| |
Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1938 | - 1938: Paid holidays
Principle of paid holidays established in Britain
- 1938: HMS Rodney
HMS Rodney first ship to be equipped with radar
- 1938: Lajos Biro
First practical ball-point pen produced by Hungarian journalist, Lajos Biro
- 12 Mar 1938: Germany annexes Austria
Germany invades and annexes Austria
- 3 Jul 1938: Mallard
A4 Steam loco 'Mallard' reaches 126 mph (203 km/h) at Stoke Bank south of Grantham on the East Coast Main Line; still world record for a steam locomotive.
- 27 Sep 1938: RMS Queen Elizabeth
Largest ocean liner ever built, Queen Elizabeth launched on Clydebank
- 29 Sep 1938: Peace in our time
Chamberlain visits Hitler in Munich - promises 'peace in our time'
- 30 Oct 1938: The War of the Worlds
Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of HG Wells 'The War of the Worlds', causing panic in the USA
|
| 2 | 1939 | - 1939: Czechoslovakia
Germany annexes Czechoslovakia
- 1939: London evacuation
Start of evacuation of women and children from London
- 1939: Coldest winter in Britain
Coldest winter in Britain since 1894, though this could not be publicised at the time
- 1 Sep 1939: Germany invades Poland
Germany invades Poland
- 3 Sep 1939: Britain and France declare war
Britain and France declare war on Germany
- 6 Sep 1939: First air-raid
First air-raid on Britain
- 11 Sep 1939: British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) sent to France
- 14 Oct 1939: HMS Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak sunk in Scapa Flow with loss of 810 lives
- 7 Dec 1939: Canadian troops
'First flight' of Canadian troops sail for Britain - 7,400 men on 5 ships
- 17 Dec 1939: Admiral Graf Spee
'Admiral Graf Spee' scuttled outside Montevideo
|
| 3 | 1940 | - 1 Apr 1940: BOAC starts operations
BOAC starts operations, replacing Imperial and British Airways Ltd
- 11 May 1940: National Government
National Government formed under Churchill
- 13 May 1940: Germany invades France
Germany invades France, Frances signs armistice on 22 June 1940
- 27 May 1940—4 Jun 1940: Dunkirk
Start of the evacuation of the British Army at Dunkirk
- 25 Jun 1940: Fall of France
Fall of France to Germany
- 7 Sep 1940: The Blitz
Germany launches bombing blitz on Britain, the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing
- 15 Sep 1940: Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain: massive waves of German air attacks decisively repulsed by the RAF - Hitler postpones invasion of Britain
- 11 Nov 1940—12 Nov 1940: Battle of Taranto
The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers (Swordfish) from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in the Mediterranean Sea to attack the Italian fleet in Taranto harbour.
- 14 Nov 1940: Coventry bombed
Coventry heavily bombed and the Cathedral almost completely destroyed
|
| 4 | 1941 | - 1941: Rationing
Britain introduces severe rationing
- 1941: Bailey bridge
Bailey invents his portable military bridge
- 1941: antibiotics
First use of antibiotics
- 10 May 1941: Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess flies to Scotland
- 15 May 1941: First British jet aircraft flies
First British jet aircraft flies, The Gloster E.28/39, (also referred to as the "Gloster Whittle", "Gloster Pioneer", or "Gloster G.40") based on work of Frank Whittle
- 27 May 1941: Bismark
'Bismark' sunk by Swordfish aircraft flying from HMS Ark Royal
- 22 Jun 1941: Operation Barbarossa
Germany invades Russia (Operation Barbarossa)
- 1 Jul 1941: Canada
First Canadian armoured regiments arrive in Britain
- 14 Nov 1941: HMS Ark Royal III
The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the third ship to bear the name, sinks near Gibraltar after being torpedoed by U-81 the previous day.
