Events from the year

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

in the United Kingdom. This year was the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Incumbents

* Monarch – Elizabeth II * Prime Minister –

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005), commonly known as Jim Callaghan, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is ...

( Labour) * Parliament – 47th

Events

January

*January–June – The United Kingdom holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time. *January – The

Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and has been positioned below the Escort (later the ...

car goes on sale in the UK. *3 January –

Roy Jenkins Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lab ...

, the Home Secretary, announces he is leaving the House of Commons to become

President of the European Commission The president of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU). The President of the Commission leads a Cabinet of Commissioners, referred to as the College, collectively account ...

. *6 January – After releasing only one single for controversial punk rock band the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

, EMI terminates its contract with them in response to its members' disruptive behaviour last month on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

's ''Today'' and two days ago at London Heathrow Airport. Their next contract (in March) with a record company lasts for 2 weeks. *10 January –

Clive Sinclair Sir Clive Marles Sinclair (30 July 1940 – 16 September 2021) was an English entrepreneur and inventor, best known for being a pioneer in the computing industry, and also as the founder of several companies that developed consumer electronics ...

introduces his new two-inch screen television set, which retails at £175. *14 January – Former Prime Minister

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achieving rapid promo ...

, Earl of Avon, dies aged 79 at Alvediston Manor, his Wiltshire home. *29 January – Seven Provisional Irish Republican Army bombs explode in the West End of London, but there are no fatalities or serious injuries.

February

*4 February **

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

-winning album '' Rumours'' is released, featuring songs that include " The Chain", "

Don't Stop Don't Stop may refer to: Albums * ''Don't Stop'' (Annie album) or the title song, 2009 * ''Don't Stop'' (Jeffrey Osborne album) or the title song, 1984 * ''Don't Stop'' (Jolin Tsai album), or the title song, 2000 * ''Don't Stop'' (Rockets al ...

", and " Go Your Own Way". ** Police discover an IRA bomb factory in Liverpool. *5 February – Twenty-eight-year-old homeless woman Irene Richardson is murdered in Leeds, at almost the exact location where sex worker Marcella Claxton was badly injured nine months earlier. Police believe that this murder and attempted murder may be connected, along with the murders of Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson and the attempted murders of at least three other women. *10 February ** Elizabeth II visits American Samoa. ** The three IRA terrorists involved in the 1975 Balcombe Street Siege in London are sentenced to

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...

on six charges of murder. *11 February – Queen Elizabeth II visits Western Samoa. *13 February – Anthony Crosland,

Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...

, suffers a massive stroke, from which he will not regain consciousness. He dies six days later in hospital. *14 February – Elizabeth II visits Tonga. *15 February – The first Aardman Animations character,

Morph Morph may refer to: Biology * Morph (zoology), a visual or behavioral difference between organisms of distinct populations in a species * Muller's morphs, a classification scheme for genetic mutations * "-morph", a suffix commonly used in tax ...

, is introduced on BBC children's television programme '' Take Hart''. *16–17 February – Elizabeth II visits

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. *17 February – George Newman, chairman of Staffordshire County Council, is sentenced to fifteen months in prison for corruption. *22 February –

David Owen David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, (born 2 July 1938) is a British politician and physician who served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as a Labour Party (UK), Labour Party MP under James Callaghan from 1977 t ...

, 38, becomes the youngest post- Second World War

, succeeding the late Anthony Crosland, who died three days earlier. *22 February–7 March – Elizabeth II visits New Zealand. *28 February – State opening of the Parliament of New Zealand, by Elizabeth II.

March

*1 March **

threatens to withdraw state assistance to British Leyland unless it puts an end to strikes. **Long-term prohibition of directed

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...

fishing within the UK exclusive economic zone is introduced. *7–30 March – Elizabeth II visits Australia. *8 March – State opening of the Australian Parliament,

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

by Elizabeth II. *12 March – The

Centenary Test Centenary Test refers to two matches of Test cricket played between the English cricket team and the Australian cricket team, the first in 1977 and the second in 1980. These matches were played to mark the 100th anniversaries of the first Test cr ...

between Australia and England begins at the

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...

