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Events from the year 1976 in the United Kingdom.
[edit] Events
- January 5 - Kingsmill massacre: ten Protestant men killed in South Armagh, Northern Ireland, by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, using the cover name "South Armagh Republican Action Force".
- January 7 - Cod War: British and Icelandic ships clash at sea
- January 18 - The Scottish Labour Party is formed.
- January 21 - The first commercial Concorde flight takes off.
- January 29 - 12 PIRA bombs explode in London's West End.
- February 11 - John Curry wins a gold medal in skating at the 1976 Winter Olympics.
- March 1 - Merlyn Rees ends Special Category Status for those sentenced for crimes relating to the civil violence in Northern Ireland
- March 4 - The Maguire Seven were found guilty of the offence of possessing explosives and were subsequently jailed for 14 years.
- March 4 - The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland from London via the British parliament.
- March 16 - Harold Wilson resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- March 19 - announcement of separation of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon.
- April 5 - James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- April 7 - Cabinet minister John Stonehouse resigns from the Labour Party leaving the Government with a majority of one vote.
- June 1 - UK and Iceland end the Cod War.
- June 14 - The trial begins at Oxford Crown Court of Donald Neilson, the killer known as the "Black Panther".
- July 3 - The great heat wave in the United Kingdom, which is currently suffering from drought conditions, reaches its peak.
- July 10 - Three British and one American mercenaries were shot by firing squad in Angola.
- July 21 - Christopher Ewart-Biggs, UK ambassador to Ireland, and a civil servant, Judith Cooke, are killed by a landmine at Sandyford, Co. Dublin.
- July 27 - United Kingdom breaks diplomatic relations with Uganda
- July 29 - Fire destroys pierhead at Southend Pier.
- August 5 - The Great Clock of Westminster (or Big Ben) suffers internal damage and stops running for over nine months.
- August 6 - Former UK Postmaster General John Stonehouse is sentenced to seven years jail for fraud.
- August 14 - 10,000 Protestant and Catholic women demonstrate for peace in Northern Ireland.
- August 30 - 100 police officers and 60 canival-goers injured during riots at the Notting Hill Carnival.
- September 1 - Drought measures introduced in Yorkshire.
- September 3 - Riot at Hull Prison ends.
- September 23 - fire on HMS Glasgow kills eight men.
- October - The Damned release New Rose - the first ever single released / marketed as "punk rock".
- October 4 - Intercity 125 trains introduced on railways between London and Bristol.
- October 15 - two members of the Ulster Defence Regiment jailed for 35 years for murder of the members of the Republic of Ireland cabaret performers Miami Showband.
- October 25 - opening of Royal National Theatre.
- October 29 - opening of Selby coalfield.
- November 16 - the seven perpetrators of £8 million ban robbery at the Bank of America in Mayfair sentenced to a total of 100 years in jail.
- December 1 - The Sex Pistols achieve public notoriety as they unleash several four-letter words live on Bill Grundy's TV show.
[edit] Births
- January 19 - Marsha Thomason, actress
- January 21 - Emma Bunton, musician
- February 2 - James Hickman, swimmer
- February 20 - Ed Graham, drummer (The Darkness)
- April 15 - Steve Williams, rower
- April 18 - Sean Maguire, actor and singer
- May 8 - Ian Watkins, pop singer
- May 14 - Martine McCutcheon, actress and singer
- June 6 - Ross Noble, comedian
- June 13 - Jason 'J' Brown, musician (5ive)
- June 16 - Cian Ciaran, musician
- June 25 - Iestyn Harris, rugby player
- July 8 - Ellen MacArthur, yachtswoman
- July 12 - Anna Friel, actress
- July 14 - Geraint Jones, cricketer
- August 9 - Rhona Mitra, actress
- August 9 - Aled Haydn-Jones, radio producer
- August 13 - Roddy Woomble, musician
- September 6 - Naomie Harris, actress
- September 8 - Abi Titmuss, television presenter and model
- September 16 - Tina Barrett, singer (S Club 7)
- October 23 - Cat Deeley, television presenter
- October 25 - Steve Jones, footballer
- October 29 - Stephen Craigan, footballer
- November 7 - Andrew Davies, cricketer
- December 8 - Dominic Monaghan, actor
- December 12 - Dan Hawkins, guitarist (The Darkness)
- December 20 - Adam Powell, inventor
- date unknown - Steffan Cravos, musician
[edit] Deaths
- January 3 - Mal Evans, Beatles' former roadie and patron of Badfinger
- January 12 - Agatha Christie, writer (b. 1890)
- February 11 - Charlie Naughton, actor (b. 1886)
- February 12 - John Lewis, Marxist philosopher
- March 19 - Paul Kossoff, guitarist (Free) (b. 1950)
- March 24 - Bernard Montgomery, field marshal (b. 1897)
- April 28 – Richard Hughes, novelist
- May 14 - Keith Relf, musician (The Yardbirds) (b. 1943)
- June 28 - Sir Stanley Baker, actor
- August 30 - David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore, politician
- December 4 - Benjamin Britten, composer (b. 1913)
- date unknown - Sir Tudor Thomas, ophthalmic surgeon
[edit] References