1969

**1969**

**MCMLXIX**

* UK Prime Minister: Harold Wilson
* FA Cup Winners: Manchester City (beat Leicester City 1-0)
* Christmas Number One: Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys
* Eurovision Song Contest: Madrid, Spain; 29 March
	+ Contest Winners (four joint): Boom Bang-a-Bang - Lulu (UK), Vivo cantando - Salomé (Spain), De troubadour - Lenny Kuhr (NL), Un jour, un enfant - Frida Boccara (France).

* Blue Peter Team: John Noakes, Peter Purves, Valerie Singleton.
* Doctor Who: Patrick Troughton (S6 cont. - final ep. for Troughton 21 June)
* Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ: Tony Blackburn
* Big Christmas Day Film On BBC1: *McLintock* (Western with John Wayne)

## Main events

* The Beatles play rooftop concert in Savile Row
* First B&Q DIY superstore, Victoria Line opened, McCartney and Lennon both get married
* Raleigh Chopper bike launched, first Concorde flight from UK, Leeds Utd. win Football League,
* Ocean liner *Queen Elizabeth 2* maiden voyage, Charles investiture as Prince of Wales
* *The Stones in the Park* concert in Hyde Park (05 July), Apollo XI moon landing with Neil Armstrong making first steps.
* The Beatles are photographed on the zebra crossing in Abbey Road; rioting in N. Ireland - British troops intervene; second isle of Wight festival.
* Seven-sided 50p coin introduced, John Lennon returns his MBE, The Sun newspaper launched,
* abolition of the death penalty for murder

TV
--

### New shows

(first broadcast date in brackets)

* BBC 1: *Clangers*, *Holiday*, *The Liver Birds* (pilot, 14 July), *Star Trek* (UK debut), *Nationwide*, *Up Pompeii!,* *Mary, Mungo and Midge, Chigley (completing the Trumptonshire Trilogy)*
* BBC 2: *Pot Black* (23 July), *Monty Python's Flying Circus* (05 October)
* ITV: *Junior Showtime, Jokers Wild, Doctor in the House, Hadleigh, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Lift Off with Ayshea, The Benny Hill Show*

*full list*

### Shows ending

* BBC1: *Softly, Softly*
* ITV; *The Saint, The Avengers,*

*full list*

### Other TV events

* *The Royal Family* documentary first shown (21 June) attracting more than 30,600,000 viewers, over half of the entire UK population (rpt. Christmas Day)
* Full coverage of Apollo 11 moon landing via satellite (20-21 July)
* Regular colour television broadcasts begin on BBC One and ITV (November)

## Radio

* *Mrs Dale's Diary* series ends (25 April), *Waggoners' Walk* begins (28 April)

## Music

UK Top 40 debuts: David Bowie, Plastic Ono Band, Clodagh Rogers,

* Biggest selling singles: The Archies - Sugar, Sugar, Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys, Frank Sinatra - My Way, The Beatles & Billy Preston - Get Back, The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women
* Biggest selling albums: Artist - *Title* (full list)
	+ Compilation albums: *Title*
* Debut albums: Artist - Title (*full list*)
	+ Eponymous debuts - Artist, Artist,
* Other albums: The Who - *Tommy, Led Zeppelin II,* The Rolling Stones - *Let It Bleed*

## Films

*UK release*

* *Carry On Camping,* *Kes*, *On Her Majesty's Secret Service,*

## Births

Births

* Graham Coxon (12 March), Cerys Matthews (11 April), Catherine Zeta-Jones (25 September), PJ Harvey (09 October)

## Birthdays

* **20**:
* **30**:
* **40**: Gerald Harper,
* **50**:
* **60**:
* **70**:

## Deaths

* Kenneth Horne (14 February), Brian Jones (03 July, aged 27)

## See also

* 1969 Category page
* 1969 Calendar