1977 in the United Kingdom explained
Events from the year 1977 in the United Kingdom. This year was the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
Incumbents
Events
January
February
- 4 February
- 5 February – Twenty-eight-year-old homeless woman Irene Richardson is murdered in Leeds, at almost the exact location where sex worker Marcella Claxton was badly injured nine months earlier. Police believe that this murder and attempted murder may be connected, along with the murders of Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson and the attempted murders of at least three other women.[3]
- 10 February
- 11 February – Queen Elizabeth II visits Western Samoa.
- 13 February – Anthony Crosland, Foreign Secretary, suffers a massive stroke, from which he will not regain consciousness. He dies six days later in hospital.
- 14 February – Elizabeth II visits Tonga.
- 15 February – The first Aardman Animations character, Morph, is introduced on BBC children's television programme Take Hart.
- 16–17 February – Elizabeth II visits Fiji.
- 17 February – George Newman, chairman of Staffordshire County Council, is sentenced to fifteen months in prison for corruption.[4]
- 22 February – David Owen, 38, becomes the youngest post-Second World War Foreign Secretary, succeeding the late Anthony Crosland, who died three days earlier.
- 22 February–7 March – Elizabeth II visits New Zealand.
March
- 1 March
- 7–30 March – Elizabeth II visits Australia.
- 12 March – The Centenary Test between Australia and England begins at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
- 14 March – The government reveals that inflation has pushed prices up by nearly 70% within three years.
- 15 March – British Leyland managers announce intention to dismiss 40,000 toolmakers who have gone on strike at the company's Longbridge plant in Birmingham, action which is costing the state-owned carmaker more than £10,000,000 a week.[4]
- 17–23 March – The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) visits Ghana.
- 19 March – The last Rover P6 rolls off the production line after 14 years.
- 23 March – The government wins a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons after James Callaghan strikes a deal with the leader of the Liberal Party, David Steel.[6]
- 23–25 March – Elizabeth II visits Papua New Guinea.
- 29 March – Income tax is slashed to 33p in the pound from 35p in the budget.
- 31 March – Elizabeth II visits Muscat.
April
May
June
July
August
September
- September – Ford launches the second generation of its flagship Granada saloon and estate models.
- 6 September – Car industry figures show that foreign cars are outselling British-built ones for the first time. Although Ford, British Leyland, Vauxhall and Chrysler are still the market leaders, foreign brands including Datsun, Fiat, Renault and Volkswagen are enjoying a growing market share.
- 16 September – Rock star Marc Bolan, pioneer of the glam rock movement at the start of the 1970s with T. Rex, is killed in a car crash in Barnes, London, at age 29. His girlfriend Gloria Jones, who was driving the car, is seriously injured.
- 19 September – Manchester United, the English FA Cup holders, are expelled from the European Cup Winners' Cup after their fans rioted in France during a first round first leg game with AS Saint-Etienne (which ended in a 1–1 draw) five days ago.[29]
- 26 September
- Freddie Laker launches his new budget Skytrain airline, with the first single fare from Gatwick to New York City costing £59 compared to the normal price of £186.
- UEFA reinstates Manchester United to the European Cup Winners' Cup on appeal. However, they are ordered to play their return leg against AS Saint-Etienne at least 120 miles away from their Old Trafford stadium.[30]
- The Queen is escorted from Buckingham Palace after reports of an armed man on site.
October
- 3 October – Undertakers go on strike in London, leaving more than 800 corpses unburied.
- 7 October – Rock band Queen's power ballad "We Are the Champions" is released.
- 10 October – Missing 20-year-old sex worker Jean Jordan is found dead in Chorlton, Manchester, nine days after she was last seen alive. Police believe that the Yorkshire Ripper may have killed her; the first crime outside Yorkshire which the killer has been suspected of.[31]
- 14 October – Fourteen people are injured in a bomb explosion at a London pub.
- 15 October – World's End Murders: Christine Eadie and Helen Scott, both 17, disappear after leaving the World's End pub in Edinburgh, Scotland. Their bodies are found tied and strangled in the countryside the next day. In 2014, serial killer Angus Sinclair is convicted of the crime.
- 18 October – Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, opens the third session of the 30th Canadian Parliament.
- 25 October – Michael Edwardes succeeds Richard Dobson as chief executive and chairman of British Leyland.
