17 March

Birthdays

 * Nat King Cole (b.1919, dec.), Rudolf Nureyev (b.1938, dec.), Giovanni Trapattoni (b.1939), Kurt Russell (b.1951), Clare Grogan (b.1962), Rob Lowe (b.1964).

Events

 * 1969: Longhope lifeboat disaster
 * 1973: new London bridge opened.
 * 1974: Ask Aspel (ns, BBC1)
 * 1976: BAFTA Awards
 * 1991: 44th BAFTA awards
 * 1997: UK general Election date announced
 * 1999: RIP Rod Hull
 * 2016: RIP  Paul Daniels
 * 2017: Beauty & The Beast on UK general release
 * 2018: Cambridge Analytica data breach reported

Charts
as announced on this day, with no.1 single (new in bold). Click year for full chart.
 * 1966: Walker Brothers - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (1/4)
 * 1981: Roxy Music - Jealous Guy (2/2)
 * 1987: Boy George - Everything I Own (2/2)
 * 1991: Hale And Pace And The Stonkers - The Stonk (1/1)
 * 1996: Take That - How Deep Is Your Love (3/3)
 * 2002: Will Young - Anything Is Possible/Evergreen (3/3)
 * 2013: Justin Timberlake - Mirrors (3/3)
 * 2017: Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (10/14 n.c.)

Top of the Pops
host DJ and number one single. Click year for show details
 * 1966: David Jacobs. The Walker Brothers – The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore.
 * 1977: Tony Blackburn. Manhattan Transfer – Chanson D’Amour
 * 1983: Tony Blackburn & Gary Davies. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart.
 * 1988: Gary Davies & Mike Read. Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky.
 * 1994: Robbie Williams & Mark Owen. Doop – Doop.
 * 2000: Gail Porter. Chicane feat. Bryan Adams – Don’t Give Up.