- Dec 1941: Canadian forces
Canadian forces given operation role in defending south coast of England
- Dec 1941: Manhattan Project
'Manhattan Project' of nuclear research begins in America
- 7 Dec 1941: Pearl Harbour
Japan attackes US fleet at Pearl Harbour, USA then enters World War II
- 24 Dec 1941: Hong Kong
Hong Kong falls to the Japanese
|
| 5 | 1942 | - 1942: Alan Turing
Invention of world's first programmable computer by Alan Turing in co-operation with Max Neumann - used to crack German codes
- 1942: Oxfam
Gilbert Murray founds Oxfam
- 30 May 1942: 1,000 bomber raid
Over 1,000 allied bombers raid Cologne
- 4 Jun 1942: Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway. Only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet. 4 Japanese carriers were sunk
- 19 Aug 1942: Dieppe raid
Abortive raid on Nazi held Dieppe, largely by Canadian troops
- 6 Sep 1942: Stalingrad
Germans defeated at Stalingrad
- 3 Oct 1942: V2
First successful launch of V2 rocket in Germany - first man-made object to reach space
- 23 Oct 1942: Battle of El Alamein
Battle of El Alamein - Montgomery defeats Rommel
- 2 Dec 1942: Manhattan Project
'Manhattan Project' - a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction
|
| 6 | 1943 | - 1943: Round-the-clock bombing
Round-the-clock bombing of Germany begins
- 16 May 1943: Dam Buster
'Dam Buster' raids on Ruhr dams by RAF
- 24 Jul 1943: Benito Mussolini resigns
Allies invade Italy - Benito Mussolini resigns as Italian Dictator, 24 July
|
| 7 | 1944 | - 6 Apr 1944: PAYE
PAYE (Paye As You Earn) income tax begins
- 4 Jun 1944: Rome
Allies enter Rome
- 6 Jun 1944: D-Day
D-Day invasion of Normandy
- 12 Jun 1944: First V1 flying bombs
First V1 flying bombs hit London
- 8 Sep 1944: V2 rocket
First V2 rocket bombs hit London
- 11 Sep 1944: Allies enter Germany
Allies enter Germany
- 16 Dec 1944: Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge: German counter-offensive
|
| 8 | 1945 | - 4 Feb 1945: Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin
- 29 Mar 1945: V1 flying bomb
Last V1 flying bomb attack
- 25 Apr 1945: Berlin surrounded
Berlin surrounded by Russian troops
- 30 Apr 1945: Hitler commits suicide
Hitler commits suicide
- 8 May 1945: VE Day
VE Day (Victory in Europe)
- 9 May 1945: Channel Islands
Channel Islands liberated
- 26 Jun 1945: United Nations
UN Charter signed in San Francisco
- 16 Jul 1945: First ever atomic bomb
First ever atomic bomb exploded in a test in New Mexico (although there were
other forms of atomic device before that, such as the Pile at Stagg Field, first critical on 2nd Dec 1942)
- 26 Jul 1945: Labour win General Election
Labour win UK General Election - Churchill out of office
- 29 Jul 1945: BBC Light Programme
BBC Light Programme starts
- 6 Aug 1945: Hiroshima
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
- 9 Aug 1945: Nagasaki
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
- 15 Aug 1945: VJ Day
VJ Day (Victory in Japan)
- 2 Sep 1945: Japanese surrender
Japanese surrender signed aboard USS Missouri
- 24 Oct 1945: United Nations
United Nations Organisation comes into existence
- 4 Nov 1945: UNESCO
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)founded
|
| 9 | 1946 | - 1946: NHS
Transition to National Health Service starts in Britain (came into being 5th July 1948)
- 1946: Alistair Cooke
Alistair Cooke starts his regular 'Letter from America' on BBC radio - until 2004
- 1 Jan 1946: Heathrow Airport
First civillian flight from Heathrow Airport
- 1 Mar 1946: Bank of England
Bank of England nationalised
|
| 10 | 1947 | - 1947: Most severe winter in Britain for 53 years
Most severe winter in Britain for 53 years at start of the year - heavy snow and much flooding later
- 1947: First British nuclear reactor
First British nuclear reactor developed
- 1 Jan 1947: National Coal Board
Coal Mines nationalised
- 23 Feb 1947: International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) founded
- 1 Mar 1947: International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund begins financial operations
- 1 Apr 1947: School leaving age
School leaving age raised to 15 in Britain
