Key Events Timeline Flashcards
1
Q
1950-51
A
Korean War
2
Q
1951
A
- Nationalisation of iron and steel
- Festival of Britain
- Conservative election victory returns Churchill as PM
3
Q
1952
A
- Britain’s first atomic bomb test
- Mau Mau rebellion against British rule in Kenya
4
Q
1953
A
- Mass television audience for coronation of Elizabeth II
- Steel and transport denationalised
5
Q
1954
A
- British withdrawal from Egypt
- End of food rationing
6
Q
1955
A
- Election victory of Conservatives under Eden
- Launch of ITV as commercial rival to BBC
7
Q
1956
A
- Failure of Anglo-French invasion at Suez
- Financial crisis cause by Suez Crisis (caused Eden to resign)
8
Q
1957
A
- Resignation of Treasury ministers over ‘Stop-Go’ policies
- Harold Macmillan replaces Eden as PM
- Treaty of Rome: formation of EEC without Britain
- Ghana and Malaya win independence
9
Q
1958
A
- Formation of CND
- Serious anti-immigrant rioting in Notting Hill
- Motorway system opens with the M6 Preston bypass
10
Q
1959
A
Conservatives win election
11
Q
1960
A
- Macmillan’s ‘Winds of Change’ speech
- Blue Streak missile abandoned in favour of American Polaris
- Creation of EFTA as an alternative to the EEC
- End of National Service
12
Q
1961
A
- Creation of NEDDY (National Economic Development Council) and NICKY (National Incomes Commission) for economic planning
- Britain’s application to join the EEC submitted
- Cold War tensions intensify with the building of the Berlin Wall
13
Q
1962
A
- Commonwealth Immigration Act restricts immigration
- Macmillan’s cabinet reshuffle: ‘Night of the Long Knives’
- Launch of That Was The Week That Was on BBC television
14
Q
1963
A
- Britain’s first application to join the EEC is rejected as a result of de Gaulle’s veto
- Independence granted to Kenya
- Profumo Affair
- Death of Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell, replaced by Harold Wilson
- Resignation of Macmillan, Douglas Home becomes last-resort PM
15
Q
1964
A
- Labour victory in election: Harold Wilson becomes PM
- Violence between mods and rockers at seaside resorts
- Start of Rhodesia crisis
16
Q
1965
A
- Rhodesia declares Unilateral Declaration of Independence
- Death penalty abolished
- Circular 10/65 issued by Tony Crosland concerning comprehensive schools
16
Q
1965/68
A
Race Relations Acts
17
Q
1966
A
- Wilson wins second term of office with an increased majority for Labour
- England win World Cup at Wembley
- ‘Swinging London’ featured in Time Magazine
18
Q
1967
A
- Second application to join EEC rejected
- Abortion Act introduced by David Steel (abortions legalised)
- Sexual Offences Act (liberalisation of laws on homosexuality)
- Deep budget cuts in military commitments East of Suez
- Devaluation of sterling by Wilson government
- Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech against mass immigration
19
Q
1968
A
- Theatres Act
- Dagenham sewing machinists strike
20
Q
1969
A
- Abolition of death penalty
- Divorce Reform Act passed
- Industrial relations White Paper ‘In Place of Strife’ issued by Barbara Castle
- Start of Troubles - troops sent to restore order in Northern Ireland
- Open University established
21
Q
1970
A
- Conservatives win general election: Edward Heath becomes PM
- Equal Opportunities Act passed
22
Q
1971
A
- Industrial Relations Act
- Decimalisation of British currency
23
Q
1972
A
- ‘Bloody Sunday’ in Derry
- Unemployment above one million for first time since 1930s
24
Q
1973
A
- Yom Kippur War causes oil crisis
- British accession to the EEC alongside Ireland and Denmark
- Sunningdale Agreement for power sharing in Northern Ireland
25
Q
1974
A
- Imposition of three-day week
- Labour wins February election with narrow margins: Heath narrowly defeated and Wilson becomes PM
- Sunningdale Agreement collapses after Ulster Workers’ council strike
