Timeline: Reginald Maurice Rand: Willingale Genealogy

	Date	Event(s)
1	1577	1577: First theatre in London James Burbage opens first theatre in London
2	1579	1579: Act of Uniformity Act of Uniformity in matters of religion enforced
3	1580	1580: Congregational movement founded Congregational movement founded by Robert Browne about this time 1580: Colonisation of Ireland Colonisation of Ireland 6 Apr 1580: Dover Straits earthquake Dover Straits earthquake, largest in the recorded history of England, mentioned by Shakespeare - dozens of ships sunk and a tsunami hit Calais
4	1581	1581: English Levant Company English Levant Company founded to regulate English trade with Turkey and the Levant. A member of the Company was known as a Turkey Merchant. 16 Jan 1581: Roman Catholicism English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism 4 Apr 1581: Francis Drake Francis Drake knighted by Elizabeth I aboard the Golden Hind after circumnavigating the world
5	1583	1583: University of Edinburgh University of Edinburgh founded 1583: Cambridge University Press Foundation of Cambridge University Press by Thomas Thomas Aug 1583: Sir Humphrey Gilbert Sir Humphrey Gilbert attempts to establish English authority at St John's, Newfoundland
6	1584	4 Jun 1584: first English colony in the New World Sir Walter Raleigh establishes first English colony in the New World, on Roanoke Island, Virginia (now in North Carolina) - the so-called 'Lost Colony'
7	1585	1585: Oxford University Press Foundation of Oxford University Press
8	1587	1587: Introduction of potatoes to England Introduction of potatoes to England 8 Feb 1587: Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Fotheringay Castle, near Peterborough 19 Apr 1587: Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake sinks the Spanish fleet in Cadiz harbour 11 Aug 1587: Raleigh's second expedition Raleigh's second expedition to New World lands in North Carolina - first child born in the New World of English parents was Virginia Dare (Aug 18)
9	1588	1588: Invention of shorthand Invention of shorthand by Dr Timothy Bright 19 Jul 1588: Spanish Armada Spanish Armada sighted off the Lizard (had set sail from Lisbon in late May)
10	1591	1591: Trinity College, Dublin Trinity College, Dublin, founded
11	1592	1592: Presbyterian Church formally established Scotland: Presbyterian Church formally established - all ministers equal - no bishops - secular commissaries appointed by the Crown
12	1593	1593: British statute mile British statute mile established by law
13	1594	1594—1603: Irish rebellion against English Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, leads Irish rebellion against English rule (-1603)
14	1597	1597: Poor Law Act Poor Law Act for erection of parish workhouses for the Poor - Poor Rate collection allowed
15	1598	1598: Bishop's transcripts start Bishop's transcripts of English and Welsh parish registers start - parish records were to be kept in 'great decent books of parchment' and copies or 'Bishop's Transcripts' of new entries were to be sent each month to the diocesan centre
16	1600	1 Jan 1600: Scotland adopts New Year Scotland adopts New Year beginning 1st January (previously 25th March) 31 Dec 1600: British East India Company founded British East India Company founded
17	1601	1601: Elizabethan Poor Law Great English Poor Law Act passed The impotent poor (people who can't work) were to be cared for in almshouse or a poorhouse. The law offered relief to people who were unable to work: mainly those who were "lame, impotent, old, blind" The able-bodied poor were to be set to work in a House of Industry. Materials were to be provided for the poor to be set to work The idle poor and vagrants were to be sent to a House of Correction or even prison. Pauper children would become apprentices. 1601: Scurvy First use of fruit juice as a preventative for scurvy by James Lancaster
18	1602	20 Mar 1602: Dutch East India Company founded Dutch East India Company founded 8 Nov 1602: Bodleian Library Bodleian Library at Oxford University opened to the public
19	1603	24 Mar 1603: Death of Elizabeth I Death of Elizabeth I: union of Scottish and English crowns - under King James VI of Scots and I of England (d. 1625) 25 Jul 1603: Coronation Coronation - James VI of Scotland is crowned first king of Great Britain
20	1604	1 Nov 1604: Shakespeare Shakespeare: Othello' first presented
21	1605	5 Nov 1605: Gunpowder plot Gunpowder plot at Westminster (Guy Fawkes, etc)
22	1606	1606: The London Company chartered to colonise Virginia The London Company chartered to colonise Virginia: the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery leave England on 19th De c taking 144 days to reach America 1606: Episcopacy established in Scotland Episcopacy established in Scotland (against wishes of the Scots) 31 Jan 1606: Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes and co-conspirators executed 12 Mar 1606: Adoption of Union Flag Adoption of Union Flag as the flag of Great Britain' (the term Union Jack is used officially only when the Union Flag is flown from the Jack Mast of a Royal Naval vessel)
23	1607	14 May 1607: Jamestown, Virginia settled Jamestown, Virginia settled - to become the first permanent British colony in North America
24	1608	1608: First use of telescope by Galileo First use of telescope by Galileo - he observed the moons of Jupiter two years later in Jan 1610
25	1610	1610: Episcopal Church James VI & I established the Episcopal Church in Scotland - Prebyterians persecuted and many of their records lost
26	1611	1611: King James Bible Authorised (King James) Version of Bible in Britain 22 May 1611: Baronet James VI & I created the title of baronet
27	1613	1613: Copper Farthing A copper farthing was produced, as a silver coin would be too small 29 Jun 1613: The Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre in London burns during a performance of Henry the Eighth (finally pulled down in 1644)
28	1616	23 Apr 1616: Shakespeare Tuesday Apr 23 (Julian calendar): Death of Shakespeare
29	1618	29 Oct 1618: Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh beheaded for allegedly conspiring against James I
30	1619	4 Dec 1619: Thanksgiving (Nov 24 old style): Colonists from Berkeley Parish in England disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God (considered by many to be the first Thanksgiving in the Americas)
31	1620	1620: Coke Manufacture of coke (the fuel, not the drink!) patented by Dud Dudley 21 Dec 1620: Mayflower (Dec 16 old style): The Mayflower reaches America - founds Plymouth, New England (had initially set sail from Southampton on Aug 5)
32	1621	1621: Chimneys Chimneys to be made of brick and to be four and a half feet above the roof
33	1622	1622: The Weekly News First English newspaper appeared - Weekly News'
34	1624	1624: Monopoly Act Monopoly Act in England: patents protected 1624: Edmund Gunter Edmund Gunter introduces the surveyor's chain (measurement of length)
35	1625	1625: Bricks The size of bricks standardised in England around this time 27 Mar 1625: King James Death of King James VI & I
36	1628	1 Mar 1628: Charles I Writs issued by Charles I that every county in England (not just seaport towns) pay ship tax by this date
37	1629	10 Mar 1629: Parliament dissolved Parliament dissolved by King Charles I - did not meet for another 11 years
38	1633	Jun 1633: Galileo Galileo summoned by Inquisition for publishing in favour of Copernican theory
39	1635	1635: Flintlock small arms Flintlock small arms invented around this time (replaces matchlock)
40	1636	1636: Hackney Carriages Hackney Carriages in use by now in London
41	1638	1638: revival of Presbyterian Church King Charles regarded protests against the prayerbook as treason - forced Scots to choose between their church and the King - a 'Covenant' swearing to resist these changes to the Death was signed in Greyfriars Church Edinburgh and was accepted by hundreds of thousands of Scots (revival of Presbyterian Church)
42	1639	1639: Act of Toleration Act of Toleration in England established religious toleration
43	1640	3 Nov 1640: The Long Parliament Charles I forced to recall Parliament (the 'Long Parliament') due to Scottish invasion
44	1641	1641: Charles I Charles I's policies cause insurrection in Ulster and Civil War in England 1641: English Parliament acknowledge the Prebyterian Church Charles I and the English Parliament acknowledge the Prebyterian Church in Scotland 23 Oct 1641: Ulster uprising 50,000 Irish killed in an uprising in Ulster
45	1642	1642: English theatres closed English theatres closed by Puritans (till 1660) 22 Aug 1642: First Civil War in England Charles I raises his standard at Nottingham - First Civil War in England (to 1649) 13 Nov 1642: Battle of Turnham Green Battle of Turnham Green - Royalist forces withdraw in face of the Parliamentarian army and fail to take London 24 Nov 1642: Discovery of Van Diemen's Land Abel Janszoon Tasman discovers Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) 18 Dec 1642: First European to set foot in New Zealand Abel Janszoon Tasman first European to set foot in New Zealand
46	1643	13 Dec 1643: Battle of Alton Battle of Alton - victory for Parliamentarians - Sir Richard Bolle killed in St Lawrence's church
47	1644	29 Jun 1644: Battle of Cropredy Bridge Battle of Cropredy Bridge - Royalists beat the Parliamentarian forces 2 Jul 1644: Battle of Marston Moor Battle of Marston Moor, near York - Parliamentarian forces beat the Royalists
48	1645	1645: Scots Militia Scotland: Each county and burgh ordered to raise and maintain a number of foot soldiers, according to population, to serve as militia - population of Scotland estimated at 420,000 1645: Plague Plague made its last appearance in Scotland 14 Jun 1645: Battle of Naseby Battle of Naseby: Parliament's New Model Army crushes the Royalist forces 13 Sep 1645: Battle of Philiphaugh Battle of Philiphaugh in Scotland (near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.)
