1998 in the United Kingdom
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Events from the year
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
in the United Kingdom.


Incumbents

* MonarchElizabeth II * Prime MinisterTony Blair (
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 ...
) * Parliament52nd


Events


January

* 5 January – The UK takes over the Presidency of the EC's Council of Ministers until 30 June.


February

* 3 February – Stamps commemorating the late
Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
, go on sale across the UK. * 7–22 February – Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and win one bronze medal. * 12 February –
Mohamed Al Fayed Mohamed Al-Fayed (; arz, محمد الفايد ; born 27 January 1929) is an Egyptian-born businessman whose residence and chief business interests have been in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. His business interests include ownership of ...
, the father of Dodi Fayed, says that he is "99.9% certain" that his son's death in the car crash that also claimed the life of
Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
on 31 August 1997 was a conspiracy to kill rather than an accident. He also claims that his son had purchased an engagement ring just before the crash and had been preparing to propose marriage to Diana. A lawyer in Mr Al Fayed's native Egypt was planning to sue the Queen and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on the grounds that they had conspired to kill Diana because her love for a
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
would embarrass the country. * 28 February – ''Lancet'' MMR autism fraud: A study by Andrew Wakefield published in '' The Lancet'' suggests a link between
MMR vaccine The MMR vaccine is a vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles), abbreviated as ''MMR''. The first dose is generally given to children around 9 months to 15 months of age, with a second dose at 15 months to 6 years of age, ...
and
autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
; although subsequently discredited and retracted, it is widely influential on vaccination rates.


March

* 6 March – Closure of South Crofty, the last working tin mine in Cornwall. * 31 March – The Rolls-Royce Motors brand is acquired by German car manufacturer BMW.


April

* April –
Vauxhall Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
launches its fourth generation
Astra Astra may refer to: People * Astra (name) Places * Astra, Chubut, a village in Argentina * Astra (Isauria), a town of ancient Isauria, now in Turkey * Astra, one suggested name for a hypothetical fifth planet that became the asteroid belt Ent ...
small family car range. The initial range consists of hatchbacks, saloons and estates, with coupe and cabriolet models arriving in two years. * 1 April – The historic counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire are reestablished, 24 years after they merged to form Hereford and Worcester.
Berkshire County Council The Council of the Royal County of Berkshire, also known as the Berkshire County Council, was the top-tier local government administrative body for Berkshire from 1889 to 1998. The local authority had responsibilities for education, social servi ...
is abolished and replaced by unitary authorities. * 10 April – The Good Friday Agreement, an agreement between the UK and Irish governments and the main political parties in Northern Ireland is signed. * 27 April – Kevin Lloyd, who played Tosh Lines in '' The Bill'' since 1988, is dismissed from the role by
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 ...
due to his alcoholism. He dies, the following week, aged 49.


May

* 2 May – Police in Maryland, United States, reveal that they have arrested and bailed former English footballer
Justin Fashanu Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu ( ; 19 February 1961 – 2 May 1998) was an English footballer who played for a variety of clubs between 1978 and 1997. He was known by his early clubs to be gay, and came out publicly later in his career, beco ...
over an allegation of sexual assault against a seventeen-year-old male, and they believe he has now breached his bail conditions and fled the country; he commits suicide in London. * 9 May – The
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
held in Birmingham at the
National Indoor Arena Arena Birmingham (known for sponsorship reasons as Utilita Arena Birmingham, and previously as The Barclaycard Arena and originally as the National Indoor Arena) is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, United Kingdom. It ...
. * 15 May –
24th G8 summit The 24th G8 Summit was held in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom on 15–17 May 1998. The venue for this summit meeting was the International Convention Centre, Birmingham.Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MOFA) Summit Meetings in the Pas ...
held in Birmingham. * 20 May – Nurses Deborah Parry and Lucille McLauchlan, who had been convicted in Saudi Arabia for the
murder of Yvonne Gilford Yvonne Gilford was an Australian nurse who was murdered in the King Fahd Military Medical Complex, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on 12 December 1996. Two British nurses, Deborah Parry and Lucille "Lucy" McLauchlan, were arrested for the crime. Parry c ...
the previous year, have their sentences commuted by the order of King Fahd and are returned to the UK. * 23 May – Referendums on the Good Friday Agreement are held in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with 95% and 71% support respectively.


