Death of Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell
Unexpected death of Gaitskell
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1963 in Great Britain
Explore 199 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1963.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1963
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 199 unique records.
199Unique records
1 of 5Page
32Named events on this page
33Named people on this page
8Places on this page
January
Election
Decemberides to stand for leadership of the Labour Party after the death of Hugh Gaitskell
Leadership Election
Decides to stand for the Labour leadership after the death of Hugh Gaitskell.
Smoking and Lung Cancer Policy
Answers parliamentary questions on public information about smoking and lung cancer during his final year as Minister of Health.
Rolling Stones, The
Charlie Watts officially joins the Rolling Stones
February
Permanent Drummer
Becomes the Rolling Stones's permanent drummer.
Leadership Election
Wins the first leadership ballot with 115 votes against George Brown's 88 and James Callaghan's 41.
Leadership Election
Wins the second leadership ballot against George Brown and becomes Leader of the Labour Party.
Shadow Education Portfolio
Becomes Labour's shadow spokesman for education after Harold Wilson assumes the leadership.
Beatles, The
The Beatles "Please Please Me" tops the UK charts
Beatles, The
The Beatles "Please Please Me" tops the UK charts
March
Please Please Me
Produces Please Please Me, the Beatles' debut album, recorded quickly after early singles success.
April
Polaris Sales Agreement
The Polaris Sales Agreement is signed to implement the Nassau understanding between Britain and the United States
Birth of Julian Lennon
John Charles Julian Lennon is born to John and Cynthia Lennon at Sefton General Hospital in Liverpool.
Birth of Julian Lennon
John Charles Julian Lennon is born to John and Cynthia Lennon at Sefton General Hospital in Liverpool.
From Me to You
Produces From Me to You, helping secure the Beatles' rise in the British singles market.
Ipswich Town
Leaves Ipswich Town after eight seasons having guided them from the 3rd Division South to the very top of English football
Bristol Bus Boycott
Stephenson helps launch the boycott against bus company discrimination.
Bristol Bus Boycott
Bailey is refused a bus crew interview, prompting boycott action.
Debut
Makes England debut against Scotland
Management
Becomes manager and helps shape the Rolling Stones's rebellious public image.
May
Dyson Two Goals in European Final
Dyson scored twice as Tottenham beat Atlético Madrid 5-1 in the 1963 Cup Winners' Cup final alongside Greaves, who also scored two.
European Cup Winners Cup
Puts Spurs in the history books when they became the first British club to win a major European trophy, Spurs defeat favourites Atl‚tico Madrid 5-1 to win the European Cup Winners Cup
European Cup Winners Cup Final Brace
Greaves scored twice as Tottenham thrashed Atlético Madrid 5-1 to become the first British club to win a major UEFA competition.
White Scores Against Atlético Madrid
White scored Tottenham's other goal in the 5-1 European Cup Winners' Cup final victory, with Greaves and Terry Dyson each contributing two.
League Cup Final First-Leg Double
Leek scored twice against Aston Villa in the first leg of the League Cup final, giving Birmingham City a decisive cushion before the goalless return.
League Cup Final Third Goal
Bloomfield found the net in the first leg against Aston Villa, contributing Birmingham’s third goal to a 3–1 home victory in the League Cup final.
FA Cup Final Goal Against Leicester
Law scored Manchester United's first goal in the 3-1 FA Cup final victory over Leicester City at Wembley.
Herd Two Goals in United Cup Final
Herd scored twice against Leicester City in the 1963 FA Cup final as Manchester United won 3-1 with Law also on the scoresheet.
Leicester Reaches Another FA Cup Final
Gillies manages Leicester City in the 1963 FA Cup final, when the Foxes finish runners-up following a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Birmingham Derby Cup Final Defence
Lynn played at full-back for Birmingham City during the second leg of the League Cup final, helping withstand Aston Villa’s attempts to reverse the deficit.
Captains League Cup Winners
Smith captained Birmingham City through both legs of the 1963 League Cup final, organising a defence that protected the first-leg advantage at Villa Park.
First Major Trophy as Birmingham Manager
Merrick guided Birmingham City to their first major domestic trophy, a 3–1 aggregate League Cup final win against local rivals Aston Villa.
League Cup Decider Clean Sheet
Schofield kept goal as Birmingham City held Aston Villa to a goalless second leg, securing the club’s first League Cup title.
Midfield Shield in League Cup Decider
Beard played in Birmingham City’s half-back line at Villa Park, where disciplined defending completed the 3–1 aggregate triumph.
Bristol Bus Boycott
Hackett helps organize community resistance during the bus boycott.
Bristol Bus Boycott
Henry supports the campaign against colour bar employment practices.
June
Crisis
Resigns before being exposed for lying to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons
Resignation of John Profumo
Profumo resigns from the Government
Resignation of John Profumo
Resigns before being exposed for lying to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.