. *14 March – The government reveals that inflation has pushed prices up by nearly 70% within three years. *15 March – British Leyland managers announce intention to dismiss 40,000 toolmakers who have gone on strike at the company's

Longbridge plant Longbridge plant is an industrial complex in Longbridge, Birmingham, England, currently leased by SAIC as a research and development facility for its MG Motor subsidiary. Vehicle assembly ended in 2016. Opened in 1905, by the late 1960s Longbr ...

in Birmingham, action which is costing the state-owned carmaker more than £10,000,000 a week. *17–23 March – The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) visits Ghana. *19 March – The last Rover P6 rolls off the production line after 14 years. *23 March – The government wins a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons after

strikes a deal with the leader of the Liberal Party, David Steel. *23–25 March – Elizabeth II visits Papua New Guinea. *29 March – Income tax is slashed to 33p in the pound from 35p in the budget. *31 March – Elizabeth II visits Muscat.

April

* April – Mike Leigh's comedy of manners '' Abigail's Party'' opens at the Hampstead Theatre, starring Alison Steadman. *2 April – Red Rum wins the Grand National for the third time. *8 April – Punk band The Clash's debut album '' The Clash'' is released in the UK through CBS Records. *11 April – London Transport's Silver Jubilee AEC Routemaster buses are launched. * 18–30 April – The

Embassy World Snooker Championship The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the wealthiest, with total prize money in 2022 of £2,395,000, including £500,000 for the winner. First held in 1927, i ...

moves to the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, and attracts television coverage for the first time. *23 April ** National Front marchers clash with anti-Nazi protesters in London. ** Prostitute Patricia Atkinson is murdered in

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

; she is believed to be the fourth woman to die at the hands of the mysterious Yorkshire Ripper. *29 April – British Aerospace is formed, to run the nationalised aviation industry. *30 April –

Mid-Hants Railway The Mid-Hants Railway(MHR) originated when local people promoted a railway line between Alton and a junction near Winchester, connected to the larger London and South Western Railway at each end. It was authorised as the Alton, Alresford and ...

reopens as a heritage line.

May

*3 May –

Light aircraft carrier A light aircraft carrier, or light fleet carrier, is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only one-h ...

HMS ''Invincible'' is launched at Barrow-in-Furness by Elizabeth II. *5 May ** Silver Jubilee review of the Police at

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...

by Elizabeth II. ** Conservatives make gains at local council elections, including winning the

Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...

from Labour. *7 May ** The

3rd G7 summit The 3rd G7 Summit was held in London, United Kingdom between 7–8 May 1977. The venue for the summit meetings was the British Prime Minister's official residence at No. 10 Downing Street in London.Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MOFA) Summi ...

is held in London. ** Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Elliot Trudeau does a pirouette behind the back of Elizabeth II. ** The 22nd Eurovision Song Contest is held in London. With Angela Rippon as the presenter, the contest is won by Marie Myriam representing France, with her song " L'oiseau et l'enfant" ("The Bird and the Child"); the British entry, Lynsey de Paul and Michael Moran's "

Rock Bottom Rock Bottom may refer to: Music * Rock Bottom Entertainment, an American record label * ''Rock Bottom'' (album), by Robert Wyatt, 1974 Songs * "Rock Bottom" (Hailee Steinfeld song), 2016 * "Rock Bottom" (Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran song), ...

", takes second place. *10 May – Dounreay nuclear power plant experiences an explosion caused by potassium and sodium. *13 May – The Silver Jubilee Air Fair is held at

Biggin Hill Biggin Hill is a settlement on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Kent, prior to 1965 it was also in the administrative county of Kent. I ...