June

* June – The DVD format is released onto the UK market for the first time. Among the first set of titles released on the new format is '' Jumanji''. The format will sell just over 6,000 discs by the end of the year. * 15 June – First general-circulation issue of a two pound coin, with a bi-metallic design (dated 1997). * 23 June – The Heathrow Express rail link begins operation. * 27 June – The
Diana, Princess of Wales Tribute Concert The Diana, Princess of Wales Tribute Concert was a British music concert held in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales on 27 June 1998, a few days before the date of what would have been her 37th birthday. The concert was held at Althorp Park, ...
is held at Althorp Park in Northamptonshire, and attended by 15,000 people.


July

* 12 July –
Drumcree conflict The Drumcree conflict or Drumcree standoff is a dispute over yearly parades in the town of Portadown, Northern Ireland. The town is mainly Protestant and hosts numerous Protestant/loyalist marches each summer, but has a significant Catholic mi ...
: Three young children are killed in a
loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
Ulster Volunteer Force arson attack in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. * 31 July ** Crime and Disorder Act receives Royal Assent. It introduces Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, Sex Offender Orders, Parenting Orders, and 'racially aggravated' offences. It makes it possible for a young person between ten and fourteen to be presumed capable of committing an offence and formally abolishes capital punishment for treason and piracy, the last civilian offences for which the death penalty remained theoretically available. ** The Government of Wales Act 1998, which will establish a devolved Welsh Assembly, receives Royal Assent. ** The government announces a total ban on the use of landmines by the British military.


August

* 10 August –
Manchester United TV MUTV (Manchester United Television) is a premium television channel owned and operated by English association football, football club Manchester United F.C., Manchester United. The channel first broadcast on 10 September 1998. MUTV offers Manche ...
begins broadcasting, making
Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd), or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in the Premier League, ...
the world's second football team to have its own television channel, the first being Middlesbrough (Boro TV) in 1997. * 15 August –
Omagh bombing The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on 15 August 1998 in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group who oppose ...
: A car bomb explodes in the Northern Irish market town of Omagh, County Tyrone, killing 29 people – the worst terrorist atrocity in the history of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. It has been planted by the Real Irish Republican Army. * 18 August – Mathematicians
Richard Borcherds Richard Ewen Borcherds (; born 29 November 1959) is a British mathematician currently working in quantum field theory. He is known for his work in lattice (group), lattices, group theory, and infinite-dimensional algebra over a field, algebras, f ...
and Timothy Gowers are awarded
Fields Medal The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place every four years. The name of the award ho ...
s. * 22 August – Reading F.C. move into their new Madejski Stadium, named after chairman
John Madejski Sir John Robert Madejski, (; born Robert John Hurst; 28 April 1941) is an English businessman, with commercial interests spanning property, broadcast media, hotels, restaurants, publishing and football. He changed his name when his stepfather, ...
, near junction 11 of the
M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...
in the south of Reading. It seats more than 24,000 spectators. * 24 August ** The Netherlands is selected as the venue for the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial of two Libyans who are charged with causing the explosion of an aircraft at
Lockerbie Lockerbie (, gd, Locarbaidh) is a small town in Dumfries and Galloway, south-western Scotland. It is about from Glasgow, and from the border with England. The United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town ...
that killed 270 people in December 1988. ** First
RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromag ...
human implantation tested in the United Kingdom by Kevin Warwick at the University of Reading.


