1992 In The United Kingdom
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Events from the year
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engines ...
in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. This year was the Ruby Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This year is notable for a fourth-term
general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
victory for the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
; "
Black Wednesday Black Wednesday (or the 1992 Sterling crisis) occurred on 16 September 1992 when the UK Government was forced to withdraw sterling from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), after a failed attempt to keep its exchange rate above the ...
" (16 September), the suspension of the UK's membership of the
European Exchange Rate Mechanism The European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) is a system introduced by the European Economic Community on 1 January 1999 alongside the introduction of a single currency, the euro (replacing ERM 1 and the euro's predecessor, the ECU) as ...
; and an ''
annus horribilis (pl. ''anni horribiles'') is a Latin phrase, meaning "horrible year". It is complementary to , which means "wonderful year". Origin of phrase The phrase was used in 1891 in an Anglican publication to describe 1870, the year in which the dogma ...
'' for the
Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term p ...
.


Incumbents

*
Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
*
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...
(
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
) *
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...
** 50th (until 16 March) ** 51st (starting 27 April)


Events


January

* January – Statistics show that economic growth returned during the final quarter of 1991 after five successive quarters of contraction. * 9 January ** Liberal Democrat leader
Paddy Ashdown Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, (27 February 194122 December 2018), better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internat ...
proposes a £3billion package which would create 400,000 jobs in 12 months. **
Alison Halford Alison Monica Halford (born 8 May 1940) is a former senior police officer who became a politician. She was Labour member of the National Assembly for Wales, representing the Delyn constituency, between 1999 and 2003. In 2006 she transferred all ...
, the UK's most senior policewoman, is suspended from duty for a second time following a police authority meeting. * 10 January – The first full week of 1992 sees some 4,000 jobs lost across the UK, as the nation's recession continues. Almost 20% of those job cuts have been by
GEC GEC or Gec may refer to: Education * Gedo Education Committee, in Somalia * Glen Eira College, in Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia * Goa Engineering College, India * Government Engineering College (disambiguation) * Guild for Exceptional ...
, the UK's leading telecommunications manufacturer, where 750 redundancies are announced today. * 14 January – The
Bank of Credit and Commerce International The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was an international bank founded in 1972 by Agha Hasan Abedi, a Pakistani financier. The bank was registered in Luxembourg with head offices in Karachi and London. A decade after openin ...
goes into liquidation. * 17 January ** Eight people are killed in the
Teebane bombing The Teebane bombing (or Teebane massacre) took place on 17 January 1992 at a rural crossroads between Omagh and Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. A roadside bomb destroyed a van carrying 14 construction workers who had been repai ...
. ** The first
MORI Mori is a Japanese and Italian surname, and also a Persian pet name for Morteza. It is also the name of two clans in Japan, and one clan in India. Italian surname * Barbara Mori, Uruguayan-Mexican actress * Camilo Mori, Chilean painter * Ces ...
poll of 1992 shows the
Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
three points ahead of
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
on 42%, while the Liberal Democrats have their best showing yet with 16% of the vote. * 29 January – The
Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...
reveals that AIDS cases among heterosexuals increased by 50% between 1990 and 1991. * 30 January –
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...
agrees a weapons control deal with new Russian premier
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...
at 10 Downing Street.


February

* 2 February –
Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader ...
,
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
leader, denies reports that he had a "
Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...
connection" during the 1980s. * 6 February –
The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
commemorates her
Ruby Jubilee A ruby jubilee marks a 40th anniversary. Ruby jubilees in recent history See also * Hierarchy of precious substances * List of longest-reigning monarchs * Wedding anniversary References {{jubilee Anniversaries ...
, the first British monarch to do so since her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria in 1877. * 7 February – Signing of the
Maastricht Treaty The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve member states of the European Communities, it announced "a new stage in the p ...
. * 8–23 February –
Great Britain and Northern Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
compete at the
Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
in
Albertville Albertville (; Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is best known for hosting t ...
, France, but do not win any medals. * 9 February – Prime Minister
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...
speaks of his hopes that the recession will soon be over as the economy is now showing signs of recovery. * 15 February –
Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader ...
, Labour Party leader, speaks of his belief that the Conservative government's failure to halt the current recession will win his party the forthcoming general election. * 18 February – David Stevens, head of community relations, blames the recession for the recent rise in crime across the UK – Most of all in deprived areas. * 20 February – Hopes of an end to the recession are dashed by government figures which reveal that
GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...
fell by 0.3% in the final quarter of 1991. * 23 February – The
London Business School London Business School (LBS) is a business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London. LBS was founded in 1964 and awards post-graduate degrees (Master's degrees in management and finance, MBA and PhD). Its motto is " ...
predicts an economic growth rate of 1.2% for this year, sparking hopes that the recession is nearing its end.


