1959 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1959 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents[]

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Prime Minister – Harold Macmillan (Conservative)
• Parliament
  • 41st (until 18 September)
  • 42nd (starting 20 October)

Events[]

• 15 January – Tyne Tees Television, the ITV franchise for North East England, goes on air.
• 22 January – Racing driver Mike Hawthorn is killed after his Jaguar 3.4-litre car collides with a tree on the A3 near Guildford.
• 29 January – Dense fog brings chaos to Britain.^[1]
• 19 February – The United Kingdom grants Cyprus independence.
• 23 February – UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan holds talks with the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev on a visit to the USSR.^[2]
• 7 March – Independence movement leader Kanyama Chiume, wanted in the British territory of Nyasaland, flees to London and goes into hiding.^[3]
• 10 March – Comedy film Carlton-Browne of the F.O. released.
• 30 March – 20,000 demonstrators attend a CND rally in Trafalgar Square.

Poster introduced in April

• 1 April – The official name of the administrative county of Hampshire is changed from "County of Southampton" to "County of Hampshire".
• 2 April – United Dairies merges with Cow & Gate to form Unigate Dairies.^[4]
• 22 April – Ballerina Margot Fonteyn is released from prison in Panama having been suspected of involvement in a planned coup against the government of President Ernesto de la Guardia.^[5]
• 30 April – Icelandic gunboat fires on British trawlers in the first of the "Cod Wars" over fishing rights.

First Morris Mini-Minor off the production line, 8 May.

• May – First Ten Tors event held on Dartmoor.
• 2 May
  • The Chapelcross nuclear power station in Scotland opens.^[6]
  • Nottingham Forest beat Luton Town 2–1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.^[7]
• 7 May – Scientist and novelist C. P. Snow delivers an influential Rede Lecture on The Two Cultures, concerning a perceived breakdown of communication between the sciences and humanities, in the Senate House, University of Cambridge. It is subsequently published as The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.
• 24 May – British Empire Day becomes Commonwealth Day.
• 28 May – Mermaid Theatre opens in the City of London.
• June – Import tariffs lifted in the United Kingdom.
• 1 June – First showing on BBC Television of Juke Box Jury chaired by David Jacobs.^[8]
• 3 June – Singapore is granted self-governing status.
• 11 June – Christopher Cockerell's invention the hovercraft officially launched.^[9]
• 22 June – Harrods enters talks with Debenhams over a possible £34,000,000 merger.
• 23 June – Klaus Fuchs released from Wakefield prison having served over nine years for giving British nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union.^[6]
• July – Cliff Richard and The Drifters release a recording of the song "Living Doll" written by Lionel Bart.
• 28 July – UK postcodes are introduced for the first time, as an experiment, in the city of Norwich.^[10]
• 29 July
  • Mental Health Act becomes law, modernising the care of mental disorder.
  • Obscene Publications Act becomes law.
  • Legitimacy Act becomes law, permitting the legitimisation of a child, one of whose parents was married to a third person at the time of their birth, by subsequent marriage of the parents.
• 4 August – Barclays become the first bank to install a computer.^[11]
• 24 August – House of Fraser wins the bidding war for Harrods in a £37,000,000 deal.^[12]
• 26 August – BMC launches the Mini, a two-door, 10-foot-long mini-car with an 848cc four-cylinder transverse engine and a top speed of 70 mph, designed to carry the driver and three passengers and their luggage in comfort. The designer is Alec Issigonis, who also designed the Morris Minor.^[6]
• 31 August – Harold Macmillan and US President Dwight Eisenhower make a joint television broadcast from Downing Street.^[13]
• 18 September – Auchengeich mining disaster: 47 miners die as the result of an underground fire at Auchengeich Colliery, Lanarkshire, Scotland.^[14]
• 7 October – Southend Pier is damaged in a fire.^[15]
• 8 October – The 1959 general election is held resulting in a record third successive Conservative victory.^[16] Harold Macmillan, running under the slogan "Life's better with the Conservatives, Don't let Labour ruin it", increases the Conservatives majority in Parliament to 100 seats.^[17] The Labour Party contested their first general election under the leadership of Hugh Gaitskell.^[18] Among the new Members of Parliament entering the Commons for the first time is future Education Secretary and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, representing Finchley in North London.^[19]
• 12 October – Large-scale diamond robbery in London.
• 21 October – Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi is arrested in Nyeri, Kenya.
• 30 October – Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club opens in the Soho district of London.
• 2 November – The first section of the M1 motorway is opened^[6] between Watford and Rugby. It is set to be extended over the next few years, southwards to Edgware and northwards to Leeds.
• 5 November – Philip John Noel-Baker wins the Nobel Peace Prize.^[20]
• 11 November – London Transport introduces the production AEC Routemaster double-decker bus into public service.
• 14 November – The nuclear Dounreay Fast Reactor in Scotland achieves criticality.^[21]
• 17 November – Prestwick and Renfrew Airports become the first airports in the UK with duty-free shops.^[22]
• 20 November – Britain becomes a founder member of the European Free Trade Association.
• December – Health enthusiast Dr. Barbara Moore walks from Edinburgh to London.
• 6 December – Aberdeen trawler George Robb runs aground at Duncansby Head in Scotland in a severe gale with the loss of all 12 crew.^[23]
• 8 December – Broughty Ferry life-boat Mona capsizes on service to North Carr Lightship in Scotland: all eight lifeboat crew are lost.
• 28 December – Associated-Rediffusion first airs the children's television series Ivor the Engine, made by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms in stop motion animation using cardboard cut-outs.

