1955 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1955 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

* Monarch - HM Queen Elizabeth II
* Prime Minister - Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden Conservative Party

Events

* 23 January - Sutton Coldfield rail crash: fourteen people killed and dozens injured in a train crash at Sutton Coldfield. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/23/newsid_2671000/2671481.stm|title="Express train crashes killing 14", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 25 February - The aircraft carrier HMS "Ark Royal" completed.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 29 March - Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen calls a strike which continues until 14 June, leading to a State of emergency being declared on 31 May.
* 5 April - resignation of Winston Churchill as Prime Minister due to ill-health at the age of 80. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/5/newsid_2822000/2822959.stm|title="Sir Winston Churchill resigns", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 21 April - national newspapers published for the first time after a month-long strike by newspaper maintenance workers. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/21/newsid_2525000/2525427.stm|title="Fleet Street papers back after strike", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 27 May - Anthony Eden wins the general election for the Conservative Party. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/27/newsid_3850000/3850389.stm|title="Election victory for Tories under Eden", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 9 July - Bertrand Russell issues the Russell-Einstein Manifesto highlighting the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.
* 13 July - Ruth Ellis becomes the last woman to be hanged in the UK.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/lostdecade/timeline_html.shtml|title=The Lost Decade Timeline, BBC|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 17 July - Stirling Moss becomes the first English person to win the British Grand Prix. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/17/newsid_2981000/2981372.stm|title="Moss claims first Grand Prix victory", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 18 July - Winterborne St Martin enters the UK Weather Records with the "Highest 24-hour total" rainfall at 279 mm. As of July 2006 this record remains.
* 27 August - Guinness Book of Records first published.
* 4 September - Richard Baker and Kenneth Kendall become the first BBC television newsreaders to be seen reading the news.
* 21 September - United Kingdom annexes Rockall. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/21/newsid_4582000/4582327.stm|title="Britain claims Rockall", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 22 September - first ITV franchises of Independent Television Authority begin broadcasting the UK's first commercial television ending the 18-year monopoly of the BBC. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/22/newsid_3131000/3131477.stm|title="New TV channel ends BBC monopoly", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 26 September - Clarence Birdseye begins selling fish fingers in Britain.
* 31 October - Princess Margaret calls off her proposed marriage to Peter Townsend. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/31/newsid_3202000/3202307.stm|title="Princess Margaret cancels wedding", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 20 November - Milton rail crash: a passenger train takes a crossover too fast and derails at Milton, near Didcot. 11 killed, 157 injured.
* 2 December - Barnes rail crash, Barnes, South London: collision due to signal error and consequent fire. 13 killed, 35 injured.
* 7 December - Clement Atlee resigns as leader of the Labour Party. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/7/newsid_3267000/3267929.stm|title="Attlee steps down as Labour leader", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 14 December - Hugh Gaitskell becomes the leader of the Labour Party. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/14/newsid_3254000/3254118.stm|title="Gaitskell elected Labour leader", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]
* 16 December - The Queen opens a new airport terminal at London Airport. [ cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_4035000/4035801.stm|title="1955: Queen opens London Airport terminal", BBC On This Day|accessdate=2008-02-11]

Publications

* Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novel "Hickory Dickory Dock".
* Ian Fleming's James Bond novel "Moonraker".
* Graham Greene's novel "The Quiet American".
* Aldous Huxley's novel "The Genius and the Goddess".
* C. S. Lewis' novel "The Magician's Nephew".
* Alistair MacLean's novel "HMS Ulysses".
* J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Return of the King", third and final part of "The Lord of the Rings".
* Evelyn Waugh's novel "Officers and Gentlemen", second of the Sword of Honour trilogy.
* John Wyndham's novel "The Chrysalids".

Births

* 6 January - Rowan Atkinson, comedian and actor
* 15 January - Nigel Benson, author and illustrator
* 19 January - Simon Rattle, conductor
* 25 January - Terry Chimes, drummer (The Clash)
* 27 January - Alexander Stuart, author
* 3 February - Kirsty Wark, television presenter
* 10 February - Chris Adams, professional wrestler (died 2001)
* 23 February - Howard Jones, musician
* 31 March - Angus Young, guitarist (AC/DC)
* 5 April - Janice Long, radio disc jockey
* 23 April - Tony Miles, chess player (died 2001)
* 2 May - Willie Miller, footballer
* 6 May - John Hutton, politician
* 16 May - Hazel O'Connor, singer
* 21 May - Paul Barber, field hockey player
* 30 May - Topper Headon, drummer (The Clash)
* 8 June - Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web
* 12 June - Paul O'Grady, talk show host and comedian
* 14 June - Gillian Bailey, actor
* 26 June - Mick Jones, guitarist (The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite)
* 29 July - Stephen Timms, politician
* 1 September - Bruce Foxton, musician
* 3 September - Steve Jones, guitarist (Sex Pistols)
* 5 September - John Bentley, rugby football player
* 9 October - Steve Ovett, athlete
* 15 October - Kulbir Bhaura, field hockey player
* 18 October - Timmy Mallett, television presenter
* 9 November - Karen Dotrice, actress
* 24 November - Ian Botham, cricketer
* 30 November - Billy Idol, singer
* 15 December - Paul Simonon, bassist (The Clash)
* 23 December - Carol Ann Duffy, poet

Deaths

*29 January - Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, politician (born 1865)
*11 March - Sir Alexander Fleming, scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1881)
*22 April - Herbert MacNair, artist (born 1868)
*27 April - Ambrose Bebb, author (born 1894)
*11 May - Gilbert Jessop, cricketer (born 1874)
* 13 July - Ruth Ellis, murderer (born 1926)
*18 July - Billy McCandless, footballer (born 1894)
*16 September - Leo Amery, politician (born 1873)
*28 September - Lionel Rees, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1883)
*11 October - Hector McNeil, politician (born 1907)
*14 October - Harry Parr Davies, songwriter (born 1914)
*15 October - Thomas Jones (T. J.), founder of Coleg Harlech (born 1870)
*27 December - Alfred Carpenter, soldier (born 1881)

References

ee also