March

* March ** The
Saatchi Gallery The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for contemporary art and an independent charity opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, starting with US artists and minimalism, moving to the ...
in London stages the
Young British Artists The Young British Artists, or YBAs—also referred to as Brit artists and Britart—is a loose group of visual artists who first began to exhibit together in London in 1988. Many of the YBA artists graduated from the BA Fine Art course at Golds ...
exhibition, featuring
Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United King ...
's "shark", ''
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living ''The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living'' is an artwork created in 1991 by Damien Hirst, an English artist and a leading member of the "Young British Artists" (or YBA). It consists of a preserved tiger shark submerged ...
''. **
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
launches the
Carina E The is an automobile manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota across eleven generations between 1957 and 2001. On launch, the Corona was Toyota's next to highest product in their range, just below the Crown. The Corona was marketed i ...
large family hatchback, saloon and estate range which will initially be imported from Japan before production of European market models commences later this year at the new
Burnaston Burnaston is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. It is about southwest of the city of Derby and has a population of 1,531. It contains the headquarters and vehicle manufacturing plant of Toyota Manu ...
plant near
Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gain ...
. * 6 March –
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...
passes the Further and Higher Education Act, allowing polytechnics to become
new universities In the UK, a post-1992 university, synonymous with new university or modern university, is a former polytechnic or central institution that was given university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, or an institution that ...
. Legislation passed under the Act on 4 June allows them to award degrees of their own, and they thus reopen in September for the new academic year with the status of
universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
. In addition, sixth form colleges are to become independent of local education authority control. * 11 March **
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...
announces a general election for 9 April. ** Shadow Chancellor
John Smith John Smith is a common personal name. It is also commonly used as a placeholder name and pseudonym, and is sometimes used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a term for an average person. It may refer to: People :''In chronological ...
condemns the recent
Budget A budget is a calculation play, usually but not always financial, for a defined period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including time, costs and expenses, environme ...
as a "missed opportunity" by the Conservatives, saying that they did "nothing" for jobs, training, skills, construction or economic recovery. * 13 March – The first
ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The wo ...
church in Britain, the
Christ the Cornerstone Church Church of Christ the Cornerstone is an Ecumenical church in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It was completed in 1991 and has the Church of England, the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the United Reformed Chur ...
in Milton Keynes is opened. * 17 March – Shadow Chancellor John Smith announces that there will be no tax reductions this year if Labour win the election. * 19 March ** Buckingham Palace announces that
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, t ...
and
Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of the dukes married twice, therefore the ...
are to separate after six years of marriage. ** Unemployment has reached 2,647,300 – 9.4% of the British workforce, the highest level since late 1987. * 24 March **
Election campaigning A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referend ...
becomes dominated by the " War of Jennifer's Ear". ** The editors of ''
Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...
'', the UK's oldest satirical magazine, announce that it will be discontinued due to massive losses. In circulation since 1841, it publishes its last issue on 8 April. * 25 March –
Aldershot F.C. Aldershot Football Club was a football club from Aldershot, Hampshire, England, that played in the English Football League club from 1926 to 1992. The club was nicknamed ''The Shots'' for both the last syllable of the town name and the military ...
, bottom of the
Football League Fourth Division The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Whilst the division disappeared in name i ...
, are declared bankrupt and become the first
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 ...
club in 30 years to resign from the league. * 26 March –
Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
entertainer
Roy Castle Roy Castle (31 August 1932 – 2 September 1994) was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. In addition to being an accomplished jazz trumpet player, he could play many other instruments. Following a vers ...
(59), who currently presents
Record Breakers ''Record Breakers'' was a British children's TV show, themed around world records and produced by the BBC. It was broadcast on BBC1 from 15 December 1972 to 21 December 2001. It was originally presented by Roy Castle with Guinness World Rec ...
, announces that he is suffering from
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
. * 29 March –
John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, (24 January 192429 March 1992), styled Viscount Althorp until June 1975, was a British nobleman, military officer, and courtier. He was the father of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the maternal grandfather ...
and father of Princess Diana, dies suddenly from
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
at the age of 68.