- 27 October
- Former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe denies allegations of the attempted murder of and having a relationship with model Norman Scott.[32]
- Punk band Sex Pistols release Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols on the Virgin Records label. Despite refusal by major retailers to stock it, it debuts at #1 on the UK Album Charts the week after its release. In a promotional stunt, the group perform on a boat on the River Thames shortly afterwards, only for the police to wait for them and make several arrests, including that of Malcolm McLaren, the band's manager.
- 28 October
- Police in Yorkshire appeal for help in finding the Yorkshire Ripper, who is believed to be responsible for a series of murders and attacks on women across the county during the last two years.
- Rock band Queen release the album News of the World.
November
- 14 November – Firefighters go on their first ever national strike, in hope of getting a 30% wage increase.[33]
- 15 November
- 22 November – British Airways inaugurates regular London to New York City supersonic Concorde service.
December
- 3 December – The England football team fails to achieve World Cup qualification for the second tournament in succession.
- 10 December
- 12 December
- Chrysler Europe announces its new Horizon range of five-door front-wheel drive hatchbacks, which will be built in the UK as a Chrysler, and in France as a Simca. It will give buyers a more modern alternative to the Avenger range of rear-wheel drive saloons and estates.
- Ron Greenwood signs a permanent contract as England manager, despite England's failure to qualify for next summer's World Cup. The appointment is controversial, as there had been widespread support for Brian Clough of Nottingham Forest to be appointed.[37]
- 14 December – 25-year-old Leeds sex worker Marilyn Moore, is injured in an attack believed to have been committed by the Yorkshire Ripper.[38]
- 16 December – The Queen opens a £71,000,000 extension of London Underground's Piccadilly line, which runs to Heathrow Central, serving Heathrow Airport.[39] [40]
- 21 December – Four children die at a house fire in Wednesbury, West Midlands, as Green Goddess fire appliances crewed by hastily trained troops are sent to deal with the blaze while firefighters are still on strike. 119 people have now died as a result of fires since the strike began, but this is the first fire during the strike which has resulted in more than two deaths.[41]
- 22 December – The Queen's first grandchild is christened Peter Mark Andrew Phillips.[42]
- 25 December
- The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show on BBC 1 television attracts an audience of more than 28,000,000 viewers, one of the highest ever in UK television history.[43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48]
- English-born comedian and silent film legend Sir Charlie Chaplin dies aged 88 of a stroke at his home in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.
- 27 December – The much-acclaimed Star Wars film, which has been a massive hit in the United States, is screened in British cinemas for the first time.[49]
Undated
- Inflation has fallen slightly this year to 15.8%, but it is the fourth successive year that has seen double-digit inflation.[50]
- Colour television licences exceed black and white ones for the first time in the UK.
Publications
Births
- 1 January – Rosena Allin-Khan, politician
- 7 January – Michelle Behennah, model
- 10 January – Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Féin leader
- 11 January – Billy Taylor, cricketer and umpire
- 13 January – Orlando Bloom, actor[52]
- 24 January – Hayley Tamaddon, actress
- 5 February – Ben Ainslie, sailor
- 6 February – Jason Euell, footballer and coach
- 18 February – Chrissie Wellington, triathlete
- 2 March – Chris Martin, singer-songwriter (Coldplay)
- 7 March – Paul Cattermole, actor and singer (S Club 7) (died 2023)
- 10 March
- 18 March – Danny Murphy, football player and pundit
- 19 March – Dan Walker, broadcaster
- 4 April – Stephen Mulhern, musician and television presenter
- 11 April – DJ Fresh, DJ and music producer
- 23 April – John Oliver, comedian and television personality
- 10 May – Adrian Morley, rugby league footballer
- 13 May – Samantha Morton, actress
- 18 May – Danny Mills, footballer
- 30 May – Rachael Stirling, actress
- 31 May
- 6 June – Bryn Williams, Welsh chef and author
- 24 June – Kristian Digby, television presenter (died 2010)
- 25 June – Layla El, wrestler, model, and dancer
- 2 July – Carl Froch, boxer
- 10 July – Chiwetel Ejiofor, actor
- 30 July – Derek Mackay, SNP politician[53]
- 5 August – Ben Saunders, explorer
- 7 August – Charlotte Ronson, designer and Samantha Ronson, DJ (twin sisters)
- 10 August – Danny Griffin, footballer
- 17 August – Claire Richards, singer
- 4 September – Zita Lusack, gymnast
- 8 September – Gavin Meadows, freestyle swimmer
- 12 September – James McCartney, singer-songwriter
- 15 September – Tom Hardy, actor