. *15 May – Liverpool F.C. are English league champions for the 10th time. *17 May – Elizabeth II commences her Jubilee tour in Glasgow. *18 May ** The UK is among 29 signatories of a Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques. ** Elizabeth II visits Cumbernauld and Stirling. *19 May – Elizabeth II visits Perth and

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

. *21 May –

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

win the FA Cup for the fourth time by defeating Liverpool 2–1 at Wembley Stadium in the cup final. It is their first major trophy since they won the

European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

. *23–27 May – Elizabeth II visits Edinburgh. *25 May – Liverpool F.C. win their first

by defeating the West German league champions

Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...

3–1 in the final in Rome. *27 May ** Elizabeth II opens the new air terminal building at Edinburgh Airport. ** Prime Minister

officially opens the M5 motorway, now complete with finishing of the final stretch around

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, 15 years after the first stretch (beginning near Birmingham) was opened. *28 May – Climax of Windsor Silver Jubilee celebrations: Elizabeth II visits the town on her Jubilee tour. *30 May – A gala performance for the Silver Jubilee is held at the Royal Opera House, London.

June

*6–9 June – Silver Jubilee celebrations are held in the United Kingdom to celebrate 25 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign, with a public holiday on 7 June. *12 June –

The Supremes' farewell concert On June 12, 1977, The Supremes performed their final concert together at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, England.The Supremes perform their final concert together at the Drury Lane Theatre, London, before disbanding permanently. *17 June – Wimbledon F.C., champions of the

Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 tea ...

, are elected to the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

in place of Workington in the

Fourth Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

. *20 June ** Anglia Television broadcasts the fake documentary '' Alternative 3''; it enters into the conspiracy theory canon. ** Seventeen people are arrested during clashes between pickets and police at the Grunwick film processing laboratory. *26 June – 16-year-old shop assistant Jayne McDonald, is found battered and stabbed to death in Chapeltown, Leeds; police believe she is the fifth person to be murdered by the Yorkshire Ripper.

July

*1 July – English tennis player Virginia Wade wins the women's singles title at Wimbledon. *4 July – Manchester United F.C. manager Tommy Docherty is sensationally dismissed by the club's directors due to his affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist. *7 July ** The first episode of the BBC documentary series '' Brass Tacks'' is aired, featuring a debate about whether Myra Hindley should be considered for parole from the life sentence she received for her role in the Moors Murders in 1966. ** The 10th

James Bond film James Bond is a fictional character created by British novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. A British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007, Bond has been portrayed on film in twenty-seven productions by actors Sean Connery, David Niv ...

– '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' – premieres in London. It is the third of seven films to star

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

as James Bond, with Moore later calling the film his personal favourite of his tenure in the franchise. *10 July –

woman Maureen Long, 42, is injured in an attack believed to have been committed by the Yorkshire Ripper in the West Yorkshire city. *11 July ** ''

Gay News ''Gay News'' was a fortnightly newspaper in the United Kingdom founded in June 1972 in a collaboration between former members of the Gay Liberation Front and members of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE). At the newspaper's height, circul ...

'' found guilty of

blasphemous libel Blasphemous libel was originally an offence under the common law of England. Today, it is an offence under the common law of Northern Ireland, but has been abolished in England and Wales, and repealed in Canada and New Zealand. It consists of t ...

in a case (''

Whitehouse v. Lemon ''Whitehouse v Lemon'' is a 1977 court case involving the blasphemy law in the United Kingdom. It was the last successful blasphemy trial in the UK. Facts James Kirkup's poem ''The Love that Dares to Speak its Name'' was published in the 3 Jun ...

'') brought on behalf of

Mary Whitehouse Constance Mary Whitehouse (; 13 June 1910 – 23 November 2001) was a British teacher and conservative activist. She campaigned against social liberalism and the mainstream British media, both of which she accused of encouraging a more permiss ...