April

* April – Statistics show that the first quarter of this year saw the economy grow for the second quarter running, the sequel to five successive quarters of detraction, though the growth is still too narrow for the recession to be declared over. * 1 April – The latest opinion polls show a narrow lead for Labour, which would force a
hung parliament A hung parliament is a term used in legislatures primarily under the Westminster system to describe a situation in which no single political party or pre-existing coalition (also known as an alliance or bloc) has an absolute majority of legisl ...
in the election next week. * 4 April –
Party Politics A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
becomes the tallest horse to win the
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handica ...
. * 5 April – At his pre-election speech,
Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader ...
promises a strong economic recovery if he leads the Labour party to election victory on Thursday. * 6 April –
Women's Royal Army Corps The Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC; sometimes pronounced acronymically as , a term unpopular with its members) was the corps to which all women in the British Army belonged from 1949 to 1992, except medical, dental and veterinary officers and cha ...
disbanded, its members being fully absorbed into the regular
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
. * 7 April – The final MORI poll before the general election shows Labour one point ahead of the Conservatives on 39%, while the Liberal Democrats continue to enjoy a surge in popularity with 20% of the vote. Most opinion polls show a similar situation, hinting at either a narrow Labour majority or a hung parliament. * 9 April –
General election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
: the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
are re-elected for a fourth successive term, in their first election under
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...
's leadership. Their majority is reduced to 21 seats but they have attracted more than 14,000,000 votes – the highest number of votes ever attracted in a general election. Notable retirements from parliament at this election include former prime minister
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
and former Labour leader
Michael Foot Michael Mackintosh Foot (23 July 19133 March 2010) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Labour Leader from 1980 to 1983. Foot began his career as a journalist on ''Tribune'' and the '' Evening Standard''. He co-wrote the 1940 ...
. * 10 April ** Three people are killed in the
Baltic Exchange bombing The Baltic Exchange bombing was an attack by the Provisional IRA on the City of London, Britain's financial centre, on 10 April 1992, the day after the General Election which re-elected John Major from the Conservative Party as Prime Minister ...
. ** With the government's victory in the election confirmed,
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...
assures the public that he will lead the country out of recession that has blighted it for nearly two years. * 11 April – Publication of '' The Sun'' newspaper's iconic front-page headline '
It's The Sun Wot Won It "It's The Sun Wot Won It" is a headline that appeared on the front page of United Kingdom newspaper '' The Sun'' on 11 April 1992. It is regularly cited in debates on the influence of the press over politicians and election results and has since ...
', as the tabloid newspaper claims it won the general election for the Conservatives with its anti-Kinnock front-page headline on election day. * 12 April –
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
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by th ...
for the first time with a 1–0 win over
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
in the
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
final.
Brian McClair Brian John McClair (born 8 December 1963) is a Scottish football coach and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a forward from 1980 to 1998, notable for his near 11-year spell at Manchester United where he won 14 trophies includ ...
scores the only goal of the game. * 13 April **
Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader ...
resigns as leader of the Labour Party following the defeat of his party in the General Election. he had led the party for eight-and-a-half years since October 1983, and is the longest serving opposition leader in British political history. ** The
Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to their eldest daughter. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been s ...
announces her divorce from Capt
Mark Phillips Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September 1948) is an English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman for Great Britain and the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, with whom he has two children. He remains a leading figure in Britis ...
after 19 years of marriage, having separated in 1989. * 16 April – Unemployment has now risen 23 months in succession, but the March rise in unemployment is the smallest monthly rise so far. * 17–20 April –
Lost Gardens of Heligan The Lost Gardens of Heligan ( kw, Lowarth Helygen, meaning "willow tree garden") are located near Mevagissey in Cornwall, England and are considered to be amongst the most popular in the UK. The gardens are typical of the 19th century G ...
in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlan ...
first opened to the public. * 27 April –
Betty Boothroyd Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd (born 8 October 1929) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000. From 1992 to 2000, she served as Speaker of the House of ...
, 62-year-old Labour MP for
West Bromwich West West Bromwich West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Shaun Bailey, a member of the Conservative Party. Members of Parliament Constituency profile Wednesbury and Tipton are economic cen ...
in the
West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Ro ...
, is elected as Speaker of the House of Commons, the first woman to hold the position.


May

* 5 May –
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs foo ...
awards the 1996 European Football Championships to England, who will be hosting a major tournament for the first time since the 1966 World Cup. * 6 May –
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...
promises British voters improved services and more money to spend. * 9 May –
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
win the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competit ...
for the fifth time, beating
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
2–0 in the Wembley final.
Ian Rush Ian James Rush (born 20 October 1961) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward. At club level Rush played for Liverpool from 1980–1987 and 1988–1996. He is the club's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored a ...
and
Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to: Entertainment * Michael M. Thomas (born 1936), American novelist of financial thrillers * Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer * Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), Bri ...
score Liverpool's goals. * 12–15 May – Rioting breaks out on the Wood End housing estate in
Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed ...
, and spreads to the
Willenhall Willenhall is a market town situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands, England, with a population taken at the 2011 census of 28,480. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of ...
district. * 12 May – Plans are unveiled for a fifth terminal at Heathrow Airport, which is now the busiest airport in the world. * 17 May –
Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell, (; born 8 August 1953) is a British retired racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship (1992) and the CART Indy Car World Series (1993). Mansell was the reigning F1 champion when he moved over t ...
gains the 26th
Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...
win of his racing career at
Imola Imola (; rgn, Jômla or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical r ...
,
San Marino San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
. He is now the most successful British driver in Grand Prix races, and the fourth worldwide. * 22 May – Twenty-two "
Maastricht Rebels The Maastricht Rebels were British Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to the then governing Conservative Party who refused to support the government of Prime Minister John Major in a series of votes in the House of Commons on the issue of ...
" vote against the government on the second reading of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill. * 22–29 May – A week-long rave festival in Castlemorton Common in the Malvern Hills is held, causing media outrage due to drug-use and noise complaints from neighbours.


June

* June –
Cones Hotline The Cones Hotline was a telephone hotline introduced by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom John Major in June 1992 to allow members of the public to enquire about roadworks on the country's roads and report areas where traffic cones had be ...
introduced enabling members of the public to complain about
traffic cone Traffic cones, also called pylons, witches' hats, road cones, highway cones, safety cones, channelizing devices, construction cones, or just cones, are usually cone-shaped markers that are placed on roads or footpaths to temporarily redirect tr ...
s being deployed on a road for no apparent reason. * 7 June – A controversial new biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, ''Diana: Her True Story'', written by Andrew Morton, is published, revealing that she has made five suicide attempts following her discovery that
The Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
had resumed an affair with his previous girlfriend Mrs Parker-Bowles shortly after
Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...
's birth in 1982. * 17 June ** Almost 2.7 million people are now out of work as unemployment continues to rise. ** The
England national football team The England national football team has represented England in international football since the first international match in 1872. It is controlled by The Football Association (FA), the governing body for football in England, which is affiliat ...
are eliminated from the
European Championships The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
in Sweden after losing 2–1 to the host nation in their final group game. * 24 June –
Ravenscraig steelworks The Ravenscraig steelworks, operated by Colvilles and from 1967 by British Steel Corporation, consisted of an integrated iron and steel works and a hot strip steel mill. They were located in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Motherwel ...
, the largest hot strip steel mill in Western Europe, closes, ending steelmaking in Scotland. * 25 June –
GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...
is reported to have fallen by 0.5% in the first quarter of this year as the recession continues. * 30 June – Margaret Thatcher enters the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster ...
as Baroness Thatcher.


