1976 in the United Kingdom explained
Events from the year 1976 in the United Kingdom. This year is notable for the prolonged drought and subsequent heat wave.
Incumbents
Events
January
- 7 January – Third Cod War: British and Icelandic ships clash at sea.[4]
- 12 January – The best-selling author of crime fiction Agatha Christie dies aged 85 at her home in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.
- 18 January – The Scottish Labour Party is formed as a breakaway from the UK-wide party.
- 20 January – 42-year-old married woman Emily Jackson is stabbed to death in Leeds; it is revealed that she was a part-time prostitute. Police believe she may have been killed by the same man who murdered Wilma McCann in the city three months previously.[5]
- 21 January – The first commercial Concorde flight takes off[6] from Heathrow Airport for Bahrain.
- 29 January – Twelve Provisional Irish Republican Army bombs explode in London's West End.[7]
February
March
April
May
- 1 May – Southampton F.C. win the first major trophy of their 91-year history when a goal from Bobby Stokes gives the Football League Second Division club a surprise 1–0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
- 4 May – Liverpool F.C. clinch their ninth Football League title with a 3–1 away win over relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers, fighting off a close challenge from underdogs Queen's Park Rangers.[16]
- 6 May – Local council elections produce disappointing results for the Labour Party, who win just 15 seats and lose 829 that they had held, compared to the Conservatives who win 1,044 new seats and lose a mere 22. This setback comes despite the party enjoying a narrow lead in the opinion polls under new leader James Callaghan.[17]
- 9 May – 20-year-old Leeds prostitute Marcella Claxton is badly injured in a hammer attack.[18]
- 10 May – Jeremy Thorpe resigns as leader of the Liberal party.[19]
- 19 May
- 27 May – Harold Wilson's Resignation Honours List is published. It controversially awards honours to many wealthy businessmen, and comes to be known satirically as the "Lavender List".
June
- June – British Leyland launches its new Rover SD1, a large rear-wheel drive five-door hatchback featuring a 3.5 V8 Chrysler engine. Smaller engined versions are due next year, when the SD1 completely replaces the Rover P6 and Triumph 2000 ranges.
- 1 June – The UK and Iceland end the Third Cod War, with the UK accepting Iceland's extension of its territorial waters to 200 nautical miles in exchange for defined fishing rights, reducing the agreed take by British trawlers by four fifths.[6]
- 14 June – The trial of multiple murderer Donald Neilson, known as the "Black Panther", begins at Oxford Crown Court; he will be convicted and serve the remainder of his life in prison
- 22 June–16 July – 1976 British Isles heat wave reaches its peak with the temperature attaining 80 °F (26.7 °C) every day of this period. For fifteen consecutive days, 23 June–7 July inclusive, it reaches 90 °F (32.2 °C) in London; and five consecutive days – the first being 26 June – see the temperature exceed 95 °F (35 °C).[21]
- 28 June – In the heatwave, the temperature reaches 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) in Southampton, the highest recorded for June in the UK.
- 29 June – The Seychelles become independent of the UK.[22]
July
- 3 July – The heat wave peaks with temperatures reaching 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) in Cheltenham.
- 7 July – David Steel is elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party.[19]
- 10 July – Three British and one American mercenaries are shot by firing squad in Angola.
- 14 July – Ford launches a new small three-door hatchback, the Fiesta – its first front-wheel drive transverse engined production model – which is similar in concept to the Vauxhall Chevette and German car maker Volkswagen's new Polo. It will be built in several factories across Europe, including the Dagenham plant in Essex (where 3,000 jobs will be created), and continental sales begin later this year, although it will not go on sale in Britain until January 1977.[23]
- 16 July – First of a series of articles by Geraldine Norman in The Times (London) which will expose a number of paintings attributed to Samuel Palmer as the work of Tom Keating,[24] which he does not deny.[25]
- 17 July–1 August – Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete at the Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and win 3 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze medals.
- 21 July – Christopher Ewart-Biggs, new UK ambassador to Ireland, and a civil servant, Judith Cooke, are killed by a Provisional Irish Republican Army landmine at Sandyford, County Dublin.
- 22 July – Dangerous Wild Animals Act requires licences for the keeping of certain animals in captivity.
- 27 July – United Kingdom breaks diplomatic relations with Uganda.
