1939 in the United Kingdom

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Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg 1939 in the United Kingdom: Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg

Other years

1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941

World War II

UK during World War II

Events from the year 1939 in the United Kingdom.

Contents 1 Incumbents 2 Events 3 Births 4 Deaths 5 References

[edit] Incumbents

• Monarch - George VI of the United Kingdom
• Prime Minister - Neville Chamberlain, national coalition

[edit] Events

• 25 February - First Anderson shelter built in London. ^[1]
• 27 February - Borley Rectory, a reputed haunted house, destroyed by fire. ^[1]
• 17 May - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrive in Quebec City to begin the first-ever visit to Canada by British sovereigns.
• 3 September- World War II
  • The UK declares war on Germany following the German invasion of Poland on September 1.
  • General mobilisation begins of the Armed Forces
  • Evacuation of children from major UK cities begins
• 4 September- First raid by Royal Air Force on German shipping takes place
• 14 October- HMS Royal Oak sunk by a German U-boat in Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands.
• 8 November - Venlo Incident: Two British agents of SIS are captured by the Germans.
• 13 December- The Battle of the River Plate takes place between the Royal Navy and the German battleship, Admiral Graf Spee.

• The Sutton Hoo treasure — an Anglo-Saxon ship burial — excavated.

[edit] Births

• January 20 - Chandra Wickramasinghe, British astronomer and poet
• February 10 - Peter Purves, British actor and television presenter
• June 11 - Jackie Stewart, Scottish race car driver
• 4 August - Jack Cunningham, politician
• 19 August - Alan Baker, mathematician
• 19 October - David George Clark, Baron Clark, politician
• October 27 - John Cleese, British actor
• 18 November - Margaret Jay, Baroness Jay of Paddington, politician

[edit] Deaths

• 2 March - Howard Carter, archaeologist (born 1874)
• 26 June - Ford Madox Ford, novelist, poet, critic and editor (born 1873)
• 3 December - Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, daughter of Queen Victoria (born 1848)

[edit] References