- 26 Oct 1947: British military occupation
British military occupation ends in Iraq
- 20 Nov 1947: Marriage of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten
Marriage of Princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth II) and Philip Mountbatten in
Westminster Abbey
|
| 11 | 1948 | - 1948: British Citizenship Act
British Citizenship Act : all Commonwealth citizens qualify for British passports
- 1948: Transistor radio
Transistor radio invented
- 1948: Long-playing record
Long-playing record (LP) invented by Goldmark
- 1 Jan 1948: British Railways
British Railways nationalised
- 5 Jul 1948: NHS
National Health Service (NHS) begins in Britain
- 29 Jul 1948: London Olympics
London Olympics begin
|
| 12 | 1949 | - 1949: Bristol Brabazon
Maiden flight of the Bristol Brabazon (broken up in 1953 for scrap)
- 1949: De Haviland Comet
De Haviland produces the Comet - first jet airliner
- 15 Mar 1949: Clothes rationing
Clothes rationing ends in Britain
- 4 Apr 1949: NATO
Twelve nations sign The North Atlantic Treaty creating NATO
|
| 13 | 1950 | - 26 May 1950: Petrol rationing
Petrol rationing ends in Britain
- 11 Jul 1950: Andy Pandy
'Andy Pandy' first seen on BBC TV
- 9 Sep 1950: Soap rationing
Soap rationing ends in Britain
- 28 Dec 1950: Peak District
The Peak District becomes the Britain's first National Park
|
| 14 | 1951 | - 3 May 1951: Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain and Royal Festival Hall open on South Bank, London
- 28 May 1951: The Goon Show
First Goon Show broadcast
- 20 Dec 1951: Experimental Breeder Reactor
Electricity first produced by nuclear power, from Experimental Breeder Reactor
|
| 15 | 1952 | - 1952: Contraceptive pill
Contraceptive pill invented
- 1952: Britain explodes her first atomic bomb
Britain explodes her first atomic bomb, in Australia
- 1952: Radioactive carbon
Radioactive carbon used for dating prehistoric objects
- 1952: Bonn Convention
Bonn Convention: Britain, France and USA end their occupation of West Germany
- 6 Feb 1952: King George VI dies
King George VI dies
- 21 Feb 1952: ID Cards abolished
Identity Cards abolished in Britain
- 2 May 1952: First commercial jet airliner service
First commercial jet airliner service launched, by BOACComet between London
and Johannesburg
- 5 Jul 1952: Last tram runs in London
Last tram runs in London (Woolwich to New Cross)
- 16 Aug 1952: Lynmouth flood disaster
Lynmouth (North Devon) flood disaster
- 6 Sep 1952: DH110 crashes
DH110 crashes at Farnborough Air Show, 26 killed including Test Pilot John Derry. The DH110 was the prototype of the Royal Navy's Sea Vixen fighter jet.
- 3 Oct 1952: Tea rationing
End of tea rationing in Britain
- 1 Nov 1952: First H-bomb
The first H-bomb ever ('Mike') was exploded by the USA - the mushroom cloud
was 8 miles across and 27 miles high. The canopy was 100 miles wide. Radioactive mud fell out of the sky followed by heavy rain. 80 million tons of earth was vaporised.
- 25 Nov 1952: The Mousetrap
Agatha Christie's 'The Mousetrap' opens in London
- 4 Dec 1952: The Great Smog
Great smog hits London
|
| 16 | 1953 | - 31 Jan 1953: East Coast Floods
Said to be the biggest civil catastrophe in Britain in the 20th century -
severe storm and high tides caused the loss of hundreds of lives - - effects travelled from the west coast of Scotland round to the south-east coast of England [The Netherlands were even worse affected with over a thousand deaths]
- 5 Feb 1953: Sweet rationing ends
Sweet rationing ends in Britain
- 5 Mar 1953: Death of Stalin
Death of Stalin
- 26 Mar 1953: Polio vaccine
Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine
- 24 Apr 1953: Winston Churchill knighted
Winston Churchill knighted
- 25 Apr 1953: DNA
Francis Crick and James D Watson publish the double helix structure of DNA
- 2 Jun 1953: Elizabeth II
Coronation of Elizabeth II
- 26 Sep 1953: Sugar rationing ends
Sugar rationing ends in Britain (after nearly 14 years)
|
| 17 | 1954 | - 1954: Comprehensive school
First comprehensive school opens in London
- 1954: Routemaster bus
Routemaster bus starts operating in London
- 1954: Transistor radios
