1946 in the United Kingdom
UK-related events during the year of 1946
Events from the year 1946 in the United Kingdom
Searchlights at London Victory Parade, June 1946 1946 Avro Anson, now in the Shuttleworth Collection , 2013 photo.
Incumbents
Events
The Bank of England's head office at Threadneedle Street , in the City of London . 1 January
4 January – Theodore Schurch is hanged at HM Prison Pentonville by Albert Pierrepoint , the only British soldier executed for treachery committed during World War II and the last person to be executed in Britain for an offence other than murder.
10 January – First United Nations General Assembly convenes at Methodist Central Hall Westminster .
17 January – The United Nations Security Council holds its first meeting at Church House in London .
14 February – The Bank of England is nationalised .
15 February – American dance craze, the Jitterbug [ 1]
20 February – Royal Opera House in Covent Garden re-opens after the War[ 2] The Royal Ballet (relocated from Sadler's Wells Theatre ) performing The Sleeping Beauty
5 March – Winston Churchill delivers his "Iron Curtain " speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri , United States.[ 3]
9 March – Burnden Park disaster : A stadium disaster at Bolton Wanderers F.C. 's Burnden Park in Bolton kills 33 and injures hundreds.
10 March – British troops begin withdrawal from Lebanon .
15 March – Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee announces that Britain is granting India's wish for independence. On 24 March, the 1946 Cabinet Mission to India arrives in New Delhi for discussions.
22 March – The Treaty of London grants the British mandate of the Emirate of Transjordan its independence.
24 March – BBC Home Service radio broadcasts Alistair Cooke 's first American Letter . As Letter from America
27 April – 1946 FA Cup Final : the first postwar FA Cup final is won by Derby County , who beat Charlton Athletic 4–1 at Wembley Stadium .[ 4]
4 May – First-class cricket returns, having been suspended during the War.[ 2]
20 May – The House of Commons votes through the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 to nationalise British coal mines.
23 May – Terence Rattigan 's drama The Winslow Boy [ 5]
31 May – London Heathrow Airport opened fully for civilian use.[ 1]
1 June – Television licence introduced.[ 3]
7 June – Television broadcasting by the BBC, suspended during World War II , resumes.[ 1]
8 June – A victory parade is held in London to celebrate the end of World War II .[ 6] [ 7]
27 June – Government imposes bread rationing.[ 8]
July – Homeless families squat in a former Army camp at Scunthorpe .[ 9]
August – Arthur Horner , a member of the Communist Party , becomes General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers .
1 August
6 August
9 August – Arts Council incorporated by royal charter.[ 2]
31 August – League football returns, having been suspended during World War II .[ 2]
September–November – Britain Can Make It Victoria and Albert Museum in London, promoted by the Council of Industrial Design and the Board of Trade to show off good domestic and industrial design.[ 12]
8 September – Mass squat by homeless families at the Ivanhoe Hotel and other empty properties in London organised by the Communist Party .[ 9]
15 September – Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris , Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command , retires.
16 September – Popular quiz show Have A Go !Wilfred Pickles is first broadcast nationally on BBC Radio .[ 8]
29 September – BBC Third Programme begins broadcasting.[ 1]
1 October – English premiere of J. B. Priestley 's drama An Inspector Calls New Theatre , London, starring Ralph Richardson .[ 13]
7 October – The BBC Light Programme transmits the first episode of the daily radio magazine programme Woman's Hour Dick Barton – Special Agent
10 October – First community arts centre opened, at Bridgwater in Somerset.
1 November – First Royal Command Performance at a public cinema , the Empire, Leicester Square : premiere of the Powell and Pressburger film A Matter of Life and Death David Niven .[ 14]
9 November – Shooting of Margaret Cook in Carnaby Street , London.
10 November – Peter Scott opens the Slimbridge Wetland Reserve in Gloucestershire .
11 November – Stevenage , a village in Hertfordshire , is designated by the Attlee government as Britain's first new town to relieve overcrowding and replace bombed homes in London . The new town is set to have around 60,000 residents once it is completed and the first homes are expected to be ready by 1952 and the town fully developed by the early 1960s. The town's centerpiece will be a revolutionary pedestrianised central shopping area.[ 15]
17 November – Eight British Army servicemen are killed in Jerusalem by Jewish terrorists .
22 November – Tony Benn is elected as Treasurer of the Oxford Union .
29 November
26 December – David Lean 's film of Great Expectations Charles Dickens novel, and featuring John Mills , Valerie Hobson , Martita Hunt , Alec Guinness , Francis L. Sullivan , Jean Simmons , and Finlay Currie , is released to great acclaim.
