2016

2016

MMXVI


 * UK Prime Minister: David Cameron succeeded by Theresa May (from 13 July 2016)


 * FA Cup Winners: Manchester United (beat Crystal Palace 1-2, aet, 21 May)


 * Premier League winners: Leicester City


 * Christmas Number One: Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie - Rockabye


 * Eurovision Song Contest: Stockholm, 14 May 2016
 * Contest Winner: Jamala - 1944 (Ukraine)
 * UK Eurovision Entry: Joe and Jake - You're Not Alone (position 24th/26 finalists)


 * Blue Peter Team: Barney Harwood, Lindsey Russell, Radzi Chinyanganya


 * Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi (no regular season, Christmas Special only)


 * Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ: Nick Grimshaw


 * Big Christmas Day Film On BBC1: Frozen (3.10 pm)


 * Olympic Games: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 05 - 21 August

Main events

 * David Bowie dies, aged 69
 * Tim Peake, first British astronaut to spacewalk, junior doctors' strike and disruption to non-emergency services, Independent newspaper goes on-line only, England win the Six Nations Grand Slam, Storm Katie over Easter weekend,  National Living Wage introduced.


 * EU membership referendum announced by David Cameron, takes place on 23 June, LEAVE vote wins. Cameron resigns as PM.
 * UEFA Euro 2016 begins in France - England face disqualification before the tournament, then eliminated by Iceland, manager Roy Hodgson resigns. Wales reach semi-final.
 * 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Team GB second in the medals table.

TV

 * BBC Three shut down (16 Feb., Sky Movies becomes Sky Cinema, Robot Wars goes to BBC 2, Black Mirror moves from C4 to Netflix (S3)
 * BBC launches Landmark Sitcom Season, a celebration of 60 years of television sitcoms - new episodes of Are You being Served, Porridge, Keeping Up Appearances and Goodnight Sweetheart broadcast.

New shows

 * BBC1: ''War & Peace, Tracey Ullman's Show, Peter Kay's Comedy Shuffle, Ambulance, Planet Earth II,
 * BBC2: ''Victorian Bakers, Mary Berry's Foolproof Cooking, Cunk on Shakespeare
 * BBC Three: Fleabag
 * BBC4: ''The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven, Billy Fury: The Sound of Fury,
 * ITV: The Durrells
 * C4: The Windsors
 * Other:

full list

Shows ending
full list

Radio

 * Tony Blackburn sacked by the BBC in January over Savile enquiry evidence, returns in December.
 * RIP Ed Stewart, Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young
 * Desmond Carrington presents final show for Radio 2 (d.2017)

Music
UK Top 40 debuts:
 * Biggest selling singles: Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance, Lukas Graham - 7 years, Sia featuring Sean Paul - Cheap Thrills (full list)
 * Biggest selling albums: Adele - 25 (2015), Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Michael Ball & Alfie Boe - Together (rel. November), David Bowie - Blackstar  (full list)
 * Compilation albums: David Bowie - Best of Bowie (2002), [èPhil Collins]] - The Singles
 * Debut albums: Artist - Title (full list)
 * Eponymous debuts - album
 * Alternative/independent: Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool

Films
UK release

Births

 * Name Surname (day)

Birthdays

 * 20: Mabel (singer), Timo Werner,
 * 30: (see also People born in 1986)
 * 40: (see also People born in 1976)
 * 50: (see also People born in 1966)
 * 60: (see also People born in 1956)
 * 70:
 * 90: HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Deaths
(full list)
 * Ed Stewart (74), David Bowie (69), Black (53), Terry Wogan (77), George Martin (90), Keith Emerson (71), Cliff Michelmore (96), Paul Daniels (77), (Ronnie Corbett (85), Jo Cox (41), Gordon Murray (95), Jimmy Young (95), George Michael (53), Christina Grimmie (22).