Long to reign over us

This is the second post using the material I presented at the Sunniside History Society meeting on Wednesday looking back at the events during the 70 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. We have now arrived at the 1960s.

1960

Birth of Prince Andrew

Princess Margaret marries Anthony Armstrong-Jones

Beatles perform for first time in Hamburg

Penguin Books are found not guilty of obscenity in the Lady Chatterley's Lover case

Coronation Street is first broadcast

Conscription ends

1961

Farthing ceases to be legal tender

Betting shops become legal

Birth Control pill becomes available on the NHS after their availability is backed by Health Minister Enock Powell

1962

An outbreak of smallpox in Wales kills 19 people. 900,000 people in the region are vaccinated against the disease

First episode of Z-Cars

Liberal candidateEric Lubbock wins the Oprington By-election, leading to the Night of the Long Knives in the Conservative Cabinet

First broadcast of Steptoe and Son

Live television broadcast from the US to Britain for the first time, via the Telstar communications satellite 

The Rolling Stones make their debut at London's Marquee Club 

The first James Bond film, Dr No, is released

1963 

Year started with the worst winter since 1946-7, snow on the ground in some areas until April

Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell dies

John Profumo, Secretary of State for War, admits misleading Parliament and resigns over his affair with Christine Keeler

The Great Train Robbery takes place

Ford begins production of the Ford Anglia 

1^st broadcast of Dr Who

Assassination of JFK

1964

Top of the Pops 1^st broadcast

Prince Edward is born

Launch of BB2 disrupted by power cut

Post Office Tower completed

Labour wins a slender majority of 4 in the general election

1965

Winston Churchill dies

the bank rate is reduced to 6 per cent.

the government announce plans for the introduction of a blood alcohol limit for drivers in its clampdown on drink driving 

Edward Heath becomes Conservative leader

Thunderbirds are first broadcast

A 70 mph maximum speed limit is imposed on UK roads

10 day tour by Queen of West Germany

1966

Labour win the general election, increasing their majority to 96

England beat West Germany in World Cup

Ian Brady and Myra Hindley go on trial charged with murdering two children and a teenager and subsequently found guilty.

Aberfan disaster in South Wales

1967

The first North Sea gas is pumped ashore

1^st colour tv broadcast

The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched at by the Queen

The Abortion Act is passed

The pound is devalued from $2.80 to $2.40

1968

Ford brought out the Escort to replace the Anglia

George Brown resigns as Foreign Secretary after failing to turn up for an emergency meeting because he was drunk.

5p and 10p coins are introduced in preparation for decimalization

Ronan Point tower block in Newham collapses

1^st and 2^nd class mail are introduced

1969

The space hopper is introduced

Lulu, representing the UK with the song "Boom Bang-a-Bang", shared first place in the Eurovision Song Contest in a four-way tie with France, The Netherlands and Spain

Voting age is reduced from 21 to 18

QE2 maiden voyage from Southampton to New York

Charles, Prince of Wales, is invested with his title at Caernarfon

BBC Television broadcasts overnight to provide coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing

The old half penny ceases to be legal tender