We have now arrived at the 1980s in my presentation to Sunniside History Society about the main events of the 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
1980
The SAS storm the Iranian Embassy building, killing 5 out of the 6 terrorists. One hostage is killed by the terrorists before the raid and one during it, but the remainder are freed. The storming is broadcast live on television
US nuclear cruise missiles are to be located at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire
The
pre-decimal sixpenny coin is withdrawn from circulation
Tyne and Wear Metro opens after 6 years construction, with the first phase between Haymarket and Whitley Bay.
Unemployment reaches 2 million
Consett Steelworks close with the loss of 4500 jobs, instantly making it the town with the highest rate of unemployment in the UK
Right to buy, under which tenants can buy their council home begins
Margaret Thatcher makes her "The lady's not for turning" speech to the Conservative Party conference
Michael Foot becomes Labour Leader
1981
The Queen officially opens the Metro
Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer takes place
Princess Alice, last surviving granddaughter of Queen Victoria, dies
Wave of riots in the summer hits the UK
David Steel tells delegates at the Liberal Party conference to "go back to your constituencies and prepare for government"
10 IRA hunger strikers die before the protest is called off
1982
Unemployment reaches 3 million
The lowest ever UK temperature of −27.2 °C is recorded at Braemar
The DeLorean De Lorean car factory in Belfast is put into receivership
In March Argentines land on the British dependent territory of South Georgia Island and then Falklands
In April a Taskforce is assembled by the UK to recover the islands
In June, the Falkland Islands are fully recovered
Prince William is born
Michael Fagan Michael Fagan breaks into Buckingham Palace and is apprehended after entering the royal bedroom
1983
Landslide for Conservatives at general election, Labour down to 209 seats
Neil Kinnock succeeds Michael Foot as Labour leader
David Owen replaces Roy Jenkins as SDP leader
The one pound coin is introduced
1984
Torvill and Dean win a gold medal for ice skating at the Winter Olympics
In March the miners’ strike begins
Birth of Prince Harry
The IRA attempts to assassinate the Conservative cabinet at the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the party's conference. Cabinet minister Norman Tebbitt is trapped among the rubble and his wife Margaret is seriously injured. MP Anthony Berry and four other people are killed. In the resulting by-election in Enfield Michael Portillo is elected.
BBC News presenter Michael Buerk covers the famine in Ethiopia which leads to Band Aid
First state visit by a monarch to China
1985
The first mobile phone network in the UK is launched by Vodafone
Miners strike ends
Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia raise over £50,000,000 for famine relief in
1986
Chernobyl
disaster in the former Soviet Union
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Prince Andrew marries Sarah Ferguson
Tyne and Wear and other metropolitan county councils are abolished
The Duchess of Windsor dies
Margaret Thatcher officially opens the first phase of the NIssan car factory in Sunderland
The first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy is diagnosed in British cattle
1987
British Channel ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise
Margaret Thatcher wins record 3rd general election with majority of over 100
The Channel Tunnel is given the go ahead
Wall Street crash leads to £50 billion being wiped off the value of shares on the London stock exchange
The Kings Cross tube station fire takes place
1988
Chancellor Nigel Lawson announces that the standard rate of income tax will be cut to 25p in the pound
The Church of England announces that they will allow the
ordination of female priests from 1992
Paddy Ashdown is elected 1st leader of the Liberal Democrats
New licensing laws allow pubs to stay open all day in England and Wales
Duke and Duchess of York have a child – Beatrice
1989
94 people are killed in the Hillsborough disaster during the FA Cup semi-final
The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips are separating after 16 years of marriage
Fall
of the Berlin Wall and Iron Curtain
No comments:
Post a Comment