1968
_________________ Headlines
_________________
January
02 - Dr. Christiaan
Barnard performs world's 2nd heart transplant in Cape
Town.
14 - Edinburgh University rector Malcolm Muggeridge
resigns over plan to give 'Pill' free to students.
15 - 20 die in Scotland during hurricane force winds.
17 - BMC and Leyland are to merge as British Leyland
Motor Corporation.
26 - National Provincial and Westminster banks are to
merge as Natwest.
February
04 - 96 Kenyan refugees
arrive in the UK.
05 - 19 Hull trawler-men die as boat sinks of Iceland -
60 dead in three accidents within one month.
13 - Kenyan refugees now arriving 1,000 - 1,500 a week in
the UK.
19 - UK government launches 'Watch Out There's A Thief
About' campaign.
March
02 - Syd Barrett leaves
Pink Floyd.
........Lockheed present the worlds largest aircraft -
the Galaxy.
10 - 200 die in Wellington harbour, New Zealand, as car
ferry capsizes in storm.
21 - UK road death drops by 23% after introduction of
breath tests.
27 - First man in space, Yuri Gagarin, killed in air
crash.
30 - Red Alligator wins Aintree Grand National.
April
01 - Blackmore, Lord,
Paice, Simper, Evans: Deep Purple Mk I are formed.
04 - Dr. Martin Luther King is shot dead in Memphis.
07 - British racing driver Jim Clark dies during Formula
Two Race in West Germany.
11 - US cities riot over Martin Luther King death.
18 - US tycoon Robert McCullough buys London Bridge for
£1 million.
19 - FBI seek James Earl Ray for murder of Martin Luther
King.
21 - Enoch Powell foresees a 'River of Blood' as refugees
flooding into UK.
23 - 5p and 10p coins enter circulation in the UK.
May
02 - Britain's first liver
transplant is made.
03 - First Heart transplant in UK is Patrick Ryan.
06 - Gallup poll suggests 74% back Enoch Powel on
immigration.
08 - The Kray twins are arrested in London.
10 - 50p coin replaces ten shilling note in UK.
16 - 15 year old Alex Smith is Britain's first lung
transplant.
18 - FA Cup: West Bromwich Albion 1, Everton 0.
22 - Bobby Charlton scores his 45th goal for England in
his 85th cap.
26 - Graham Hill wins Monaco Grand Prix.
28 - Lung transplantee Alex Smith dies.
29 - European Cup: Manchester United 4, Benfica 1 aet.
.......Sir Ivor wins Epsom Derby.
June
03 - Andy Warhol is shot
and wounded by actress Valeria Solanis.
05 - Robert Kennedy is shot in Los Angeles - he dies
after 20 hours of surgery.
07 - Matt Busby receives a knighthood.
08 - James Earl Ray is arrested in London for murder of
Martin Luther King.
17 - Frederick West - Britain's first heart transplant
patient - dies.
24 - 1,000 trains
are cancelled as NUR begins work-to-rule.
........Comedian Tony Hancock commits suicide in a
Sydney hotel.
29 - Pink Floyd release 'A Saucerful Of Secrets'.
.......Pink Floyd become first band to play free in
Hyde Park, Jethro Tull are also on the bill.
July
06 - Rod Laver and Billie-Jean
King win at Wimbledon.
13 - Gary Player wins British Open golf title.
25 - Barclay's and Martin's bank merge.
August
03 - The Countryside Act
comes into force in the UK.
05 - Ronald Reagan, governor of California, says he'll
run for president.
09 - BEA Viscount crashes in Munich - 48 die.
September
01 - 'Shades Of Deep
Purple' - the band's first album - is released.
........First section of the £80 million Victoria Line
opens on London Underground.
06 - GEC and
English Electric merge.
08 - Virginia Wade beats Billie-Jean King in US open.
13 - UK banks announce they will close on Saturdays from
July 1969.
15 - Floods hit UK's south-east - hundreds of homes are
evacuated.
16 - Two-tier post begins in UK - First class: 5d, Second
class: 4d.
26 - Jaguar launch the XJ-6 luxury saloon.
October
02 - Britain's first
sextuplets are born.
06 - Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and John Surtees come 1st,
2nd and 3rd in US Grand Prix.
12 - Olympic Games open in Mexico.
18 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono are arrested on drugs
charges.
20 - Comedian Bud Flanagan dies.
November
03 - Graham Hill wins
Mexico Grand Prix to become world champion.
04 - 100 die in floods in northern Italy.
06 - Nixon becomes US president.
08 - Bruce Reynolds - last unapprehended Great Train
Robber - is arrested.
14 - Heath appoints Thatcher as shadow minister for
transport.
18 - 20 die in Glasgow warehouse fire.
28 - John Lennon is fined £150 for possession of
cannabis.
.......Enid Blyton dies.
30 - Trades Description Act comes into force.
December
17 - 11 year-old Mary
Flora Bell is found guilty of manslaughter of two tiny
boys.
20 - John Steinbeck dies.
21 - Apollo 8 is launched.
27 - Apollo 8 splashes down after orbiting the moon 10
times.
29 - QE2 first voyage held up due to problems.
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