Undated
Publications
Births
3 January – John Paul Jones , English bassist (Led Zeppelin )
6 January – Syd Barrett , English guitarist and singer (Pink Floyd ) (died 2006 )
7 January – Mike Wilds , English racing driver and pilot
14 January – Harold Shipman , serial killer (died 2004 )
19 January – Julian Barnes , novelist
25 January – Pete Price , Merseyside radio disc jockey
26 January – Timothy Clifford , art historian
28 January – David Duckham , rugby union player (died 2023)
30 January – John Bird, Baron Bird , social entrepreneur and life peer
1 February – Elisabeth Sladen , television actress (died 2011 )
5 February – Charlotte Rampling , actress
7 February
9 February – Seán Neeson , Alliance Party of Northern Ireland politician
11 February – Malcolm Walker , English businessman
13 February – Colin Matthews , composer
15 February – Clare Short , politician
16 February – Ian Lavender , actor (died 2024)
20 February – Brenda Blethyn , English actress
21 February – Alan Rickman , English actor (died 2016 )[ 21]
26 February – Colin Bell , footballer (died 2021 )
28 February – Robin Cook , Labour politician (died 2005 )
1 March – Tony Ashton , rock pianist and music producer (died 2001)
4 March
6 March
19 March – Steve Halliwell (died 2023)
21 March – Timothy Dalton , actor
22 March – Richard Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Worcester , journalist and politician
25 March – Cliff Balsam , English footballer
27 March – Patrick Richardson , travel writer and author[ 22]
2 April
4 April – Dave Hill , English guitarist (Slade )
9 April
11 April – Bob Harris , music presenter
12 April – George Robertson , Scottish politician
15 April – Hugh Laddie , judge (died 2008)
19 April – Tim Curry , actor, voice artist, singer and composer
21 April – Alan Rickman , actor (died 2016)
24 April – Piers Gough , architect
25 April – John Fox , statistician
27 April – Nicholas Serota , art curator
28 April – Linda Knowles , high jumper
29 April – Humphrey Carpenter , children's writer and broadcaster (died 2005)
1 May – Joanna Lumley , actress
2 May – David Suchet , actor
4 May – John Watson , Northern Irish racing driver
7 May – Michael Rosen , writer and poet
8 May – Ruth Padel , poet and writer
10 May
11 May – David Varney , English civil servant
13 May – Tim Pigott-Smith , English actor (died 2017)
16 May – Robert Fripp , English rock guitarist
19 May – Trevor Adams , actor (died 2000)
20 May – Paul Hirst , English sociologist (died 2003)
22 May – George Best , Northern Irish footballer (died 2005)
23 May – Stephen Marks , English businessman
27 May – Lewis Collins , English actor (died 2013)
1 June – Brian Cox , Scottish actor
2 June – Peter Sutcliffe , English serial killer (died 2020)
3 June – Penelope Wilton , English actress
11 June – Jenny Pitman , English horse trainer and author
14 June – Ernie Graham , Northern Irish singer-songwriter (died 2001)
15 June – Noddy Holder , English rock singer-songwriter (Slade )
19 June – Michael Jay, Baron Jay of Ewelme , English politician and diplomat, British Ambassador to France
20 June – Nigel Kalton , mathematician and academic (died 2010)
21 June –
22 June – Sheila Hollins, Baroness Hollins , psychiatrist
23 June – Kathy Wilkes , English philosopher (died 2003)
25 June
26 June – Clive Francis , English actor and caricaturist
28 June – Jamie Cann , politician (died 2001)
1 September – Barry Gibb , Manx-born pop singer-songwriter
9 September – Adrian Smith , statistician, President of the Royal Society
10 September – Don Powell , English drummer
11 September
12 September – Neil Lyndon , journalist and author[ 25]
19 September
22 September – John Tomlinson , English operatic bass
25 September – Felicity Kendal , English actress[ 26]
28 September – Tom Bower , writer and journalist
8 October – Bel Mooney , English author, journalist, advice columnist
10 October
12 October – Chris Nicholl , football player and manager (died 2024 )[ 27]
13 October – Edwina Currie , British Conservative politician, author and radio personality[ 28]
14 October
17 October
19 October – Philip Pullman , English author
22 October
29 October – Peter Green , blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter (died 2020 )
31 October – Stephen Rea , Northern Irish actor
1 November – Ric Grech , British bassist (Family , Blind Faith , Traffic (died 1990))
5 November
6 November – Susie Orbach , English psychotherapist
7 November – Martin Barre , English musician (Jethro Tull )
12 November – P. P. Arnold , born Patricia Ann Cole, American-born soul singer
14 November – Carola Dunn , English writer
18 November
21 November – Marina Warner , English writer
22 November – Brian Cookman , English musician and composer (died 2005)
23 November – Diana Quick , English actress
4 December – Angela Browning , English Conservative politician and MP for Tiverton and Honiton
12 December – Barrie Rutter , actor and director
14 December
16 December – Trevor Pinnock , English harpsichordist and conductor
20 December – Lesley Judd , English actress and television presenter
