Modern Britain

Dylan Thomas (1914–53) was a Welsh poet and writer. His most well-known works include the radio play Under Milk Wood and the poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. He died at the age of 39 in New York.

In 1947, independence was granted to India, Pakistan and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Other colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific achieved independence over the next 20 years. The UK developed its own atomic bomb and joined NATO, an alliance set up to resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union.

The 1950s were a period of economic recovery and increasing prosperity. The Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was famous for his ‘wind of change’ speech about decolonisation and independence for the countries of the Empire.

The 1960s were known as the ‘Swinging Sixties’. Two well-known pop music groups were The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Social laws were liberalised, including laws on divorce and abortion. Parliament passed new laws giving women the right to equal pay and making it illegal for employers to discriminate against women.

Britain and France developed Concorde, the world's only supersonic commercial airliner. It first flew in 1969 and began carrying passengers in 1976.

The 1970s brought economic problems and strikes. There was serious unrest in Northern Ireland; some 3,000 people lost their lives in the decades after 1969. Mary Peters (1939–), born in Manchester, won an Olympic gold medal in the pentathlon in 1972 and continues to promote sport and tourism in Northern Ireland.

Roald Dahl (1916–90) was born in Wales to Norwegian parents. He served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. His best-known works include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and George's Marvellous Medicine. Several of his books have been made into films.