49	1646	5 May 1646: Charles I Charles I surrenders to the Scottish Army at Newark 20 Jun 1646: Royalists surrender Royalists sign articles of surrender at Oxford
50	1648	1648: Society of Friends founded Society of Friends (Quakers) founded by George Fox 1648: First practical thermometers First practical thermometers made
51	1649	1649: Cromwell's Irish campaign Cromwell's Irish campaign starts 1649: King Charles II King Charles II proclaimed King of Scots and England in Scotland 6 Jan 1649: 'Rump' Parliament 'Rump' Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial 30 Jan 1649: King Charles I King Charles I executed 19 May 1649: Commonwealth declared Commonwealth declared 20 Dec 1649: Theatres banned Theatres banned by Cromwell 20 Dec 1649: Christmas banned Christmas banned by Cromwell
52	1650	1650: Coffee Coffee brought to England about this time
53	1651	1651: English Civil War The second English Civil War (1651-1652) 1651: Scottish prisoners Scottish prisoners transported to the British settlements in America 3 Sep 1651: Battle of Worcester Battle of Worcester
54	1653	1653: Commonwealth registers Commonwealth registers start 1653: Act of Settlement Under the Act of Settlement Cromwell's opponents stripped of land 1653: Provincial probate courts abolished Provincial probate courts abolished - probates granted only in London 20 Apr 1653: Rump Parliament Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament 16 Dec 1653: Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland
55	1657	1657: Post Office Post Office established by Act of Parliament [others say 1660] 1657: Jews A few Jews permitted to settle in England
56	1658	1658: Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (son of Oliver) Lord Protector (-1660) 3 Sep 1658: Oliver Cromwell Death of Oliver Cromwell
57	1659	1659: Temperature records Start of national meteorological Temperature records in the UK 6 Feb 1659: 1st bank cheque Date of first known bank cheque to be drawn
58	1660	1660: Commonwealth registers ended Commonwealth registers ended, Parish Registers resumed 1660: Provincial Probate Courts Provincial Probate Courts re-established 1660: Clarendon code Clarendon code restricts Puritans' religious freedom 1660: Composition of light discovered Composition of light discovered by Newton 1660: Honourable East India Company Honourable East India Company founded by British 1 Jan 1660: Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys starts his diary 29 May 1660: Restoration of monarchy Restoration of British monarchy (Charles II) - 'Oak Apple Day' - theatres reopened 17 Oct 1660: Ten Regicides are executed Ten Regicides are executed at Charing Cross or Tyburn 28 Nov 1660: Royal Society formed Twelve men, including Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, John Wilkins, and Sir Robert Moray decide to found what is later known as the Royal Society 8 Dec 1660: First actress plays in London First actress plays in London (Margaret Hughes as Desdemona)
59	1661	1661: Restoration of Episcopacy Restoration of Episcopacy in Scotland 1661: Board of Trade Board of Trade founded in London 1661: Hand-struck postage stamps Hand-struck postage stamps first used 1661: Corporation Act Corporation Act prevents non-Anglicans from holding municipal office 30 Jan 1661: Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell formally 'executed', having been dead for over two years!
60	1662	1662: Hearth Tax 'Hearth Tax' introduced - until 1689 (1690 in Scotland) 1662: Poor Relief Act Poor Relief Act or Act of Settlement' - gave JPs the power to return any wandering poor to the parish of origin (repealed 1834) 1662: Tea introduced to Britain Tea introduced to Britain 24 Aug 1662: Act of Uniformity Act of Uniformity - Acceptance of Book of Common Prayer required - About 2,000 vicars and rectors driven from their parishes as nonconformists (Presbyterians and Independents) - Persecution of all non-conformists - Presbyterianism dis-established - Episcopalian Church of England restored
61	1664	29 May 1664: Oak Apple Day Oak Apple Day - the birthday of Charles II and the day when he entered London at the Restoration; commanded by Act of Parliament in 1664 to be observed as a day of thanksgiving. A special service (expunged in 1859) was inserted in the Book of Common Prayer and people wore sprigs of oak with gilded oak-apples on that day. 27 Aug 1664: New York Nieuw Amsterdam becomes New York as 300 English soldiers under Col. Mathias Nicolls take the town from the Dutch under orders from Charles II. The town is renamed after the King's brother James, Duke of York
62	1665	1665: Great Plague of London Great Plague of London (July-October) kills over 60,000 1665: Five-mile Act Five-mile Act restricts non-conformist ministers in Britain. It was one of the English penal laws that sought to enforce conformity to the established Church of England 7 Nov 1665: London Gazette The 'London Gazette' first published - one of the official journals of record of the United Kingdom government and the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United Kingdom
63	1666	1666: Semaphore signalling Use of semaphore signalling pioneered by Lord Worcester 1666: Newton Newton formulated Laws of Gravity 2 Sep 1666: Great Fire of London Great Fire of London, after a drought beginning 27 June (2-6 Sep)
64	1668	1668: British East India Company British East India Company obtains control of Bombay 1668: Reflecting telescope Newton constructs reflecting telescope
65	1669	31 May 1669: Last entry in Pepys's diary Last entry in Pepys's diary
66	1670	26 May 1670: Secret Treaty of Dover King Charles II and King Louis XIV of France sign the Secret Treaty of Dover. The Treaty was a treaty between England and France signed at Dover on June 1[1] in 1670. It required France to assist England in the king's aim that it would rejoin the Roman Catholic Church and England to assist France in its war of conquest against the Dutch Republic.