September

* 8 September – The Real IRA announces a ceasefire. * 10 September – In Northern Ireland, David Trimble of the Ulster Unionist Party meets Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin – the first such meeting between Republicans and Loyalists since 1922. * 16 September – The Union Jack dress worn by the
Spice Girl The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vic ...
Geri Halliwell is sold at Sotheby's for £41,320


October

* October – Ford launches its new Focus range of small family hatchbacks, saloons and estates which will eventually replace the long-running Escort although that model would continue until the year 2000 and the van model lasting until 2002. * 16 October – Indictment and arrest of Augusto Pinochet: Police place General Augusto Pinochet, the 83-year-old former dictator of Chile, into house arrest during his medical treatment in Britain at the request of Spain. * 27 October – Ron Davies resigns as Secretary of State for Wales, citing "an error of judgement" in agreeing to go for what he said was a meal with a man he had met while walking on Clapham Common in London, which is a well known gay meeting place, and subsequently being mugged.


November

* November – Peugeot launches the
206 Year 206 ( CCVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Umbrius and Gavius (or, less frequently, year 959 ''Ab urbe condit ...
supermini which is being built at the
Ryton Ryton may refer to: Places in England * Ryton, Gloucestershire, a location *Ryton, North Yorkshire *Ryton, Shropshire *Ryton, Tyne and Wear *Ryton, Warwickshire (in Bulkington) *Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire *Great Ryton, Shropshire People ...
plant near Coventry. * 9 November – Human Rights Act receives Royal Assent. * 24 November – The
Queen's Speech A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a Legislative session, session is ...
announces the government plan to abolish the rights of 700 hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords; unprecedentedly this is met with audible "hear hears". * 25 November – Appointed Regional development agencies and Regional chambers ("Regional assemblies") in England are created under the Regional Development Agencies Act. * 26 November – Tony Blair becomes the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address the
Oireachtas The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of: *The President of Ireland *The bicameralism, two houses of the Oireachtas ...
(Irish parliament).


December

* December – The Ford Focus is voted
European Car of the Year The European Car of the Year ("ECOTY") award is an international Car of the Year award established in 1964, by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organising companies of the award are ''Auto'' (Ita ...
. * 10 December ** John Hume and David Trimble win the Nobel Peace Prize. ** John Pople wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry". * 26 December – Great
Boxing Day Storm The Boxing Day Storm (also called the Great Boxing Day Storm of 1998 or Hurricane Stephen) was an Atlantic windstorm that made landfall in northwest Ireland. It peaked on Boxing Day, 26 December, which is celebrated as St. Stephen's Day in Ire ...
: severe gale-force winds hits Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England. Roads, railways and electricity are disrupted. * 29 December – Three British tourists are among those shot during a gun battle to free them from kidnappers in Yemen.


Date unknown

* The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Association is created.


Publications

*
Beryl Bainbridge Dame Beryl Margaret Bainbridge (21 November 1932 – 2 July 2010) was an English writer from Liverpool. She was primarily known for her works of psychological fiction, often macabre tales set among the English working class. Bainbridge won the ...
's novel '' Master Georgie''. * Iain M. Banks' novel '' Inversions''. * Julian Barnes's novel '' :England, England''. * Ted Hughes's poetry collection '' Birthday Letters''. * Nigella Lawson's guide ''How to Eat: the pleasures and principles of good food''. * Ian McEwan's novel '' Amsterdam''. * John O'Farrell's political memoir '' Things Can Only Get Better''. * Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels '' The Last Continent'' and '' Carpe Jugulum''. * J. K. Rowling's novel '' Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets''.