July

* July – Statistics show that the economy contracted during the second quarter of this year. * 2 July – The
IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
admits to murdering three men whose bodies were found by the army at various locations around
Armagh Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , " Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the ...
last night. The men are believed to have been informers employed by
MI5 The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Go ...
. * 9 July – Riots break out in Ordsall,
Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tamesid ...
. * 10 July – Another sign of economic recovery is shown as inflation falls from 4.3% to 3.9%. * 15 July –
Killing of Rachel Nickell Rachel Jane Nickell (23 November 1968 – 15 July 1992) was a British woman who was stabbed to death on Wimbledon Common in south-west London on 15 July 1992. The initial police investigation of the crime resulted in the arrest in controversia ...
: a 23-year-old mother is stabbed to death in broad daylight while out walking her dog on Wimbledon Common; her murderer,
Robert Napper Robert Clive Napper (born 25 February 1966) is a English people, English serial killer and rapist. He has been convicted of two murders, one manslaughter, two rapes and two attempted rapes. He was sentenced to indefinite detention at Broadmoor Ho ...
, will not be convicted until 2008. * 16 July – Riots break out in
Hartcliffe Hartcliffe is the name of both a council ward and an Outer Suburb of the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom which lies within that ward. The ward contains the areas of Hartcliffe and Headley Park, as well as small portions of Withywood and B ...
,
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...
, following the deaths of two local men who died when the stolen police motorcycle they were riding was hit by a police car. * 17 July **
John Smith John Smith is a common personal name. It is also commonly used as a placeholder name and pseudonym, and is sometimes used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a term for an average person. It may refer to: People :''In chronological ...
is elected leader of the Labour Party. ** Official opening of
Manchester Metrolink Manchester Metrolink (branded locally simply as Metrolink) is a tram/ light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. The network has 99 stops along of standard-gauge route, making it the most extensive light rail system in the United Ki ...
, the first new-generation light rail system with street running in the British Isles. * 21 July –
British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...
announces a takeover of
USAir US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon ...
. * 22 July – Riots break out in
Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and nort ...
,
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River ...
and
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into t ...
. * 23 July – Three months after losing the general election, Labour finish four points ahead of the Conservatives in a MORI poll, with 43% of the vote. * 25 July–9 August –
Great Britain and Northern Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
compete at the
Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
and win 5 gold, 3 silver and 12 bronze medals. * 26 July – Riots break out in the
Peckham Peckham () is a district in southeast London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon place name meaning the vill ...
and
Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
districts of
South London South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the boroughs, in whole or in part, of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Southwark, ...
. * 27 July –
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
becomes England's most expensive footballer in a £3.6 million transfer from
Southampton Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...
to
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
. Shearer, who turns 22 next month, was a member of
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
's
Euro 92 The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth UEFA European Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Denmark won the 1992 championship, having qualifi ...
national squad, having scored on his debut in a friendly international against
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
in February this year.


August

* August –
Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his come ...
debuts at the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
. * 6 August – Lord Hope, the
Lord President of the Court of Session The Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General is the most senior judge in Scotland, the head of the judiciary, and the presiding judge of the College of Justice, the Court of Session, and the High Court of Justiciary. T ...
, Scotland's most senior judge, permits the televising of appeals in both criminal and civil cases, the first time that cameras have been allowed into courts in the United Kingdom. * 10 August – Nissan commences production of its British built
Micra The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car ( B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese mu ...
supermini, which goes on sale in Britain and the rest of
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
at the end of this year. * 15 August – The new
FA Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
commences. * 16 August – English driver
Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell, (; born 8 August 1953) is a British retired racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship (1992) and the CART Indy Car World Series (1993). Mansell was the reigning F1 champion when he moved over t ...
comes in second in the
Hungarian Grand Prix The Hungarian Grand Prix ( hu, Magyar Nagydíj) is a motor racing event held annually in Mogyoród. Since 1986, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship. History Origins The first Hungarian Grand Prix was held on 21 ...
and wins the
1992 Formula One season The 1992 Formula One World Championship was the 46th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1992 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1992 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested ...
with five races still remaining. Mansell becomes the first Briton to win the title since
James Hunt James Simon Wallis Hunt (29 August 1947 – 15 June 1993) ''Autocourse Grand Prix Archive'', 14 October 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2007. was a British racing driver who won the Formula One World Championship in . After retiring from racing in ...
in the
1976 Formula One season The 1976 Formula One season was the 30th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1976 World Championship of Drivers and the 1976 International Cup for Formula 1 Manufacturers . The two titles were contested over a sixteen race s ...
. * 17 August – Five months after the demise of Aldershot FC,
Maidstone United Maidstone United Football Club is a professional football club based in Maidstone, Kent, England. The team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league system. The current club filled the void left by the o ...
resign from 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 ...
due to large debts and being unable to fulfill their fixtures for the new
Division Three The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the f ...
season. * 20 August – Intimate photographs of
Sarah, Duchess of York Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson; 15 October 1959), also known by the nickname Fergie, is a member of the British royal family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the younger brother of King Charles II ...
and a Texan businessman, John Bryan, are published in the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ci ...
''.


