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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 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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| 2 | 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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| 3 | 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
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| 4 | 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
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| 5 | 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
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| 6 | 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'
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| 7 | 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)
|
| 8 | 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
|
| 9 | 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
|
| 10 | 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
|
| 11 | 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.
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| 12 | 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
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| 13 | 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
|
| 14 | 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
|
| 15 | 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)
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| 16 | 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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| 17 | 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.
|
| 18 | 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
|
| 19 | 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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| 20 | 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
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| 21 | 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)
|
| 22 | 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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| 23 | 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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| 24 | 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
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| 25 | 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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| 26 | 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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| 27 | 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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| 28 | 2016 | - 23 Jun 2016: United Kingdom European Union membership referendum
The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, also known as the EU referendum and the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the people if they wanted the country either to remain a member of or to leave the European Union (EU) under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 and also the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The referendum resulted in 51.9% of voters being in favour of leaving the EU. Although legally the referendum was non-binding, the government of that time had promised to implement the result, and it initiated the official EU withdrawal process on 29 March 2017, meaning that the UK is due to leave the EU on 30 March 2019, after a period of Brexit negotiations.
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| 29 | 2017 | - 8 Jun 2017: UK General Election
The 2017 United Kingdom general election took place on Thursday 8 June 2017, having been called just under two months earlier by Prime Minister Theresa May on 18 April 2017 after it was discussed in cabinet. Each of the 650 constituencies elected one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons. The governing Conservative Party remained the largest single party in the House of Commons but lost its majority, resulting in the formation of a minority government with a confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland
- 14 Jun 2017: Grenfell Tower fire
On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London just before 1:00 am BST; it caused 72 deaths, including those of two victims who later died in hospital. More than 70 others were injured and 223 people escaped. It was the deadliest structural fire in the United Kingdom since the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster and the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War. The fire is under public inquiry, police investigations and coroner's inquest
- 17 Jul 2017: HMS Queen Elizabeth Launched
HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom and capable of carrying up to 60 aircraft. She is named in honour of the first Queen Elizabeth, a renowned World War I era super-dreadnought, which in turn was named after Queen Elizabeth I. The new Queen Elizabeth will carry her namesake's honours, as well as her Tudor rose-adorned crest and motto
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| 30 | 2019 | - 18 Mar 2019: BREXIT
The Speaker, John Bercow, quoting a parliamentary rule dating back to 1604, declares that a third "meaningful vote" on the Brexit deal cannot proceed unless it contains substantial changes. Ministers warn of a "constitutional crisis", with just eleven days until the UK is due to leave the EU
- 11 Apr 2019: WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange is arrested after seven years of living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London
- 1 May 2019: Fiona Onasanya
Peterborough Member of Parliament Fiona Onasanya becomes the first MP to be removed by a recall petition after 19,261 of her constituents voted for her to be removed from office. Onasanya's recall petition had been automatically triggered as a result of her conviction for perverting the course of justice, an offence for which she was imprisoned in January
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| 31 | 2020 | - 17 Jan 2020: Derek Fowlds
Derek Fowlds, 82, actor (Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister, Heartbeat) dies
- 23 Mar 2020: COVID
In a televised address, Boris Johnson announces a UK-wide lockdown with immediate effect, to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2. People can leave their homes only for "very limited purposes" – shopping for basic necessities; for one form of exercise a day; for any medical need; and to travel to and from work when "absolutely necessary". A number of other restrictions are imposed, with police given powers to enforce the measures, including the use of fines.
- 4 Apr 2020: Labour Party
Labour Party leadership election: Keir Starmer is elected as the leader of the Labour Party, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn, and Angela Rayner is elected as deputy leader of the party.
- 1 Aug 2020: TV Licence
The BBC ends free television licensing for the over-75s.
- 7 Aug 2020: Weather
The UK has its hottest August day in 17 years, with temperatures surpassing 36 °C in south-east England.
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| 32 | 2021 | - Mar 2021: Weather
The UK experiences its second warmest March day on record, with temperatures of 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) in Kew Gardens, the highest since 1968
- 1 Jul 2021: Princess Diana
Prince William and Prince Harry unveil a statue of their mother, Princess Diana at Kensington Palace
- 21 Jul 2021: Liverpool
Liverpool is stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage status after developments along the city's waterfront
- 15 Sep 2021: AUKUS
A trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States is formed, to counter the influence of China. This includes enabling Australia to build its first nuclear-powered submarine fleet
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| 33 | 2022 | - 24 Feb 2022: Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has likely resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with an estimated 8 million people being displaced within the country by late May as well as 7.7 million Ukrainians fleeing the country as of 18 October 2022. Within five weeks of the invasion, Russia experienced its greatest emigration since the 1917 October Revolution. The invasion has also caused global food shortages.
- 6 Sep 2022: Liz Truss
Liz Truss becomes Prime Minster of the United Kningdom, after the resignation of Boris Johnson.
- 8 Sep 2022: Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth died in 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, at the age of 96, and was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III. Her state funeral was the first to be held in the United Kingdom since that of Winston Churchill in 1965.
- 24 Oct 2022: Liz Truss
Truss defeated Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership election to succeed Johnson, who resigned amid a government crisis. Appointed prime minister by Elizabeth II two days before her death, Truss oversaw the Queen's state funeral, the largest ever security operation in the UK. To tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis and energy supply crisis, her government announced the Energy Price Guarantee to limit energy prices for households, businesses and public-sector organisations. Truss's government announced large-scale borrowing and tax cuts in a mini-budget. The mini-budget was widely criticised and largely reversed, having led to financial instability. Facing mounting criticism and loss of confidence in her leadership, Truss announced her resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party; Sunak was elected unopposed as her successor, and replaced her as prime minister.
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1987 - 