1942 in the United Kingdom

[edit] Events

February 25 - Princess Elizabeth registers for war service
April 5 - World War II: Japanese Navy attacks Colombo in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Royal Navy Cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk southwest of the island.
April 9 - World War II: Japanese Navy launches air raid on Trincomalee in Ceylon (Sri Lanka); Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Hermes and Royal Australian Navy Destroyer HMAS Vampire are sunk off the country's East Coast.
August 25- Prince George, Duke of Kent, the brother of King George VI is killed in an air crash near Caithness, Scotland.
October 29 - Holocaust: Leading clergymen and political figures hold a public meeting to register outrage over Nazi Germany's persecution of Jews.
November 3 - World War II: Second Battle of El Alamein ends - German forces under Erwin Rommel are forced to retreat during the night.
December 7 - British commandos conduct Operation Frankton a raid on shipping in Bordeaux harbour.

January 3 - John Thaw, English actor (d. 2002)
January 8 - Stephen Hawking, British physicist
January 8 - George Passmore, English artist (Gilbert and George)
January 19 - Michael Crawford, English singer and actor
January 31 - Derek Jarman, English director and writer (d. 1994)
February 1 - Terry Jones, Welsh actor and writer
February 2 - Graham Nash, English musician
February 28 - Brian Jones, English musician (The Rolling Stones) (d. 1969)
March 9 - John Cale, Welsh composer and musician
March 25 - Richard O'Brien, English actor and writer
March 27 - John E. Sulston, British chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
March 27 - Michael York, English actor
March 28 - Neil Kinnock, British statesman
March 28 - Mike Newell, British film director
April 5 - Peter Greenaway, Welsh filmmaker
April 8 - Roger Chapman, British singer (Family, Streetwalkers)