1969 in the United Kingdom explained
Events from the year 1969 in the United Kingdom. The year is dominated by the beginnings of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Incumbents
Events
January
February
March
April
May
June
- 7 June – Rock supergroup Blind Faith plays its first gig in front of 100,000 people in London's Hyde Park.
- 14 June – The black horse Burmese, ridden by the Queen, makes her first appearance at Trooping the Colour; the horse will continue in this role until 1986.
- 21 June
- The showing of television documentary The Royal Family, attracted more than 30,600,000 viewers, more than half of the entire UK population at the time, an all-time British record for a non-current event programme.[25]
- Patrick Troughton makes his final appearance as the Second Doctor in Doctor Who in the final episode of The War Games which is also the last episode to be recorded in black and white.
- 24 June – After the 1969 Rhodesian constitutional referendum votes in favour of becoming a Republic, the Governor of Southern Rhodesia Sir Humphrey Gibbs leaves Government House, severing Rhodesia's last diplomatic relationship with the United Kingdom.
- 30 June – Two members of the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed when a bomb they are planting outside government offices in Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events explodes prematurely.[26]
July
August
September
- 11 September – The housing charity Shelter releases a report claiming that there are up to 3,000,000 people in need of rehousing due to poor living conditions.[35]
- 16 September – Iconic 1960s fashion store Biba reopens on Kensington High Street.[11]
- 21 September – Police evicts squatters of the London Street Commune from 144 Piccadilly.[36]
- 26 September – The Beatles release their Abbey Road album which is an enormous commercial success and, although receiving mixed reviews at this time, comes to be viewed by many as the group's best.
- 28 September – The National Trust acquires ownership of the island of Lundy.
October
November
December
Undated
- Golden eagles are found to be nesting in England for the first time in modern history, at Haweswater in the Lake District.[46]
- Completion of the Castle Vale estate in Birmingham, the largest postwar housing estate in the United Kingdom. The new estate predominantly consists of council housing, including 34 tower blocks – the largest number on any single British housing estate. The first residents moved onto Castle Vale in 1964 when the first houses and flats were completed.[47]
Publications
Births
January – March
- 1 January - Nicholas Gleaves, actor and playwright
- 4 January – Mary Macleod, lawyer and politician
- 12 January – David Mitchell, English author[48]
- 13 January – Stephen Hendry, Scottish snooker player
- 22 January – Olivia d'Abo, English actress
- 5 February – Michael Sheen, Welsh actor
- 6 February – Tim Sherwood, English football player and manager
- 19 February – Stewart Faulkner, English long jumper
- 20 February – Robin Ince, English comedian and writer
- 21 February – James Dean Bradfield, Welsh musician (Manic Street Preachers)
- 1 March – Dafydd Ieuan, Welsh drummer (Super Furry Animals)
- 5 March - Paul Blackthorne, English actor
- 20 March - Yvette Cooper, politician
- March – Jez Butterworth, dramatist and screenwriter
April – June
- 4 April – Karren Brady, English sporting business executive
- 9 April
- 22 April – Dion Dublin, football player and commentator
- 26 April – Kate Hardie, actress, director and screenwriter
- 27 April
- 6 May – Jim Magilton, Northern Irish footballer
- 21 May – Martin Harris, English backstroke swimmer
- 25 May – Dominic Mohan, journalist
- June – Emma Walmsley, English business executive
- 2 June
- 16 June – Shami Chakrabarti, politician and human rights activist
- 22 June – Simon Taylor, English graphic artist
July – September
- 26 July – Tanni Grey-Thompson, British Paralympian
- 1 August – Graham Thorpe, English cricketer (suicide 2024)
- 4 August – Jojo Moyes, English romance novelist
- 7 August – Domino Harvey, British bounty hunter (died 2005)
- 11 August – Ashley Jensen, Scottish actress
- 29 August – Joe Swail, Northern Irish snooker player
- 4 September – James Cleverly, English politician
- 20 September – Jo Jennings, English high jumper
- 22 September – Sue Perkins, English comedy performer
- 25 September – Catherine Zeta-Jones, Welsh actress
- 26 September – Paul Warhurst, English football player
- 28 September – Angus Robertson, Scottish politician
October – December
- 9 October
- 15 October – Dominic West, English actor
- 16 October – Suzanne Virdee, BBC newsreader
- 1 November – Diane Parish, actress
- 13 November – Gerard Butler, Scottish actor[49]
- 19 November – Michael Lee, English rock drummer (died 2008)
- 3 December – Bill Steer, musician
- 5 December
- Sajid Javid, English Conservative politician and Cabinet minister
- Catherine Tate, actress and comedian
- 7 December - Amanda King
- 11 December – Phil Spencer, TV personality
- 12 December – Rodney P (Panton), MC, "godfather of British hip hop"
- 18 December – Irvin Duguid, Scottish rock keyboard player (Stiltskin)
- 19 December – Richard Hammond, English TV presenter
- 22 December – Mark Robins, football player and manager
- 24 December
- 30 December – Jay Kay, English jazz-funk singer-songwriter (Jamiroquai)
Deaths
January – March
April – June
- 4 May – Sir Osbert Sitwell, English writer (born 1892)
- 23 May – Sir Owen Williams, civil engineer (born 1890)
- 22 June – Judy Garland, American film actress and singer (born 1922)[51]
July – September
October – December
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: 1968 and 1969: The Space Hopper in Britain. Andy. Spacehopper. 2 September 2006. 2010-09-09.
