Storylines

Over the years, Emmerdale has highlighted a range of different social issues, including rape, cancer, miscarriage, dementia, homosexuality, arson, murder, HIV, sexual assault, post traumatic stress disorder, brain aneurysm, adultery, domestic violence, financial problems, embezzlement, sexual abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction, anorexia, teenage pregnancy, gambling addiction, bereavement, fraud, suicide, mesothelioma, schizophrenia, manslaughter, becoming a parent in later life, sudden infant death syndrome, self-harming, assisted suicide, epilepsy and premature births.

1970s

    1973 – Sharon Crossthwaite was raped and strangled by Jim Latimer. Jack Sugden discovered the truth after arriving home to find Jim trying to strangle Penny Golightly, after which Jim confessed his murder of Sharon.

    1973 – Jack Sugden's lodger, Ian ("Trash") McIntyre, died trying to escape from a first-floor window at The Old Mill, where Jack had locked him in for his own safety; he fell, breaking his neck.

    1976 – Matt Skilbeck's twin children (Sam and Sally) and his aunt, Beattie Dowton, were killed at a level crossing when their car was struck by a train.

    1976 – Heather Bannerman crashed into the front gate at Emmerdale Farm after borrowing her husband's car.

    1977 – A storm broke over Beckindale, and Ray and Sarah Oswell sought refuge at Emmerdale Farm after their cottage was destroyed by a falling tree.

    1977 – A fire broke out at Emmerdale Farm, and the Beckindale Volunteer Fire Service arrived to fight the blaze; a firefighter was severely burned.

    1977 – A fire broke out in the village, attributed to tourists staying in a barn.

    1978 – An explosion at a mine trapped the vicar's son, Clive Hinton, and his friends Ian and Rod. Clive and Rod were found unconscious, and Ian escaped with cuts and bruises.

    1978 – Steve Hawker and Pip Coulter robbed The Woolpack and left Amos Brearly and Henry Wilks locked in the cellar. The teenagers went to Emmerdale Farm, where they held Sam Pearson at gunpoint. To save her father, Annie Sugden gave them a getaway car.

1980s

    1981 – Farmer Enoch Tolly was killed in a tractor accident.

    1982 – Enraged when he was sacked from NY Estates by Alan Turner, Jackie Merrick set fire to one of NY's caravans.

    1985 – Jackie Merrick was knocked off his motorbike by Alan Turner's Land Rover, and spent five months in hospital with multiple fractures.

    1986 – Pat Sugden died when she crashed her car down a hillside after she swerved to avoid a flock of sheep.

    1987 – Jackie Merrick fell down a disused mineshaft whilst trying to rescue a stray sheep.

    1988 – Phil Pearce left old rags at Crossgill Farm; they caught fire, trapping Annie Sugden inside.

    1989 – Quarryman Dennis Rigg was crushed to death by Joe Sugden's bull when he threatened to evict the Sugdens.

    1989 – Jackie Merrick accidentally shot himself whilst hunting a fox for a £10 bet.

1990s

    1990 – Frank and Kim Tate arrived home to find the Home Farm barn conversion had been set afire. Although Michael Feldmann was suspected, the culprit was farm labourer Jock McDonald.

    1990 – Kate Sugden struck and killed Pete Whiteley when she drove home from Hotten.

    1990 – A chemical tanker crashed into the village, trapping Amos Brearly in the Woolpack cellar.

    1993–1994 – A plane crashed in Beckindale, leaving most of the village in ruins and killing Archie Brooks, Elizabeth Pollard, Mark Hughes and Leonard Kempinski.

    1994 – Shirley Turner was shot dead during the Home Farm raid by Reg Dawson, ex-husband of Viv Windsor.

    1995 – Luke McAllister died when his van crashed into a wall and exploded in flames.

    1996 – Dave Glover died in a fire at Home Farm after he attended the wedding of Biff Fowler and Dave's sister, Linda.

    1997 – At the engagement party for Steve Marchant and Kim Tate, after Lord Alex Oakwell snorted cocaine and took Linda Fowler for a late-night drive. As Linda fought off his advances, he crashed through a fence and struck a tree. Alex moved the semi-conscious, bleeding Linda to the driver's seat, wiped his fingerprints off the steering wheel and left her to die.

    1998 – Vic Windsor died on Christmas Day when he struck his head on an ice-cream chest freezer in an attempt to prevent an armed Billy Hopwood from robbing the post office.

    1999 – Graham Clark killed Rachel Hughes, pushing her off a cliff.

2000s

    2000 – A van and minibus collided in the village. Van driver Pete Collins died at the scene, and minibus passenger Butch Dingle died in hospital the next day.