's National Viewers and Listeners Association. It is the first such prosecution since 1921 and will be the last before the offence is abolished in 2008. ** Don Revie announces his resignation after three years as manager of the England national football team. *12 July – Within 24 hours of resigning as manager of the England national football team, Don Revie accepts an offer to become the highest-paid football manager in the world when he is appointed manager of the United Arab Emirates national football team on a four-year contract worth £340,000. *14 July – Manchester United appoint Dave Sexton, manager of Queen's Park Rangers and previously Chelsea, as their new manager. *23 July – Chrysler Europe launch the

Sunbeam A sunbeam, in meteorological optics, is a beam of sunlight that appears to radiate from the position of the Sun. Shining through openings in clouds or between other objects such as mountains and buildings, these beams of particle-scattered sunl ...

, a three-door rear-wheel drive small hatchback similar in concept to the

and Vauxhall Chevette. *29 July ** Finance Act abolishes the collection of tithes. **

Criminal Law Act 1977 The Criminal Law Act 1977 (c.45) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Most of it only applies to England and Wales. It creates the offence of conspiracy in English law. It also created offences concerned with criminal trespass in p ...

in England and Wales creates the statutory crime of conspiracy among other changes.

August

*August – Government introduces voluntary Stage III one-year pay restraint. *10 August ** The Queen visits Northern Ireland as part of her Jubilee celebrations under tight security. **

Kenny Dalglish Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. During his career, he made 338 appearances for Celtic F.C., Celtic and 515 for Liverpoo ...

, 26-year-old Scotland striker, becomes Britain's most expensive footballer in a £440,000 transfer from

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

to Liverpool. *11 August – Cricketer Geoff Boycott scores the 100th century of his career for England against Australia at Headingley, Leeds. * 12 August–19 September – Union-Castle Line RMS ''Windsor Castle'' (1959) makes the line's last passenger mail voyage out of Southampton for Cape Town, the last major British ship to operate in the regular

ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

trade. *13 August – Battle of Lewisham: an attempt by the far-right National Front to march from New Cross to Lewisham in southeast London leads to counter-demonstrations and violent clashes. *15 August – Rioting breaks out in Birmingham during demonstrations against the National Front. *17 August – Ron Greenwood, general manager of West Ham United, who guided the

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

club to FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup glory as their team manager during the 1960s, accepts an offer from the Football Association to manage the England team on a temporary basis until December. *23 August – A new, smaller, £1 note is introduced. *26 August – First all-Luton-built Vauxhall Cavalier Mk1 family cars roll off the production line at Vauxhall Motors Luton factory.

September

* September – Ford launches the second generation of its flagship

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

saloon and estate models. *6 September – Car industry figures show that foreign cars are outselling British-built ones for the first time. Although Ford, British Leyland, Vauxhall and

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

are still the market leaders, foreign brands including Datsun,

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

, Renault and Volkswagen are enjoying a growing market share. *16 September – Rock star Marc Bolan, pioneer of the glam rock movement at the start of the 1970s with

T. Rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' liv ...

, is killed in a car crash in Barnes, London, two weeks before his thirtieth birthday. His girlfriend Gloria Jones, who was driving the car, is seriously injured. *19 September –

, the English FA Cup holders, are expelled from the European Cup Winners' Cup after their fans rioted in France during a first round first leg game with AS Saint-Etienne (which ended in a 1–1 draw) five days ago. *26 September ** Freddie Laker launches his new budget Skytrain airline, with the first single fare from Gatwick to New York City costing £59 compared to the normal price of £186. ** UEFA reinstates Manchester United to the European Cup Winners' Cup on appeal. However, they are ordered to play their return leg against AS Saint-Etienne at least 120 miles away from their

Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...

stadium. ** The Queen is escorted from Buckingham Palace after reports of an armed man on site.

October

*3 October – Undertakers go on strike in London, leaving more than 800 corpses unburied. *7 October – Rock band Queen's power ballad " We Are the Champions" is released. *10 October – Missing 20-year-old sex worker Jean Jordan is found dead in Chorlton, Manchester, nine days after she was last seen alive. Police believe that the Yorkshire Ripper may have killed her; the first crime outside Yorkshire which the killer has been suspected of. *14 October – Fourteen people are injured in a bomb explosion at a London pub. *15 October – World's End Murders: Christine Eadie and Helen Scott, both 17, disappear after leaving the World's End pub in Edinburgh, Scotland. Their bodies are found tied and strangled in the countryside the next day. In 2014, serial killer Angus Sinclair is convicted of the crime. *18 October – Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, opens the third session of the

30th Canadian Parliament The 30th Canadian Parliament was in session from September 30, 1974, until March 26, 1979. The membership was set by the 1974 election on July 8, 1974, and was only changed somewhat due to resignations and by-elections before it was dissolved pr ...