September

* 5 September – Italian supercar manufacturer Ferrari announces that its
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...
division will be designing and manufacturing cars in the UK. * 7 September – Britain's first national commercial radio station, Classic FM, launches, broadcasting classical music. * 13 September – Nigel Mansell announces his retirement from Formula One racing. * 16 September – "
Black Wednesday Black Wednesday (or the 1992 Sterling crisis) occurred on 16 September 1992 when the UK Government was forced to withdraw sterling from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), after a failed attempt to keep its exchange rate above the ...
" sees the government suspending the UK's membership of the
European Exchange Rate Mechanism The European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) is a system introduced by the European Economic Community on 1 January 1999 alongside the introduction of a single currency, the euro (replacing ERM 1 and the euro's predecessor, the ECU) as ...
following a wave of speculation against the
Pound Pound or Pounds may refer to: Units * Pound (currency), a unit of currency * Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom * Pound (mass), a unit of mass * Pound (force), a unit of force * Rail pound, in rail profile Symbols * Po ...
. * 17 September – There is more bad news for the economy as unemployment is at a five-year high of 2,845,508, and experts warn that it will soon hit 3,000,000 for the first time since early 1987. * 18 September – The latest MORI poll shows the Labour Party four points ahead of the Conservatives at 43%, following the events of
Black Wednesday Black Wednesday (or the 1992 Sterling crisis) occurred on 16 September 1992 when the UK Government was forced to withdraw sterling from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), after a failed attempt to keep its exchange rate above the ...
two days earlier. * 24 September –
David Mellor David John Mellor (born 12 March 1949) is a British broadcaster, barrister, and former politician. As a member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1990–92) and ...
resigns as Heritage Minister amid tabloid press speculation that he had been conducting an
adulterous Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
affair with actress
Antonia de Sancha Antonia de Sancha (born 14 September 1961 in Hammersmith, London) is an English actress and businesswoman best known as the former mistress of British Conservative Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister David Mellor which became public knowled ...
. * 30 September – The
Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclu ...
introduces a new 10-pence coin which is lighter and smaller than the previous coin.


October

* October ** First Cochrane Centre opens. ** Statistics show a return to economic growth for the third quarter of this year. * 9 October – Two suspected IRA bombs explode in London, but there are no injuries. * 13 October – The government announces the closure of a third of Britain's deep coal mines, with the loss of 31,000 jobs. * 14 October – The England football team begins its qualification campaign for the
1994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football, soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the countr ...
with a 1–1 draw against
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
at Wembley Stadium. * 15 October – The value of the pound sterling is reported to have dipped further as the recession deepens. * 16 October – The government attempts to tackle the recession by cutting the base interest rate to 8% – the lowest since June 1988. * 19 October – John Major announces that only ten deep coal mines will be closed. * 21 October – Commodore UK release the new
Amiga 1200 The Amiga 1200, or A1200 (code-named " Channel Z"), is a personal computer in the Amiga computer family released by Commodore International, aimed at the home computer market. It was launched on October 21, 1992, at a base price of £399 in the ...
computer. * 25 October – Around 100,000 people protest in London against the government's pit closure plans. * 26 October –
British Steel Corporation British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
announces a 20% production cut as a result in falling demand from its worldwide customer base. * 30 October – IRA terrorists force a taxi driver to drive to
Downing Street Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, it is long, and a few minutes' walk ...
at gunpoint and once there they detonate a bomb, but there are no injuries.


November

* 11 November – The
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
votes to allow women to become priests. * 12 November **
British Telecom BT Group plc (trade name, trading as BT and formerly British Telecom) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is th ...
reports a £1.03 billion profit for the half year ending 30 September – a fall of 36.2% on the previous half year figure, as a result of the thousands of redundancies it has made this year due to the recession. ** Unemployment has continued to climb and is now approaching 2,900,000. It has risen every month since June 1990, when it was below 1,700,000. The current level has not been seen since mid-1987. * 16 November – The
Hoxne Hoard The Hoxne Hoard ( ) is the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain, and the largest collection of gold and silver coins of the fourth and fifth centuries found anywhere within the former Roman Empire. It was found by ...
is discovered by metal detectorist Eric Lawes in Suffolk. * 19 November – The High Court of Justice, High Court rules that doctors can disconnect feeding tubes from Tony Bland, a young man who has been in a coma since the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. Bland, of Liverpool, suffered massive brain damage in the disaster and doctors treating him say that there is no reasonable possibility that he could recover consciousness and in his current condition would be unlikely to survive more than five years. * 20 November – Part of Windsor Castle is gutted in a 1992 Windsor Castle fire, fire, causing millions of pounds worth of damage. * 23 November – Ford Motor Company, Ford unveils the new Ford Mondeo, Mondeo, which succeeds the long-running Ford Sierra, Sierra and goes on sale in March 1993. * 24 November –
The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
describes this year as an ''Annus Horribilis'' (horrible year) due to various scandals damaging the image of the Royal Family, as well as the Windsor Castle fire. * 26 November ** The Queen is to be taxed from next year, marking the end of almost 60 tax-free years for the British monarchy. ** ''Pepper v Hart'', a landmark case, is decided in the Judicial functions of the House of Lords, House of Lords on the use of legislative history in statutory interpretation, establishing the principle that when primary legislation is ambiguous then, under certain circumstances, the courts may refer to statements made during its passage through Parliament of the United Kingdom, parliament in an attempt to interpret its intended meaning, an action previously regarded as a breach of parliamentary privilege. * 29 November – Ethnic minorities now account for more than 3,000,000 (over 5%) of the British population.