Births

* 2 January – George Miller, footballer * 4 January –
Tia Rigg Tia Rigg (4 January 1998 – 3 April 2010) was a girl who was killed in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England on 3 April 2010. Twelve-year-old Rigg was tortured, raped and murdered by her maternal uncle, John Maden. On 4 October 2010, 38-year-old ...
, murder victim (died
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
) * 18 January –
Alfie McIlwain The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the ''Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to ...
, actor * 2 February – Chris Smith, footballer * 4 February – Scott Jones, athlete * 15 February – George Russell, racing driver * 27 February ** Sam Smith, footballer ** Theo Stevenson, actor * 13 March –
Oliver Stokes Oliver Stokes (born 29 May 1998) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of Michael Garvey in '' Benidorm,'' from 2007 to 2015. Career Stokes first came to prominence with his role as Michael Garvey in Derren Litten’s ITV c ...
, actor * 14 March – George Bartlett, cricketer * 24 March –
Isabel Suckling Isabel Suckling (born 24 March 1998) is a British singer who, upon signing a record deal with Decca Records, became the youngest classical recording artist signed by Decca, and the first choirgirl to sign a record contract with a major music la ...
, singer * 11 April –
Oliver Dillon Oliver Nicholas Anthony Dillon (born 11 April 1998) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Huffty in the CBeebies shows ''Raa Raa the Noisy Lion'' since 2011-2018 and Waybuloo. Dillon also voiced Lumpy the Heffalump in ''My Friends ...
, actor * 12 April – Tom Pearce, footballer * 14 April – Arthur Bowen, actor * 22 April – Jay Dasilva, footballer * 8 May – Sam Field, footballer * 14 May –
Aaron Ramsdale Aaron Christopher Ramsdale (born 14 May 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Arsenal and the England national team. Ramsdale began his senior club career playing for Sheffield United and signed for AFC ...
, footballer * 3 June –
Sam Curran Samuel Matthew Curran (born 3 June 1998) is an English cricketer who plays for England in all formats. In domestic cricket, he represents Surrey, and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues, including for Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings ...
, cricketer. * 4 June – Jack Blatherwick, cricketer * 7 June – Graham Newberry, American-English figure skater * 10 June – Johnny Bennett, actor * 14 June –
Julia Joyce Julia Joyce (born 14 June 1998) is an actress, known for her appearance as a younger version of Billie Piper's characters in ''Doctor Who'' ("Father's Day (Doctor Who), Father's Day") and ''Mansfield Park (2007 film), Mansfield Park'', as well ...
, actress * 21 June –
Isabel Atkin Isabel Atkin (born 21 June 1998) is a British-American freestyle skier who competes internationally for Great Britain. She won bronze in women's slopestyle at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the first British Olympic medal in skiing. ...
, freestyle skier * 30 June – Tom Davies, footballer * 1 July – Hollie Steel, classical crossover singer * 19 July ** Ronaldo Vieira, footballer **
Amar Virdi Amar may refer to: People Given name * Amar (British singer) (born 1982), British Indian singer born Amar Dhanjal * Amar (Lebanese singer) (born 1986), born Amar Mahmoud Al Tahech * Amar Bose (1929–2013), Founder of Bose Corporation * Amar Gup ...
, cricketer ** Lil Woods, actress * 20 July –
Sinead Michael Sky Smith is a fictional character in the British children's science fiction television series ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', a spin-off of the long-running series '' Doctor Who'', played by Sinead Michael. She appears as a regular in the show' ...
, actress * 28 July -
Sam Surridge Samuel William Surridge (born 28 July 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC. During his time at AFC Bournemouth, he spent time on loan at Weymouth, Poole Town, Yeovil Tow ...
, footballer * 2 August –
