- Programmes
- 1961 The final edition of Children's Newsreel airs on BBC TV.
- 1964 The first edition of Midlands Today airs on BBC One Midlands.
- 1972 The first episode of War and Peace airs on BBC Two. Featured Anthony Hopkins as Pierre, Morag Hood as Natasha, Alan Dobie as Andrei and Angela Down as Maria.
- 1979 The first edition of Friday Night...Saturday Morning airs on BBC Two.
- 1980 The first episode of Nobody's Perfect airs on ITV.
- 1981 The first edition of Bullseye airs on ITV.
- 1981 The first episode of Dangermouse airs on ITV.
- 1984 The final edition of Stopwatch airs on BBC One.
- 1985 The final edition of World of Sport airs on ITV.
- 1989 The first episode of Blackadder Goes Forth airs on BBC One.
- 1990 The first edition of Have I Got News for You airs on BBC Two.
- 1992 The first edition of The Big Breakfast Show airs on Channel 4.
- 1993 The first edition of Bookmark airs on BBC Two.
- 1995 The first episode of US series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine airs on BBC Two.
- 1996 35th anniversary edition of Songs of Praise airs on BBC One.
- 1996 The first edition of Inside Story airs on ITV.
- 1997 The final episode of Oh, Doctor Beeching! airs on BBC One.
- 2001 The final edition of Newsroom South East airs on BBC One South East.
- 2010 The final episode of This Is England '86 airs on Channel 4.
- 2013 The final edition of I Love My Country airs on BBC One.
- 2013 The first episode of Atlantis airs on BBC One.
- 2013 The final episode of Stepping Out airs on ITV.
- 2020 BBC Wales Today and Newyddion begin broadcasting from the new BBC Wales headquarters in Central Square, Cardiff.
- Test Card/Teletext In-Vision Music
- 1968 BBC Two tape Going Up airs for the final time.
- 1968 BBC Two tape Cordoba airs for the first time.
- 1968 BBC Two tape Bambola airs for the first time.
- 1987 BBC One tape Simple Piano airs for the first time.
- 1988 BBC Two tape Lady Beware airs for the first time.
Research for On This Day in TV History is by Paul R. Jackson.
Details about test card/teletext in-vision music and BBC trade test films are available as a result of decades of research and logging by members of the Test Card Circle.
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If you know of an event that would be worthy of inclusion on this page, please drop us a line using our Contact Form. Items of interest include:
- Programme launches and finales;
- Programme relaunches (including new title sequences and set changes);
- Channel launches and closures;
- Channel presentation changes;
- Transmitter commissioning/decommissioning;
- Trade test film first and final airings;
- Test card/teletext in-vision music tape first and final airings;
- Teletext service launches/relaunches/closures.
If you believe any of the information on this page is inaccurate, please let us know.