- Labour wins October general election
26
Q
1975
A
- EEC referendum results in 2:1, majority for the ‘yes’ vote
- Heath replaced as Conservative leader by Margaret Thatcher
- Sex Discrimination Act passed
27
Q
1976
A
- Resignation of Harold Wilson, replaced by James Callaghan as PM
- Terms of IMF (International Monetary Fund) loan requires spending cuts - government had to borrow $3.9 million so that the economy could be stabilised during a financial crisis
28
Q
1978-79
A
Industrial unrest leads to ‘winter of discontent’
29
Q
1979
A
- Conservatives win election: Margaret Thatcher becomes PM
- Devolution for Scotland and Wales rejected in referendums
30
Q
1981
A
- Formation of SDP
- Riots in Brixton and Liverpool
31
Q
1982
A
- Victory in the Falklands War
- Unemployment rises above three million
32
Q
1983
A
- Second Conservative victory in the general election
- Michael Foot replaced as Labour leader by Neil Kinnock
33
Q
1984
A
- IRA bomb in Brighton
- Miners’ strike begins
34
Q
1985
A
Riots in major cities across Britain
35
Q
1986
A
- Resignation of Michael Heseltine after the Westland Affair
- Deregulation of financial markets in the ‘Big Bang’
- Single European Act signed
36
Q
1987
A
- Third successive election victory of Thatcher
- Stock market crash in London and New York
37
Q
1988
A
- Section 28 outlaws the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ (in schools etc)
38
Q
1989
A
Fall of the Berlin Wall
39
Q
1990
A
- Poll Tax riot
- Resignation of Thatcher, John Major becomes PM
40
Q
1991
A
- Abandonment of poll tax
- Victory of coalition forces in First Gulf War
- Unemployment rises to over 2.5 million
- End of the Cold War
41
Q
1992
A
- Major wins election
- Maastricht Treaty signed (EEC became the EU)
- Murder of James Bulger
- Resignation of Kinnock, John Smith becomes Labour leader
- ‘Black Wednesday’ forces British withdrawal from the ERM
42
Q
1993
A
- Rebellion against Maastricht Treat by Conservative Eurosceptics
- Murder of Stephen Lawrence
43
Q
1994
A
- Death of Labour leader John Smith, replaced by Tony Blair
- First women priests ordained
44
Q
1995
A
- Murder of Philip Lawrence
- Dayton Accords concerning Bosnia
- Conservative leadership election won by John Major
45
Q
1997
A
- ‘New Labour’ wins general election: Tony Blair becomes PM
- McPherson enquiry set up concerning the investigation of the Stephen Lawrence murder
- Referendum concerning devolution
- YBA hold the ‘Sensation’ exhibition
46
Q
1998
A
Good Friday Agreement brings an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland
47
Q
1999
A
- Blair Doctrine concerning intervention in foreign affairs
- Launch of the Euro in nine states of the EU but not Britain
- Devolved parliaments for Scotland and Wales established
- NATO bombing campaign expels Serb forces from Kosovo
48
Q
2001
A
- Labour win second consecutive election
- Al-Qaeda attacks on New York (9/11)
- NATO invasion of Afghanistan and overthrow of the Taliban
- Race riots in northern towns and cities
49
Q
2003
A
- Invasion of Iraq by US-led coalition forces (start of the Iraq War)
- Iain Duncan Smith replaced as Conservative leader by Michael Howard
50
Q
2004
A
- Publication of the Hutton Report into the Iraq War
- EU enlargement/expansion sees significant immigration from Eastern Europe
- Civil partnerships introduced
51
Q
2005
A
- Third consecutive election victory for Blair and Labour
- David Cameron becomes Conservative leader
- 56 people killed by terror attacks in London (7/7)
52
Q
2006
A
Religious Hatred Act introduced (made it an offence to incite hatred against a person on the grounds of their religion)
53
Q
2007
A
- Resignation of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown becomes PM
- Growing financial crisis heralded by collapse of Northern Rock