Giarnni Regini-Moran Giarnni Regini-Moran (born 2 August 1998) is a British artistic gymnast representing Great Britain and England internationally. He is the 2022 world champion on floor exercise (the second British world floor champion after Beth Tweddle and the ...
, artistic gymnast * 6 August – Jack Scanlon, actor * 8 August –
Ronan Parke Ronan Parke (born 8 August 1998) is an English singer from Poringland, Norfolk, UK who came runner-up in the fifth series of ITV show ''Britain's Got Talent'' in 2011 when he was 12 despite being the bookies' favourite to win. Since appearing ...
, pop singer * 14 August –
Amy Marren Amy Marren (born 14 August 1998) is a British para swimmer who became the SM9 200m individual medley world champion at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships. At the same championships, she won gold in the S9 100m butterfly, as well as bein ...
, swimmer * 5 September –
Helena Barlow Helena Josephine Barlow (born 5 September 1998) is an English actress. She began her career as a child actress, playing Rose Granger-Weasley in ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2'' (2011). The following year, she starred as young ...
, actress * 9 September –
Shannon Matthews Shannon may refer to: People * Shannon (given name) * Shannon (surname) * Shannon (American singer), stage name of singer Shannon Brenda Greene (born 1958) * Shannon (South Korean singer), British-South Korean singer and actress Shannon Arrum Will ...
, kidnapping victim * 21 September –
Prem Sisodiya Prem Sisodiya (born 21 September 1998) is a Welsh cricketer. He made his first-class debut for Glamorgan in the 2018 County Championship on 20 June 2018. Prior to his first-class debut, he was part of England's squad for the 2018 Under-19 Crick ...
, cricketer * 2 October – Zack Morris, actor * 7 October – Trent Alexander-Arnold, footballer * 17 October –
Erin Kellyman Erin Mae Kellyman (born 17 October 1998) is an English actress. On television, she gained prominence through the Channel 4 sitcom '' Raised by Wolves'' (2015–2016) and the BBC series ''Les Misérables'' (2018), '' Don't Forget the Driver'' (20 ...
, actress * 18 October – Jack Carroll, comic actor * 20 October –
Jordan Allan Jordan Allan (born 20 October 1998) is a Scottish footballer who plays for club Falkirk. He has previously played for Airdrieonians, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cowdenbeath, Forfar Athletic and Clyde. Career In April 2013, Allan made his debut f ...
, footballer * 22 October –
Georgina Anderson Georgina Anderson (22 October 1998 – 14 November 2013) was a singer from Marske-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire. On 14 November 2013 she died after being diagnosed with stage four liver cancer. Her posthumous 2013 single, " Two-Thirds of a Piece" ...
, pop singer (died
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
) * 29 October – Matthew Potts, cricketer * 11 November –
Tom Banton Thomas Banton (born 11 November 1998) is an English cricketer. He made his international debut for the England cricket team in November 2019. Domestic and franchise career Banton made his Twenty20 cricket debut for Somerset in the 2017 NatWest ...
, cricketer * 21 November – Will Jacks, cricketer * 28 November –
Ronan McKenzie Ronan McKenzie, (born 1998), is an English kart racing driver. McKenzie was signed under an option contract with the Motorsport division of kart manufacturer Birel on their Easykart Driver Program in December 2009. McKenzie was born in North ...
, kart racing driver * 1 December –
Ollie Robinson Oliver Edward Robinson (born 1 December 1993) is an English professional cricketer who plays internationally for the England cricket team, England Test cricket team. In domestic cricket, he represents Sussex County Cricket Club, Sussex, havin ...
, cricketer * 11 December – Gabz (Gabrielle Gardiner), singer-songwriter * 14 December – Lukas Nmecha, footballer * 17 December – Jasmine Armfield, actress * 24 December –
Declan McKenna Declan Benedict McKenna (born 24 December 1998) is an English singer-songwriter. He initially gained recognition for winning the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition in 2015. McKenna self-released the song "Brazil", a protest son ...
, pop singer