First transistor radios sold
- 6 May 1954: Roger Bannister
First sub 4 minute mile (Roger Bannister, 3 mins 59.4 secs)
- 3 Jul 1954: Food rationing
Food rationing officially ends in Britain
- 5 Jul 1954: first television news bulletin
BBC broadcasts its first television news bulletin
- 30 Sep 1954: USS Nautilus
First atomic powered sumbmarine USS Nautilus commissioned
|
| 18 | 1955 | - 1955: Self-grip wrench
'Mole' self-grip wrench patented by Thomas Coughtrie of Mole & Sons
- 27 Jul 1955: Allied occupation of Austria ends
Jul 27: Allied occupation of Austria (after WW2) ends
- 22 Sep 1955: Commercial TV
Commercial TV starts in Britain
|
| 19 | 1956 | - 1956: First nuclear power station
Britain constructs world's first large-scale nuclear power station in Cumberland
- 1 Mar 1956: Radiotelephony spelling alphabet
Radiotelephony spelling alphabet introduced (Alpha, Bravo, etc)
- 17 Apr 1956: Premium Bonds
Premium Bonds first launched - first prizes drawn on 1 Jun 1957
- 3 Jun 1956: 3rd class travel
3rd class travel abolished on British Railways (renamed 'Third Class' as 'Second Class', which had been abolished in 1875 leaving just First and Third Class)
- 31 Oct 1956: Suez Crisis
Britain and France invade Suez
|
| 20 | 1957 | - 1957: Parking meters
Britain introduces parking meters
- 1957: Helvetica
Helvetica typeface developed (in Switzerland)
- 11 Jan 1957: Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan becomes Prime Minister
- 14 May 1957: Petrol rationing
Post-Suez petrol rationing ends
- 15 May 1957: British hydrogen bomb
Britain explodes her first hydrogen bomb, at Christmas Island
- 25 May 1957: Treaty of Rome
Treaty of Rome to create European Economic Community (EEC) of six countries: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg - became operational Jan 1958
- 4 Dec 1957: Lewisham rail disaster
Lewisham rail disaster - 90 killed as two trains collide in thick fog and a viaduct collapses on top of them
- 25 Dec 1957: Christmas TV broadcast
Queen's first Christmas TV broadcast
|
| 21 | 1958 | - 1958: Anti-nuclear protest
Easter: First anti-nuclear protest march to Aldermaston (emergence of CND)
- 1958: Rise of Computers
Computers begin to be used in research, industry and commerce
- 1958: ICBM
USA begins to produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)
- 13 May 1958: Velcro
Velcro trade mark registered
- 26 Jul 1958: Prince of Wales
Prince Charles' Investiture as 'Prince of Wales'
- 5 Dec 1958: Subscriber Trunk Dialling
Inauguration of Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) in Britain (completed in 1979)
- 5 Dec 1958: Preston by-pass opens
Preston by-pass opens - UK's first stretch of motorway
|
| 22 | 1959 | - 3 Feb 1959: The Day The Music Died
'The Day The Music Died' - plane crash kills Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and
The Big Bopper
- 24 May 1959: Commonwealth Day
Empire Day becomes Commonwealth Day
- Aug 1959: Mini
BMC Mini car launched
- 3 Oct 1959: Postcodes introduced
Postcodes introduced in Britain
- 1 Nov 1959: M1 motorway
First section of M1 motorway opened
|
| 23 | 1960 | - 17 Mar 1960: New Pound Notes
New £1 notes issued by Bank of England
- 18 Mar 1960: Last steam locomotive
Last steam locomotive of British Railways named 'Evening Star'
- 21 Jul 1960: Francis Chichester
Francis Chichester arrives in New York aboard Gypsy Moth II (took 40 days),
winning the first single-handed transatlantic yacht race which he co-founded
- 12 Sep 1960: MoT tests
MoT tests on motor vehicles introduced
- 1 Oct 1960: HMS Dreadnought
HMS 'Dreadnought' the Royal Navy's 1st nuclear submarine launched
- 2 Nov 1960: Lady Chatterley's Lover
Penguin Books found not guilty of obscenity in the 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' case
|
| 24 | 1961 | - 1 Jan 1961: Farthing
Farthing ceases to be legal tender in UK
- 13 Mar 1961: £5 notes
Black & White £5 notes cease to be legal tender
- 14 Mar 1961: New English Bible
New English Bible (New Testament) published
- 1 May 1961: Betting shops
Betting shops legal in Britain
|
| 25 | 1962 | - 1962: Commonwealth Immigrants Act