December

* 3 December – Two 1992 Manchester bombing, bombings take place in Manchester. * 9 December – The separation of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales is announced following months of speculation about their marriage, but there are no plans for a divorce and John Major announces that Diana could still become Queen. * 11 December – The last MORI poll of 1992 shows Labour thirteen points ahead of the Conservatives on 47%, just three months after several polls had shown a Conservative lead. Black Wednesday, which has damaged much of the government's reputation for monetary excellence, is largely blamed for the fall in Conservative support. * 12 December – The marriage of Anne, Princess Royal, and Timothy Laurence takes place. * 16 December ** Four people are injured by IRA bombs in Oxford Street, London. ** Japanese carmaker
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
opens a factory at
Burnaston Burnaston is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. It is about southwest of the city of Derby and has a population of 1,531. It contains the headquarters and vehicle manufacturing plant of Toyota Manu ...
, near
Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gain ...
, which produces the Toyota Carina, Carina family saloon. *17 December ** The national unemployment level has risen to more than 2.9 million, with the unemployment rate in the south-east of England now above 10% for the first time. ** Jonathan Zito is stabbed to death by Christopher Clunis, a partially treated schizophrenic patient. * 23 December – The Queen's Royal Christmas Message is leaked in '' The Sun'' newspaper, 48 hours ahead of its traditional Christmas Day broadcast on television. * 31 December ** Thames Television, Television South, TVS, Television South West, TSW and TV-am broadcast for the last time. The ORACLE (teletext), ORACLE teletext service is discontinued on ITV (TV channel), ITV and Channel 4 to be replaced by a new service operated by the Teletext Ltd. consortium, having been launched on ITV in 1978 and used by Channel 4 since its inception in 1982. ** The economy has grown in the final quarter of this year – the second successive quarter of economic growth – but the recovery is still too weak for the end of the recession to be declared.


Undated

* Inflation has fallen to a six-year low to 3.7%. * Stella Rimington is appointed as the first female Director General of MI5. * Barbara Mills is appointed as the first female Director of Public Prosecutions (England and Wales). * Palawan Press is founded in London. * Most leading retailers, including WH Smith, withdraw vinyl records from stock due to a sharp decline in sales brought on by the rising popularity of compact discs and audio cassettes.


Publications

* Douglas Adams' novel ''Mostly Harmless''. * Iain Banks' novel ''The Crow Road''. * Louis de Bernières' novel ''The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman''. * Alasdair Gray's novel ''Poor Things'' * Nick Hornby's novel ''Fever Pitch''. * Ian McEwan's novel ''Black Dogs''. * Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels ''Small Gods (novel), Small Gods'' and ''Lords and Ladies (novel), Lords and Ladies''; and his Johnny Maxwell novel ''Only You Can Save Mankind''. * Adam Thorpe's novel ''Ulverton (novel), Ulverton''. * Barry Unsworth's novel ''Sacred Hunger''.


Births


January

* 1 January ** Corey Barnes, footballer ** Andrai Jones, footballer ** Jack Wilshere, footballer * 3 January – Daniel McLay, New Zealand born racing cyclist * 4 January – Jamie Griffiths, footballer * 5 January ** Louis Almond, footballer ** Suki Waterhouse, model and actress * 8 January – Kenny McLean, footballer * 12 January – Georgia May Jagger, model * 14 January – Tom Eaves, footballer * 15 January – John Bostock, footballer * 16 January – Josh Dawkin, footballer * 22 January – Reece Connolly, footballer * 24 January – Becky Downie, gymnast * 30 January – Tom Ince, footballer * 31 January – James Hurst (footballer), James Hurst, footballer * 31 January – Amy Jackson, model and actress


February

* 1 February ** Kamil Ahmet Çörekçi, footballer ** Lewis Horner, footballer * 2 February – Ben Cox, cricketer * 7 February – Jose Baxter, footballer * 8 February – Carl Jenkinson, footballer * 9 February – Josh Fuller, footballer * 11 February ** Blair Dunlop, actor and musician ** Georgia Groome, actress * 14 February – Freddie Highmore, actor * 17 February – Reiss Beckford, gymnast * 18 February – Rhys Owen Davies, actor * 20 February – Sam Mantom, footballer * 21 February ** Chris Brown (footballer born 1992), Chris Brown, footballer ** Phil Jones (footballer born 1992), Phil Jones, footballer * 27 February – Callum Wilson (footballer, born 1992), Callum Wilson, footballer


