2013 Event 'Panorama,' a BBC documentary series airing unseen footage from the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, casts doubt on medical evidence provided from testimony in the case 2012 Event The BBC's George Entwistle steps down as Director-General, with Tim Davie replacing him Acting Director General 2012 Event A proposal for a statue to George Orwell is flatly turned down by the BBC, who said Orwell resigned from the organization, 'because for some time past I have been conscious that I was wasting my time and the public money on doing work that produces no results.' 2010 Event In a BBC interview, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said it was 'impossible' for coalition forces to secure victory in Afghanistan 2010 Event The BBC finds evidence of a massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo carried out by the Lord's Resistance Army last December, in which 321 people, including children, were killed 2007 Death Alan Coren, English writer, satirist, and humorist, worked with the BBC, died of necrotising fasciitis 2007 Event BBC journalist Alan Johnston is freed by Palestinian kidnappers 2002 Death Barry Took, comedian, writer, television presenter on BBC program Points of View and BBC Radio 4 program The News Quiz, wrote comedy with Mary Feldman 1998 Death Joan Hickson, actress, Miss Marple for the BBC, dies at 92 1997 Death Alan Charig, paleontologist, BBC science show presenter, dies at 70 1996 Death Hugo Gryn, rabbi, broadcaster, appeared on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day, leading voice in interfaith dialogue, dies at 66 1996 Death Clay Jones, horticulturalist, broadcaster, Chairman of the program Gardener's Question Time on BBC Radio 4, voted tenth alongside Carol Klein as the nation's all-time favorite gardener, dies at 72 1996 Death Cecilia Grace Hunt Reeves Gillie, bBC Executive, dies at 88 1996 Death John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge, news commentator (BBC), dies at 91 1995 Death Peter Woods, journalist, newsreader, broadcaster, famous newsreader, appeared on News Room for BBC News, dies at 64 1995 Death Leonard Hirsch, British violinist and conducter, BBC Empire Orchestra, dies at 92 1994 Event Beatles' 1st album in 25 years, Live at BBC, is released in Britain 1994 Death Roy Castle, singer, musician, jazz trumpet player, television celebrity, starred in BBC's 'The Roy Castle Show', dies at age 62 in Buckinghamshire, England 1994 Death John Harrison, South African correspondent (BBC), dies at 48 1993 Death David Willis, British journalist (BBC World Service), dies at 54 1990 Event On a BBC taped interview, rock star Stevie Nicks breaks down, saying that she will never have children and no man can stand her for long 1987 Event 1st condom commercial on BBC TV 1984 Event NBC airs BBC footage of Ethiopian famine 1983 Birthday Christopher Parker, born in Lewisham, London, actor, television presenter, appeared in 'Hotel Babylon' BBC series, presenter on 'This Morning' television show 1982 Event BBC warns Britain will bomb Argentina 1979 Event Johnny Rotten and Joan Collins appear together on BBC's Juke Box Jury 1978 Event BBC bans Sex Pistols "No One is Innocent" 1974 Event "Monty Python's Flying Circus" last shown on BBC 1974 Event Monty Python's final episode airs on BBC 1974 Event BBC Ceefax begins 1st teletext service 1973 Event John Cleese's final episode on "Monty Python's Flying Circus," on BBC 1973 Event Tap dancer Ray Castle measured at 1440 taps/minute on BBC TV 1972 Event BBC bans Wings "Hi, Hi, Hi" 1972 Event BBC bans "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" by Wings 1970 Event Ray Davies of Kinks travels round trip NY-London to change 1 word in "Lola," (Coca-Cola to Cherry Cola) because of BBC coml reference ban 1969 Event Monty Python's Flying Circus begins airing on BBC 1969 Event BBC orders 13 episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus 1969 Event BBC Radio serial "Dales" 5,400th and last episode 1967 Event BBC broadcasts "Magical Mystery Tour" 1967 Event BBC unofficially bans "I Am the Walrus" by Beatles 1967 Event BBC starts their own popular music radio station 1967 Event 1st British color TV broadcast, on BBC 2 1967 Event BBC starts their World Radio Club 1967 Event BBC bans Beatle's "A Day in the Life" (drug references) 1966 Event BBC opens a relay radio station on Ascension Island 1965 Birthday Andrew Jameson, born in Crosby, England, competitive swimmer, sports commentator for the BBC, won gold medal for 100m butterfly in 1987 European Championships 1964 Event David Frost interviews Paul McCartney on BBC 1963 Event 1st demonstration of home video recorder, at BBC Studios, London 1963 Event 1st transmission of "Pop Go the Beatles" on BBC radio 1962 Event Beatles, with Pete Best, TV debut (perform "Dream Baby" on BBC) 1962 Event Beatles made their broadcasting debut on BBC radio 1960 Birthday Ian Hislop, born in Mumbles, Wales, writer, editor, Private Eye magazine, broadcaster, radio, television, team captain on BBC's 'Have I Got News for You' 1960 Event Goon Show's final episode on BBC 1959 Birthday Paul McGann, born in Liverpool, England, actor, breakout role in BBC's The Monocled Mutineer, appeared as Eighth Doctor in 1996 television movie, Dr. Who 1957 Birthday Paul Merton, born in Parsons Green, London, writer, actor, comedian, known for deadpan, dark comedic style, appeared in BBC's, 'Have I Got News for You' 1956 Birthday Sue Barker, born