Deaths

* 2 January – Frank Muir, actor, comedy writer and raconteur (born 1920) * 5 January –
David Bairstow David Leslie Bairstow (1 September 1951 – 5 January 1998) was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire and England as a wicket-keeper. He also played football for his hometown club Bradford City. He is the father of England internation ...
, English cricketer (born 1951; suicide) * 8 January – Sir Michael Tippett, composer (born 1905) * 13 January –
Ian Moores Ian Richard Moores (5 October 1954 – 12 January 1998) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers, Orient, Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur. Playing career Moores was born in Chesterton, Sta ...
, former footballer (born 1954) * 15 January – James Ashley, suspected heroin dealer (born 1958); murdered * 18 January –
Monica Edwards Monica Edwards (née Monica le Doux Newton; 8 November 1912 – 18 January 1998) was an English children's writer of the mid-twentieth century best known for her Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series of children's novels. Early life She was ...
, children's writer (born 1912) * 23 January – Victor Pasmore, artist (born 1908) * 24 January –
Xenia Field Xenia Noelle Field MBE (née Lowinsky; 25 December 1894 – 24 January 1998) was a British county councillor, prison reformer, philanthropist, horticulturist and author. Early life Field was born on 25 December 1894 at Secunderabad, India, where ...
, councillor, horticulturalist and author (born 1894) * 3 February –
Davy Kaye Davy Kaye MBE (born David Kodeish, 25 March 1916 – 3 February 1998) was a British comedy actor and entertainer. Early life Born in Mile End Road in the East End of London to Jewish parents Koppel and Dora Kodeish, Kaye was so small at birth t ...
, actor (born 1916) * 8 February – Enoch Powell, politician (born 1912) * 14 February –
Edgar Granville, Baron Granville of Eye Edgar Louis Granville, Baron Granville of Eye (12 February 1898 – 14 February 1998) was a British politician. Edgar Granville was born in Reading, the son of Reginald and Margaret Granville. His year of birth is sometimes incorrectly given as 1 ...
, politician (born 1898) * 6 March –
Benjamin Bowden Benjamin George Bowden (3 June 1906 – 6 March 1998) was a British industrial designer, who is known mostly for his work on automobiles and bicycles. Bowden designed the coachwork of Healey's Elliott, an influential British sports car. H ...
, designer (born 1906) * 7 March –
Bernarr Rainbow Bernarr Joseph George Rainbow (2 October 1914 – 17 March 1998) was a historian of music education, organist, and choir master from the United Kingdom. Life and career Born on 2 October 1914 in Battersea, London, United Kingdom, Bernarr Rain ...
, historian of music education, organist, and choir master (born 1941) * 10 March – Ian Dunn, gay and paedophile rights activist, founder of the Scottish Minorities Group (born 1943 )Obituary: Ian Dunn , The Independent
/ref> * 13 March – Judge Dread, reggae musician (born 1945) * 16 March ** Derek Barton, chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918) **
Noel Stephen Paynter Air Commodore Noel Stephen "Peter" Paynter, (26 December 1898 – 16 March 1998) was a Royal Air Force officer who served as chief intelligence officer of Bomber Command. Paynter was a senior member of the team that ran Bomber Command under ...
, Royal Air Force commodore (born 1898) * 25 March – Daniel Massey, actor (born 1933) * 3 April – Dame Mary Cartwright, mathematician (born 1900) * 5 April ** Sir Frederick Charles Frank, physicist (born 1911, South Africa) ** Cozy Powell, rock musician (born 1947) * 11 April –
Francis Durbridge Francis Henry Durbridge (; 25 November 1912 – 11 April 1998) was an English dramatist and author, best known for the creation of the character Paul Temple, the gentlemanly detective who appeared in 16 BBC multi-part radio serials from 1 ...
, playwright and author (born 1912) * 16 April – Fred Davis, snooker and billiards player (born 1913) * 17 April –
Linda McCartney Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney ( Eastman; September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, musician, animal rights activist, vegetarian cookbook author and advocate, and entrepreneur. She was the keyboardist in th ...
, American-born, British-based photographer and musician (born 1941) * 19 April –
Denis Howell, Baron Howell Denis Herbert Howell, Baron Howell (4 September 1923 – 19 April 1998) was a British Labour Party politician. He was a councillor on Birmingham City Council between 1946 and 1956. He was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham All Saints fro ...
