What’s on in 2018?

What’s on in 2018?

What will be in the news and when to plan your holidays

By AGGro

JANUARY
Fri 5^th	Epiphany – The Magi (aka 3 Wise Men) arrive with gifts for Baby Jesus – all Christmas decorations down please.
Sat 6^th	50 years ago: The Prague Spring, Czechoslovakia. Alexander Dubček led a political liberalization in the face of the Soviet Union which resulted in an armoured invasion by Soviet forces.
Wed 31^st	75 years ago: WW2 – End of Battle of Stalingrad. Field Marshal Paulus surrendered with German 6th Army to Russians.
FEBRUARY
Thurs 1^st	100 years ago: Birth of Muriel Spark, Scottish playwright – died 2006.
Sat 3^rd	Rugby Union: Six Nations – until 17th March.
Fri 9^th	Winter Olympics 2018, Pyeongchang, South Korea – until 25th Feb.
Wed 14^th	Ash Wednesday – first day of Lent.
Mon 19^th	75 years ago: WW2 – Battle of Kasserine Pass, Atlas Mountains, Rommel defeats the US forces in their first major battle.
MARCH
Thurs 1^st	75 years ago: WW2 – Battle of the Bismarck Sea. U.S. and Australian naves sink eight Japanese troop transports near New Guinea.
Thurs 8^th	Crufts Dog Show 2018, NEC Birmingham – until 11th March.
Sun 11^th	Mothers’ Day
Sat 24^th	Rowing: Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race. Start- Men’s 4.31pm & Women’s 5.31pm.
Sat 24^th	Daylight saving time in the UK begins Sun 25th at 1:00am
Sun 25^th	100 years ago: Death of Claude Debussy, French composer – born 1862.
Wed 28^th	50 years ago: Death of Maxim Gorky, Russian writer – born 1897.
Thurs 29^th	One year until Brexit Effective Day 29/03/2019?
Fri 30^th	Good Friday Bank Holiday
APRIL
Sun 1^st	EASTER SUNDAY
Sun 1^st	100 years ago: Royal Air Force created with merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
Mon 2^nd	Easter Monday Bank Holiday
Wed 4^th	Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold Coast, Australia – until 15th April.
Wed 4^th	50 years ago: Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated.
Sat 11^th	50 years ago: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
Thurs 19^th	250 years ago: Death of Canaletto, Italian painter and etcher – born 1697.
Fri 20^th	50 years ago: Enoch Powell made controversial ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech.
Sat 21^st	Queen Elizabeth II is 92 today.
MAY
Sat 5^th	200 years ago: Birth of Karl Marx. German philosopher, sociologist, and journalist (d. 1883).
Sat 5^th	Women’s FA Cup Final, Wembley
Sat 12^th	First day of Ramadan
Wed 16^th	75 years ago: WW2 – Dambuster Raids RAF 617 Squadron bomb German dams, Mohne & Eder flooding the Ruhr valley.
Sat 19^th	ROYAL WEDDING – Prince Harry to marry Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle.
Sat 19^th	FA Cup Final (Mens’) , Wembley
Sun 20^th	Glyndebourne Opera Festival Nr. Lewes, East Sussex – until 27th Aug.
Wed 23^rd	RHS Chelsea Flower Show Ranelagh Gardens, SW7 – until 27th May.
Thurs 24^th	Cricket: England v Pakistan Test series begins – until 5th June.
Mon 28^th	Bank Holiday Monday
JUNE
Sat 2^nd	Horse Racing: The Derby, Epsom
Tues 5^th	50 years ago: Robert F. Kennedy (US presidential candidate) assassinated.
Sat 9^th	1950 years ago: Nero, Roman Emperor committed suicide in 68AD – born 37BC.
Sun 10^th	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is 96 today.
Wed 13^th	Cricket: England v Australia One Day Internationals (ODIs) – until 27th June.
Wed 13^th	Art: Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Piccadilly – until 20th Aug.
Thurs 14^th	Last day of Ramadan Eid-al- Fitr.
