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein captured near his home town of Tikrit (executed 30 Dec 2006)
- 26 Dec 2003: Queen Mary 2
Queen Mary 2 arrives in Southampton from the builder's yard in France 2004.
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| 16 | 2004 | - 29 Mar 2004: Smoking ban
Ireland becomes first country in the world to ban smoking in public places
- 29 Mar 2004: Alistair Cooke dies
Alistair Cooke dies at the age of 95 - until four weeks previously, and since
1946, he had broadcast his regular 'Letter from America' on BBC radio
- 1 May 2004: Enlargement of the European Union
Enlargement of the European Union to include 25 members by the entry of 10
new states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus
|
| 17 | 2005 | - 16 Feb 2005: Climate Change
Kyoto Protocol on climate change came into force
- 18 Feb 2005: Hunting ban
Ban on hunting with dogs came into force in England & Wales (had already been a similar law for about two years in Scotland)
- 6 Jul 2005: London chosen
London chosen as venue for the 2012 Olympic Games
- 7 Jul 2005: Suicide bombers
Suicide bombers attack London for the first time
- 28 Jul 2005: IRA
IRA declare an end to their 'armed struggle'
- 12 Sep 2005: England regain the 'Ashes'
England regain the 'Ashes' after a gripping Test series (but are whitewashed 5-0 in the return series in Australia 2007)
- 9 Dec 2005: Last Routemaster bus
Last Routemaster bus runs on regular service in London
- 11 Dec 2005: Buncefield Oil Depot Explosion
Explosions at the Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead
The first and largest explosion occurred at 06:01 UTC which led to further explosions which eventually overwhelmed 20 large storage tanks. The emergency services announced a major emergency at 06:08 and a fire fighting effort began. The cause of the explosion seems to have been a fuel-air explosion of unusually high strength. The British Geological Survey monitored the event, which measured 2.4 on the Richter scale. News reports described the incident as the biggest of its kind in peacetime
- 21 Dec 2005: Civil partnerships
Same-sex civil partnerships begin - famously, on this day, between Elton John and David Furnish
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| 18 | 2006 | - 1 Mar 2006: Welsh Assembly
Welsh Assembly Building opened by the Queen
- 26 Mar 2006: Prohibition of smoking
Prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places in Scotland
- 21 Aug 2006: UK postage rates
UK postage rates start to be measured by size as well as by weight
|
| 19 | 2007 | - 1 Jan 2007: Enlargement of the European Union
Further enlargement of the European Union to include Bulgaria and Romania
- 19 Feb 2007: Extension of Congestion Charge
Extension of Congestion Charge zone for London, westwards
- 8 May 2007: Northern Ireland Executive
A Northern Ireland Executive formed under the leadership of Ian Paisley (DUP)
and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Fein)
- 1 Jul 2007: Prohibition of smoking
Prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places in England (thus completing
cover of the entire UK)
- 14 Nov 2007: St Pancras International
First rail service direct from St Pancras to France (replacing that from Waterloo)
|
| 20 | 2008 | - 1 May 2008: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson defeats the incumbent Labour candidate Ken Livingstone for Mayor of London
- 8 Aug 2008: China Olympics
Great Britain compete at the Olympics in Beijing. The team wins 19 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze medals finishing 4th in the medal table, the best performance for the Great Britain team in a century.
- 5 Nov 2008: Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton becomes the youngest ever Formula One World Champion
- 18 Dec 2008: Woolworths to close
Woolworths announce their 807 UK stores will close by 5 January 2009, putting some 27,000 people out of work
- 19 Dec 2008: MFI closes
Furniture retailer MFI ceases trading, closing all 111 of its stores and leaving its 1,400 workforce redundant.
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| 21 | 2009 | - 8 Jan 2009: Bank of England
The Bank of England cuts its base interest rate to 1.5% amid the global economic downturn, the lowest it has been in the bank's 300 year history.
- 23 Jan 2009: Recession
The Office of National Statistics announce that the United Kingdom's economy is officially in recession for the first time since 1991
- 8 May 2009: MPs Expenses
The Daily Telegraph obtains a full copy of MPs' expenses claims, and begin publishing them prior to the official parliamentary publication date of 1 July, reigniting the MPs' expenses controversy
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| 22 | 2010 | - 6 May 2010: UK General Election
The 2010 General Election takes place, resulting in a hung parliament. The Conservative Party win a plurality of seats, 306 of the 649 contested, placing them 20 seats short of an overall majority in the House of Commons, whilst the Labour Party win 258 seats, and the Liberal Democrats 57 seats
- 11 May 2010: David Cameron becomes PM
Gordon Brown confirms his resignation as prime minister and goes to Buckingham Palace to inform The Queen of his decision.
David Cameron is then confirmed as prime minister, in a coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg as deputy prime minister.
- 19 Oct 2010: HMS Ark Royal V
Defence Secretary Liam Fox announces that the flagship aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal is to be scrapped imminently as part of the Strategic Defense Review
- 4 Nov 2010: Ranger Rover
The one millionth Range Rover is produced at the Land Rover factory in Solihull, 40 years after the original Range Rover was first produced
|
| 23 | 2011 | - 7 Jan 2011: Former MP David Chaytor jailed
Former Labour Member of Parliament David Chaytor was jailed for 18 months for fraudulently claiming more than £20,000 in expenses
- 1 May 2011: Osama bin Laden
U.S. President Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of the militant group Al-Qaeda, has been killed during an American military operation in Pakistan.
- 6 Aug 2011—10 Aug 2011: The 2011 English riots
Between 6 and 10 August 2011, thousands of people took to the streets in several London boroughs and in cities and towns across England. The resulting chaos generated looting, arson, and mass deployment of police. Disturbances began on 6 August 2011 after a protest in Tottenham,London, following the death of Mark Duggan, a local who was shot dead by police on 4 August 2011
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| 24 | 2012 | - 6 Feb 2012: Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II marks the 60th anniversary of her accession to the thrones of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and the 60th anniversary of her becoming Head of the Commonwealth
- 27 Jul 2012: 2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Olympics were held in London. The UK won 29 Gold, 17 Silver and 19 Bronze medals
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| 25 | 2013 | - 16 Jan 2013: Aménas, Algeria
An estimated 41 international workers are taken hostage in an attack at a gas facility near In Aménas, Algeria, with a subsequent raid by Algerian forces resulting in multiple fatalities
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1989 - 