March

* 2 March – Maisie Richardson-Sellers, actress * 4 March ** Kieran Duffie, footballer ** Daniel Lloyd (racing driver), Daniel Lloyd, racing car driver * 5 March – Amber Anderson, actress * 7 March – Bel Powley, actress * 10 March – Andy Hutchinson, footballer * 12 March – Chris Atkinson (footballer), Chris Atkinson, footballer * 13 March ** George MacKay (actor), George MacKay, actor ** Antoni Sarcevic, footballer ** Kaya Scodelario, actress and model * 15 March – Anna Shaffer, actress * 16 March ** Danny Ings, footballer ** Michael Perham, youngest person to sail the Atlantic Ocean single-handed * 17 March ** Eliza Hope Bennett, actress and singer ** John Boyega, British film actor * 22 March – Luke Freeman, footballer * 23 March – Lewis Burton, tennis player and model * 24 March – Billy Bodin, footballer * 25 March – Craig Lynch, footballer * 27 March – Mark Gillespie (footballer), Mark Gillespie, footballer


April

* 4 April – Lucy May Barker, stage and screen actress * 10 April – Daisy Ridley, actress * 11 April – Rod McDonald (footballer born 1992), Rod McDonald, footballer * 14 April – Shaun Jeffers, footballer * 15 April – Kayleden Brown, footballer * 20 April – Andy Halls, footballer * 21 April **George Burgess (rugby league), George Burgess, English rugby league player **Tom Burgess (rugby league), Tom Burgess, English rugby league player **Mark Cullen (English footballer), Mark Cullen, footballer * 22 April – Thomas James Longley, actor * 24 April – Laura Kenny, Laura Trott, track and road cyclist * 26 April – Danielle Hope, actress and singer * 28 April – Abdulai Bell-Baggie, footballer


May

* 1 May **James Hasson, Irish-Australian rugby league player * 5 May – Craig Clay, footballer * 8 May – Ana Mulvoy-Ten, actress * 9 May – Dan Burn, footballer * 14 May – Jerome Federico, footballer * 16 May ** John Marquis, footballer * 19 May ** Sam Smith (singer), Sam Smith, singer ** Eleanor Tomlinson, actress ** Heather Watson, tennis player * 24 May ** Aidan Chippendale, footballer ** Lewis Gregory, cricketer ** Ryan Leonard, footballer * 25 May – Callum McNish, footballer * 26 May – Nathan Koranteng, footballer * 28 May – Tom Carroll (English footballer), Tom Carroll, footballer * 29 May – Gregg Sulkin, actor


June

* 1 June ** Felix Drake, actor and bass guitar ** Lateef Elford-Alliyu, Nigeria-born footballer * 4 June ** Carl Forster, rugby league player ** Brooke Vincent, actress * 5 June – Nathan Byrne, footballer * 9 June – Lucien Laviscount, actor and recording artist * 11 June – Jordanne Whiley, English tennis player * 12 June – Laura Jones (gymnast), Laura Jones, gymnast * 20 June – Curtis Main, footballer * 23 June – Harry Reid (actor), Harry Reid, actor * 28 June – Tom Fisher (footballer), Tom Fisher, footballer


July

* 1 July ** Theo Cowan, actor ** Ben Greenhalgh, footballer ** Hannah Whelan, gymnast * 5 July – Max Brick, diver * 8 July ** Kelsey-Beth Crossley, actress ** Benjamin Grosvenor, classical pianist * 9 July – Douglas Booth, actor * 13 July – Bryan Parry, Welsh actor * 21 July – Jessica Barden, actress * 23 July – Danny Ings, footballer * 25 July – Peter Gregory (footballer), Peter Gregory, footballer * 27 July – Tom Bradshaw (footballer born 1992), Tom Bradshaw, footballer * 28 July – George Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland * 30 July – Kevin Grocott, footballer


August

* 2 August – Greg Austin (actor), Greg Austin, actor * 10 August – Oliver Rowland, racing driver * 12 August – Cara Delevingne, model and actress * 13 August – Keanu Marsh-Brown, footballer * 17 August – Paige (wrestler), Paige, professional wrestler * 18 August – Amy Willerton, model * 21 August – Brad Kavanagh, actor and singer-songwriter * 25 August – Angelica Mandy, actress * 30 August – Jessica Henwick, actress * 31 August – Holly Earl, actress


September

* 2 September – Cameron Darkwah, footballer * 4 September – Zerkaa, youtuber * 9 September – Cameron Crighton, actor * 12 September – Jordan Burrow, footballer * 16 September – Jake Roche, actor and singer * 17 September – William Buller (racing driver), William Buller, driver * 20 September – Will Addison, rugby union player * 21 September – Arlissa, Germany-born singer-songwriter * 22 September – Philip Hindes, Germany-born cyclist * 23 September – Matthew Harriott, footballer * 28 September ** Kristian Cox, footballer ** Keir Gilchrist, actor * 30 September – Cyrus Christie, footballer


October

* 7 October – Kane Ferdinand, footballer * 9 October – Kofi Lockhart-Adams, footballer * 10 October ** Gabrielle Aplin, singer and songwriter ** Ben Phillips (youtuber), Ben Phillips, YouTuber * 22 October ** 21 Savage, British-born rapper based in the U.S. ** Carrie Hope Fletcher, actress * 26 October – Johnny Gorman, footballer * 29 October ** Jacqueline Jossa, actress ** Brad Singleton, rugby league player


November

* November – Maia Krall Fry, actress and director * 1 November – Alex Davidson (rugby league), Alexander Davidson, rugby league player * 5 November – Cameron Lancaster, footballer * 6 November – Robert Aramayo, actor * 14 November – Nathan Fox (footballer), Nathan Fox, English footballer * 15 November – Tom Coulton, footballer * 20 November – Michael Doughty (English footballer), Michael Doughty, footballer * 22 November – Lauren Bruton, female football striker * 28 November – Sophie Moulds, Welsh television host, model, and beauty queen * 29 November – Steph Fraser, pop-folk singer-songwriter * 30 November – Samson Lee, Welsh rugby union player


