These are the top 50 most significant cultural moments of the last 50 years

London’s first Gay Pride march and the release of David Bowie’s iconic ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ – both in 1972 – were the first events to make the list.

The 80s boasted the highest number of cultural highs – 14 - including Torvill and Dean’s unforgettable ice skating performance at the Winter Olympics, the launch of satellite TV and the debut episode of EastEnders.

Other significant events included the Sex Pistols’ first gig (1975), the Queen opening Buckingham Palace to the public (1993), the publication of the first Harry Potter book and the appearance of Banksy’s first mural (both 1997).

This year’s re-emergence of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’, thanks to the latest Stranger Things season on Netflix, also made the list.

Dr Ruth Adams, senior lecturer in cultural & creative industries at King’s College London, was commissioned by Honda to curate the list to mark the 50th anniversary of the Honda Civic.

The car, which launched on July 12, 1972, has gone on to sell over 27.5 million units worldwide, with order books for the 11th generation hybrid model opening today (July 12).

Cultural events are the 'social glue'

Dr Ruth Adams said: “Certain cultural events take on a significance not just for the individuals who were there, they become part of our collective memory and identity.

“These events represent our shared experience and sensibility. We see ourselves reflected in them – often at our best, sometimes at our worst.

“They shape what sociologist Benedict Anderson described as the ‘imagined community’ of a nation, the ‘social glue’ that binds us together.

“The mass media and, latterly, social media have brought these events into our homes and on to our screens giving us a sense of togetherness with others in this national audience.

“The UK has become a ‘smaller’ country over the past half century; we are ‘closer’ to one another than ever before.  Car ownership becoming a reality for most has allowed people to travel more freely than previous generations, broadening outlooks and facilitating mass participation in leisure and culture.

“Opportunities have been seized to transform cultural moments into enduring movements, with a capacity to change attitudes and even legislation, making manifest a vision of a more mobile, diverse and tolerant culture.”

Timeless emotional attachment

A OnePoll survey of 2,000 people commissioned by Honda revealed which life events they associated with the car they had at the time, with first jobs (22 per cent), being on holiday (20 per cent) and having a child (19 per cent) emerging top.

In addition, 41 per cent said they go for a drive to process a big piece of news and nearly a third (30 per cent) said they were in the car listening to the radio when a major world event happened.

Rebecca Adamson, head of automobile at Honda, said: “Fifty years and eleven versions of Civic has given us the opportunity to reflect on what was happening at the time, and exponential progress in so many aspects of society.

“Cars have been part of our movement, and although the cars we drive have constantly evolved over the last five decades, the emotional attachment we feel with them, and the association of memories with them, is timeless.”

50 iconic cultural moments

1972 - London's first Gay Pride march takes place 

1972 - David Bowie releases ‘The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars

1973 - Slade's ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ takes the Christmas No.1 slot for the first time

1974 - ABBA wins Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Waterloo’ at the Brighton Dome

1975 - The Sex Pistols play their first ever live show

1977 - Saturday Night Fever brings disco to the cinema 

1977 - Star Wars takes UK cinemas by storm 

1979 - The UK elects the first ever female Prime Minister  

1980 - The Rubiks Cube launches in the UK 

1980 - PacMan computer game is released 

1981 - MTV launches with the first video being ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ 

1981 - The first London Marathon and Great North Run take place

1982 - Channel 4 launches on 2nd November