67	1671	9 May 1671: Crown Jewels Thomas Blood caught stealing the Crown Jewels
68	1672	1672: High Court of Justiciary High Court of Justiciary established in Scotland 1672: War with Holland War with Holland (to 1674) - British Army increased to 10,000 men
69	1673	1673: First Test Act First Test Act deprives British Catholics and Non-conformists of Public Office
70	1674	10 Nov 1674: Treaty of Westminster Treaty of Westminster - Netherlands cedes New Netherlands (on the eastern coast of North America) to Britain
71	1675	1675: Whig party Beginning of Whig party under Shaftsbury 1675: Rebuilding of St Paul's Rebuilding of St Paul's started by Wren (completed 1710) 4 Mar 1675: Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed appointed first Astronomer Royal of England 10 Aug 1675: Royal Greenwich Observatory Building of Royal Greenwich Observatory started
72	1676	1676: Compton Census Compton Census, named after its initiator Henry Compton, Bishop of London, was intended to discover the number of Anglican conformists, Roman Catholic recusants and Protestant dissenters in England and Wales from enquiries made in individual parishes
73	1677	1677: Lee's Collection Lee's Collection of Names of Merchants in London' published
74	1678	1678: Extension of Test Act Extension of Test Act to peers
75	1679	1679: Tories Tories first so named 27 May 1679: Habeas Corpus Habeas Corpus Act becomes law in England - (later repealed from time to time)
76	1680	1680: London Penny Post William Dockwra(y) begins his London Penny Post 1680: Dodo becomes extinct in Dodo becomes extinct in Mauritius through over-hunting
77	1681	1681: Second Test Act Second Test Act (against non-conformists) passed by Westminster Parliament 1681: Oil lighting Oil lighting first used in London streets
78	1682	1682: Pennsylvania founded Pennsylvania founded by William Penn 1682: Library of Advocates founded Library of Advocates founded in Edinburgh - later National Library of Scotland 1682: Halley's Comet Halley observes the comet which bears his name
79	1683	1683: Wild boar become extinct Wild boar become extinct in Britain 6 Jun 1683: Ashmolean Museum opened Ashmolean Museum opened at Oxford - first museum in Britain
80	1685	1685: James the Second James the Second (1685-1689, died 1701) - Monmouth rebellion and battle of Sedgemoor - British Army raised to 20,000 men 1685: Invasion of Scotland Earl of Argyll's Invasion of Scotland 1685: Judge Jeffreys Judge Jeffreys and the Bloody Assizes - 320 executed, 800 transported
81	1686	1686: Release of all prisoners Release of all prisoners held for their religious beliefs
82	1687	4 Apr 1687: Declaration of Indulgence James II issues the Declaration of Indulgence, suspending laws against Catholics and non-conformists 5 Jul 1687: Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica' Newton published his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica' - written in Latin
83	1688	1688: British Army British Army raised to 40,000 1688: Bill of Rights Bill of Rights limits the powers of the monarchy over parliament 1688: Hearth Tax abolished Hearth Tax abolished 1688: Mutiny Act Mutiny Act. This act made desertion, mutiny, and sedition of officers and soldiers crimes which were triable by court-martial and punishable by death. Feb 1688: Edward Lloyd's Coffee House opens Edward Lloyd's Coffee House opens - later became Lloyd's of London Nov 1688: The Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution: James II abdicates 5 Nov 1688: William of Orange William of Orange lands at Torbay Dec 1688—28 Jul 1689: Siege of Londonderry Siege of Londonderry (began Dec 1688; ended 28 Jul 1689)
84	1689	1689: Devonport dockyard established Devonport naval dockyard established 13 Feb 1689: William III and Mary II William III and Mary II, daughter of James II, jointly take the throne (only William, however, has regal power) 12 Mar 1689: Deposed James VII & II flees to Ireland Deposed James VII & II flees to Ireland - defeated at the Battle of the Boyne (1 Jul 1690) 24 May 1689: Toleration Act Toleration Act passed for Protestant non-conformists 27 Jul 1689: Battle of Killiecrankie Battle of Killiecrankie in Scotland - Jacobites defeated Government troops but at high cost 16 Dec 1689: Bill of Rights Bill of Rights passed by Parliament, ending King's divine right to raise taxes or wage war
85	1690	20 May 1690: Act of Grace England passes Act of Grace, forgiving Roman Catholic followers of James II
86	1692	1692: Land Tax introduced Land Tax introduced - originally designed as an annual tax on personal estate, public offices and land. For practical purposes, however, assessors tended to avoid assessing items of wealth other than landed property so that it became known as the Land Tax. 1692: Fench Invasion Plans French intention to invade England came to nothing 13 Feb 1692: The massacre of Glencoe The massacre of Glencoe - Clan Campbell sides with King William and murders members of Clan McDonald
87	1693	4 Aug 1693: Champagne Date traditionally ascribed to Dom Pierre Perignon's invention of Champagne
88	1694	1694: National Debt National Debt came into effect in England 1694: Stamp Duties Stamp Duties introduced into Britain from Holland 1694: Mary II Mary II death leaves William III as sole ruler 1694: Triennial Act Triennial Act, new Parliamentary elections every three years 1694: Poll Tax Scotland: Poll Tax imposed on all over sixteen, except the destitute and insane (-1699) 27 Jul 1694: Bank of England founded Bank of England founded by William Paterson (a Scot)
89	1695	1695: Freedom of Press Freedom of Press in England granted 1695: Bank of Scotland Bank of Scotland founded 1695: Act of Parliament Act of Parliament imposes a fine on all who fail to inform the parish minister of the birth of a child (repealed 1706) 1695: Start of Dissenters' lists Start of Dissenters' lists in parish registers - children born but not christened in the parish church - some were named 'Papist' and others 'Protestants'
90	1697	2 Dec 1697: Opening of St Paul's Cathedral Official opening of St Paul's Cathedral
91	1698	1698: Steam Engine Invention of steam engine by Capt Thomas Savery 1698: Darien Expedition Darien Expedition: a disastrous attempt to establish a Scots settlement in Panama 1698: Duties (taxes) on entries in parish registers Duties (taxes) on entries in parish registers - repealed after five years 4 Jan 1698: Palace of Whitehall Most of the Palace of Whitehall in London destroyed by fire 14 Nov 1698: Eddystone Lighthouse first lit Eddystone Lighthouse (Henry Winstanley's) first lit; completed 10 days earlier
92	1700	1700: Population Population in England and Scotland approx 7.5 million
93	1701	1701: Act of Settlement Act of Settlement bars Catholics from the British throne 23 May 1701: Captain Kidd hanged After being convicted of piracy and murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd hanged in London
94	1702	8 Mar 1702: Queen Anne Anne Stuart becomes Queen 11 Mar 1702: The Daily Courant First English daily newspaper The Daily Courant (till 1735)
95	1703	4 Aug 1703: British take Gibraltar British take Gibraltar 24 Nov 1703—2 Dec 1703: Most violent storms of the millennium Climate: Most violent storms of the millennium cause vast damage across southern England - about a third of Britain's merchant fleet lost, and Eddystone lighthouse destroyed on 27 November (Nov 24 - Dec 2)
96	1704	1704: Penal Code enacted Penal Code enacted - Catholics barred from voting, education and the military 13 Aug 1704: Battle of Blenheim The Battle of Blenheim (referred to in some countries as the Second Battle of Höchstädt), fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession.[1] Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement.