Britain passes Commonwealth Immigrants Act to control immigration
- 1962: Thalidomide
Thalidomide withdrawn after it causes deformities in babies
- 1962: Concorde
Britain and France agree to construct 'Concorde'
- 25 May 1962: Coventry Cathedral
Consecration of new Coventry Cathedral (old destroyed in WW2 blitz)
- 15 Jun 1962: Berkeley Power Station
First nuclear generated electricity to supplied National Grid (from Berkeley Glos)
- Jul 1962: Hovercraft
First passenger-carrying hovercraft enters service, along the North Wales Coast from Moreton to Rhyl
- 10 Jul 1962: Telstar
First TV transmission between US and Europe (Telstar) - first live broadcast on 23 Jul
- 24 Oct 1962: Cuba missile crisis
Cuba missile crisis - brink of nuclear war
|
| 26 | 1963 | - 1963: EEC
France vetoes Britain's entry into EEC
- Jan 1963: Cold weather
Cold weather forces cancellation of most football matches (only 4 English First Division matches in the month) - the first 'pools panel' created
- 27 Mar 1963: Beeching Axe
Richard Beeching Report on British Railways - 'The Reshaping of British Railways' published (the 'Beeching Axe')
- 1 Aug 1963: Minimum prison age
Minimum prison age raised to 17
- 8 Aug 1963: Great Train Robbery
'Great Train Robbery' on Glasgow to London mail train at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. £2.6 Million stolen
- 17 Sep 1963: Fylingdales
Fylingdales (Yorkshire) early warning radar system operational
- 18 Nov 1963: Dartford Tunnel
Dartford Tunnel opens
- 23 Nov 1963: Dr Who
First episode of 'Dr Who' on BBC TV
|
| 27 | 1964 | - 1 Jan 1964: Top of the Pops
First 'Top of the Pops' on BBC TV
- 9 Apr 1964: GLC
First Greater London Council (GLC) election
- 21 Apr 1964: BBC 2
BBC2 TV launched
- 22 Aug 1964: Match of the Day
'Match of the Day' starts on BBC2
- 4 Sep 1964: Forth road bridge
Forth road bridge opens
|
| 28 | 1965 | - 1965: Race Relations Act
Britain enacts first Race Relations Act
- 7 Feb 1965: North Vietnam
First US raids against North Vietnam
- 7 Apr 1965: Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill dies
- 1 Aug 1965: Cigarette advertising
TV cigarette advertising banned in Britain
- 8 Oct 1965: Post Office Tower
Post Office Tower operational in London
- 28 Oct 1965: Death penalty
Death penalty for murder suspended in Britain for five-year trial period, then
abolished 18 Dec 1969
- 22 Dec 1965: 70mph speed limit
70mph speed limit introduced on British roads
|
| 29 | 1966 | - 14 Feb 1966: Australia currency
Australia converts from £ to $
- 3 May 1966: The Times
'The Times' begins to print news on its front page in place of classified
Advertisements
- 30 Jul 1966: World Cup
World Cup won by England at Wembley (4-2 in extra time v West Germany)
- 8 Sep 1966: Severn road bridge
First Severn road bridge opens
- 21 Oct 1966: Aberfan disaster
Aberfan disaster - colliery slag heap slip kills 144, incl. 116 children
- 1 Dec 1966: Stamps
First Christmas stamps issued in Britain
|
| 30 | 1967 | - 4 Jan 1967: Donald Campbell
Donald Campbell dies attempting to break his world water speed record on
Conniston Water - his body and Bluebird recovered in 2002
- 18 Mar 1967: Torrey Canyon
'Torrey Canyon' oil tanker runs aground off Lands End first major oil spill
- 28 May 1967: Francis Chichester
Francis Chichester arrives in Plymouth after solo circumnavigation in Gipsy Moth IV (he was knighted 7th July at Greenwich by the queen using the sword with which Elizabeth I had knighted Sir Francis Drake four centuries earlier
- 27 Jun 1967: ATM
First withdrawal from a cash dispenser (ATM) in Britain - at Enfield branch of Barclays
- 1 Jul 1967: TV
First colour TV in Britain
- 14 Aug 1967: Pirate Radio
Offshore pirate radio stations declared illegal by the UK
- 20 Sep 1967: QE2
'QE2' launched on Clydebank
- 27 Sep 1967: RMS Queen Mary
'Queen Mary' arrives Southampton at end of her last transatlantic voyage
- 30 Sep 1967: BBC Radio
BBC Radios 1 2 3 & 4 open first record played on Radio 1 was the controversial 'Flowers in the Rain' by 'The Move'
- 5 Oct 1967: Majority Verdicts
Introduction of majority verdicts in English courts
|
| 31 | 1968 | - 18 Feb 1968: BST
