1989 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1989 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

* Monarch - HM Queen Elizabeth II
* Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher, Conservative

Events

* 8 January - the Kegworth air disaster: A British Midland Boeing 737 crashes onto the M1 motorway on the approach to East Midlands Airport killing 44 people. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/8/newsid_2506000/2506665.stm|title="1989: Dozens die as plane crashes on motorway", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 25 January - John Cleese wins libel case after the "Daily Mirror" described him as having become like his character Basil Fawlty in the sitcom "Fawlty Towers".cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 5 February - Sky Television begins broadcasting as the first satellite TV service in Britain.
* 12 February - Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane is murdered by the Ulster Freedom Fighters. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/12/newsid_2540000/2540849.stm|title="1989: Belfast lawyer Finucane murdered", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 14 February - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran places a fatwa (order to kill) on author Salman Rushdie following the publication of his controversial book "The Satanic Verses", which has caused outrage among the Islamic community. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/14/newsid_2541000/2541149.stm|title="1989: Ayatollah sentences author to death",, BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 20 February - IRA bomb the Tern Hill Barracks in Shropshire, injuring 50 soldiers of the Parachute Regiment. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/20/newsid_3417000/3417027.stm|title="1989: IRA bombs Tern Hill barracks", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 4 March - Purley rail crash: 2 trains collide at Purley, Surrey killing six people. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/4/newsid_2515000/2515219.stm|title="1989: Six die in Purley rail crash", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 7 March - Iran breaks off diplomatic relations with the UK over Salman Rushdie's controversial book "The Satanic Verses".
* 20 March - Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan of the Royal Ulster Constabulary are killed by the IRA. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/20/newsid_2544000/2544191.stm|title="1989: Senior RUC men die in gun attack", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 6 April - The government announces an end to the legislation which effectively guarantees secure work for more than 9,000 dockers over the remainder of their working lives. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/6/newsid_2522000/2522787.stm|title="1989: Dockers' 'jobs for life' scrapped", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 10 April - Nick Faldo becomes the first English winner of The Masters Tournament.
* 14 April - Ford unveils the latest version of its small Fiesta hatchback, which is being built at the Dagenham plant in England and the Valencia plant in Spain.
* 15 April - 94 fans are killed in a crush during at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield during the FA Cup semi-final between Nottingham Forest FC and Liverpool FC. Around 300 others have been taken to hospital.
* 18 April - The Hillsborough disaster claims its 95th victim when 14-year-old Lee Nichol dies in hospital as a result of his injuries.
* 19 May - Walshaw Dean Lodge, West Yorkshire enters the UK Weather Records with the "Highest 120-min total" rainfall at 193 mm. As of July 2006 this record still stands. [cite web |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/extremes/index.html|title=Extreme weather |publisher=Met Office |accessdate=2008-04-09]
* 24 May - Sonia Sutcliffe, wife of "Yorkshire Ripper" Peter Sutcliffe, is awarded £600,000 in High Court damages against the satirical magazine Private Eye. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/24/newsid_2503000/2503595.stm|title="1989: Yorkshire Ripper's wife wins damages", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 19 July - The BBC programme "Panorama" accuses Shirley Porter, Conservative Leader of Westminster City Council, of "gerrymandering".
* 25 July - The Princess of Wales opens the Landmark Aids Centre in London. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/25/newsid_2500000/2500505.stm|title="1989: Diana opens Landmark Aids Centre", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 1 August - Charlotte Hughes of Marske-by-the-Sea in Cleveland, believed to be the oldest living person in England, celebrates her 112th birthday. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/1/newsid_3048000/3048025.stm|title="1989: Britain's oldest person turns 112", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 17 August - Introduction of electronic tagging to monitor and supervise crime suspects.
* 18 August - Manchester United F.C. sold to property tycoon Michael Knighton for £20 million. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/18/newsid_2499000/2499267.stm|title="1989: Man U sold in record takeover deal", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 20 August - Marchioness disaster: A pleasure cruiser collides with a barge in the River Thames killing 30 people. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/20/newsid_2500000/2500211.stm|title="1989: Marchioness river crash 'kills 30'", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 22 September - Deal barracks bombing: The IRA bomb the Royal Marine School of Music in Deal, Kent killing 11 soldiers. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/22/newsid_2528000/2528223.stm|title="1989: Ten dead in Kent barracks bomb", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 26 September - Nigel Lawson resigns as Chancellor of the Exchequer; replaced by John Major, while Douglas Hurd becomes Foreign Secretary.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 456|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 2 October - three Anglican clergy, including Ian Paisley, cause a distrubance at a church service in Rome in protest at the Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie's suggestion that the Pope could become the spiritual leader of a united church. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/2/newsid_4025000/4025615.stm|title="1989: Anglican anger over united church", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 11 October - The newly-named Rover Group (Austin Rover until earlier this year) launches its new medium-sized hatchback, the 200 Series, which replaces the small four-door saloon of the same name, and gives buyers a more modern and upmarket alternative to the ongoing Maestro range.
* 19 October - The Guildford Four are released from prison after the High Court quashes their convictions for the 1975 terrorist atrocity. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/19/newsid_2490000/2490039.stm|title="1989: Guildford Four released after 15 years", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 7 November - General Assembly of the Church of England votes to allow ordination of women.
* 21 November - The House of Commons is televised live for the first time.
* 5 December - Margaret Thatcher defeats Anthony Meyer in a leadership election for the Conservative Party. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/5/newsid_2528000/2528339.stm|title="1989: Thatcher beats off leadership rival", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]
* 18 December - The Labour Party abandons its policy on closed shops. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/18/newsid_2538000/2538439.stm|title="1989: Labour's union U-turn", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-12]