- 29 July – A fire destroys the head of Southend Pier.[26]
August
- August
- 5 August – The Great Clock of Westminster (or Big Ben) suffers internal damage and stops running for over nine months.[6]
- 6 August – John Stonehouse, the last person to have served as Postmaster General, is sentenced to seven years in jail for fraud.
- 14 August – 10,000 Protestant and Catholic women demonstrate for peace in Northern Ireland.
- 30 August – 100 police officers and 60 carnival-goers are injured during riots at the Notting Hill Carnival.[27]
September
October
November
- 12 November – Disappearance of Renee MacRae and her 3-year-old son Andrew from Inverness in Scotland; this becomes Britain's longest-running missing persons case.[37]
- 16 November – The seven perpetrators of an £8,000,000 van robbery at the Bank of America in Mayfair are sentenced to a total of 100 years in jail.[38]
- 22 November – Education Act gives the Secretary of State for Education the power to ask local education authorities to plan for non-selective (i.e. comprehensive) secondary education, put into effect by DES Circulars 11/76 and 12/76 (25 November).[39]
December
- 1 December – Punk rock band the Sex Pistols achieve public notoriety as they say several swear words live on Bill Grundy's ITV show, following the release of their debut single Anarchy in the U.K. on 26 November; Grundy is suspended for inciting them.
- 4 December – The notable composer Benjamin Britten (granted a life peerage in July) dies of heart failure aged 63 at his home in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. On 7 December his funeral takes place at St Peter and St Paul's Church, Aldeburgh, where he is laid to rest.
- 10 December – Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan win the Nobel Peace Prize.[40]
- 15 December – Denis Healey announces to Parliament that he has successfully negotiated a £2,300,000,000 loan for Britain from the International Monetary Fund on condition that £2,500,000,000 is cut from public expenditure; the NHS, education and social benefit sectors are not affected by these cuts.[41]
Undated
- Inflation stands at 16.5% – lower than last year's level, but still one of the highest since records began in 1750.[42] However, at one stage during this year inflation exceeded 24%.[43]
- Opening of Rutland Water, the largest reservoir in England by surface area (1,212 hectares (2,995 acres)).[44]
- First purpose-built (Thai style) Buddhist temple built in Britain, the Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London.[45]
Publications
Births
- 19 January – Marsha Thomason, actress
- 21 January – Emma Bunton, pop singer (Spice Girls)
- 2 February – James Hickman, swimmer
- 4 February – Stevie Knight, wrestler and promoter
- 8 February – Abi Titmuss, television presenter and model
- 10 February – Keeley Hawes, actress
- 20 February – Ed Graham, drummer (The Darkness)
- 29 February – Zoë Baker, UK-New Zealand swimmer and coach
- 22 March – Victoria Atkins, politician
- 23 March – Chris Hoy, Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist[46]
- 10 April – Clare Buckfield, actress
- 15 April – Steve Williams, rower
- 18 April – Sean Maguire, actor and singer
- 19 April – Trudy Harrison, politician
- 29 April – Ana Boulter, television presenter
- 8 May – Ian "H" Watkins, pop singer
- 14 May – Martine McCutcheon, actress and singer
- 21 May – Stuart Bingham, snooker player
- 5 June – Cherilyn Mackrory, politician
- 6 June
- 13 June – Jason "J" Brown, pop musician (5ive)
- 14 June – Alan Carr, comedian and broadcaster
- 16 June – Cian Ciaran, musician
- 23 June – Helen Whately, politician
- 25 June
- 28 June – Lorraine Stanley, actress
- 1 July – Kellie Bright, actress
- 6 July – Chris Philp, politician
- 7 July – Natasha Collins, actress and model (died 2008)
- 8 July – Ellen MacArthur, yachtswoman
- 12 July – Anna Friel, actress
- 13 July
- 14 July – Geraint Jones, cricketer
- 19 July – Benedict Cumberbatch, English actor[47]
- 27 July – Demis Hassabis, AI researcher
- 9 August
- 10 August – Sam Gyimah, politician
- 13 August – Roddy Woomble, musician
- 15 August – Robert Macfarlane, writer
- 1 September – Clare Connor, cricketer
- 6 September
- 11 September – Neil Willey, backstroke swimmer
- 16 September – Tina Barrett, singer (S Club 7)
- 6 October – Lady Victoria Hervey, model and socialite
- 13 October – Jennie Bimson, field hockey player
- 18 October – Emma Hayes, football manager
- 23 October – Cat Deeley, television presenter
- 25 October – Steve Jones, footballer
- 29 October – Stephen Craigan, footballer
- 3 November – Ian Gillespie, former cricketer