Undated[]

• London County Council completes first portion of Alton Estate in Roehampton, southwest London, considered a model of post-war public housing.^[24]
• "Aluminium War": concluding the first hostile takeover of a public company in the UK, Tube Investments (under its chairman Ivan Stedeford), allied with Reynolds Metals of the United States and advised by Siegmund Warburg of S. G. Warburg & Co., secure control of British Aluminium.^[25]
• The iconic Bush TR82 transistor radio, by Ogle Design, is launched.
• North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board's becomes fully operational.
• Car ownership in Britain now exceeds 30% of households.^[26]
• Economic growth for the year is a very strong 7.2% while the Retail Price Index shows a zero percentage change over the year.^[27]
• Noise Abatement Society established.
• Approximate date – Ballads and Blues folk club founded by Ewan MacColl and others in a London pub in Soho as part of the second British folk revival.^[28]

Publications[]

• Agatha Christie's novel Cat Among the Pigeons.
• Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger.
• Colin MacInnes' novel Absolute Beginners.
• Spike Milligan's collection Silly Verse for Kids.
• Iona and Peter Opie's study The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren.
• Mervyn Peake's novel Titus Alone, last completed of the Gormenghast series.
• Alan Sillitoe's story The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.
• Keith Waterhouse's novel Billy Liar.

Births[]

January – February[]

• 4 January – John Batchelor, racing driver, businessman and political activist (died 2010)
• 5 January – David Eastwood, English historian and academic
• 7 January – Angela Smith, British Labour Co-operative politician and MP for Basildon
• 12 January – Simon Tolkien, novelist
• 16 January – Sade Adu, Nigerian-born British singer, composer, songwriter and record producer
• 29 January – Frank Key, writer (died 2019)
• 30 January – Alex Hyde-White, English actor
• 3 February – Lol Tolhurst, cofounder and drummer/keyboardist of rock band The Cure
• 4 February – John Wraw, Anglican prelate (died 2017)
• 6 February – Martyn Quayle, politician (died 2016)
• 18 February
  • Jayne Atkinson, English-born actress
  • David Parker, swimmer (died 2010)
• 23 February – Richard Dodds, British field hockey player
• 27 February – Simon Critchley, British philosopher

March – April[]