97	1705	1705: Thomas Newcomen First workable steam pumping engine devised by Thomas Newcomen (some say c1710 or 1711) 1705: Isaac Newton knighted Isaac Newton knighted (for his work at the Royal Mint)
98	1706	1706: First evening newspaper First evening newspaper The Evening Post' issued in London
99	1707	16 Jan 1707: Union with Scotland Union with Scotland - Scots agree to send 16 peers and 45 MPs to English Parliament in return for full trading privileges - Scottish Parliament meets for the last time in March 1 May 1707: The Kingdom of Great Britain established English and Scottish Parliaments united by an Act of the English Parliament - The Kingdom of Great Britain established - largest free-trade area in Europe at the time
100	1708	1708: First Jacobite rising First Jacobite rising in Scotland 1708: Earliest Artillery Muster Rolls Earliest Artillery Muster Rolls
101	1709	1709: Second Eddystone lighthouse completed Second Eddystone lighthouse completed 1709: First Copyright Act passed First Copyright Act passed 1709: bread riots in Britain Bad harvests throughout Europe - bread riots in Britain 2 Feb 1709: Alexander Selkirk rescued Alexander Selkirk rescued from shipwreck on a desert island, inspiring the book Robinson Crusoe (published in 1719) by Daniel Defoe
102	1710	1710: Tax on Apprentice Indentures Tax on Apprentice Indentures introduced
103	1711	1711: Incorporation of South Sea Company Incorporation of South Sea Company, in London. The South Sea Company was a British joint-stock company founded in 1711, created as a public-private partnership to consolidate and reduce the cost of national debt. The company was also granted a monopoly to trade with South America, hence its name. 11 Aug 1711: First meeting at Ascot First race meeting at Ascot
104	1712	1712: Soap Tax Imposition of Soap Tax (abolished 1853) 1712: Last trial for witchcraft Last trial for witchcraft in England (Jane Wenham) 1712: Toleration Act passed Toleration Act passed - first relief to non-Anglicans
105	1713	1713: 3,000 coffee houses in London By this year there are some 3,000 coffee houses in London
106	1714	1714: Longitude Act Longitude Act: prize of £20,000 offered to the inventor of a workable method of determining a ship's longitude (won by John Harrison in 1773 for his chronometer). 1714: Schism Act Schism Act, prevents Dissenters from being schoolmasters in England 1714: Oath of Allegiance Landholders forced to take the Oath of Allegiance and renounce Roman Catholicism 1 Aug 1714: Queen Anne Stuart dies Queen Anne Stuart dies - George I Hanover becomes king (1714-1727).
107	1715	1715: Second Jacobite rebellion Second Jacobite rebellion in Scotland, under the Old Pretender ('The Fifteen') 1 Aug 1715: Riot Act passed Riot Act passed
108	1716	1716: Septennial Act The Septennial Act of Britain leads to greater electoral corruption - general elections now to be held once every 7 years instead of every 3 (until 1911) 1716: Frost Fair Climate: Thames frozen so solid that a spring tide lifted the ice bodily 13ft without interrupting the frost fair
109	1717	1717: First Masonic Lodge First Masonic Lodge opens in London 1717: Golden Guinea Value of the golden guinea fixed at 21 shillings
110	1719	1719: Third Jacobite rising Third abortive Jacobite rising
111	1720	1720: South Sea Bubble South Sea Bubble, a stock-market crash on Exchange Alley - government assumes control of National Debt 1720: Manufacturing towns Manufacturing towns start to increase in population - rise of new wealth 1720: Wallpaper Wallpaper becomes fashionable in England
112	1721	2 Apr 1721: Robert Walpole Robert Walpole (Whig) becomes first Prime Minister (to 1742)
113	1722	1722: Last trial for witchcraft in Scotland Last trial for witchcraft in Scotland 1722: Knatchbull's Act The Workhouse Test Act also known as the General Act or Knatchbull's Act was poor relief legislation passed by the British government by Sir Edward Knatchbull in 1723. The "workhouse test" was that a person who wanted to receive poor relief had to enter a workhouse and undertake a set amount of work. The test was intended to prevent irresponsible claims on a parish's poor rate.
114	1723	1723: Excise tax Excise tax levied for coffee, tea, and chocolate 1723: Waltham Black Acts The Waltham Black Acts add 50 capital offences to the penal code - people could be sentenced to death for theft and poaching - repealed in 1827
115	1724	1724: Gin drinking Rapid growth of gin drinking in England 1724: Longman's founded Longman's founded (Britain's oldest publishing house)
116	1726	1726: First circulating library First circulating library opened in Edinburgh 1726: Invention of the chronometer A marine chronometer is a clock that is precise and accurate enough to be used as a portable time standard; it can therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation. When first developed in the 18th century, it was a major technical achievement, as accurate knowledge of the time over a long sea voyage is necessary for navigation, lacking electronic or communications aids. The first true chronometer was the life work of one man, John Harrison, spanning 31 years of persistent experimentation and test that revolutionized naval navigation enabling the Age of Discovery and Colonialism to accelerate
117	1727	1727: Board of Manufacturers established Board of Manufacturers established in Scotland 11 Jun 1727: George I dies George I dies - George II Hanover becomes king
118	1729	9 Nov 1729: Treaty of Seville Treaty of Seville signed between Britain, France and Spain - Britain maintained control of Port Mahon and Gibraltar
119	1730	1730: Irish famine Irish famine
120	1731	1731: Invention of seed drill Invention of seed drill by Jethro Tull [others say 1701] 1731: Invention of sextant Invention of sextant by John Hadley
121	1732	7 Dec 1732: Opera House opens Covent Garden Opera House opens
122	1733	1733: Excise crisis Excise crisis: Sir Robert Walpole wanted to add excise tax to tobacco and wine - Pulteney and Bolingbroke oppose the excise tax 1733: Latin in parish registers Law forbidding the use of Latin in parish registers generally obeyed - some continued in Latin for a few years 1733: John Kay invents the flying shuttle John Kay invents the flying shuttle, revolutionised the weaving industry
123	1734	1734: Kent's Directory Kent's Directory published
124	1737	1737: Licensing Act Licensing Act restricts the number of London theatres and subects plays to censorship of the Lord Chamberlain (till 1950s)
125	1738	24 May 1738: John Wesley John Wesley has his conversion experience
126	1739	1739: Methodist revival Wesley and Whitefield commence great Methodist revival 7 Apr 1739: Dick Turpin Dick Turpin, highwayman, hanged at York 23 Oct 1739: War of Jenkins' Ear War of Jenkins' Ear starts: Robert Walpole reluctantly declares war on Spain
127	1741	1741: Benjamin Ingham Benjamin Ingham founded the Moravian Methodists or Inghamites - Earliest Moravian registers
128	1742	1742: England goes to war with Spain England goes to war with Spain - incited by William Pitt the Elder (Earl of Chatham) for the sake of trade
129	1743	16 Jun 1743: Battle of Dettingen (June 27 in Gregorian calendar): Battle of Dettingen - last time a British sovereign (George II) led troops in battle
130	1744	1744: God Save the King Tune 'God Save the King' makes its appearance
131	1745	1745: Jacobite rebellion in Scotland Jacobite rebellion in Scotland ('The Forty-five') 19 Aug 1745: Bonnie Prince Charlie Bonnie Prince Charlie (The Young Pretender) lands in the western Highlands - raises support among Episcopalian and Catholic clans - The Pretender's army invades Perth, Edinburgh, and England as far as Derby
132	1746	16 Apr 1746: Battle of Culloden Battle of Culloden - last battle fought in Britain - 5,000 Highlanders routed by the Duke of Cumberland and 9,000 loyalists Scots - Young Pretender Charles flees to Continent, ending Jacobite hopes forever - the wearing of the kilt prohibited
133	1747	1747: Abolition of Heritable Jurisdictions Abolition of Heritable Jurisdictions in Scotland. It abolished the traditional rights of jurisdiction afforded to a Scottish clan chief. 1747: Act for Pacification Act for Pacification of the Highlands
134	1749	27 Apr 1749: Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks First performance of Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks (in Green Park, London)
135	1750	Feb 1750: Earthquakes in London and the Home Counties Series of earthquakes in London and the Home Counties cause panic with predictions of an apocalypse (Feb/Mar) 16 Nov 1750: Westminster Bridge opened Original Westminster Bridge opened (replaced in 1862 due to subsidence)
136	1751	Mar 1751: Chesterfield's Calendar Act Chesterfield's Calendar Act passed - royal assent to the bill was given on 22 May 1751 - It reformed the calendar of England and British Dominions so that a new year began on 1 January rather than 25 March (Lady Day) and would run according to the Gregorian calendar, as used in most of western Europe.
