4 January – Guitarist
Jimi Hendrix caused complaints of arrogance from television producers after playing an impromptu version of "Sunshine of your Love" past his allotted timeslot on the BBC One programme Happening for
Lulu.
10 January – Protesters in
Northern Ireland defy police orders to abandon a planned march.[3]
14 January –
Sir Matt Busby, hugely successful manager of
Manchester United F.C. for the last twenty-four years, announces his retirement as manager. He will become a director at the end of the season, and hand over first-team duties to current first team trainer and former player
Wilf McGuinness.[4]
18 January –
Pete Best wins his defamation lawsuit against
The Beatles. He had originally sought $8,000,000 but is awarded considerably less.
24 January
Violent protests by students about the installation of steel security gates close the
London School of Economics, which does not reopen for three weeks.[8]
Launch of the
Ford Capri, a four-seater sporting coupe designed to compete with the likes of the
MG B and which
Ford expects to become a top 10 seller in the United Kingdom.[9]
Representation of the People Act lowers the voting age from 21 to 18[11] with effect from February 1970. It also permits candidates to have a party label included on the ballot paper; removes the right (theoretically restored in 1967) of convicted prisoners to vote in Parliamentary elections; and in local government elections abolishes
plural voting by owners of business premises (except in the
City of London).[20]
29 May – Carry On Camping is released, becoming the year's most popular film at the UK box office.[25]
June
7 June – Rock supergroup
Blind Faith plays its first gig in front of 100,000 people in London's
Hyde Park.
14 June – The black horse
Burmese, ridden by the
Queen, makes her first appearance at
Trooping the Colour; the horse will continue in this role until 1986.
21 June
The showing of
television documentaryThe Royal Family, attracted more than 30,600,000 viewers, more than half of the entire UK population at the time, an all-time British record for a non-current event programme.[26]
30 June – Two members of the
Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed when a bomb they are planting outside government offices in
Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events explodes prematurely.[27]
25 July – The
Family Law Reform Act 1969 receives royal assent and comes partly into effect in England and Wales. It reduces the
age of majority from 21 to 18 (with effect from 1 January 1970); allows a
bastard child to inherit on the
intestacy of a parent; and allows competent 16- and 17-year-olds to consent to medical treatment.[32]
14 August – British troops are deployed in Northern Ireland to restore law and order.[34]
30–31 August – The second
Isle of Wight Festival attracts 150,000 pop music fans, paying £10 2s for a 3-day ticket, with the appearance of
Bob Dylan a major draw.[35]
September
11 September – The housing charity
Shelter releases a report claiming that there are up to 3,000,000 people in need of rehousing due to poor living conditions.[36]
26 September –
The Beatles release their Abbey Road album which is an enormous commercial success and, although receiving mixed reviews at this time, comes to be viewed by many as the group's best.
28 September – The
National Trust acquires ownership of the island of
Lundy.
10 October – The Government accepts the recommendations of
Lord Hunt's report on policing in Northern Ireland, including the abolition of the
Ulster Special Constabulary.[38]
The new seven-sided
fifty pence coin is introduced as replacement for the ten-shilling note, to a mixed reception from the British public, with many people complaining that it is easily confused with the 10p coin.[39]
With a general election due within the next eighteen months, opinion polls show the Conservatives comfortably ahead of Labour, by up to 24 points.[40]
25 November –
John Lennon returns his
MBE to protest against the British Government's involvement in
Biafra and support of the U.S. war in Vietnam.[11]
Completion of the
Castle Vale estate in
Birmingham, the largest postwar housing estate in the United Kingdom. The new estate predominantly consists of
council housing, including 34 tower blocks – the largest number on any single British housing estate. The first residents moved onto Castle Vale in 1964 when the first houses and flats were completed.[47]
4 January – Guitarist
Jimi Hendrix caused complaints of arrogance from television producers after playing an impromptu version of "Sunshine of your Love" past his allotted timeslot on the BBC One programme Happening for
Lulu.
10 January – Protesters in
Northern Ireland defy police orders to abandon a planned march.[3]
14 January –
Sir Matt Busby, hugely successful manager of
Manchester United F.C. for the last twenty-four years, announces his retirement as manager. He will become a director at the end of the season, and hand over first-team duties to current first team trainer and former player
Wilf McGuinness.[4]
18 January –
Pete Best wins his defamation lawsuit against
The Beatles. He had originally sought $8,000,000 but is awarded considerably less.
24 January
Violent protests by students about the installation of steel security gates close the
London School of Economics, which does not reopen for three weeks.[8]
Launch of the
Ford Capri, a four-seater sporting coupe designed to compete with the likes of the
MG B and which
Ford expects to become a top 10 seller in the United Kingdom.[9]
Representation of the People Act lowers the voting age from 21 to 18[11] with effect from February 1970. It also permits candidates to have a party label included on the ballot paper; removes the right (theoretically restored in 1967) of convicted prisoners to vote in Parliamentary elections; and in local government elections abolishes
plural voting by owners of business premises (except in the
City of London).[20]
29 May – Carry On Camping is released, becoming the year's most popular film at the UK box office.[25]
June
7 June – Rock supergroup
Blind Faith plays its first gig in front of 100,000 people in London's
Hyde Park.
14 June – The black horse
Burmese, ridden by the
Queen, makes her first appearance at
Trooping the Colour; the horse will continue in this role until 1986.
21 June
The showing of
television documentaryThe Royal Family, attracted more than 30,600,000 viewers, more than half of the entire UK population at the time, an all-time British record for a non-current event programme.[26]
30 June – Two members of the
Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed when a bomb they are planting outside government offices in
Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events explodes prematurely.[27]
25 July – The
Family Law Reform Act 1969 receives royal assent and comes partly into effect in England and Wales. It reduces the
age of majority from 21 to 18 (with effect from 1 January 1970); allows a
bastard child to inherit on the
intestacy of a parent; and allows competent 16- and 17-year-olds to consent to medical treatment.[32]
14 August – British troops are deployed in Northern Ireland to restore law and order.[34]
30–31 August – The second
Isle of Wight Festival attracts 150,000 pop music fans, paying £10 2s for a 3-day ticket, with the appearance of
Bob Dylan a major draw.[35]
September
11 September – The housing charity
Shelter releases a report claiming that there are up to 3,000,000 people in need of rehousing due to poor living conditions.[36]
26 September –
The Beatles release their Abbey Road album which is an enormous commercial success and, although receiving mixed reviews at this time, comes to be viewed by many as the group's best.
28 September – The
National Trust acquires ownership of the island of
Lundy.
10 October – The Government accepts the recommendations of
Lord Hunt's report on policing in Northern Ireland, including the abolition of the
Ulster Special Constabulary.[38]
The new seven-sided
fifty pence coin is introduced as replacement for the ten-shilling note, to a mixed reception from the British public, with many people complaining that it is easily confused with the 10p coin.[39]
With a general election due within the next eighteen months, opinion polls show the Conservatives comfortably ahead of Labour, by up to 24 points.[40]
25 November –
John Lennon returns his
MBE to protest against the British Government's involvement in
Biafra and support of the U.S. war in Vietnam.[11]
Completion of the
Castle Vale estate in
Birmingham, the largest postwar housing estate in the United Kingdom. The new estate predominantly consists of
council housing, including 34 tower blocks – the largest number on any single British housing estate. The first residents moved onto Castle Vale in 1964 when the first houses and flats were completed.[47]