• 1 March – Nick Griffin, British politician, chairman of the British National Party (BNP)
• 9 March – Mark Carwardine, British zoologist
• 15 March – Ben Okri, Nigerian-born poet and novelist
• 20 March
  • Steve McFadden, British actor
  • Peter Truscott, Baron Truscott, Labour politician and peer^[29]
• 21 March – Colin Jones, Welsh boxer
• 29 March – Richard Cousins, businessman (died 2017)
• 30 March – Andrew Bailey, English banker
• 4 April – Gordon Dunne, Northern Irish politician (died 2021)
• 5 April – Ian Pearson, British Labour politician and MP for Dudley South
• 7 April – Nigel Walker, footballer (died 2014)
• 11 April – John Myers, radio executive (died 2019)
• 14 April – Ali Brownlee, radio sports broadcaster (died 2016)
• 15 April – Emma Thompson, English actress, comedian and screenwriter
• 16 April
  • Yvonne Carter, general practitioner and academic (died 2009)
  • Alison Ramsay, Scottish field hockey player
• 17 April
  • Imogen Bain, actress (died 2014)
  • Sean Bean, actor
  • Peter Doig, British painter
• 21 April – Robert Smith, British musician (The Cure)
• 24 April – Paula Yates, television presenter (died 2000)
• 25 April – Adrian Sanders, British Liberal Democrat politician and MP for Torbay
• 27 April – Sheena Easton, Scottish singer

May – June[]

• 3 May – Ben Elton, English comedian and writer
• 4 May – Dick Bradsell, bartender (died 2016)
• 5 May – Ian McCulloch, English rock singer-songwriter (Echo & the Bunnymen)
• 12 May
  • Mark Davies, Roman Catholic bishop of Shrewsbury
  • Deborah Warner, stage director and producer
• 13 May – Peter Longbottom, cyclist (died 1998)
• 15 May – Andrew Eldritch, né Taylor, English gothic rock singer-songwriter (The Sisters of Mercy)
• 16 May – Tracy Hyde, English actress and model
• 17 May
  • Richard Barrons, English general
  • Paul Whitehouse, Welsh comedian and actor
• 18 May
  • Graham Dilley, crickieter (died 2011)
  • Rupert Soames, businessman
• 20 May – Gregory Gray, Northern Irish singer-songwriter (died 2019)
• 22 May
  • Graham Fellows, English comedy performer
  • Morrissey, English alternative rock singer-songwriter
• 27 May – Gerard Kelly, Scottish actor (died 2010)
• 28 May – John Morgan, writer and etiquette expert (died 2000)
• 29 May
  • Rupert Everett, English actor
  • Adrian Paul, English-born actor
  • Tessa Tennant, English green investment campaigner (died 2018)
• 30 May – David Thomas, cricketer (died 2012)
• 1 June
  • Martin Brundle, English Formula One motor racing driver
  • John Pullinger, English statistician and librarian
  • Peter Skinner, English Labour politician and MEP for South East England
• 6 June – Lindsay Posner, English theatre director and manager
• 11 June – Hugh Laurie, English actor, comedian and writer
• 19 June
  • Ray Deakin, footballer (died 2008)
  • Sophie Grigson, English cookery writer and celebrity chef
• 21 June – John Baron, English Conservative politician and MP for Billericay
• 26 June – Lucy Kellaway, English columnist at the Financial Times and teacher
• 27 June – Clint Boon, English rock keyboardist (Inspiral Carpets) and DJ
• 28 June – Sally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Huyton, English Labour politician and educationalist
• 29 June – Richard Vranch, English comedian, actor and television panel show participant
• 30 June – Jane Gregory, Olympic equestrian (died 2011)

July – August[]

• 3 July
  • Julie Burchill, journalist
  • Graham Roberts, footballer and manager
• 4 July – Jan Brittin, cricketer (died 2017)
• 8 July – Pauline Quirke, actress
• 11 July – Steve Whatley, actor and television presenter (died 2005)
• 13 July – Richard Leman, field hockey player
• 15 July – Charles Farr, civil servant (died 2019)
• 18 July – Jonathan Dove, operatic composer
• 31 July – Kim Newman, journalist, film critic and fiction writer
• 1 August
  • Joe Elliott, rock singer (Def Leppard)
  • Desmond Noonan, gangster (died 2005)
• 5 August – Pete Burns, pop singer (died 2016)
• 20 August – Andrew Pelling, Conservative politician and MP for Croydon Central
• 24 August – Meg Munn, Labour Co-operative politician and MP for Sheffield Heeley
• 27 August – Jeanette Winterson, novelist

