This is a timeline of the history of the broadcasting of breakfast radio programmes on national stations in the United Kingdom.
1950s
1950 to 1956
No events. 1957 28 October – The Today programme launches on the BBC Home Service as a programme of "topical talks" to give listeners an alternative to listening to light music which the Home Service had previously broadcast at breakfast. 1958 No events. 1959 No events.
1960s
1960 to 1964
No events. 1965 25 October – Breakfast Special is broadcast for the first time on the BBC Light Programme. The programme replaces Morning Music. 1966 No events. 1967 30 September – Tony Blackburn launches BBC Radio 1 when he starts presenting the first edition of the Radio 1 Breakfast. 90 minutes earlier, BBC Radio 2 had also gone on air for the first time, its breakfast show was the continuation of Breakfast Special, presented by Paul Hollingdale. 1968 January – Tony Blackburn stops presenting the breakfast show on Saturdays. Rather than replace him, BBC Radio 1 simulcasts The Radio 2 Breakfast Show. 1969 No events.
1970s
1970
5 January – John Dunn replaces Paul Hollingdale as host of The Radio 2 Breakfast Show. 6 April – The first Thought for the Day is broadcast on the Today programme, replacing Ten to Eight. 1971 No events. 1972 3 April – Terry Wogan joins BBC Radio 2 to present The Radio 2 Breakfast Show. He replaces John Dunn who moves to afternoons. Breakfast Special disappears from the airwaves after seven years and a new early morning show is introduced, resulting in BBC Radio 2 starting the day on weekdays and Saturdays 30 minutes earlier at 5am. Sunday broadcasting still commenced at just before 7am. 1973 1 June – Tony Blackburn presents his final Radio 1 Breakfast show, having fronted it since the station went on air in 1967. 4 June – Noel Edmonds takes over as presenter of Radio 1 Breakfast. 1974 No events. 1975 No events. 1976 No events. 1977 2 May – BBC Radio 4 launches a new breakfast programme Up to the Hour. Consequently, The Today Programme is reduced from a continuous two-hour programme to two 25-minute slots. 1978 28 April – Noel Edmonds presents the Radio 1 Breakfast show for the final time. 2 May – Dave Lee Travis takes over as presenter of Radio 1 Breakfast. 3 July – Changes are made to the station's weekday breakfast schedule. After just over a year on air, Up to the Hour is cancelled. Consequently, Today once again becomes a continuous two-hour programme. Also, a new weekday 6am News Briefing is introduced. 1979 No events.
1980s
1980
No events. 1981 2 January – Dave Lee Travis steps down from presenting Radio 1 Breakfast. 5 January – Mike Read succeeds Dave Lee Travis as presenter of Radio 1 Breakfast. 1982 27 February – Radio 1’s weekend breakfast programme is renamed as Radio 1's Weekend Breakfast Show and Maggie Philbin and Keith Chegwin join Tony Blackburn as co-presenters. 31 December – The last regional opt-out programming ends when the final edition of Morning Sou'West is broadcast ahead of the forthcoming launch of BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Cornwall. 1983 No events. 1984 29 September – Radio 1’s weekend breakfast show is revamped with Peter Powell replacing Tony Blackburn as the presenter. The children's requests element of the show is dropped. 28 December – Terry Wogan ends his first run as presenter of The Radio 2 Breakfast Show as he leaves the station for a while. 1985 7 January – Ken Bruce takes over The Radio 2 Breakfast Show. 1986 7 April – Derek Jameson takes over The Radio 2 Breakfast Show from Ken Bruce. 18 April – Mike Read presents his final Radio 1 Breakfast show after five years in the hot seat. 5 May – Mike Smith rejoins Radio 1 for the last time, after spending the past two years working for BBC TV, to take over Radio 1 Breakfast from Mike Read. 24 December – John Timpson presents The Today programme for the final time. 1987 3 January – The Today programme is extended to six days a week when it launches a Saturday edition and John Humphrys joins the programme's presenting team as John Timpson's replacement. 1988 23 May – Simon Mayo takes over as presenter of Radio 1 Breakfast, replacing Mike Smith. The new programme takes on a zoo format by introducing co-hosts and new features. 1 October – Mark Goodier and Liz Kershaw replace Peter Powell as presenter and co-presenter of Radio 1's Weekend Breakfast Show. 1989 1 April – Bruno Brookes replaces Mark Goodier as presenter of Radio 1's Weekend Breakfast Show.