137	1752	1752: Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin invents the lightning conductor 3 Sep 1752: Julian Calendar dropped Julian Calendar dropped and Gregorian Calendar adopted in England and Scotland, making this Sep 14
138	1753	1753: British Museum Private collection of Sir Hans Sloane forms the basis of the British Museum 1 May 1753: Species Plantarum Publication of 'Species Plantarum' by Linnaeus and the formal start date of plant taxonomy
139	1754	1754: Hardwicke Act Hardwicke Act (1753): Banns to be called, and Printed Marriage Register forms to be used - Quakers & Jews exempt 1754: Cow Inn at Haslemere In the General Election, the Cow Inn at Haslemere, Surrey caused a national scandal by subdividing the freehold to create eight votes instead of one 1754: British troops First British troops not belonging to the East India Company despatched to India
140	1755	1755: Dr Samuel Johnson Publication of Dictionary of the English Language' by Dr Samuel Johnson 1755—1827: Canal construction began Period of canal construction began in Britain (till 1827) 2 Dec 1755: Eddystone Lighthouse destroyed Second Eddystone Lighthouse destroyed by fire
141	1756	15 May 1756: Seven Years War The Seven Years War with France (Pitt's trade war) begins Jun 1756: Black Hole of Calcutta Black Hole of Calcutta - 146 Britons imprisoned, most die according to British sources
142	1757	1757: Empire of India The foundation laid for the Empire of India 14 Mar 1757: Admiral Byng Admiral Byng shot at Portsmouth for failing to relieve Minorca 23 Jun 1757: battle of Plassey The Nawab of Bengal tries to expel the British, but is defeated at the battle of Plassey (Palashi, June 23) - the East India Company forces are led by Robert Clive
143	1759	1759: Methodist chapels Wesley builds 356 Methodist chapels 15 Jan 1759: British Museum British Museum opens to the public in London 16 Oct 1759: Third Eddystone Lighthouse Third Eddystone Lighthouse (John Smeaton's) completed
144	1760	1760: Carron Iron Works Carron Iron Works in operation in Scotland 5 May 1760: First use of hangman's drop First use of hangman's drop 25 Oct 1760: George II dies George II dies - George III Hanover, his grandson, becomes king. The date conventionally marks the start of the so-called first Industrial Revolution'
145	1761	16 Jan 1761: British capture Pondicherry British capture Pondicherry, India from the French
146	1762	1762: Cigars introduced Cigars introduced into Britain from Cuba
147	1763	10 Feb 1763: Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris - The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Peace of Paris and the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Britain's victory over France and Spain during the Seven Years' War.
148	1764	1764: Lloyd's Register of shipping Lloyd's Register of shipping first prepared 1764: Practice of numbering houses Practice of numbering houses introduced to London 1764: James Hargeaves James Hargeaves invents the Spinning Jenny. The device reduced the amount of work needed to produce yarn. 1764: Mozart Mozart produces his first symphony at age eight
149	1765	1765: The potato The potato becomes the most popular food in Europe 22 Mar 1765: Stamp Act passed Stamp Act passed - imposed a tax on publications and legal documents in the American colonies (repealed the following year)
150	1766	1766: National records on rainfall start Start of 'composite' national records on rainfall in the UK 5 Dec 1766: Christie's auction house Christie's auction house founded in London by James Christie
151	1767	1767: James Watt Newcomen's steam pumping engine perfected by James Watt
152	1768	9 Jan 1768: Philip Astley starts his circus Philip Astley starts his circus in London 6 Dec 1768: Encyclopaedia Britannica The first edition of the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' published in Edinburgh by William Smellie
153	1769	1769: Arkwright invents water frame Arkwright invents water frame (textile production) 1769: New Zealand Capt James Cook maps the coast of New Zealand 6 Sep 1769: First Shakespeare festival David Garrick organises first Shakespeare festival at Stratford-upon-Avon
154	1770	1770: Clyde Trust Clyde Trust created to convert the River Clyde, then an insignificant river, into a major thoroughfare for maritime communications 28 Apr 1770: Botany Bay Capt James Cook lands in Australia (Botany Bay) ? Aug 21: formally claims Australia for Britain
155	1771	1771: Right to report Parliamentary debates Right to report Parliamentary debates established in England
156	1772	1772: First Travellers' Cheques First Travellers' Cheques issued by the London Credit Exchange Company 1772: Morning Post first published 'Morning Post' first published (until 1937) 14 May 1772: Judge Mansfield Judge Mansfield rules that there is no legal basis for slavery in England
157	1774	13 Sep 1774: Easter Island Cook arrives on Easter Island
158	1775	19 Apr 1775: Battle of Lexington Battle of Lexington: first action in American War of Independence (1775- 1783)
159	1776	1776: Somerset House Somerset House in London becomes the repository of records of population 1776: First commercial steam engine Watt and Boulton produce their first commercial steam engine 4 Jul 1776: American Declaration of Independence American Declaration of Independence 7 Sep 1776: First submarine attack First attack on a warship by a submarine - David Bushnell's 'Turtle' attacked HMS Eagle in New York harbour. The attack was perhaps spectacular (a charge did detonate beneath the ship) but was nevertheless unsuccessful. 'Turtle' was a one man - man-powered affair
160	1777	1777: Circular saw Samuel Miller of Southampton patents the circular saw.