, politician (born 1923) * 20 April **
Joan Mary Wayne Brown Mary Gervaise, Hilary Wayne and Bellamy Brown are the pseudonyms for Joan Mary Wayne Brown. She was born on 21 April 1906 and died on 26 April 1998. She was a prolific writer, publishing over 70 books. A bout of anaemia caused her to pursue wri ...
, British author (b.
1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
) ** Trevor Huddleston, Anglican bishop and anti-apartheid activist (born 1913) * 2 May **
Justin Fashanu Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu ( ; 19 February 1961 – 2 May 1998) was an English footballer who played for a variety of clubs between 1978 and 1997. He was known by his early clubs to be gay, and came out publicly later in his career, beco ...
, footballer (born 1961; suicide) ** Kevin Lloyd, actor (born 1949) * 9 May –
Bob Mellish, Baron Mellish Robert Joseph Mellish, Baron Mellish, PC (3 March 1913 – 9 May 1998) was a British politician. He was a long-serving Labour Party MP of 36 years, from 1946 to 1982. He served as the Labour Chief Whip from 1969 until 1976, but in his later ...
, politician (born 1913) * 15 May –
Patrick Wall Sir Patrick Henry Bligh Wall, (14 October 1916 – 15 May 1998) was a British commando in the Royal Marines during the Second World War and later a Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Haltemprice in the Eas ...
, World War II marine commando and politician (born 1916) * 18 May – Enid Marx, artist and designer (born 1902) * 10 June – Hammond Innes, author (born 1914) * 11 June – Catherine Cookson, author (born 1906) * 13 June ** Alfred Horace Gerrard, sculptor (born 1899) **
Kadamba Simmons Kadamba Simmons (7 May 1974 – 13/14 June 1998) was a British actress and model. Career Simmons appeared in advertisements for many products including Martini and Pantene shampoo.''Show Business Homicides: An Encyclopedia 1908-2009'' - David K. ...
, actress and model (born 1974); murdered **
Reg Smythe Reginald Smyth (10 July 1917 – 13 June 1998) was a British cartoonist who created the popular, long-running ''Andy Capp'' comic strip. Early life and military service He was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, England, the son of Richard ...
, cartoonist (born 1917) * 22 June – Benny Green, writer, radio broadcaster and saxophonist (b. 1927). * 5 July – Johnny Speight, television scriptwriter (born 1920) * 11 July – John Boyd-Carpenter, Baron Boyd-Carpenter, politician (born 1908) * 18 July – Betty Marsden, comedy actress (born 1919) * 23 July – John Hopkins, screenwriter (born 1931); accidentally killed in the United States * 25 July – Tiny Rowland, businessman (born 1917) * 27 July – Binnie Barnes, actress (born 1903) * 3 August – Alan Walsh, physicist, developer of
atomic absorption spectroscopy Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) is a spectroanalytical procedure for the quantitative determination of chemical elemlight) by free atoms in the gaseous state. Atomic absorption spectroscopy is based o ...
(born 1913) * 4 August – Richard Dunn, CEO of Thames Television (born 1943) * 9 August –
George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey George Francis Child-Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (15 February 1910 – 9 August 1998), was an English peer and banker from the Villiers family. Lord Jersey gave one of the family seats, Osterley Park, to the British nation in the late 1940s ...
, peer (born 1910) * 22 August –
Evelyn Denington, Baroness Denington Evelyn Joyce Denington, Baroness Denington DBE (née Bursill; 9 August 1907 – 22 August 1998) was a British politician. She served as chair of the Stevenage Development Corporation from 1966–80 and chair of the Greater London Council from ...
, politician (born 1907) * 2 September – Jackie Blanchflower, footballer (born 1933) * 4 September – Lal Waterson, folk singer-songwriter (born 1943) * 19 September –
Ran Laurie William George Ranald Mundell Laurie (4 May 1915 – 19 September 1998) was an English physician, Olympic rowing champion and gold medallist. He was the father of actor Hugh Laurie. Early life, education and rowing career Laurie was born in ...
, physician and Olympic rowing champion, father of Hugh Laurie (born 1915) * 3 October – Roddy McDowall, actor (born 1928) * 6 October –