- 1 October – Michael Tomlinson, politician
- 26 October – Sarah Storey, paralympian swimmer and cyclist
- 1 November – Alistair Griffin, singer/songwriter
- 4 November – Kavana, singer
- 15 November
- 18 November – Miranda Raison, actress
- 22 November – Michael Preston, footballer
- 29 November – Eddie Howe, football player and manager
- 6 December
- 14 December – Jamie Peacock, rugby league player
- 23 December – Matt Baker, television presenter
Deaths
- 5 January – Matt McGinn, Scottish folk musician, writer and entertainer (born 1928)
- 14 January
- 24 January – Sir Andrew Humphrey, Chief of the Air Staff (born 1921)
- 14 February – Sydney Jacob, Indian-born British tennis player (born 1879)
- 19 February – Anthony Crosland, politician (born 1918)
- 3 March
- 26 March – Madeleine Dring, composer and actress (born 1923)
- 1 April – Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe, lawyer and public servant involved in the Partition of India (born 1899)
- 17 April – William Conway, cardinal (born 1913)
- 2 June – Stephen Boyd, actor (born 1931)
- 3 June – Archibald Hill, physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1886)
- 19 June – Lady Olave Baden-Powell, Chief Girl Guide (born 1889)
- 4 August – Lord Adrian, physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1889)
- 13 August – Henry Williamson, novelist (born 1895)
- 16 August – William Wand, former Bishop of London (born 1885)
- 29 August – Edward Sinclair, actor (born 1914)
- 4 September – Lynton Lamb, illustrator and stamp designer (born 1907)
- 6 September – John Littlewood, mathematician (born 1885)
- 13 September – Leopold Stokowski, conductor (born 1882)
- 14 September – Jim Sullivan, Welsh rugby league player (born 1903)
- 16 September – Marc Bolan, glam rock musician (car accident) (born 1947)
- 25 September – William McMillan, sculptor (born 1887)
- 11 October – Misha Black, architect and designer (born 1910 in the Russian Empire)
- 10 November – Dennis Wheatley, novelist (born 1897)
- 30 November – Terence Rattigan, playwright (born 1911)
- 12 December – Clementine Churchill, widow of Winston Churchill (born 1885)
- 15 December – Wilfred Kitching, 7th General of The Salvation Army (born 1893)
- 20 December – Henry Tandey, most highly decorated British private soldier of World War I (born 1891)
- 25 December – Sir Charlie Chaplin, silent film comedy actor and director, in Switzerland (born 1889)
See also
Notes and References
- News: 1977: Jenkins quits Commons for Brussels. 2008-02-01. 3 January 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080110092836/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/3/newsid_3287000/3287511.stm. 2008-01-10. live.
- News: 1977: EMI fires Sex Pistols. 11 August 2019. 6 January 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121725/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/6/newsid_2476000/2476723.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- Web site: Irene Richardson. The Yorkshire Ripper. 2019-08-11.
- Web site: Those Were the Days. Express & Star. Wolverhampton.
- The Herring (Specified North Sea Waters) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1977; The Herring (North East Irish Sea) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1977; The Herring (Celtic Sea) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1977.
- News: 1977: Government wins no confidence vote. 1 February 2008. 23 March 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121706/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/23/newsid_2531000/2531277.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- News: 1977: Hat trick for Red Rum. 1 February 2008. 2 April 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121750/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/2/newsid_2466000/2466403.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- Web site: Patricia Atkinson. The Yorkshire Ripper. 2019-08-11.
- Book: Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 0-14-102715-0. 2006.
- Web site: 1977 Manchester United. The FA Cup. 19 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111015033325/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1977.htm. 15 October 2011. dead.
- News: Liverpool ascends throne. Calgary Herald. 2019-05-26. 37. 2019-08-11.
- Web site: M5. 2019-08-11. roads.org.uk.
- News: 7 June 1977: Queen celebrates Silver Jubilee. On This Day. BBC. 2 September 2010 . 7 June 1977.
- Book: Wilson, Mary . Supreme faith: someday we'll be together . HarperPaperbacks . New York . 1991 . 9780061099427 . 209.
- Web site: The Wimbledon story. Wimbledon AFC. 2012-11-26. 2019-08-11.
- Web site: Jayne McDonald. The Yorkshire Ripper. 2019-08-11.
- News: 1977: Manchester United sack manager. 1 February 2008. 4 July 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121658/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/4/newsid_2492000/2492743.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- Web site: Maureen Long. The Yorkshire Ripper. 17 October 2012.