161	1779	1779: Marc Isambard Brunel Marc Isambard Brunel opens the first steamdriven sawmill at Chatham Dockyard in Kent 1779: First iron bridge built First iron bridge built, over the Severn by John Wilkinson 1779: First Spinning Mills First Spinning Mills operational in Scotland 14 Feb 1779: Capt James Cook Capt James Cook killed on Hawaii 23 Sep 1779: Naval engagement between Britain and USA Naval engagement between Britain and USA off Flamborough Head
162	1780	1780: Male Servants Tax Male Servants Tax 1780: English Reform Movement The English Reform Movement - until now, only landowners and tenants (freeholders with 40 shillings per year or more) allowed to vote, and in open poll books 1780: Quiz About this time the word 'Quiz' entered the language, said to have been invented as a wager by Mr Daly, a Dublin theatre manager 4 May 1780: The Derby First Derby run at Epsom (some say 2nd June) 2 Jun 1780—8 Jun 1780: The Gordon Riots The Gordon Riots - Parliament passes a Roman Catholic relief measure and for days, London is at the mercy of a mob and destruction is widespread
163	1782	1782: The Relief of the Poor Act 1782 Thomas Gilbert's Act establishes outdoor poor relief - the way of life of the poor beginning to alter due to industrialisation - New factories in rapidly expanding towns required a workforce that would adjust to new work patterns 1782: James Watt patents his steam engine James Watt patents his steam engine
164	1783	1783: Parish Register Duty payable on Parish Register entries (3d per entry - repealed 1794) - led to a fall in entries! 3 Nov 1783: Public execution Last public execution at Tyburn in London (John Austin, a highwayman)
165	1784	1784: Pitt's India Act Pitt's India Act - the Crown (as opposed to officers of the East India Company) has power to guide Indian politics 1784: Wesley Wesley breaks with the Church of England 1784: St Andrews First golf club founded at St Andrews 1784: Threshing Machine Invention of threshing machine by Andrew Meikle 2 Aug 1784: 1st Mail Coaches First mail coaches in England (4pm Bristol / 8am London)
166	1785	1785: Sunday School Society founded Sunday School Society founded to educate poor children (by 1851, enrols more than 2 million) 1 Jan 1785: The Times John Walter publishes first edition of The Times (called The Daily Universal Register for 3 years)
167	1787	1787: Marylebone Cricket Club MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) established at Thomas Lord's ground in London
168	1788	1788: 1st Steamboat First steamboat demonstrated in Scotland 1788: Chimney Sweepers Law passed requiring that chimney sweepers be a minimum of 8 years old (not enforced) 1788: First slave carrying act First slave carrying act, the Dolben Act of 1788, regulates the slave trade - stipulates more humane conditions on slave ships 1788: Regency Crisis King George III's mental illness occasions the Regency Crisis - Edmund Burke and Charles James Fox attack ministry of William Pitt - trying to obtain full regal powers for the Prince of Wales 1788: Gibbon completes 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' Gibbon completes 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' 26 Jan 1788: First convicts arrive in New South Wales First convicts (and free settlers) arrive in New South Wales (left Portsmouth 13 May 1787) ? the 'First Fleet'; eleven ships commanded by Captain Arthur Phillip
169	1789	28 Apr 1789: Mutiny on HMS Bounty Mutiny on HMS Bounty - Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift and the rebel crew ends up on Pitcairn Island
170	1790	1790: Forth and Clyde Canal opened Forth and Clyde Canal opened in Scotland
171	1791	1791: John Bell, printer, abandons the long 's' John Bell, printer, abandons the long 's' (the 's' that looks like an 'f') 1791: Establishment of the Ordnance Survey Establishment of the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain 4 Dec 1791: First publication of The Observer First publication of The Observer - world's oldest Sunday newspaper
172	1792	1792: Repression in Britain Repression in Britain (restrictions on freedom of the press) - Fox gets Libel Act through Parliament, requiring a jury and not a judge to determine libel 1792: Boyle's Street Directory Boyle's Street Directory published 1792: Coal-gas lighting invented Coal-gas lighting invented by William Murdock, an Ayrshire Scot 1 Oct 1792: Introduction of Money Orders Introduction of Money Orders in Britain 1 Dec 1792: King's Proclamation King's Proclamation drawing out the British militia
173	1793	11 Feb 1793: Britain-French war Britain declares war on France (1793-1802) 15 Apr 1793: £5 notes issued £5 notes first issued by the Bank of England
174	1794	1794: Abolition of Parish Register duties Abolition of Parish Register duties 6 Oct 1794: Lord Justice Eyre The prosecutor for Britain, Lord Justice Eyre, charges reformers with High Treason - he argued that, since reform of parliament would lead to revolution and revolution to executing the King, the desire for reform endangered the King's life and was therefore treasonous
175	1795	1795: The Famine Year The Famine Year 1795: Foundation of the Orange Order Foundation of the Orange Order 1795: Speenhamland Act Speenhamland Act proclaims that the Parish is responsible for bringing up the labourer's wage to subsistence level - towards the end of the eighteenth century, the number of poor and unemployed increased dramatically - price increases during the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815) far outstripped wage rises - many small farmers were bankrupted by the move towards enclosures and became landless labourers - their wages were often pitifully low 1795: The Gagging Acts Pitt and Grenville introduce 'The Gagging Acts' or 'Two Bills' (the Seditious Meetings and Treasonable Practices Bills) - outlawed the mass meeting and the political lecture. 1795: Consumption of lime juice Consumption of lime juice made compulsory in Royal Navy
176	1796	1796: Pitt's Reign of Terror Pitt's 'Reign of Terror': More treason trials - leading radicals emigrate 1796: Legacy Tax Legacy Tax on sums over £20 excluding those to wives, children, parents and grandparents 14 May 1796: Smallpox Dr Edward Jenner gave first vaccination for smallpox in England
177	1797	1797: Bank of England suspends cash payments England in Crisis, Bank of England suspends cash payments 1797: Mutinies in the Roayl Navy Mutinies in the Roayl Navy at Spithead and Nore 1797: Tax on newspapers increased Tax on newspapers (including cheap, topical journals) increased to repress radical publications 1797: First copper pennies The first copper pennies were produced ('cartwheels') by application of steam power to the coining press 22 Feb 1797: French invade Fishguard French invade Fishguard, Wales; last time UK invaded; all the French were captured 2 days later 26 Feb 1797: First £1 notes First £1 (and £2) notes issued by Bank of England
178	1798	1798: Vaccination First planned human experiment with vaccination, to test theories of Edward Jenner Feb 1798: The Irish Rebellion The Irish Rebellion; 100,000 peasants revolt; approximately 25,000 die - Irish Parliament abolished (Feb-Oct) 1 Aug 1798: Battle of the Nile Battle of the Nile (won by Nelson)
179	1799	1799: Royal Military College Sandhurst Foundation of Royal Military College Sandhurst by the Duke of York 1799: Foundation of the Royal Institution The Royal Institution was founded in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the age, including Henry Cavendish and its first president, George Finch, the 9th Earl of Winchilsea, for "diffusing the knowledge, and facilitating the general introduction, of useful mechanical inventions and improvements; and for teaching, by courses of philosophical lectures and experiments, the application of science to the common purposes of life." 9 Jan 1799: Income tax Pitt brings in 10% income tax, as a wartime financial measure 12 Jul 1799: Combination Laws 'Combination Laws' in Britain against political associations and combinations 15 Jul 1799: Rosetta Stone 'Rosetta Stone' discovered in Egypt made possible the deciphering (in 1822) of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics
180	1800	1800: First electric light produced by Sir Humphrey Davy 1800: Richard Trevithick Use of high pressure steam pioneered by Richard Trevithick (1771-1833) 1800: Royal College of Surgeons Royal College of Surgeons founded 1800: Infra-red light discovered Herschel discovers infra-red light 1800: first electrical battery Volta makes first electrical battery 2 Jul 1800: union of Great Britain and Ireland Parliamentary union of Great Britain and Ireland
181	1801	1801: Grand Union Canal Grand Union Canal opens in England 1801: Elgin Marbles Elgin Marbles brought from Athens to London 1 Jan 1801: Union Jack Union Jack becomes the official British flag 10 Mar 1801: First census First census puts the population of England and Wales at 9,168,000. Population of Britain nearly 11 million (75% rural) 24 Dec 1801: First self-propelled passenger carrying road loco Richard Trevithick built the first self-propelled passenger carrying road loco