in Paignton, England, professional tennis player, television presenter with the BBC, won singles title at the French Open, highest career singles ranking was third in the World 1955 Birthday Mike Smith, born in Britain, British DJ, radio presenter, racing car driver, pilot, businessman, Breakfast Show Presenter of BBC Radio One 1986 - 1988, used on-air nickname 'Smithy' 1953 Birthday Judi Spiers, born in Britain, Judith Marilyn Spiers, British radio and television presenter, hosted Mr TSW and Miss TSW local beauty contests for new south-west station TSW, appeared in six editions of daytime chat show, presented on Open Air, a BBC1 access television program, in 1986, and Pebble Mill program 1992- 1995, presenter, BBC Radio Devon since 2005 1951 Birthday Nicholas Kenyon, controller, BBC Radio 3 1950 Event 1st transmission of a TV program from continental Europe shown on BBC 1950 Birthday David Jensen, born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, David 'Kid' Jensen, popular British radio DJ, played progressive music, hosted BBC pop network, Radio 1, Top of the Pops presenter, interviewed Duran Duran, promoted The Police before they were commercially successful 1950 Birthday Jeremy Paxman, born in Leeds, England, journalist, television presenter, broadcaster, worked for the BBC since 1977, known for abrasive interview style 1949 Event BBC radio begins broadcasting 1949 Birthday Brian Hanrahan, British TV newsman, BBC 1948 Birthday Gareth Roscoe, legal adviser, BBC 1947 Birthday Simon Bates, born in Birmingham, English, UK disc jockey, worked at BBC Radio 1 1976 - 1993, and Classic FM 1946 Birthday John Harrison, South Africa correspondent, BBC 1945 Birthday Dave Lee Travis, born in Derbyshire, England, radio presenter, stage name DLT, hosted shows on Garrison Radio, BBC Radio 1, Magic Network, DAB Digital Radio 1943 Birthday Bert Jansch, born in Glasgow, Scotland, musician, folk artist, acoustic guitarist, singer, songwriter, member of the band Pentangle, winner, BBC Folk Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award 1942 Event 1st broadcast of Roy Plomley's "Desert Island Discs" on BBC 1941 Event BBC World Service begins playing V(ictory) (...-) 5th of Beethoven 1940 Event General Charles de Gaulle on BBC tells French to defy nazi occupiers 1940 Event Dutch Queen Wilhelmina speaks on BBC radio 1940 Birthday Anne Campbell, born in England, politician, Labor Member of Parliament for Cambridge, portrayed by Harriet Walter in 10 Days to War, a BBC drama on events leading up to the Iraq War 1938 Birthday David Willis, British journalist, BBC World Service 1938 Event BBC's 1st feature film on TV (Student of Prague) 1938 Birthday Alan Coren, born in London, England, English writer, satirist, and humorist, worked with the BBC 1936 Event 1st high-definition TV broadcast service, by BBC in London 1934 Birthday Margaret Douglas, chief political adviser, BBC 1932 Birthday Roy Castle, born in Scholes, England, singer, musician, jazz trumpet player, television celebrity, starred in BBC's 'The Roy Castle Show' 1931 Birthday Kenneth Bloomfield, BBC governor, Ireland 1930 Birthday Peter Woods, born in Britain, journalist, newsreader, broadcaster, famous newsreader, appeared on News Room for BBC News 1930 Event 1st concerto of BBC Symphony Orchestra, under Adrian Boult 1930 Birthday Jack Bannister, cricketer, Warwickshire stalwart, commentator, BBC 1930 Birthday Hugo Gryn, born in Britain, rabbi, broadcaster, appeared on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day, leading voice in interfaith dialogue 1928 Birthday Barry Took, born in Muswell Hill, North London, England, comedian, writer, television presenter on BBC program Points of View and BBC Radio 4 program The News Quiz, wrote comedy with Mary Feldman 1926 Birthday Richard F. Attenborough, environmentalist/zoologist, BBC 1926 Birthday Gudrun Ure, British actress, Lady MacBeth, BBC Sorcerer 1923 Event BBC begins using Big Ben chime ID 1923 Birthday Clay Jones, born in England, horticulturalist, broadcaster, Chairman of the program Gardener's Question Time on BBC Radio 4, voted tenth alongside Carol Klein as the nation's all-time favorite gardener 1922 Event BBC sends 1st British radio play "Truth about Father Christmas" 1922 Event BBC Radio began daily newscasts 1922 Event BBC begins domestic radio service from 2LO at Marconi House 1922 Event British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) forms 1915 Birthday Maurice B. Latey, commentator, BBC World Service 1914 Birthday George Tabori, born in Budapest, Gyorgy Tabori, writer, theater director, worked for BBC in London, moved to United States, became screenwriter, translated works by Bertolt Brecht, Max Frisch 1912 Birthday Brian Johnston, cricketer, BBC radio commentator and cake connoisseur 1909 Birthday John Arkell, director of administration, BBC 1908 Birthday Albrecht Goes, born in Germany, pastor with the German army, writer, novelist, BBC Television in the United Kingdom adapted Unruhige Nacht in 1950, his novel, translated in English as 'Arrow to the Heart' 1907 Birthday Cecilia Grace Hunt Reeves Gillie, Executive, BBC 1904 Birthday John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge, bBC news announcer/commentator 1904 Birthday John Snagge, commentator, BBC 1889 Birthday John Charles Reith, 1st Baron Reith, 1st director-general BBC, 1927-38 1889 Birthday Adrian Boult, born in Chester, England, conductor and composer, BBC Symphony Orchestra