British Standard Time introduced - Summer Time became permanent but arguments prevailed and Britain reverted to GMT in October 1971
- 18 Apr 1968: London Bridge
London Bridge sold (and eventually moved to Arizona) - modern London Bridge, built around it as it was demolished, was opened in Mar 1973
- 20 Apr 1968: Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell 'Rivers of Blood' speech on immigration
- 23 Apr 1968: Decimal Coins
Issue of 5p and 10p decimal coins in Britain
- 29 May 1968: Manchester United
Manchester United first English club to win the European Cup
- 11 Aug 1968: Steam Trains
Last steam passenger train service ran in Britain (Carlisle- Liverpool)
- 16 Sep 1968: Royal Mail
Two-tier postal rate starts in Britain
- 5 Oct 1968: The Troubles
Beginning of disturbances in N Ireland
|
| 32 | 1969 | - 2 Mar 1969: Concorde
Maiden flight of 'Concorde', at Toulouse
- 7 Mar 1969: Victoria Line
Victoria Line tube opens in London
- 17 Apr 1969: Voting age
Voting age lowered from 21 to 18
- 2 May 1969: RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Maiden voyage of liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2)
- 31 Jul 1969: Halfpenny
Halfpenny ceases to be legal tender in Britain
- 14 Aug 1969: Civil disturbances
Civil disturbances in Ulster - Britain sends troops to support civil authorities
- 7 Sep 1969: Monty Python's Flying Circus
First episode of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' recorded
- 14 Oct 1969: 50p coin
50p coin introduced in Britain (reduced in size 1998)
|
| 33 | 1970 | - 1970: Boeing 747
Boeing 747 (Jumbo jet) goes into service
- 17 Jun 1970: Decimal postage stamps
Decimal postage stamps first issued for sale in Britain
- 19 Jun 1970: Edward Heath
Edward Heath becomes Prime Minister
- 30 Jul 1970: Thalidomide
Damages awarded to Thalidomide victims
- 19 Sep 1970: Glastonbury
First Glastonbury Festival held
- 20 Nov 1970: Ten shilling note
Ten shilling note (50p after decimalisation) goes out of circulation in Britain
|
| 34 | 1971 | - 1971: Banking and Financial Dealings Act
Banking and Financial Dealings Act - replaced the Bank Holidays Act of 1871
- 1971: Sunday becomes the seventh day in the week
Sunday becomes the seventh day in the week as UK adopts decision of the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) to call Monday the first day
- 1971: Greenpeace
'Greenpeace' founded
- 1971: Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce declared bankrupt
- 3 Jan 1971: Open University
Open University starts
- 15 Feb 1971: Decimalisation
Decimalisation of coinage in UK and Republic of Ireland
- 9 Aug 1971: Internment
Internment without trial introduced in N Ireland
- 28 Oct 1971: Common Market
Parliament votes to join Common Market (joined 1973)
- 28 Oct 1971: UK launches its first satellite
UK launches its first (and only) satellite, Prospero on the Black Arrow rocket
|
| 35 | 1972 | - 1972: Northern Ireland
Britain imposes direct rule in Northern Ireland
- 1972: Anti-hijack measures
Strict anti-hijack measures introduced internationally, especially at airports
- 1972: Dutch Elm disease
Dutch Elm disease devastates trees across UK
- 1972: VCR
Domestic video cassette recorders introduced
- 30 Jan 1972: Bloody Sunday
'Bloody Sunday' in Londonderry, Northern Ireland
- 28 May 1972: Duke of Windsor
Duke of Windsor (ex-King Edward VIII) dies in Paris
|
| 36 | 1973 | - 1 Jan 1973: Britain enters Common Market
Britain enters EEC Common Market (with Ireland and Denmark)
- 17 Mar 1973: London Bridge
Modern London Bridge opened by the Queen
- 1 Apr 1973: VAT
VAT introduced in Britain
- 26 Sep 1973: Concorde
Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking
time
- 14 Oct 1973: Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips
Marriage of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey
- 31 Dec 1973—9 Mar 1974: Three-day week
Miners strike and oil crisis precipitate 'three-day week' (till 9 Mar 1974) to
conserve power
|
| 37 | 1974 | - 1974: New counties formed
New counties formed in Britain after re-organisation of some county boundaries
- 1 Jun 1974: Flixborough disaster