- News: 1977: Gay paper guilty of blasphemy. 1 February 2008. 11 July 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121819/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/11/newsid_2499000/2499721.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- [Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008]
- Web site: Donald George Revie OBE. England Football Online. 4 June 2012. 17 October 2012.
- News: Sexton joins United – in 30 seconds. Glasgow Herald. 15 July 1977. 1. 17 October 2012.
- Web site: Chrysler Sunbeam: rushed supermini to champion rally car. Rootes-Chrysler.co.uk. 17 October 2012.
- Web site: Finance Act 1977.
- News: 1977: Tight security for Queen's Irish visit. 1 February 2008. 10 August 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121845/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/10/newsid_2528000/2528727.stm. 7 March 2008 . live.
- Web site: The world's most expensive footballer? Dalglish would go close in today's market. Kristian. Walsh. 19 November 2014. Liverpool Echo.
- News: The real losers in Saturday's battle of Lewisham. The Guardian. 11 January 2009. London. 15 August 1977. Lindsay. MacKie.
- News: Greenwood takes over – until December. Glasgow Herald. 1977-08-18. 15. 2019-08-11.
- News: Man. U. Kicked Out of Europe. Evening Times. Glasgow. 1977-09-19. 1. 2019-08-11.
- News: Manchester United reinstated in Cup. Montreal Gazette. 2019-09-27. 17. 2019-08-11.
- Web site: Jean Jordan. The Yorkshire Ripper. 2019-08-11.
- News: 1977: Liberal MP denies murder plot. 1 February 2008. 27 October 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121655/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/27/newsid_3756000/3756462.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- News: 1977: Firefighters strike over pay claim. 1 February 2008. 14 November 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121804/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/14/newsid_3154000/3154632.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- Web site: SavaCentre. https://web.archive.org/web/20130801070845/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Collections-Research/Research/Your-Research/SainsburyArchive/Themes/Products/Range/Savacentre.htm. dead. 2013-08-01. The Sainsbury Archive. Museum of London. 2019-08-11.
- Web site: The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 1977. 1 February 2008.
- Web site: The Nobel Prize in Physics 1977. 1 February 2008.
- News: It's Greenwood – until 1980. Glasgow Herald. 1977-12-13. 2019-08-11.
- Web site: Marilyn Moore. 2019-08-11. The Yorkshire Ripper.
- News: 1977: Queen opens 'tube' link to Heathrow. 1 February 2008. 16 December 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20080307121759/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_2560000/2560019.stm. 7 March 2008. live.
- Book: Green, Oliver. The London Underground – An Illustrated History. Ian Allan. 1988. 62–63. 0-7110-1720-4.
- News: Worst British Fire Tragedy. Times-Union. Warsaw, Indiana. 21 December 1977. 1. 2013-10-18.
- Web site: Archived copy. 2010-10-05. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131231001852/http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2004/AnnouncementofthechristeningofLadyLouiseWindsor.aspx. 2013-12-31.
- The Guinness Book of Records.
- Web site: Eric and Ern – The Morecambe & Wise Show: Series 8. Morecambeandwise.com. 2011-08-24.
- News: Ernie Wise. https://web.archive.org/web/20100325200559/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/5900988/Ernie-Wise.html. dead. 25 March 2010. The Daily Telegraph. 22 March 1999. 2011-08-24.
- Web site: Bushby. Helen. 30 December 2010. Victoria Wood tells all about Eric and Ernie. BBC News. 2011-08-24.
- [ITV (TV network)|ITV]
- News: Moran. Joe. 22 March 2011. One nation Christmas television. The Guardian. London. 2011-08-24.
- News: 1977: Star Wars fever hits Britain. 1 February 2008. 27 December 1977. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20071230061942/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/27/newsid_2544000/2544239.stm. 30 December 2007. live.
- Web site: Inflation: the value of the pound 1750-1998. https://web.archive.org/web/20060219130455/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp99/rp99-020.pdf. dead. 2006-02-19. House of Commons Library. 1999-02-23. Research Paper 99/20. 2019-08-11.
- Book: Parsons, Nicholas. The Book of Literary Lists. London. Sidgwick & Jackson. 1985. 0-283-99171-2.
- Web site: Orlando Bloom . https://web.archive.org/web/20160528233140/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2bbbe788c1 . dead . 28 May 2016 . BFI . 8 January 2022 . en.
- Web site: Profile of Derek Mackay: the ex 'fundie' tipped as the next SNP leader. HeraldScotland.