December

* 2 December ** Reece Lyne, rugby league player ** Michael Gothard, actor (b. 1939 in the United Kingdom, 1939) * 3 December – Joseph McManners, actor * 6 December – Percy Herbert (actor), Percy Herbert, actor (b. 1920 in the United Kingdom, 1920) * 15 December – Jesse Lingard, footballer * 17 December – Thomas Law, actor * 18 December – Connor Goldson, footballer defender * 21 December **Dale Jennings (footballer born 1992), Dale Jennings, footballer striker **Isobel Pooley, high jumper * 24 December – Melissa Suffield, actress * 26 December – Jade Thirlwall, recording artist, member of Little Mix * 30 December – Lacey Banghard, model


Deaths

* 2 January – Joyce Butler, Labour Co-operative member of parliament (born 1910) * 9 January – Bill Naughton, playwright (born 1910) * 11 January – W. G. Hoskins, historian (born 1908) * 23 January – Freddie Bartholomew, actor (born 1924) * 4 February – Alan Davies (footballer), Alan Davies, footballer (born 1961) * 16 February – Angela Carter, novelist and journalist (born 1940) * 17 February – John Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse, First Sea Lord (born 1928) * 1 March – Howard Payne (athlete), Howard Payne, hammer thrower (born 1931) * 2 March – Jackie Mudie, footballer (born 1930) * 3 March – G. L. S. Shackle, economist (born 1903) * 14 March – Elfrida Vipont, children's author (born 1902) * 18 March – Jack Kelsey, footballer (born 1929) * 9 April – Sir Peter Hayman (diplomat), Peter Hayman, diplomat and paedophile (born 1914) * 10 April – Peter D. Mitchell, biochemist (born 1920) * 19 April – Frankie Howerd, comedian and actor (born 1917) * 20 April – Benny Hill, comedian and actor (born 1924) * 4 May – Gregor Mackenzie,
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
politician (born 1927) * 13 May – F. E. McWilliam, sculptor (born 1909) * 18 May – Eleanor Mears, medical practitioner and campaigner (born 1917) * 22 May – Elizabeth David, cookery writer (born 1913) * 24 May ** Francis Thomas Bacon, chemical engineer (born 1904) ** Joan Sanderson, actress (born 1912) * 27 May – Peter Jenkins (journalist), Peter Jenkins, journalist (born 1934) * 3 June – Robert Morley, character actor (born 1908) * 6 June – Richard Eurich, painter (born 1903) * 20 June – Charles Groves, Sir Charles Groves, conductor (born 1915) * 25 June – James Stirling (architect), James Stirling, architect (born 1926) * 29 June – Elie Kedourie, historian (born 1926, Iraq) * 10 July – Albert Pierrepoint, hangman (born 1905) * 12 July **Ted Fenton, footballer and manager (born 1914) **Basil Smallpeice, Sir Basil Smallpeice, businessman (b. 1906 in the United Kingdom, 1906) * 22 July – Alexander McKee (author), Alexander McKee, journalist, military historian and diver, discoverer of the ''Mary Rose'' (born 1918) * 23 July – Rosemary Sutcliff, children's historical novelist (born 1920) * 26 July – Richard Martin Bingham, Member of Parliament and judge (born 1915) * 31 July – Leonard Cheshire, RAF pilot (born 1917) * 1 August – Leslie Fox, mathematician (born 1918) * 9 August – Patrick Devlin, Baron Devlin, judge (born 1905) * 23 August – Donald Stewart (MP), Donald Stewart, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament (born 1920) * 29 August – Mary Norton (author), Mary Norton, author (born 1903) * 5 September – Christopher Trace, actor and television presenter (born 1933) * 19 September – Geraint Evans, baritone (born 1922) * 28 September – William Douglas-Home, tank officer, writer and dramatist, and brother of former prime minister Alec Douglas-Home (born 1912) * 3 October – Ken Wilmshurst, triple jumper (born 1931) * 6 October – Denholm Elliott, actor (born 1922) * 15 October – Oliver Franks, Baron Franks, public figure (born 1905) * 18 October – Gerald Ellison, former Bishop of London (born 1910) * 19 October – Magnus Pyke, scientist (born 1908) * 29 October – Kenneth MacMillan, ballet dancer and choreographer (born 1929) * 25 November – Hugh Wontner, Sir Hugh Wontner, hotelier and Lord Mayor of London (born 1908) * 26 November – John Sharp (actor), John Sharp, actor (born 1920) * 10 December – Dan Maskell, tennis coach and commentator (born 1908) * 19 December – H. L. A. Hart, legal philosopher (born 1907) * 22 December – Ted Willis, Baron Willis, television dramatist (born 1914) * 25 December ** Ted Croker, former Secretary of The Football Association (born 1924) ** Monica Dickens, author and great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens (born 1915) * 26 December – Edmund Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies, judge (born 1906) * 28 December – Cardew Robinson, comic actor (born 1917)


See also

* 1992 in British music * 1992 in British television * List of British films of 1992


References

{{Year in Europe, 1992 1992 in the United Kingdom, Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom 1992 by country, United Kingdom