Flixborough disaster: explosion at chemical plant kills 28 people
- 7 Nov 1974: Lord Lucan
Lord Lucan disappears
- 21 Nov 1974: IRA
Birmingham pub bombings by the IRA
|
| 38 | 1975 | - 1975: Unemployment
Unemployment in Britain rises above 1M for first time since before WW2
- 11 Feb 1975: Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher becomes leader of Conservative party (in opposition)
- 28 Feb 1975: Moorgate tube crash
Moorgate tube crash in London - over 43 deaths, greatest loss of life on the
Underground in peacetime. The cause of the incident was never conclusively determined
- 4 Mar 1975: Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin knighted
- 5 Jun 1975: Referendum
UK votes in a referendum to stay in the European Community
- 29 Oct 1975: Yorkshire Ripper
'Yorkshire Ripper' commits his first murder
- 3 Nov 1975: North Sea oil
First North Sea oil comes ashore
- 29 Nov 1975: Bill Gates
The name 'Micro-soft' coined by Bill Gates ('Microsoft' became a Trademark the
following year)
- 27 Dec 1975: Equal Pay Act
Equal Pay Act and Sex Discrimination Act come into force
|
| 39 | 1976 | - 1976: Cod War
'Cod War' between Britain and Iceland
- 1976: Deaths exceeded live births
Deaths exceeded live births in England & Wales for first time since records began in 1837
- 1976: National Theatre
National Theatre opens in London
- 21 Jan 1976: Concorde
Concorde enters supersonic passenger service
- 1 Apr 1976: Apple Computer
Apple Computer formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
- 5 Apr 1976: James Callaghan
James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister
- 6 Aug 1976: Drought Act
Drought Act 1976 comes into force during the long, hot summer
|
| 40 | 1977 | - 2 Mar 1977: Red Rum
'Red Rum' wins a third Grand National
- 25 May 1977: Star Wars
George Lucas' film Star Wars' released
- 5 Jun 1977: Apple II
Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale
- 7 Jun 1977: Queen's Silver Jubilee
Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in London
- 22 Nov 1977: Concorde
Regular supersonic Concorde service between London and NY inaugurated
|
| 41 | 1978 | - 8 Apr 1978: Parliament broadcasts
Regular broadcast of proceedings in Parliament starts
- 1 May 1978: First May Day holiday
First May Day holiday in Britain
- 25 Jul 1978: First 'test tube' baby
World's first 'test tube' baby, Louise Browne born in Oldham
- 30 Nov 1978: The Times
Publication of The Times suspended - industrial relations problems (until 13
Nov 1979)
|
| 42 | 1979 | - 14 Feb 1979: HMS Ark Royal IV
HMS Ark Royal, the fourth ship to bear the name and Britain's last conventional fixed-wing aircraft carrier, is decommissioned
- 1 Mar 1979: Devolution
32.5% of Scots vote in favor of devolution (40% needed) - Welsh vote overwhelmingly against
- 30 Mar 1979: Airey Neave
Airey Neave killed by a car bomb at Westminster
- 31 Mar 1979: Malta
Withdrawal of the Royal Navy from Malta
- 4 May 1979: Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman UK Prime Minister
- 1 Jul 1979: Sony Walkman
Sony introduces the Walkman
- 27 Aug 1979: Lord Mountbatten
Lord Mountbatten and 3 others killed in IRA bomb blast off coast of Sligo, Ireland
- 18 Sep 1979: Corporal punishment
ILEA (Inner London Education Authority) votes to abolish corporal punishment in its schools
|
| 43 | 1980 | - 5 May 1980: Iranian Embassy
SAS storm Iranian Embassy in London to free hostages
- 8 Dec 1980: John Lennon
John Lennon assassinated in New York
|
| 44 | 1981 | - 25 Jan 1981: SDP Launched
Launch of SDP by 'Gang of Four' in Britain
- 29 Mar 1981: London marathon
First London marathon run
- 11 Apr 1981: Brixton riots
Brixton riots in South London - 30 other British cities also experience riots
- 25 Apr 1981: April blizzards
Worst April blizzards this century in Britain
- 27 Apr 1981: Computer mouse
First use of computer mouse (by Xerox PARC systems)
- 2 Jun 1981: HMS Ark Royal V
The 3rd and final member of the Invincible class light aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal, is launched by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother at Swan Hunter on the Tyne.
