| |
Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 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
|
| 2 | 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
|
| 3 | 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
|
| 4 | 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
|
| 5 | 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
|
| 6 | 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
|
| 7 | 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)
|
| 8 | 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
|
| 9 | 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
|
| 10 | 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
|
| 11 | 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)
|
| 12 | 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
|
| 13 | 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
|
| 14 | 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)
|
| 15 | 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
|
| 16 | 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
|
| 17 | 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
|
| 18 | 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
|
| 19 | 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
|
| 20 | 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
|
| 21 | 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'
|
| 22 | 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)
|
| 23 | 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
|
| 24 | 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
|
1972 - 1995 (22 years)