    2000 – Longtime character Sarah Sugden died in a barn fire set by her adopted son, Andy. Sarah's lover, Richie Carter, was trapped in the barn but was rescued by Sarah's husband Jack.

    2001 – School headmistress Jean Strickland was struck and killed by a stolen car driven by Marc Reynolds, a student returning home from a night out with friends.

    2003–2004 – A storm pounded Emmerdale 10 years after the plane crash, leaving part of the village in ruins with downed power lines and trees. Lightning struck The Woolpack's chimney, sending it through the roof into the bar and fatally injuring Tricia Dingle. Ashley Thomas and Louise Appleton were stranded on the road.

    2005 – Max King died when the Land Rover in which he was a passenger crashed into a brick wall and exploded. Driver Andy Sugden escaped unharmed, giving the police a false account of the accident to avoid prosecution.

    2006 – The Kings River show home was destroyed by explosions from a gas leak. Three people died; Noreen Bell and estate agent David Brown were killed in the explosion, and Dawn Woods died in hospital from internal injuries.

    2006 – Tom King was murdered on Christmas Day by his son, Carl, who struck him on the head with a statue and pushed him out a window.

    2007 – DCI Grace Barraclough was killed when she was hit by a lorry on her way to the police station to report Carl's murder of his father.

    2007 – Victoria Sugden threatened to burn down the family home if her father (Jack) and adoptive brother (Andy) did not tell her who killed her mother. Andy admitted he was responsible, but the fuel she had spread ignited when the boiler fired up; the house was gutted, but the family survived.

    2008 – Matthew King was killed when his van crashed into a wall while he tried to run over his brother, Carl. The brothers were fighting after Carl ruined Matthew's wedding to Anna De Souza earlier that day.

2010s

    2010 – Aaron Livesy and Jackson Walsh went out with Paddy Kirk and Marlon Dingle. After an argument with Aaron, Jackson's van stalled on railway tracks and was struck by a freight train; he was paralysed from the neck down.

    2011 – A fire set by corrupt policeman Nick Henshall spread through the village, killing Terry Woods and Viv Hope.

    2012 – On their way to a hotel (booked by their son after their reconciliation), John and Moira Barton's Land Rover hit a patch of black ice and stopped at the edge of a ravine. Although Moira (the passenger) was rescued by Declan Macey and Katie Sugden, the car fell into the ravine with John trapped inside; he died in hospital.

    2012 – On Emmerdale's 40th anniversary, Carl King was killed with a brick by romantic rival Cameron Murray after he tried to rape former lover Chas Dingle.

    2013 – Genesis Walker's car ran off a country road and into a ravine during a high-speed chase by Cameron Murray and Debbie Dingle after Genesis overheard Cameron admit that he murdered Carl King. Cameron pulled the semi-conscious Gennie out of the car and suffocated her.

    2013 – On Emmerdale's 41st anniversary, Cameron Murray escaped from prison and held villagers hostage in The Woolpack. Alicia Harding was shot, and in a showdown in the flooded Woolpack cellar with Debbie, Chas and Marlon Dingle (who were rescued) Cameron was electrocuted.

    2014 – During an argument Belle Dingle pushed Gemma Andrews, who fell and hit her head on a stone. They walked away, but on her way home Gemma fell and was rushed to hospital where she died.

    2014 – Donna Windsor threw herself and Gary North from a multi-storey car park to their deaths.

    2014 – Declan Macey shot Robbie Lawson dead in an attempt to kill Charity Macey.

    2015 – During an argument, Chrissie Sugden set her husband Robert's car on fire. The fire caused gas canisters to explode, sending a helicopter crashing into the village hall during Debbie Dingle and Pete Barton's wedding reception. Ruby Haswell, Val Pollard and the helicopter pilot were killed.

    2015 – Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) is shot outside The Woolpack by an unknown assailant in front of Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter); four weeks later, a flashback episode revealed the events of that night. Ross Barton (Michael Parr) shot him after Ross agreed with Andy Sugden (Kelvin Fletcher) to kill the other's brother. Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) might have dementia and Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) cheated on his wife, Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry), with Tess (Nicola Stephenson).

    2016 – In one of the biggest disasters in Emmerdale, a multi-car pile-up on the Hotten bypass causes for Aaron Dingle, Robert Sugden, Paddy Kirk, Rhona Goskirk, Pierce Harris, James Barton and Ashley Thomas to be involved in a horrible accident and leaving the lives of Aaron, Rhona and James hanging in the balance, with James succumbing to his injuries. The accident was caused by Emma Barton pushing James over a road bridge, hitting Ashley Thomas' car.