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Events from the year 1966 in the United Kingdom.
[edit] Incumbents
[edit] Events
- 23 March - Pope Paul VI and Arthur Michael Ramsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, meet in Rome — the first official meeting for 400 years between the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches.
- 31 March - The Labour Party under Harold Wilson win the general election.[5]
- 7 April - The United Kingdom asks the UN Security Council authority to use force to stop oil tankers that violate oil embargo against Rhodesia. Authority is given April 10.
- 9 April - Footballer Barry Butler, the 31-year-old Norwich City F.C. captain, is killed in a car accident.
- 21 April - The opening of Parliament of the United Kingdom is televised for the first time.
- 30 April - regular hovercraft service begins over the English Channel (discontinued 2000 due to Channel Tunnel.)
- 3 May - Swinging Radio England and Britain Radio commence broadcasting on AM with a combined potential 100,000 watts from the same ship anchored off the south coast of England in international waters.
- 6 May - The Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley sentenced to life imprisonment for three child murders committed between November 1963 and October 1965. Brady is guilty of all three murders and receives three concurrent terms of life imprisonment, while Hindley is found guilty of two murder charges and an accessory charge which her receive two concurrent life sentences alongside a seven-year fixed term.[6]
- 12 May - African members of the UN Security Council say that British army should blockage Rhodesia.
- 16 May–1 July - Seamen's strike.[7]
- 26 May - Guyana achieves independence from the United Kingdom.[8]
- 29 June
- 3 July - 31 arrests made after a protest against the Vietnam war outside US embassy turns violent.[10]
- 12 July - Zambia threatens to leave the Commonwealth of Nations because of British peace overtures to Rhodesia.
- 14 July - Gwynfor Evans becomes member of Parliament for Carmarthen, the first ever Plaid Cymru MP after his victory at the Carmarthen by-election.
- 15 July - a ban on black workers at Euston railway station overturned.[11]
- 16 July - Prime Minister Harold Wilson flies to Moscow to try to start peace negotiations about Vietnam War — Soviet Government refutes his ideas.
- 26 July - Lord Gardiner issues the Practice Statement in the House of Lords stating that the House is not bound to follow its own previous precedent.
- 30 July - England beat West Germany 4-2 to win the 1966 World Cup at Wembley.[12]
- 2 August - Spanish government forbids overflights of British military aircraft.
- 5 August - The Beatles release the album Revolver.[13]
- 18 August - Tay Road Bridge opens.[9]
- 29 August - The Beatles play their very last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California.
- 16 September - Britain's first Polaris submarine, HMS Resolution, launched.[4]
- 19 September - Scotland Yard arrests Ronald Edwards suspected of being involved of the great train robbery.
- 30 September - Botswana achieves independence.[14]
- 4 October - Basutoland becomes independent and takes the name Lesotho.[14]
- 21 October - Aberfan disaster in South Wales, 144 (including 116 children) killed by collapsing coal slag heap.[15]
- 22 October
- 25 October - Spain closes its Gibraltar border against non-pedestrian traffic.
- 5 November - 38 African states demand that the United Kingdom use force against Rhodesian government.
- 15 November - Harry Roberts, wanted for the murder of three London policemen who were shot dead in August, is caught near London.
- 30 November - Barbados achieves independence.[17]
- 1 December - Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Rhodesian Prime minister Ian Smith negotiate on HMS Tiger in Mediterranean.
- 12 December - Harry Roberts and two other men are sentenced to life imprisonment (each with a recommended minimum of 30 years) for the murder of three policemen in London earlier this year.
- 20 December - Harold Wilson withdraws all his previous offers to Rhodesian government and announces that he agrees to the independence only after the founding of black majority government.
- 22 December - Rhodesian Prime minister Ian Smith declares that he considers that Rhodesia is already a republic.
- 31 December - Thieves steal millions worth of paintings from Dulwich Art Gallery in London.
[edit] Undated
[edit] Publications
[edit] Births
[edit] January - March
- 3 January - Martin Galway, Northern Irish composer
- 6 February - Rick Astley, British singer
- 4 March - Patrick Hannan, English pop drummer with The Sundays
- 6 March - Alan Davies, comedian and actor
- 8 March - Gregory Barker, British Conservative politician and MP for Bexhill and Battle
- 17 March - Andrew Rosindell, British Conservative politician and MP for Romford
- 24 March - Mark Williams, Welsh Liberal Democrat politician, Shadow Minister for Wales, and MP for Ceredigion
- 25 March - Anton Rogan, Northern Irish footballer
- 31 March - Roger Black, British athlete
[edit] April - June
- 1 April
- 11 April - Lisa Stansfield, British soul singer
- 15 April - Samantha Fox, British model and singer
- 29 April - Phil Tufnell, British cricketer
- 10 May - Jonathan Edwards, British athlete
- 26 May
- 4 June - Bill Wiggin, British Conservative politician, Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Fisheries, and MP for Leominster
- 3 June - Jonathan Shaw, British Labour politician and MP for Chatham and Aylesford
- 7 June - Mark Ravenhill, English playwright (Shopping and Fucking)
- 19 June - Samuel West, British actor
- 22 June - Michael Park, British rally co-driver (d.2005)
[edit] July - September
[edit] October - December
[edit] Deaths
[edit] References
[edit] See also
1966 in the United Kingdom: 
England | 
Scotland
