Top of the Pops
The very first edition was broadcast from a converted church studio in Rusholme on New Year’s Day 1964.
Anthony Burgess
Famous for being the author of the dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange, Burgess grew up in Moss Side. In 2008, The Times placed him number 17 on their list of ‘The 50 Greatest Authors Since 1945’.
The Football League 1888
The Royal Buildings in Piccadilly Gardens, which are currently home to Burger King and Primark, witnessed the
formal foundation of the football league. The league was formerly named and created in the Royal Buildings where 12 clubs were organised into the first league.
The world’s first programmable computer 1948
Created at the Victoria University of Manchester, the computer would not resemble what we consider one to be today. It was the basis from which the Ferranti Mark 1 was built, which was the world’s first commercially available computer.
Commonwealth Games 2002
The main venue for the Games was the City of Manchester Stadium which was purpose built for the Games and hosted all the athletics events and the opening ceremonies. The stadium formed the centrepiece of an area known as Sportcity. The Aquatics Centre was also purpose built for the games.
Manchester Ship Canal
Built from 1887-1894, at a cost of £15 million (£1.27 billion as of today). Before the canal was built goods had to be transported by road or rail to Liverpool docks where tolls and harbour dues were reducing profitability. The canal’s creation started a rivalry between the cities.
IRA bombing 1996
The IRA detonated a bomb in the Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre, injuring 200 people. The bomb destroyed the area which is now occupied by Selfridges and Marks and Spencers. The bombing led to regeneration of the nearby area with the creation of The Printworks and the Triangle.
Chetham’s library
The revolutionary Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels met one another in the alcove of its reading room in July and August 1845.
The Free Trade Hall
It was once a political centre but in June 1976 The Sex Pistols played an influential gig to a crowd of about 40 people who included a young Morrisey and both the future Joy Division and Buzzcocks, who would put the Manchester music scene on the map.