- 7 November – Andrew Davies, cricketer
- 13 November – Kelly Sotherton, heptathlete, long jumper and relay runner
- 8 December – Dominic Monaghan, actor
- 12 December – Dan Hawkins, rock guitarist (The Darkness)
- 17 December – Andrew Simpson, competition sailor (died 2013)
- 18 December – Jaime King, breaststroke swimmer
- 20 December – Adam Powell, game designer
- date unknown
Deaths
- 5 January – Mal Evans, Beatles' former roadie and patron of Badfinger (born 1935)
- 12 January – Agatha Christie, detective fiction writer (born 1890)[48]
- 13 January – Margaret Leighton, actress (born 1922)
- 11 February – Charlie Naughton, actor (born 1886)
- 12 February – John Lewis, Marxist philosopher (born 1889)
- 23 February – L. S. Lowry, painter (born 1887)
- 19 March – Paul Kossoff, rock guitarist (Free) (born 1950)
- 24 March
- 22 April – Colin MacInnes, novelist (born 1914)
- 26 April – Sid James, actor and comedian (born 1913 in South Africa)
- 28 April – Richard Hughes, novelist (born 1900)
- 7 May
- 14 May – Keith Relf, musician (The Yardbirds) (born 1943)
- 6 June – David Jacobs, athlete (born 1888)
- 9 June – Dame Sybil Thorndike, actress (born 1882)
- 11 June – Amy Gentry, rower (born 1903)
- 28 June – Sir Stanley Baker, actor (born 1928)
- 5 July – Frank Bellamy, comics artist (born 1917)
- 13 July – Frederick Hawksworth, railway mechanical engineer (born 1884)
- 21 July – Christopher Ewart-Biggs, diplomat, Ambassador to Ireland (murdered by IRA) (born 1921)
- 22 July – Sir Mortimer Wheeler, archaeologist (born 1890)
- 12 August – Tom Driberg, journalist ("William Hickey") and politician (born 1905)
- 13 August – Robert Stopford, former Bishop of London (born 1901)
- 19 August – Alastair Sim, actor (born 1900)
- 30 August – David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore, politician (born 1903)
- 1 September – Percy Shaw, inventor (born 1890)[49]
- 5 September – Arthur Gilligan, cricketer (born 1894)
- 1 October – George Stacey Hodson, Royal Air Force officer (born 1899)
- 14 October – Dame Edith Evans, actress (born 1888)
- 20 November – Martin D'Arcy, Catholic intellectual (born 1888)
- 4 December – Benjamin Britten, composer (born 1913)
See also
Notes and References
- News: Chrysler Alpine: Remembering the most unlikely Car of the Year. The Telegraph. 8 April 2016.
- Web site: Those were the days. https://web.archive.org/web/20070408161628/http://www.expressandstar.com/days/1976-2000/1976.html. 8 April 2007.
- News: Ten dead in Northern Ireland ambush. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 5 January 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080106162402/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/5/newsid_2500000/2500393.stm. 6 January 2008. live.
- News: Iceland and Britain clash at sea. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 7 January 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121501/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/7/newsid_2506000/2506347.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- Web site: Emily Jackson. 2013-03-07.
- Book: Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 0-14-102715-0. 2006.
- News: Explosions rock London's West End. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 29 January 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080201140340/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/29/newsid_2506000/2506083.stm. 1 February 2008 . live.
- Web site: Mini Steps Backwards. Rootes-Chrysler.co.uk. 2013-03-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20070204050054/http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/car-development/dev-imp.html. 4 February 2007. dead.
- Web site: Chrysler Sunbeam: rushed supermini to champion rally car. Rootes-Chrysler.co.uk. 2013-03-07.
- News: Prime Minister Harold Wilson resigns. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 16 March 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121446/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/16/newsid_2524000/2524099.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- News: Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon to split. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 19 March 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121601/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/19/newsid_4243000/4243211.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- Web site: Our History. The Body Shop. 2009. 2010-07-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20100814132117/http://www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/services/aboutus_history.aspx. 14 August 2010. dead.