. *25 October – Michael Edwardes succeeds Richard Dobson as chief executive and chairman of British Leyland. *27 October **Former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe denies allegations of the attempted murder of and having a relationship with model Norman Scott. **Punk band

release ''

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols ''Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols'' is the only studio album by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, released on 28 October 1977 by Virgin Records in the UK and on 11 November 1977 by Warner Bros. Records in the US. The album ...

'' on the Virgin Records label. Despite refusal by major retailers to stock it, it debuts at #1 on the UK Album Charts the week after its release. In a promotional stunt, the group perform on a boat on the River Thames shortly afterwards, only for the police to wait for them and make several arrests, including that of

Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English impresario, visual artist, singer, songwriter, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner, notable for combining these activities in an inventive and provoc ...

, the band's manager. *28 October **Police in Yorkshire appeal for help in finding the Yorkshire Ripper, who is believed to be responsible for a series of murders and attacks on women across the county during the last two years. **Rock band Queen release the album ''

News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling En ...

''.

November

*14 November – Firefighters go on their first ever national strike, in hope of getting a 30% wage increase. *15 November ** The Queen becomes a grandmother for the first time when Princess Anne gives birth to a son. ** The first SavaCentre hypermarket, a venture between Sainsbury's and British Home Stores, opens at Washington, Tyne and Wear. *22 November – British Airways inaugurates regular London to New York City supersonic Concorde service.

December

*3 December – The England football team fails to achieve World Cup qualification for the second tournament in succession. *10 December ** James Meade wins the 1977 Nobel Prize in Economics jointly with the Swede Bertil Ohlin for their "Pathbreaking contribution to the theory of international trade and international capital movements". ** Nevill Francis Mott wins the Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Philip Warren Anderson and John Hasbrouck van Vleck "for their fundamental theoretical investigations of the electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems". *12 December ** Chrysler Europe announces its new

Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...

range of five-door front-wheel drive hatchbacks, which will be built in the UK as a Chrysler, and in France as a Simca. It will give buyers a more modern alternative to the Avenger range of rear-wheel drive saloons and estates. ** Ron Greenwood signs a permanent contract as England manager, despite England's failure to qualify for next summer's World Cup. The appointment is controversial, as there had been widespread support for Brian Clough of Nottingham Forest to be appointed. *14 December – 25-year-old Leeds sex worker Marilyn Moore, is injured in an attack believed to have been committed by the Yorkshire Ripper. *16 December – The Queen opens a £71,000,000 extension of London Underground's

Piccadilly line The Piccadilly line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the north to the west of London. It has two branches, which split at Acton Town, and serves 53 stations. The line serves Heathrow Airport, and some of its stations are n ...

, which runs to

Heathrow Central Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 railway station (also known as Heathrow Central) serves Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 (and formerly Terminal 1 before its closure and replacement by Terminal 2 in 2015) at London Heathrow Airport. It is served by Heat ...

, serving

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

. *21 December – Four children die at a house fire in Wednesbury, West Midlands, as Green Goddess fire appliances crewed by hastily trained troops are sent to deal with the blaze while firefighters are still on strike. 119 people have now died as a result of fires since the strike began, but this is the first fire during the strike which has resulted in more than two deaths. *22 December – The Queen's first grandchild is christened

Peter Mark Andrew Phillips Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman and the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. He is the eldest nephew of King Charles III, and 17th in the line of succession to the British thro ...