182	1802	25 Mar 1802: Treaty of Amiens Treaty of Amiens signed by Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The 'Peace of Amiens' as it was known brought a temporary peace of 14 months during the Napoleonic Wars one of its most important cultural effects was that travel and correspondence across the English Channel became possible again
183	1803	1803: Poaching Poaching made a Capital offense in England if capture resisted 1803: Richard Trevithick Richard Trevithick built another steam carriage and ran it in London as the first self-propelled vehicle in the capital and the first London bus 1803: Semaphore signaling Semaphore signaling perfected by Admiral Popham 30 Apr 1803: Louisiana Purchase Louisiana Purchase: Napoleon sells French possessions in America to United States 12 May 1803: Napoleonic Wars Peace of Amiens ends - resumption of war with France - The Napoleonic Wars (1803-18l5) 23 Jul 1803: First public railway opens First public railway opens (Surrey Iron Railway, 9 miles from Wandsworth to Croydon, horse-drawn)
184	1804	1804: Australia Matthew Flinders recommends that the newly discovered country, New Holland, be renamed 'Australia' 21 Feb 1804: Penydarren Railway Richard Trevithick runs his railway engine on the Penydarren Railway (9.5 miles from Pen-y-Darren to Abercynon in South Wales) this hauled a train with 10 tons of iron and 70 passengers. It was commemorated by the Royal Mint in 2004 in the form of a £2 coin. 3 Mar 1804: The Royal Horticultural Society John Wedgwood (eldest son of the potter Josiah Wedgwood) founds The Royal Horticultural Society 2 Dec 1804: Napoleon Napoleon declares himself Emperor of the French 12 Dec 1804: Spain declares war Spain declares war on Britain
185	1805	1805: London docks opened The London docks were constructed in Wapping downstream from the City of London between 1799 and 1815, at a cost exceeding £5½ million 21 Oct 1805: Battle of Trafalgar Admiral Nelson's victory at Trafalgar 2 Dec 1805: Battle of Austerlitz Battle of Austerlitz; Napoleon defeats Austrians and Russians
186	1806	1806: Dartmoor Prison opened Dartmoor Prison opened (built by French prisoners) 9 Jan 1806: Nelson buried Nelson buried in St Paul's cathedral, London
187	1807	25 Mar 1807: Act prohibiting slavery Parliament passes Act prohibiting slavery and the importation of slaves from 1808, but does not prohibit colonial slavery
188	1808	1808: Gas lighting Gas lighting in London streets 13 Jul 1808: Hot Wednesday 'Hot Wednesday' - temperature of 101F in the shade recorded in London 20 Dec 1808: Beethoven Beethoven premieres his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy together in Vienna
189	1809	12 Feb 1809: Charles Darwin Birth of Charles Darwin 18 Sep 1809: Royal Opera House Royal Opera House opens in London
190	1810	1810: John McAdam John McAdam begins road construction in England, giving his name to the process of road metalling
191	1811	5 Feb 1811: Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (future George IV) made Regent after George III deemed insane
192	1812	11 May 1812: Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, assassinated Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, assassinated ? shot as he entered the House of Commons by a bankrupt Liverpool broker, John Bellingham, who was subsequently hanged 18 Jun 1812: Start of American 'War of 1812' Start of American 'War of 1812' (to 1814) against England and Canada Oct 1812: Napoleon retreats Napoleon retreats from Moscow with catastrophic losses
193	1813	1813: First recorded '12th of July' sectarian riots in Belfast Ireland: First recorded '12th of July' sectarian riots in Belfast 1813: Jane Austen wrote 'Pride and Prejudice' Jane Austen wrote 'Pride and Prejudice'
194	1814	1 Jan 1814: Invasion of France Invasion of France by Allies 6 Apr 1814: Napoleon abdicates Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba 13 Aug 1814: Convention of London signed Convention of London signed, a treaty between the UK and the Dutch 24 Aug 1814: The British burn the White House The British burn the White House 29 Nov 1814: The Times printed by a mechanical apparatus 'The Times' first printed by a 'mechanical apparatus' (at 1100 sheets per hour)
195	1815	1815: Trial by Jury established in Scotland Trial by Jury established in Scotland 1815: Davy safety lamp Davy develops the safety lamp for miners 18 Jun 1815: The Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo: Napoleon defeated and exiled to St. Helena
196	1816	1816: Income tax abolished Income tax abolished 1816: Silver coins For the first time British silver coins were produced with an intrinsic value substantially below their face value - the first official 'token' coinage 1816: year without a summer Climate: the 'year without a summer' - followed a volcanic explosion of the mountain 'Tambora' in Indonesia the previous year the biggest volcanic explosion in 10000 years 1816: Large scale emigration to North America Large scale emigration to North America, Trans-Atlantic packet service begins
197	1817	1817: March of the Manchester Blanketeers March of the Manchester Blanketeers; Habeas Corpus suspended 1817: Constable painted 'Flatford Mill' Constable painted 'Flatford Mill'
198	1818	1818: Manchester cotton spinners' strike Manchester cotton spinners' strike 20 Oct 1818: 'Convention of 1818' 'Convention of 1818' signed between the United States and the United Kingdom which, among other things, settled the US-Canada border on the 49th parallel for most of its length
199	1819	1819: the Dandy Horse becomes popular Primitive bicycle, the Dandy Horse, becomes popular 1819: Britain returns to gold standard Britain returns to gold standard 1819: Singapore founded Singapore founded by Sir Stamford Raffles May 1819: SS 'Savannah' SS 'Savannah' first steamship to cross Atlantic reaching Liverpool 20 June 1819. Voyage used both sail & steam 16 Aug 1819: Peterloo Massacre at Manchester Peterloo Massacre at Manchester, a large, orderly group of 60,000 meets at St. Peter's Fields, Manchester and demand Parliamentary Reform. Mounted troops charge on the meeting, killing 11 people and and maiming many others.
200	1820	1820: Cato Street Conspiracy Cato Street Conspiracy - plot to assissinate British cabinet 1820: Spanish Inquisition Abolition of the Spanish Inquisition 29 Jan 1820: George IV Accession of George IV, previously Prince Regent 1 Aug 1820: Regent's Canal opens Regent's Canal in London opens 17 Aug 1820: Queen Caroline Trial of Queen Caroline to prove her infidelities so George IV can divorce her - George tries to secure a Bill of Pains and Penalties against her -Caroline is virtually acquitted because bill passed by such a small majority of Lords
201	1821	1821: Principles of electro-magnetic rotation Faraday publishes 'Principles of electro-magnetic rotation' 1821: The Hay Wain Constable paints 'The Hay Wain' 5 May 1821: Death of Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte dies on St Helena
202	1822	14 Jun 1822: Charles Babbage Charles Babbage proposes a difference engine in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society
203	1823	1823: Peel begins penal reforms Peel begins penal reforms - death penalty abolished for over 100 crimes 1823: Rugby Football Rugby Football 'invented' at Rugby School 1823: MacIntosh Rubberised waterproof material produced by MacIntosh 2 Dec 1823: US President James Monroe US President James Monroe delivers a speech establishing American neutrality in future European conflicts (the 'Monroe Doctrine')
204	1824	1824: RSPCA RSPCA established 1824: Portland cement Portland cement patented 4 Mar 1824: (RNLI) founded Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) founded (called the 'National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck' until 1854) 10 May 1824: National Gallery opens National Gallery in London opens to the public
205	1825	27 Sep 1825: Stockton to Darlington Railway Stockton to Darlington Railway opens - world's first service of locomotive-hauled passenger trains
206	1827	1827: Ohm's Law Ohm's Law published
207	1828	25 Oct 1828: St Katharine Docks St Katharine Docks in London opened (designed by Thomas Telford)
208	1829	1829: London Metropolitan Police Force London Metropolitan Police Force formed, nicknamed 'Bobbies' after Sir Robert Peel 1829: Louis Braille Louis Braille invents his system of finger-reading for the blind 10 Jun 1829: Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race First Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race 6 Oct 1829: George Stephenson's Rocket George Stephenson's Rocket wins the Rainhill trials (it was the only one to complete the trial!)
