Follow Harold Wilson through 510 dated historical records for Great Britain.
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
Prepares the economic section of the Labour manifesto, "Signpost for the Sixties". Calls for raising the school leaving age to 16. Calls for capital gains tax, nationalization of building land & public schools. Calls for a national economic plan
Calls for capital gains tax, nationalization of building land & public schools
Unsuccessfully contests the deputy leadership of the party, defeated by George Brown. Appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary after the leadership election
Appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary after the leadership election
Speaks for Labour on foreign affairs while the party debates defence, Europe and decolonisation.
Role range: 1961-1963
Decemberides to stand for leadership of the Labour Party after the death of Hugh Gaitskell
Decides to stand for the Labour leadership after the death of Hugh Gaitskell.
Role range: 1961-1963
Wins the first leadership ballot with 115 votes against George Brown's 88 and James Callaghan's 41.
Role range: 1961-1963
Wins the second leadership ballot against George Brown and becomes Leader of the Labour Party.
Role range: 1961-1963
Advocates policy of supporting science & technology for the future of Britain
Role range: 1963-1976
Speech about the "white heat" of scientific revolution
Role range: 1963-1976
Goes on a lecture tour of the United States
Role range: 1963-1976
Appointed Party Leader of the Labour Party
Role range: 1963-1976
1st ballot for the party leadership, Wilson wins 115, Brown 88 & Callaghan 41 votes
Lays out a programme for Parliament including further nationalization
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
A National Opinion Poll shows Wilson with a commanding lead, 71% "brilliant"
Role range: 1963-1976
The Labour Party wins the general election by 4 seats. The Labour Party wins 44.1 percent of votes cast & 317 MPs
Role range: 1963-1976
Is re-elected as Member of Parliament for Huyton while leading Labour to national victory.
Role range: 1963-1976
Defeats Alec Douglas-Home's Conservatives and ends thirteen years of Conservative government.
Role range: 1963-1976
Leads Labour to 317 Commons seats against 304 for the Conservatives and 9 for the Liberals.
Role range: 1963-1976
Leads Labour to a narrow general election victory.
Role range: 1964-1970
Appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain, first term
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
A sterling crisis
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
A run on the pound causes Wilson to ask Johnson for an International Monetary Fund loan, Johnson is non-committal
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
Wilson founds the Central Statistical Office
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
A sterling crisis. Cromer, Governor of the Bank of England, raises $3,000 million to protect sterling
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
A run on the pound causes Wilson to ask Johnson for an International Monetary Fund loan, Johnson is non-committal
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
The EFTA objection to import surcharges convinces Wilson Britain needs to join the EC. Imposes import tax on everything except food, raw materials & tobacco
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
Announces an immediate ban on arms shipments to South Africa
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
Convinces the US that a labour Government would not be anti US
Role range: 1963-1976
A National Opinion Poll shows Wilson with a commanding lead, 71% "brilliant". Launches a campaign in the Spring, convinced there will be a general election in May
Role range: 1963-1976
Campaigns to return Labour to government after thirteen years in opposition.
Role range: 1963-1976
Presents Labour as a modernising party committed to science, planning and economic renewal.
Role range: 1963-1976
Visits the USA & addresses the Chamber of Commerce. Visits Kennedy, differences on nuclear weapons but supports the Nassau agreement
Role range: 1963-1976
Wilson & Walker visit Khrushchev & reach a "friendly understanding" except for Berlin
Role range: 1963-1976
Maintains support for the US alliance while refusing to send British troops to Vietnam
Role range: 1960-1975 – 1964-1970
Labour loses with an 8.7 percent swing to the Conservatives, produces political instability
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
Labour's National Plan is published
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
In a broadcast rules out military intervention if Rhodesia declares UDI
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
In a broadcast rules out military intervention if Rhodesia declares UDI
Role range: 1964-1970 – 1964-1970
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.