. *25 December ** '' The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show'' on BBC 1 television attracts an audience of more than 28,000,000 viewers, one of the highest ever in UK television history. ** English-born comedian and silent film legend Sir

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

dies aged 88 of a stroke at his home in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. *27 December – The much-acclaimed ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' film, which has been a massive hit in the United States, is screened in British cinemas for the first time.

Undated

* Inflation has fallen slightly this year to 15.8%, but it is the fourth successive year that has seen double-digit inflation. * Colour television licences exceed black and white ones for the first time in the UK.

Publications

* Bruce Chatwin's travel book '' In Patagonia''. * Patrick Leigh Fermor's travel book '' A Time Of Gifts''. * John Fowles' novel '' Daniel Martin''. * Edith Holden's nature notes ''The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady'' (posthumous), which sells an initial print run of 148,000. * Shirley Hughes' children's book '' Dogger''. * Paul Scott's novel ''

Staying On ''Staying On'' is a novel by Paul Scott, which was published in 1977 and won the Booker Prize. Plot summary ''Staying On'' focuses on Tusker and Lucy Smalley, who are briefly mentioned in the latter two books of the Raj Quartet, ''The Towers ...

''. * J. R. R. Tolkien's collection '' The Silmarillion'' (posthumous). *Science fiction comic '' 2000 AD'' (launched February).

Births

*1 January –

Rosena Allin-Khan Rosena Chantelle Allin-Khan (born 10 May 1978) is a British doctor and politician serving as Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health since 2020. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting since the 2016 ...

, politician *7 January – Michelle Behennah, model *10 January – Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Féin leader *11 January – Billy Taylor, cricketer and umpire *13 January –

Orlando Bloom Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He made his breakthrough as the character Legolas in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001), ''The Two Towers'' (2002), a ...

, actor *24 January – Hayley Tamaddon, actress *5 February – Ben Ainslie, sailor *6 February – Jason Euell, footballer and coach *18 February –

Chrissie Wellington Christine Ann Wellington (born 18 February 1977) is an English former professional triathlete and four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion. She holds, or held, all three world and championship records relating to ironman-distance triathlon ...

, triathlete *2 March – Chris Martin, singer-songwriter ( Coldplay) *7 March – Paul Cattermole, actor and singer ( S Club 7) (died 2023) *10 March ** Colin Murray, radio DJ ** Rita Simons, actress *18 March – Danny Murphy, football player and pundit *19 March – Dan Walker, broadcaster *4 April – Stephen Mulhern, musician and television presenter *11 April – DJ Fresh, DJ and music producer *13 April – Andrew Sones, Music producer and stripper *23 April – John Oliver, comedian and television personality *10 May – Adrian Morley, rugby league footballer *13 May – Samantha Morton, actress *30 May – Rachael Stirling, actress *31 May ** Joel Ross, DJ ** June Sarpong, television presenter *6 June – Bryn Williams, Welsh chef and author *24 June –

Kristian Digby Scott Kristian Edwin Digby (24 June 1977 – 1 March 2010) was an English television presenter and director best known for presenting ''To Buy or Not to Buy'' on BBC One. On 1 March 2010 he was found dead in what police said were "unexplained ci ...

, television presenter (died 2010) *25 June – Layla El, wrestler, model, and dancer *2 July – Carl Froch, boxer *10 July – Chiwetel Ejiofor, actor *30 July –

Derek Mackay Derek Mackay (born 1977) is a Scottish politician who served as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work from 2016 to 2020. A former member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he served as the Member of the Scottish Parliam ...

, SNP politician *5 August – Ben Saunders, explorer *7 August – Charlotte Ronson, designer and Samantha Ronson, DJ (twin sisters) *10 August – Danny Griffin, footballer *17 August – Claire Richards, singer *4 September – Zita Lusack, gymnast *8 September –

Gavin Meadows Gavin Meadows (born 8 September 1977 in Bradford, West Yorkshire) is a former international freestyle swimmer for England and Great Britain. Swimming career Meadows competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics for Great Britain. A member of the City of ...