September – October[]

• 11 September – Colin Butts, novelist and screenwriter (died 2018)
• 12 September – Mike Barrett, footballer (died 1984)
• 13 September – Andy Gray, Scottish actor (died 2021)
• 18 September
  • Ian Arkwright, English footballer
  • Lucy Birley, model, photographer and socialite (died 2018)
• 20 September – Kevin Stonehouse, footballer (died 2019)
• 23 September – Karen Pierce, British diplomat
• 28 September – Paul 'Trouble' Anderson, DJ (died 2018)
• 7 October – Simon Cowell, English music producer and television talent show judge
• 10 October
  • Mark Johnston, Scottish-born racehorse trainer
  • Kirsty MacColl, British singer and songwriter (died 2000)
• 15 October
  • Sarah, Duchess of York
  • Tibor Fischer, British novelist and short story writer
  • Andy Holmes, rower (died 2010)
• 16 October
  • Gary Kemp, English pop artist (Spandau Ballet)
  • John Whittingdale, British Conservative politician and MP for Maldon and Chelmsford East
• 20 October – Niamh Cusack, Irish-born actress
• 21 October – Cleveland Watkiss, jazz vocalist
• 27 October – Liz Howe, ecologist (died 2019)

November – December[]

• 1 November – Susanna Clarke, British writer
• 2 November
  • Kevin Ashman, English quiz player
  • Peter Mullan, Scottish actor
• 9 November
  • Andy Kershaw, British music broadcaster
  • Frances O'Grady, British trades union leader
• 14 November – Paul McGann, British actor
• 18 November – Jimmy Quinn, Irish footballer and football manager
• 25 November
  • Mark Andrews, rower (died 2020)
  • Charles Kennedy, Scottish Liberal Democrat politician (died 2015)
• 26 November – Dai Davies Welsh politician and independent MP^[30]
• 30 November – Lorraine Kelly, British presenter and journalist
• 2 December – Gwyneth Strong, British actress
• 5 December – Robbie France, drummer (died 2012)
• 6 December – Stephen Hepburn, British Labour MP for Jarrow
• 10 December – Kevin Ash, journalist and author (d. 2013)
• 11 December – Phil Woolas, disgraced Labour MP^[31]
• 12 December – Jasper Conran, English designer
• 28 December – Andy McNab, British soldier turned novelist
• 29 November – Richard Borcherds, mathematician
• 30 December – Tracey Ullman, English comedian, actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author

Unknown dates[]

• , African-British television presenter and producer
• Amanda Craig, British novelist
• Edith Hall, classicist
• Mick Hume, British journalist and organiser of the Revolutionary Communist Party
• Mick Manning, British children's author and illustrator
• Jasper Morrison, English product and furniture designer
• Keith Chapman, British television writer and producer

Deaths[]

• 14 January – G. D. H. Cole, political and economic theorist, historian and detective fiction writer (born 1889)
• 22 January – Mike Hawthorn, English race car driver (car crash) (born 1929)
• 15 February – Sir Owens Willans Richardson, British physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1879)
• 21 February – Kathleen Freeman, classical scholar (born 1897)
• 25 April – Janet Philip, academic administrator (born 1876)
• 11 June – Gordon Selwyn, educator and Anglican priest (born 1885)
• 11 July – Charlie Parker, English cricketer (born 1882)
• 5 August – Edgar A. Guest, English poet (born 1881)
• 19 August
  • Jacob Epstein, American-born British sculptor (born 1880)
  • Claude Grahame-White, English aviator (born 1879)
• 6 September – Kay Kendall, English actress (born 1926) (leukaemia)
• 21 September – Agnes Nicholls, operatic soprano (born 1877)
• 25 September
  • Gerard Hoffnung, German-born humorist (born 1925)
  • Vera Laughton Mathews, naval officer (born 1888)
• 15 November – Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Scottish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1869)
• 26 November – Albert Ketèlbey, pianist, conductor and composer (born 1875)
• 14 December – Stanley Spencer, painter (born 1891)

See also[]

• 1959 in British music
• 1959 in British television
• List of British films of 1959

External links[]

References[]