Undated

* After spending most of the decade closed down, Whiteleys in London re-opens as a shopping centre.
* Remains of The Rose and Globe Theatre discovered in London.cite book |title= The Hutchinson Factfinder |publisher= Helicon |year= 1999 |isbn= 1-85986-000-1 ]

Publications

* Iain Banks' novel "Canal Dreams".
* Julian Barnes' novel "A History of the World in 10½ Chapters".
* William Golding's novel "Fire Down Below", third in the "To the Ends of the Earth" trilogy.
* Mathematician Roger Penrose's book "The Emperor's New Mind".
* Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels "Pyramids" and "Guards! Guards!"; and The Bromeliad novel "Truckers".
* Rose Tremain's novel "Restoration"

Births

* 17 February - Rebecca Adlington, Olympic gold medal winning swimmer
* 16 March - Theo Walcott, footballer
* 1 July - Charles Carnegie, Lord Carnegie, eldest son of David Charles Carnegie, Earl of Southesk
* 23 July - Daniel Radcliffe, actor ("Harry Potter" films)
* 9 November - Jennifer Pike, violinist
* 12 December - Harry Eden, actor

Deaths

* 7 January - Frank Adams, mathematician (born 1930)
* 18 January - Bruce Chatwin, novelist and travel writer (born 1940)
* 27 January - Thomas Sopwith, aviation pioneer and yachtsman (born 1888)
* 6 March - Harry Andrews, actor (born 1911)
* 12 April - Gerald Flood, actor (born 1927)
* 19 April - Daphne du Maurier, novelist (born 1907)
* 19 May - C.L.R. James, writer and journalist (born 1901)
* 20 May - John Hicks, economist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1904)
* 27 June - Alfred Ayer, philosopher (born 1910)
* 11 July - Sir Laurence Olivier, acclaimed actor, director and producer (born 1907)
* 29 August - Peter Scott, ornithologist, conservationist and painter (born 1909)
* 4 October - Graham Chapman, comedian (born 1941)
* 5 December - John Pritchard, conductor (born 1921)
* 19 December - Stella Gibbons, novelist, journalist, poet and short-story writer (born 1902)

References

ee also