1944 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1944 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George VI of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Winston Churchill, coalition

Events

* 10 February - PAYE (Pay as you earn) system of tax collection introduced.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 26 February - World War II: Last heavy air-raids on London.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 392-394|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* May - The Education Act creates a 3-tier secondary education system of Secondary Modern, Technical, and Grammar schools, with entrance determined by success in the Eleven Plus exam.
* 1 June - World War II: The BBC transmits a coded message (the first line of a poem by Paul Verlaine) to underground resistance fighters in France warning that the invasion of Europe is imminent.
* 5 June - World War II: Final preparations for D-Day take place in the South of England.
* 6 June - World War II: Battle of Normandy begins - "Operation Overlord", code named D-Day, commences with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France.
* 13 June - World War II: The first V-1 Flying Bomb attack on London takes place.
* 21 August - American, British, Chinese, French and Soviet representatives meet to plan the foundation of the United Nations.
* 7 September - The Belgian government leaves the UK and returns to Belgium following the liberation of Brussels on September 3.
* 8 September - World War II: The first V-2 Rocket attack on London takes place.
* 17 September - World War II: Restrictions imposed by the Blackout are relaxed.
* 9 October - Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin begin a nine-day conference in Moscow to discuss the future of Europe.
* 12 November - World War II: Sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz by RAF Lancaster bombers.
* 3 December - World War II: The Home Guard is stood down.
* 24 December - World War II: V-1 Flying Bomb attack kills 27 in Oldham, having been aimed at Manchester.

Publications

* Agatha Christie's novels "Towards Zero" and "Death Comes as the End".

Births

January - June

* 9 January - Jimmy Page, English guitarist (Led Zeppelin)
* 27 January
** Mairead Corrigan, Northern Irish activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
** Nick Mason, English drummer (Pink Floyd)
* 3 February - Dave Davies, British musician (The Kinks)
* 13 February - Jerry Springer, English-born television host
* 14 February - Alan Parker, English film director
* 17 February - Karl Jenkins, Welsh composer
* 24 February - Nicky Hopkins, British musician (died 1994)
* 1 March - Roger Daltrey, English musician (The Who)
* 7 March - Ranulph Fiennes, adventurer
* 11 March - Don Maclean, British comedian
* 6 April - Felicity Palmer, English soprano
* 27 April - Michael Fish, British TV weatherman
* 5 May - John Rhys-Davies, Welsh actor
* 8 May - Gary Glitter, English singer
* 12 May - Sara Kestelman, British actor
* 20 May - Joe Cocker, British singer
* 25 May - Frank Oz, English puppeteer and film director
* 28 May - Patricia Quinn, Northern Irish actress
* 24 June
** Jeff Beck, British musician
** John "Charlie" Whitney, British rock guitarist (Family)

July - December

* 21 July - Tony Scott, English film director
* 27 July - Tony Capstick, English comedian, actor, and musician (died 2003)
* 2 August - Jim Capaldi, British drummer, singer, and songwriter (Traffic) (died 2005)
* 11 August - Ian McDiarmid, Scottish actor
* 26 August - Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
* 31 August - Roger Dean, British artist
* 22 September - Frazer Hines, British actor
* 26 September - Anne Robinson, British television host
* 30 September - Jimmy Johnstone, Scottish footballer
* 9 October - John Entwistle, English bassist (The Who) (died 2002)
* 15 October - David Trimble, Northern Irish politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
* 28 October - Ian Marter, British actor (died 1986)
* 10 November - Tim Rice, lyricist, writer and broadcaster
* 6 December - Jonathan King, British music producer
* 21 December - Bill Atkinson, English footballer

Deaths

* 8 May - Ethel Smyth, composer and a leader of the women's suffrage movement (born 1858)
* 19 August - Henry Wood, conductor (born 1869)
* 13 September - W. Heath Robinson, cartoonist and illustrator (born 1872)
* 23 October - Charles Glover Barkla, physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1877)
* 26 October -
** William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (born 1881)
** The Princess Beatrice, the last surviving child of Queen Victoria (born 1857)
* "date unknown" - Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, sportsman after whom the brand Lonsdale is named (born 1857)

References

ee also