- 29 Jul 1981: Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (divorced 28 Aug 1996)
- 12 Aug 1981: IBM
IBM launches the first PC
|
| 45 | 1982 | - 26 Jan 1982: Unemployment
Unemployment reached 3 million in Britain (1 in 8 of working population)
- 5 Feb 1982: Laker Airways
Laker Airways collapses
- 19 Feb 1982: DeLorean
DeLorean Car factory in Belfast goes into receivership
- 18 Mar 1982: South Georgia
Argentinians raised flag in South Georgia
- 2 Apr 1982: Falkland (Malvinas) Islands
Argentina invades Falkland (Malvinas) Islands
- 5 Apr 1982: Royal Navy Taskforce
Royal Navy fleet sails from Portsmouth for Falklands
- 2 May 1982: ARA General Belgrano
British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks Argentine cruiser General Belgrano
- 28 May 1982: Goose Green
First land battle in Falklands (Goose Green). 2Para take the settlement despite loss of their CO Lt Col H Jones
- 14 Jun 1982: Ceasefire in Falklands
Ceasefire in Falklands
- 21 Jun 1982: Prince William
Prince William is born
- 20 Jul 1982: IRA bombings
IRA bombings in London (Hyde Park and Regents Park)
- 19 Sep 1982: Smiley emoticon :-)
Smiley emoticon :-) said to have been used for the first time
- 11 Oct 1982: Mary Rose
Mary Rose raised in the Solent (sank in 1545)
- 31 Oct 1982: Thames Barrier
Thames Barrier raised for first time (some say first public demonstration Nov 7)
- 2 Nov 1982: Channel 4
Channel 4 TV station launched - first programme 'Countdown'
- 4 Nov 1982: 38 tonnes lorries
Lorries up to 38 tonnes allowed on Britain's roads
- 12 Dec 1982: Greenham Common
Women's peace protest at Greenham Common (Cruise missiles arrived 14 Nov 1983)
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| 46 | 1983 | - 1983: Dame Mary Donaldson
First female Lord Mayor of London elected (Dame Mary Donaldson)
- 17 Jan 1983: Breakfast TV
Start of breakfast TV in Britain
- 31 Jan 1983: Seat belt law
Seat belt law comes into force
- 21 Apr 1983: One Pound Coin
£1 coin into circulation in Britain
- 7 Oct 1983: GLC
Plans to abolish GLC announced
- 26 Nov 1983: Brinks Mat
Brinks Mat robbery: 6,800 gold bars worth nearly £26 million are stolen from a
vault at Heathrow Airport
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| 47 | 1984 | - 6 Mar 1984: Miners strike
Miners strike begins
- 17 Apr 1984: Libyan Embassy
Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher killed by gunfire from the Libyan Embassy in
London
- 22 Jun 1984: Virgin Atlantic
Inaugural flight of Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic
- 9 Jul 1984: York Minster Fire
York Minster struck by lightning - the resulting fire damaged much of the building but the Rose Window' not affected
- 12 Oct 1984: Brighton Bomb
IRA bomb explodes at Tory conference hotel in Brighton - 4 killed
- 24 Oct 1984: Miners' strike
Miners' strike - High Court orders sequestration of NUM assets
- 3 Dec 1984: British Telecom privatised
British Telecom privatised - shares make massive gains on first day's trading
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| 48 | 1985 | - 3 Mar 1985: Miners Strike ends
Miners agree to call off strike
- 11 Mar 1985: Harrods
Al Fayed buys Harrods
- 13 Jul 1985: Live Aid
Live Aid' pop concert raises over £50M for famine relief
- 1 Sep 1985: Titanic found
Wreck of Titanic' found (sank 1912)
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| 49 | 1986 | - 31 Mar 1986: Metropolitan councils abolished
GLC and 6 other metropolitan councils abolished
- 26 Apr 1986: Chernobyl
Chernobyl nuclear accident - radiation reached Britain on 2 May
- 26 May 1986: European flag
The European Community adopts the European flag
- 23 Jul 1986: Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson
Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey
- 27 Oct 1986: London Stock Market
'Big Bang' (deregulation) of the London Stock Market
- 29 Oct 1986: M25
M25 motorway ring around London completed
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| 50 | 1987 | - 1987: World population
World population crossed the 5 billion mark
- 2 Feb 1987: Terry Waite kidnapped
Terry Waite kidnapped in Beirut (released 17 Nov 1991)
- 6 Mar 1987: Herald of Free Enterprise
Car ferry 'Herald of Free Enterprise' capsizes off Zeebrugge - 188 die
- 1 Jul 1987: Channel Tunnel
Excavation begins on the Channel Tunnel
- 19 Aug 1987: Hungerford Massacre
Hungerford Massacre - Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a rifle
- 16 Oct 1987: October Hurricane
The 'Hurricane' sweeps southern England
- 19 Oct 1987: Black Monday
'Black Monday' in the City of London - Stock Market crash
- 8 Nov 1987: Enniskillen bombing
Enniskillen bombing at a Remembrance Day ceremony
- 18 Nov 1987: King's Cross fire
King's Cross fire in London - 31 people die
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| 51 | 1988 | - 5 Feb 1988: First 'Red Nose Day'
First 'Red Nose Day' in UK, raising money for charity
- 6 Jul 1988: Piper Alpha disaster
Piper Alpha disaster - North Sea oil platform destroyed by explosion and fire
killing 167 men
- 15 Nov 1988: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act - reformulated the statutory basis of
copyright law (including performing rights) in the UK
- 12 Dec 1988: Clapham Junction rail crash
Clapham Junction rail crash kills 35 and injures hundreds after two collisions of
three commuter trains
- 21 Dec 1988: Lockerbie disaster
Lockerbie disaster - Pan Am flight 103 explodes over Scotland
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1938 - 1988 (50 years)