25 December – Christopher Frayling , English cultural historian
27 December
29 December – Marianne Faithfull , English singer and actress
31 December – Roy Porter , medical historian (died 2002)
Deaths
2 January
3 January – William Joyce , Irish American fascist propagandist (born 1906) (hanged at Wandsworth Prison for treason )
4 January – Theodore Schurch , British-born soldier and collaborator (born 1918) (hanged at Pentonville Prison for treachery )
23 January – Sir Frank MacKinnon , judge (born 1871)
5 February – George Arliss , English film actor (born 1868)
8 March – Frederick W. Lanchester , automotive engineer (born 1868)
3 April – Alf Common , English footballer (born 1880)
21 April – John Maynard Keynes , economist (born 1883)
9 May – Connie Gilchrist, Countess of Orkney , child actress and model (born 1865)
25 May – Ernest Rhys , writer (born 1859)
26 May
14 June – John Logie Baird , Scottish-born television pioneer (born 1888)
11 July – Paul Nash , artist (born 1889)
15 July – Razor Smith , English cricketer (born 1877)
23 July – James Maxton , Scottish socialist, leader of the Independent Labour Party (born 1885)
13 August – H. G. Wells , English novelist (born 1866)
16 August – Sir Granville Bantock , classical composer and conductor (born 1868)
31 August – Harley Granville-Barker , actor, playwright and critic (born 1877)
16 September – Sir James Jeans , physicist, astronomer and mathematician (born 1877)
2 November – John Barrett , Roman Catholic bishop (born 1878)
18 November – Donald Meek , actor (born 1878)
17 December – Constance Garnett , translator (born 1861)
See also
References
^ a b c d "The Lost Decade Timeline, BBC" . Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2008 .^ a b c d Palmer, Alan; Palmer, Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History . London: Century Ltd. pp. 395–396. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2 ^ a b Penguin Pocket On This Day . Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0 ^ "FA Cup Final 1946" . fa-cupfinals.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008.^ "Plays" . Terence Rattigan . Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2010 .^ "Victory Celebrations, 8th June 1946 by Ron Goldstein, BBC" . Retrieved 29 January 2008 .^ Ruddy, Austin J. (2019). The Home Front 1939–1945 in 100 Objects . Barnsley: Frontline Books. pp. 198–9. ISBN 9-781-52674-086-1 ^ a b c d Kynaston, David (2007). Austerity Britain 1945–1951 . London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-7985-4 ^ a b Marr, Andrew (2007). A History of Modern Britain . London: Macmillan. pp. 71–2. ISBN 978-1-4050-0538-8 ^ "Finance Act 1946" . 1 August 1946. Retrieved 18 March 2011 .^ "Finance Act 1946–48 The National Land Fund" . 1 August 1946. Retrieved 18 March 2011 .^ a b Evans, Paul; Doyle, Peter (2009). The 1940s Home . Oxford: Shire Publications. ISBN 978-0-7478-0736-0 ^ Ellis, Samantha (7 May 2003). "JB Priestley's An Inspector Calls, October 1946" . The Guardian . Retrieved 18 July 2011 . ^ Robertson, Patrick (1974). The Shell Book of Firsts . London: Ebury Press. p. 158. ISBN 0-7181-1279-2 ^ "Stevenage New Town" . Stevenage Borough Council. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009.^ Lewisohn, Mark (2003). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy . BBC Worldwide Ltd. ^ "Bristol University History" . History of the University . University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 16 June 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2007 .^ "Penguin Classics in translation" . Penguin Archive Project . University of Bristol . 17 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2011 .^ Sutherland, John (24 January 2005). "Pick up a Penguin?". The Guardian . p. 5.^ "History of Fire Safety" . FireNet . 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2011 .^ "Alan Rickman obituary" . The Guardian . 14 January 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2021 .^ BBC Excess Baggage Program ^ Ashley Alexander Mallett (2001). Eleven: The Greatest Eleven of the 20th Century ISBN 978-0-7022-3258-9 ^ Elizabeth Sleeman (2001). The International Who's Who of Women 2002 ISBN 978-1-85743-122-3 ^ Lyndon, Neil (10 May 2016). "From Trump to Ranieri: is this the era of the older man?" . The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 19 October 2017 . ^ Newcomb, Horace (3 February 2014). Encyclopedia of Television ISBN 978-1-135-19472-7 ^ Chris Nicholl, hard-tackling footballer who won silverware with Aston Villa – obituary ^ Rubinstein, William D.; Jolles, Michael; Rubinstein, Hilary L. (22 February 2011). The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History ISBN 978-1-4039-3910-4 [dead link ] ^
General Register Office for England and Wales (1946). Birth Indices (Report) (5g ed.). Surrey: Parliament of the United Kingdom . p. 1388. Birth: 1946, Dec Qtr, Catherine A Mannin maiden surname Jenkins
^ Cross, Nigel. "Kenneth John Whaley (obit)" . Shagrat Records. Retrieved 15 June 2013 .