Joseph J. Sandler Joseph J. Sandler (10 January 1927 – 6 October 1998) was a British psychoanalyst within the Anna Freud Grouping – now the Contemporary Freudians – of the British Psychoanalytical Society; and is perhaps best known for what has been called h ...
, psychoanalyst (born 1927) * 10 October –
Jackie Forster Jackie Forster (née Jacqueline Moir Mackenzie; 6 November 1926 – 10 October 1998) was an English news reporter, actress and lesbian rights activist.p.270 From the Closet to the Screen – Jill Gardner Early history Forster's father was a ...
, journalist and lesbian rights activist (born 1926) * 17 October – Joan Hickson, actress (born 1906) * 20 October –
Frank Gillard Francis George Gillard (1 December 1908 – 20 October 1998) was a BBC executive, reporter and radio innovator. Early years Gillard was born in Tiverton in Devon and attended Wellington School, Somerset. He gained a bachelor's degree f ...
, radio broadcaster (born 1909) * 22 October –
Eric Ambler Eric Clifford Ambler OBE (28 June 1909 – 22 October 1998) was an English author of thrillers, in particular spy novels, who introduced a new realism to the genre. Also working as a screenwriter, Ambler used the pseudonym Eliot Reed for book ...
, novelist and playwright (born 1909) * 28 October ** Tommy Flowers, electrical engineer (born 1905) ** Ted Hughes, poet laureate and children's writer (born 1930) * 2 November – Janet Arnold, costume designer (born 1932) * 7 November ** Margaret Gowing, historian (born 1921) ** John Hunt, Baron Hunt, World War II army officer and leader of the
1953 British Mount Everest Expedition The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. ...
(born 1910) * 12 November –
Roy Hollis Roy Walter Hollis (24 December 1925 – 12 November 1998) was a footballer and is a member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame.Hugman , B, J, (Ed)''The PFA Premier& Football League Players' Records (1946-2005)'' 2005 p295 Great Yarmouth-born Hol ...
, footballer (born 1925) * 13 November – Doug Wright, English cricketer (b.
1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...
) * 24 November – John Chadwick, linguist (born 1920) * 29 November –
Martin Ruane Martin Austin Ruane (10 October 1946 – 29 November 1998) was an English professional wrestler of Irish parentage, best known by the ring name Giant Haystacks. He was one of the best-known wrestlers on the British wrestling scene in the 1970s ...
, British professional wrestler (b.
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...
) * 1 December –
Freddie Young Frederick A. Young (9 October 1902 – 1 December 1998) was a British cinematographer. He is probably best known for his work on David Lean's films ''Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962), ''Doctor Zhivago'' (1965) and ''Ryan's Daughter'' (1970), all th ...
, cinematographer (born 1902) * 2 December –
Brian Stonehouse Brian Julian Warry Stonehouse MBE (29 August 1918 – 2 December 1998) was an English painter and Special Operations Executive agent during World War II. He was born in Torquay, England and had a brother, Dale. When his family moved to Fran ...
, painter and World War II secret agent (born 1918) * 7 December – Michael Craze, actor (born 1942) * 13 December – Lew Grade, showbusiness impresario and television company executive (born 1906 in Ukraine) * 20 December – Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1914) * 21 December **
Roger Avon Roger Avon (23 November 1914 – 21 December 1998) was an English stage, film and television actor born in Jarrow, County Durham. Some of his television appearances include ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Dad's Army'', ''When the Boat Comes In'', ...
, actor (b.
1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...
) **
Avril Coleridge-Taylor Gwendolen Avril Coleridge-Taylor (8 March 190321 December 1998) was an English pianist, conductor, and composer. She was the daughter of composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and his wife Jessie (née Walmisley). Personal life She was born in South ...
, pianist, conductor, composer and daughter of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (born 1903) ** Richard Turnbull, British colonial governor (b.
1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...
) * 22 December – Donald Soper, Methodist minister and pacifist (born 1903) * 25 December – John Pulman, snooker player (born 1923); accidentally killed * 30 December – George Webb, actor (born 1911)


See also

* List of British films of 1998


References

{{Year in Europe, 1998 Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom United Kingdom