- News: 1969: Murdoch wins Fleet Street foothold. BBC News. 2008-02-11. 2 January 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307123005/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/2/newsid_2492000/2492157.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- News: 1969: Civil rights protesters defiant. BBC News. 2008-02-11. 10 January 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307122840/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/10/newsid_2518000/2518541.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- News: 1969: Matt Busby retires from Man United. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 14 January 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080117111940/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/14/newsid_3334000/3334059.stm. 17 January 2008 . live.
- News: Barbara Castle: Labour's red queen. BBC News. 3 May 2002. 1 October 2010.
- News: Jack. Straw. Jack Straw. New Statesman. Socialism's first lady. 28 July 2003. 1 October 2010.
- Book: Marr, Andrew. Andrew Marr. A History of Modern Britain. London. Macmillan. 2007. 978-1-4050-0538-8. 308–11.
- News: 1969: LSE closes over student clashes. BBC News. 2008-02-11. 24 January 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080128025720/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/24/newsid_2506000/2506485.stm. 28 January 2008 . live.
- Web site: Ford Capri Mk 1 and Mk 1 Facelift. Retro Car Icons. 2014-03-03.
- News: 1969: Rebel students take over LSE. BBC News. 2008-02-11. 27 January 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080130145451/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/27/newsid_2506000/2506255.stm. 30 January 2008 . live.
- Book: Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 0-14-102715-0. 2006.
- News: 1969: Lulu ties knot with Bee Gee. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 18 February 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080101095647/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/18/newsid_2550000/2550641.stm. 1 January 2008 . live.
- Web site: B&Q Online: From Kitchens & Bathrooms to Sheds & Paving; plus planning tools. 23 January 2011 . 18 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110718094218/http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/templates/content_lookup.jsp?content=%2Faboutbandq%2F2004%2Fcompany_information%2Fhistory_brief.jsp&menu=default. dead.
- News: Fear of diy-ing. The Guardian. London. Miranda. Sawyer. 17 July 2004. 2010-04-26.
- News: 1969: Kray twins guilty of McVitie murder. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 4 March 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20071227225232/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/4/newsid_2515000/2515103.stm. 27 December 2007. live.
- News: The Times. London. 6 March 1969. 1. 57502. Clive. Borrell. At least 30 years' gaol for the Kray twins.
- Book: Mayland, Jean. https://books.google.com/books?id=xBCH2wXyjmsC&dq=Catherine+McConnachie+Presbytery+of+Aberdeen&pg=PA33. In Good Company: Women in the Ministry. MacLeod, Iain Orr. Pilgrimage to Priesthood and Beyond. Glasgow. Wild Goose. 1-901557-15-4. 1999. 33. 1 February 2011 .
- News: 1969: Sikh busmen win turban fight. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 9 April 1969.
- The Times . 16 April 1969 . 25.
- Book: Halsey, A. H.. British Social Trends since 1900. 1988. Springer. 9781349194667. 298. A. H. Halsey.
- AROnline .