, freestyle swimmer *12 September –

James McCartney James Louis McCartney (born 12 September 1977) is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is the only son of singer, songwriter, and former Beatle Paul McCartney. He has contributed to solo albums by his parents, including ''Flaming Pi ...

, singer-songwriter *15 September – Tom Hardy, actor *26 October – Sarah Storey, paralympian swimmer and cyclist *1 November – Alistair Griffin, singer/songwriter *4 November – Kavana, singer *15 November ** Peter Phillips, son of

The Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of Ki ...

Jason Tindall Jason James Tindall (born 15 November 1977) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is currently the assistant manager of Newcastle United. A defender during his playing days, Tindall spent the bulk of his career wit ...

, football player and manager *18 November – Miranda Raison, actress *22 November – Michael Preston, footballer *29 November – Eddie Howe, football player and manager *6 December ** Andrew Flintoff, cricketer **

Paul McVeigh Paul Francis McVeigh (born 6 December 1977) is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City, Burnley and Luton Town in the English Leagues. Club career Born in Belfast, McVeigh started his c ...

, footballer *14 December – Jamie Peacock, rugby league player *23 December – Matt Baker, television presenter

Deaths

*5 January – Matt McGinn, Scottish folk musician, writer and entertainer (born 1928) *14 January **

, former Prime Minister (born 1897) **

Peter Finch Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch (28 September 191614 January 1977) was an English-Australian actor of theatre, film and radio. Born in London, he emigrated to Australia as a teenager and was raised in Sydney, where he worked in vaudeville ...

, actor (born 1916) *24 January – Sir Andrew Humphrey, Chief of the Air Staff (born 1921) *14 February – Sydney Jacob, Indian-born British tennis player (born 1879) *19 February – Anthony Crosland, politician (born 1918) *3 March ** Brian Faulkner, prime minister of Northern Ireland (born 1921) ** Percy Marmont, actor (born 1883) *26 March –

Madeleine Dring Madeleine Winefride Isabelle Dring (7 September 1923 – 26 March 1977) was an English composer, pianist, singer and actress. Life Madeleine Dring spent the first four years of her life at Raleigh Road, Harringay, before the family moved to Stre ...

, composer and actress (born 1923) *1 April – Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe, lawyer and public servant involved in the

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

(born 1899) *17 April – William Conway, cardinal (born 1913) *2 June – Stephen Boyd, actor (born 1931) *3 June – Archibald Hill, physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1886) *19 June – Lady Olave Baden-Powell, Chief Girl Guide (born 1889) *4 August – Lord Adrian, physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1889) *13 August – Henry Williamson, novelist (born 1895) *16 August – William Wand, former Bishop of London (born 1885) *29 August – Edward Sinclair, actor (born 1914) *4 September – Lynton Lamb, illustrator and stamp designer (born 1907) *6 September – John Littlewood, mathematician (born 1885) *13 September – Leopold Stokowski, conductor (born 1882) *14 September – Jim Sullivan, Welsh rugby league player (born 1903) *16 September – Marc Bolan, glam rock musician (car accident) (born 1947) *25 September – William McMillan, sculptor (born 1887) *11 October – Misha Black, architect and designer (born 1910 in the Russian Empire) *10 November –

Dennis Wheatley Dennis Yeats Wheatley (8 January 1897 – 10 November 1977) was a British writer whose prolific output of thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s. His Gregory Sallust series ...

, novelist (born 1897) *30 November – Terence Rattigan, playwright (born 1911) *12 December – Clementine Churchill, widow of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

(born 1885) *20 December – Henry Tandey, most highly decorated British private soldier of World War I (born 1891) *25 December –

, silent film comedy actor and director, in Switzerland (born 1889) *Date unknown –

Billy Pinnell Billy Pinnell (aka ''"The Traveller"'') (?-1977) was the sports editor of the ''Bristol Evening Post'' from the first day of publication in April 1932 until his retirement 34 years later on 31 December 1956. Career During his career he covered ove ...

, sports editor (born ?)

References

{{Year in Europe, 1977 Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom 1970s in the United Kingdom 1977 in Europe 1977 by country