- News: Callaghan is new prime minister. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 5 April 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121651/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/5/newsid_4074000/4074428.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- News: Labour's PMs of the past. BBC News. 30 July 2003.
- News: 1976: Young Liberal leader cleared of robbery. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 9 April 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080112153205/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/9/newsid_2523000/2523609.stm. 12 January 2008 . live.
- Web site: May 1976. Thirty Years Ago. Bob Dunning. 3 February 2007. 2013-03-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20121115131543/http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bob.dunning/thirty50c.htm. 15 November 2012. dead.
- News: Tories gain council seats. Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. 7 May 1976. 67. 2013-03-07.
- Web site: Marcella Claxton. 2013-03-07.
- Book: Palmer, Alan. Palmer . Veronica. 1992. The Chronology of British History. Century Ltd. London. 438–439. 0-7126-5616-2.
- Web site: UEFA Cup won for second time. Liverpool FC. 2013-03-07.
- Web site: TWO content.
- Web site: CIA, The World Factbook, Seychelles. 2008-02-15.
- News: Fiesta is Ford's economy car. Glasgow Herald. 14 July 1976. 2013-03-07. 5.
- Book: Magnusson, Magnus. Magnus Magnusson
. Magnus Magnusson. Fakers, Forgers & Phoneys. Edinburgh. Mainstream. 2007. 2006. 978-1-84596-210-4. 32–6.
- Web site: The Ultimate In Reality TV? Try Televised Art Forgery. [Book Excerpt #2]]. Keats. Jonathon. Forbes. 2016-05-05.
- News: Fire engulfs Southend Pier. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 29 July 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080119062625/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/29/newsid_2493000/2493483.stm. 19 January 2008 . live.
- News: Notting Hill Carnival ends in riot. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 30 August 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121434/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/30/newsid_2511000/2511059.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- News: Water crisis deepens. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 1 September 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121544/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/1/newsid_2492000/2492981.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- News: Hull prison riot ends . BBC News. 2008-02-05. 3 September 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121427/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/3/newsid_2495000/2495283.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- Web site: September 1976. Thirty Years Ago. Bob Dunning. 4 February 2007. 2013-03-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20121115131212/http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bob.dunning/thirty52a.htm. 15 November 2012. dead.
- News: British warship blaze kills eight. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 23 September 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121609/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/23/newsid_2528000/2528517.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- News: New Cortina steps into sports car class. Gordon. Anderson. Glasgow Herald. 29 September 1976. 2013-03-07. 5.
- News: New train speeds into service. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 4 October 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121557/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/4/newsid_2486000/2486817.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- News: UDR men jailed for Showband killings. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 15 October 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121616/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/15/newsid_2534000/2534941.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- News: "Queen opens National Theatre in London" BBC On This Day. 2008-02-05. 25 October 1976. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121507/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/25/newsid_2478000/2478397.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- News: Duchess opens massive Selby coalfield. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 29 October 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121620/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/29/newsid_2467000/2467783.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- News: The bone detective . 2009-05-13 . 2008-04-30 . . London . Julie . Bindel . Julie Bindel.
- News: Bank robbers jailed for 100 years. BBC News. 2008-02-05. 16 November 1976. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121630/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/16/newsid_2540000/2540073.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- Web site: Education in England: a history. Derek. Gillard. 2018. HDA. 2020-10-24.
- Web site: The Nobel Peace Prize 1976. 2008-02-05.
- Book: Marr, Andrew. Andrew Marr. A History of Modern Britain. London. Macmillan. 2007. 978-1-4050-0538-8. 366–8.
- Web site: Archived copy . www.parliament.uk . 13 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060219130455/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp99/rp99-020.pdf . 19 February 2006 . dead.
- Republished as:
- Web site: Data sheet: Rutland Water. UKLakes.net. 2010-07-06.
- Web site: First places of devotion. Vaguely Interesting. 2013-03-06. 2015-01-05.
- Web site: Chris Hoy Biography, Medals, & Facts Britannica . www.britannica.com . 4 December 2022 . en.
- Web site: Benedict Cumberbatch . https://web.archive.org/web/20160624181006/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bc66eef1f . dead . 24 June 2016 . BFI . 8 January 2022 . en.
- Web site: Agatha Christie Biography, Novels, & Facts . Encyclopedia Britannica . 14 September 2020 . en.
- https://museums.calderdale.gov.uk/percy-shaw Percy Shaw