1946 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1946 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

*Monarch - George VI of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Clement Attlee, Labour

Events

* 17 January - The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting at Church House in London.
* 14 February - The Bank of England is nationalised.
* 15 February - American dance craze, the "Jitterbug", sweeps Britain.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/lostdecade/timeline_html.shtml|title=The Lost Decade Timeline, BBC|accessdate=2008-01-29]
* 20 February - Royal Opera House in Covent Garden re-opens after the War.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 395-396|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 5 March - Winston Churchill delivers his "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, United States.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 10 March - British troops begin withdrawal from Lebanon.
* 4 May - First-class cricket returns, having been suspended during the War.
* 20 May - The House of Commons votes to nationalise coal mines in the United Kingdom.
* 31 May - London Heathrow Airport opened fully for civilian use.
* 1 June - Television licence introduced.
* 7 June - Television broadcasting, suspended during World War II, by the BBC resumes.
* 8 June - A victory parade is held in London to celebrate the end of World War II. [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/40/a4768040.shtml|title=Victory Celebrations, 8th June 1946 by Ron Goldstein, BBC website|accessdate=2008-01-29]
* 9 August - Arts Council incorporated by Royal Charter.
* 31 August - League football returns, having been suspended during World War II.
* 29 September - BBC Third Programme begins broadcasting.
* 17 November - Eight British servicemen are killed in Jerusalem by Jewish terrorists.
* 22 November - Tony Benn is elected as Treasurer of the Oxford Union.

Publications

* Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novel "The Hollow".
* Philip Larkin's novel "Jill".
* Mervyn Peake's novel "Titus Groan".

Births

January - February

* 3 January - John Paul Jones, English bassist (Led Zeppelin)
* 6 January - Syd Barrett, English guitarist and singer (Pink Floyd) (died 2006)
* 14 January - Harold Shipman, British serial killer
* 19 January - Julian Barnes, novelist
* 9 February - Séan Neeson, Northern Irish Alliance Party of Northern Ireland politician
* 13 February - Colin Matthews, British composer
* 15 February - Clare Short, politician
* 16 February - Ian Lavender, actor
* 20 February - Brenda Blethyn, English actress
* 21 February - Alan Rickman, English actor
* 28 February - Robin Cook, British Labour politician (died 2005)

March - April

* 6 March - David Gilmour, English musician (Pink Floyd)
* 21 March - Timothy Dalton, actor
* 25 March - Cliff Balsam, English footballer
* 4 April - Dave Hill, English guitarist (Slade)
* 12 April - George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, politician
* 19 April - Tim Curry, British actor, vocalist, and composer
* 25 April - John Fox, British statistician
* 28 April - Linda Knowles, British high jumper

May - June

* 1 May - Joanna Lumley, actress
* 4 May - John Watson, Northern Irish racecar driver
* 10 May
** Donovan Leitch, Scottish musician
** Maureen Lipman, actress, columnist and comedian
** Dave Mason, English musician (Traffic)
* 16 May - Robert Fripp, British musician
* 22 May - George Best, Northern Irish footballer (died 2005)
* 2 June - Peter Sutcliffe, English serial killer
* 12 June - Harry Glasper, Football historian
* 15 June - Noddy Holder, English singer (Slade)
* 18 June - Paul McCartney, British Pop Singer
* 23 June - Kathy Wilkes, English philosopher
* 28 June - Jamie Cann, politician (died 2001)

July - August

* 3 August - Jack Straw, British politician
* 6 August - Ron Davies, politician
* 23 August - Keith Moon, English drummer (The Who) (died 1978)

eptember - October

* 1 September - Barry Gibb, musician
* 10 September - Don Powell, English drummer
* 25 September - Felicity Kendal, actress
* 10 October - Charles Dance, actor
* 13 October - Edwina Currie, former British Conservative politician, author, and radio personality
* 14 October - Justin Hayward, English singer and songwriter (Moody Blues)
* 17 October - Vicki Hodge, English actress
* 19 October - Philip Pullman, English author
* 22 October - Eileen Gordon, British Labour politician
* 31 October
** Caroline Jackson, British politician
** Stephen Rea, Northern Irish actor

November - December

* 1 November - Ric Grech, British bassist (Family, Blind Faith, Traffic (d. 1990)
* 7 November - Martin Barre, English musician (Jethro Tull)
* 12 November - P.P. Arnold, English singer
* 14 November - Carola Dunn, English writer
* 15 November - Gwyneth Powell, British actress
* 18 November - Andrea Allan, Scottish actress
* 21 November - Marina Warner, English writer
* 4 December - Angela Browning, British Conservative politician and MP for Tiverton and Honiton
* 14 December - Jane Birkin, English actress and singer
* 16 December - Trevor Pinnock, English harpsichordist and conductor
* 17 December - Bel Mooney, English broadcast journalist
* 20 December - Lesley Judd, English actress and television presenter
* 27 December
** Janet Street Porter, English broadcast journalist
** Polly Toynbee, English journalist and writer
* 29 December - Marianne Faithfull, English singer and actress

Unknown date

*Pete Price, Merseyside radio disc jockey

Deaths

* 5 February - George Arliss, English actor (born 1868)
* 3 April - Alf Common, English footballer (born 1880)
* 21 April - John Maynard Keynes, economist (born 1883)
* 14 June - John Logie Baird, Scottish television pioneer (born 1888)
* 11 July - Paul Nash, artist (born 1889)
* 15 July - Razor Smith, English cricketer (born 1877)
* 13 August - H.G. Wells, English writer (born 1866)
* 31 August - Harley Granville-Barker, actor, playwright and critic (born 1877)

References

ee also