Thurs 14^th– July 15^th	FIFA WORLD CUP 2018, Russia – until 15th July. There is a 64 game schedule with Russia opening at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow on Thurs 14th June. The Final will be played at this stadium on Sun 15th July. England,(Group G) based at Repino (30 miles from St Petersburg), First round Group G fixtures: Mon 18^th: Tunisia v England, Volgograd (415 miles away) Sun 24^th: England v Panama, Nizhny Novgorod (300 miles away) Thurs 28^th: England v Belgium, Kaliningrad (250 miles away)
	WORLD CUP GROUPS Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay Group B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran Group C: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia Group F: Germany, Sweden, Mexico, South Korea Group G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan
Wed 20^th	Horse racing: Royal Ascot, Berkshire – until 24th June
Thurs 21^st	Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is 36 today.
Sat 23^rd	150 years ago: “Type-writer” invented by Christopher Latham Sholes.
Sun 24^th	Saudi Arabia to allow women to drive.
Mon 25^th	50 years ago: Death of Tony Hancock, English comedian – born 1924.
JULY
Mon 2^nd	Tennis: Wimbledon Championships – until 15th July
Tues 3^rd	Cricket: India to play IT20 series – until 8th July.
Wed 4^th	Sailing: Cowes Week , Isle of Wight – until 11th Aug
Wed 4^th	Rowing: Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames – until 8th July
Thurs 5^th	75 years ago: WW2 – Operation Citadel (aka Battle of Kursk) Russia defeated Germany in the largest tank battle ever.
Fri 7^th	Cycling: Tour de France (3,329km) starts in the Pays de la Loire – until 29th July.
Sun 8^th	Formula 1: British Grand Prix, Silverstone
Sun 15^th	100 years ago: World War I: The Second Battle of the Marne begins.
Sun 22^nd	International Polo Day, Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park, Surrey
Fri 27^th	Planet Mars will make its closest approach to Earth since 2003.
Sun 29^th	Horse racing: Goodwood Festival, West Sussex – until 2nd Aug
AUGUST
Wed 8^th	100 years ago: WW1 – Battle of Amiens – start of Allied victories of the 100 Days Offensive leading to eventual defeat of the German Army.
Sun 12^th	Glorious 12th – start of the Grouse shooting season.
Mon 27^th	Late Summer Bank Holiday
SEPTEMBER
Mon 3^rd	79 years ago: Start of World War Two. UK, France, New Zealand & Australia declared war on Germany following its invasion of Poland.
Fri 21^st	75 years ago: WW2 – German soldiers massacred Italian Acqui Div. on Greek isle of Cephallonia – inspiration for novel ‘Capt., Corelli’s Mandolin’.
OCTOBER
Thurs 4^th	WRC Rally Wales – until 7th Oct
Thurs 4^th	Super Thursday – around 500 new books published in time for Christmas.
Sun 28^th	Daylight Saving ends in the UK on Sun 28th at 02:00am.
NOVEMBER
Mon 5^th	Guy Fawkes Night
Sun 11^th	100 years ago: End of World War One with the signing of the Armistice between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France. Also the day for Remembrance Sunday for all soldiers killed in war.
Sun 14^th	Prince Charles is 70 today
Fri 28^th	50 years ago: Death of Enid Blyton, English children’s writer – born 11/08/1897.
DECEMBER
Sun 2^nd	First Sunday in Advent – carols may now be played.
Fri 21^st	30 years ago: Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. 243 passengers, 16 crew & 11 residents died in when an explosive device was detonated on board.
Tues 25^th	CHRISTMAS DAY
Wed 26^th	Boxing Day Bank Holiday
Wed 26^th	75 years ago: WW2 – German battleship Scharnhorst sunk off North Cape in the Arctic by British Navy torpedoes.

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