- Web site: 1969: Manchester City. The FA Cup. 2011-11-12. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100415223938/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1969.htm. 15 April 2010.
- Web site: 28 April 1969 - Liverpool 0 Leeds United 0. The Mighty Mighty Whites: the definitive history of Leeds United. 2011-11-12.
- News: The World's Top Twenty Films. The Sunday Times. London. 1970-09-27. 27.
- Web site: June anniversaries. The BBC Story. BBC. 2011-03-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20110128104134/http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/great_moments/archive/june.shtml. 28 January 2011. live.
- Web site: 'Militants' key role in coming of devolution left ignored deliberately'. Martin. Shipton. WalesOnline. 20 November 2008. 2010-07-22.
- Web site: John Lennon crashes his car in Scotland. The Beatles Bible. 1969-07-01. 2013-10-24.
- Book: Johnson, Peter. The Guinness Book of Yachting Facts and Feats. Enfield. Guinness Superlatives. 1975. 0-900424-30-3. 173.
- Web site: How Cornish satellite 'Arthur' beamed the historic Moon landing to Europe. Rupert. Evelyn. 2019-07-19. 2019-07-21. ITV.
- News: 1969: Briton freed from Soviet prison. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 24 July 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080103173953/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/24/newsid_2513000/2513233.stm. 3 January 2008. live.
- Web site: Family Law Reform Act 1969.
- Web site: Jack Lynch on the Situation in North. 13 August 1969. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/Y9e-dGwiDM4 . 2021-12-13 . live. YouTube. 2011-09-01.
- News: 1969: British troops sent into Northern Ireland. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 14 August 1969.
- Book: Palmer, Alan. Palmer . Veronica. 1992. The Chronology of British History. Century Ltd. London. 429–430. 0-7126-5616-2.
- News: 1969: Shelter exposes slum homelessness. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 11 September 1969.
- News: 1969: Police storm squat in Piccadilly. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 21 September 1969. https://web.archive.org/web/20080105023353/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/21/newsid_3092000/3092343.stm. 5 January 2008. live.
- News: 1969: Ulster's B Specials to be disbanded. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 10 October 1969.
- News: 1969: New 50-pence coin sparks confusion. BBC News. 2008-01-10. 14 October 1969.
- Web site: The Calgary Herald - Google News Archive Search.
- Web site: Past productions 1963-1970. nationaltheatre.org.uk. National Theatre. 2011-03-15. https://archive.today/20100522033912/http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/8248/past-events/past-productions-19631970.html. 22 May 2010. dead.
- Book: Gross, Nigel. 1960s. etal. HarperCollins. Glasgow. Collins Gem. 1999. 0-00-472310-4.
- Web site: Colour Television Chronology. British TV History. 2010-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20101027003246/http://www.tvhistory.btinternet.co.uk/html/colour_chronology.html. 27 October 2010. dead.
- Web site: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1969. 2008-01-10.
- Web site: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). MI6. 2010-10-05. 9 January 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090109052203/http://www.mi6.co.uk//sections/movies/ohmss.php3. dead.
- Web site: History of Fire Safety. FireNet. 2009. 2011-01-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20101215182743/http://fire.org.uk/history-of-fire-safety.html. 15 December 2010. dead.
- Web site: Haweswater . . 2007-04-04.
- Web site: Archived copy . 2012-09-18 . dead . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121205163858/http%3A//www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/castle%2Dvale . 5 December 2012.
- Book: Walton . Rob . Chase's Calendar of Events 2020: The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months . 24 September 2019 . . 978-1-64143-316-7 . 82 . en.
- Web site: Gerard Butler . https://web.archive.org/web/20160810093723/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bbda95d0c . dead . 10 August 2016 . BFI . 11 February 2022 . en.
- Book: Seed . David . A Companion to Science Fiction . 9 June 2008 . John Wiley & Sons . 978-0-470-79701-3 . 387 . en.
- Web site: Judy Garland remains an enduring legend 50 years after her death . Los Angeles Times . 30 December 2021 . 20 June 2019.
- Book: Lagos . Constantinos . Carr . John . Philip, Prince of Greece: The Duke of Edinburgh's Early Life and the Greek Succession . 30 June 2021 . Pen and Sword History . 978-1-5267-9083-5 . 282 . en.