Home Office Departure
Leaves the Home Office before taking up the European Commission presidency.
Role range: 1974-1976 – 1974-1976
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Roy Harris Jenkins Biography and Timeline — Page 4
Follow Roy Harris Jenkins through 170 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Roy Harris Jenkins, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
170Distinct records
4 of 5Page
1976–1988Years on this page
1976
European Commission Nomination
Accepts nomination to become President of the European Commission.
Role range: 1976-1977
European Commission Appointment
Is selected to become the next President of the European Commission.
Role range: 1976-1977
1977
European Commission
Takes office as President of the European Commission.
Role range: 1977-1981
First British Commission President
Becomes the first British politician to serve as President of the European Commission.
Role range: 1977-1981
Florence Speech
Presents a major public case for European monetary union in Florence.
Role range: 1977-1981
Monetary Union Initiative
Calls for a substantial advance toward European economic and monetary union.
Role range: 1977-1981
Commission Reorganisation
Reorganises aspects of the Commission's internal work and public communication.
Role range: 1977-1981
Jenkins Commission
Begins leading the European Commission during a period of integration debates.
Role range: 1977-1981
1978
Bremen European Council
Supports Franco-German proposals that lead toward the European Monetary System.
Role range: 1977-1981
Community Enlargement
Supports preparations for further enlargement of the European Community.
Role range: 1977-1981
European Monetary Cooperation
Promotes closer monetary cooperation among European Community governments.
Role range: 1977-1981
European Monetary System
Promotes closer monetary cooperation that contributes to the European Monetary System.
Role range: 1977-1981
External Relations
Represents the Commission in international meetings and diplomatic visits.
Role range: 1977-1981
1979
European Monetary System Launch
Welcomes the launch of the European Monetary System after sustained Commission advocacy.
Role range: 1977-1981
Direct European Elections
Oversees Commission preparations for the first direct elections to the European Parliament.
Role range: 1977-1981
European Parliament Elections
Presides over the Commission during the first direct European Parliament elections.
Role range: 1977-1981
Home Thoughts from Abroad
Delivers the Dimbleby Lecture criticising Britain's two-party political system.
Role range: 1977-1981
Radical Centre
Calls for a new radical centre capable of breaking established party alignments.
Role range: 1977-1981
Community Budget Dispute
Handles growing disagreement over Britain's contribution to the European Community budget.
Role range: 1977-1981
1980
Churchill Memorial Lecture
Proposes a compromise approach to Britain's European Community budget dispute.
Role range: 1977-1981
European Diary
Keeps detailed diaries later published from his Commission presidency.
Role range: 1977-1981
1981
Commission Departure
Completes his term as President of the European Commission.
Role range: 1977-1981
Commission Presidency Ends
Ends four years as President of the European Commission.
Role range: 1977-1981
Limehouse Declaration
Signs the Limehouse Declaration with other Labour defectors launching the SDP project.
Role range: 1981-1988
Social Democratic Party Launch
Helps launch the Social Democratic Party as a centrist alternative to Labour.
Role range: 1981-1988
Warrington By-election
Finishes a close second at the Warrington by-election for the new SDP.
Role range: 1981-1981
Gang of Four
Forms the SDP with Shirley Williams, David Owen and Bill Rodgers.
Role range: 1981-1988
SDP-Liberal Alliance Formation
Helps establish electoral cooperation between the SDP and the Liberal Party.
Role range: 1981-1983
1982
SDP Leadership Election
Becomes the first elected leader of the Social Democratic Party.
Role range: 1982-1983
SDP-Liberal Alliance
Works with Liberal leader David Steel to build the SDP-Liberal Alliance.
Role range: 1982-1983
1983
SDP Leadership Resignation
Resigns as SDP leader after the general election and is succeeded by David Owen.
Role range: 1982-1983
Alliance National Campaign
Leads the SDP-Liberal Alliance during the 1983 general election campaign.
Role range: 1982-1983
1984
European Diary
Publishes European Diary, drawing on his years at the European Commission.
Role range: 1984-1984
1986
Truman
Publishes a biography of United States President Harry S Truman.
Role range: 1986-1986
1987
Oxford Chancellorship
Is elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford, serving until his death.
Role range: 1987-2003
Life Peerage
Takes his seat in the House of Lords as Baron Jenkins of Hillhead.
Role range: 1987-2003
Baldwin
Publishes a biography of Stanley Baldwin during his final year in the Commons.
Role range: 1987-1987
1988
Liberal Democrats
Becomes a Liberal Democrat peer after the SDP and Liberals merge.
Role range: 1988-2003
Royal Society of Literature
Begins serving as President of the Royal Society of Literature.
Role range: 1988-2003
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.