209	1830	1830: Uprisings and agitation across Europe Uprisings and agitation across Europe: the Netherlands are split into Holland and Belgium Jul 1830: Fall of Charles X Revolution in France, fall of Charles X and the Bourbons - Louis Philippe (the Citizen King) on the throne 15 Sep 1830: Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened George Stephenson's Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened by the Duke of Wellington - first mail carried by rail, and first death on the railway as William Huskisson, a leading politician, is run over!
210	1831	1831: A list of parish registers compiled A list of all parish registers dating prior to 1813 compiled 1 Jun 1831: North Magnetic Pole James Clark Ross discovers the North Magnetic Pole 1 Aug 1831: 'New' London Bridge opens 'New' London Bridge opens (replaced 1973) old bridge (which had existed for over 600 years) then demolished
211	1832	1832: Electoral Register Electoral Registers introduced 1832: Electric telegraph invented Electric telegraph invented by Morse 7 Jun 1832: Representation of the People Act Reform Bill passed - Representation of the People Act
212	1833	Jan 1833: Falkland Islands In December 1832, two naval vessels were sent by the United Kingdom to reassert British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), after the United Provinces of South America (part of which later became Argentina) ignored British diplomatic protests over the appointment of Luis Vernet as governor of the Falkland Islands and a dispute over fishing rights. 29 Aug 1833: Factory Act Factory Act forbids employment of children below age of 9
213	1834	1834: Babbage Babbage invents forerunner of the computer 18 Mar 1834: Tolpuddle Martyrs 'Tolpuddle Martyrs' transported (to Australia) for Trades Union activities 1 May 1834: Slavery abolished Slavery abolished in British possessions
214	1835	1835: First railway boom First railway boom period starts in Britain construction of Great Western Railway 25 Dec 1835: Christmas Christmas becomes a national holiday
215	1836	1836: First Potato famine First Potato famine in Ireland 30 Jan 1836: Menai Straits Bridge opened Telford's Menai Straits Bridge opened, considered the world's first modern suspension bridge 25 Feb 1836: Samuel Colt Samuel Colt patented the 'revolver' 6 Mar 1836: Death of Davy Crockett The Alamo falls to Mexican troops - death of Davy Crockett Jul 1836: Arc de Triomphe Inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
216	1837	1837: Pitman shorthand Pitman introduces his shorthand system 1837: P&O Founded P&O Founded 20 Jun 1837: King William IV dies William IV dies - accession of Queen Victoria (to 1901) 1 Jul 1837: Compulsory registration of Births, Marriages & Deaths in England & Wales Compulsory registration of Births, Marriages & Deaths in England & Wales - Registration Districts were formed covering several parishes; initially they had the same boundaries as the Poor Law boundaries set up in 1834 13 Jul 1837: Buckingham Palace Queen Victoria moves into the first Buckingham Palace 20 Jul 1837: Euston Railway station Euston Railway station opens - first in London
217	1838	28 Jun 1838: Coronation of Queen Victoria Coronation of Queen Victoria at Westminster Abbey
218	1839	1839: First Opium War First Opium War between Britain and China (to 1842) - Britain captures Hong Kong 1839: Kirkpatrick MacMillan Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick MacMillan refines the primitive bicycle adding a mechanical crank drive to the rear wheel,thus creating the first true 'bicycle' in the modern Sense 1839: Charles Goodyear Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber
219	1840	1840: Census Population Act relating to taking of censuses in Britain 1840: Last convicts landed in NSW Last convicts landed in NSW (some say 1842 or 1849, but these probably landed elsewhere) 10 Jan 1840: Penny Postage Uniform Penny Postage introduced nationally
220	1841	1841: Thomas Cook Thomas Cook starts package tours 10 Feb 1841: Penny Red Penny Red replaces Penny Black postage stamp 6 Jun 1841: First full census June 6: First full census in Britain in which all names were recorded(Population 18.5M)
221	1842	1842: Income Tax reintroduced Income Tax reintroduced in Britain 30 Mar 1842: Ether used as an anesthetic Ether used as an anesthetic for the first time (by Dr Crawford Long in America) 29 Aug 1842: Treaty of Nanking Treaty of Nanking - End of First Opium War - Britain gains Hong Kong
222	1843	1843: First Christmas card First Christmas card in England 27 May 1843: Great Hall of Euston station opens The Great Hall of Euston station opened in London 19 Jul 1843: SS Great Britain Brunel's 'Great Britain' launched
223	1844	6 Jun 1844: YMCA founded YMCA founded in London by Sir George Williams
224	1845	1845: Tarmac laid for first time Tarmac laid for first time (in Nottingham) 17 Mar 1845: Rubber band patented The rubber band patented by Stephen Perry
225	1846	10 Sep 1846: Sewing machine is patented The sewing machine is patented by Elias Howe
226	1847	1847: Mormons US Mormons make Salt Lake City their centre Jan 1847: Anesthetic used for the first time in England An anesthetic used for the first time in England (James Simpson used ether to numb the pain of labour)
227	1848	1848: Chewing gum First commercial production of chewing gum 24 Jan 1848: California gold rush Gold found at Sutter's Mill, California - starts the California gold rush 11 Jul 1848: Waterloo station opens Waterloo railway station in London opens
228	1849	1849: Florin introduced Florin(2 shilling coin) introduced as the first step to decimalisation - which finally occurred in 1971!
229	1851	1851: Gold Rush Gold discovered in Australia 1 May 1851: 'Crystal Palace' exhibition Great exhibition of the works of industry of all nations ('Crystal Palace' exhibition) opened in Hyde Park
230	1852	1852: Tasmania Tasmania ceases to be a convict settlement 1852: Wells Fargo Wells Fargo established in USA
231	1853	1853: Vaccination against smallpox Vaccination against smallpox made compulsory in Britain
232	1854	1854: Cigarettes introduced into Britain Cigarettes introduced into Britain 27 Mar 1854: Crimean War Britain declares war on Russia (Crimean War) 25 Oct 1854: charge of the Light Brigade Battle of Balaklava in Crimea (charge of the Light Brigade)
233	1856	1856: End of Crimean War End of Crimean War 29 Jan 1856: Victoria Cross created by Royal Warran Victoria Cross created by Royal Warrant, backdated to 1854 to recognise acts during the Crimean War (first award ceremony 26 June 1857)
234	1857	1857: Transatlantic cable Work starts on the laying of the Transatlantic cable
235	1858	1858: The great stink 'The great stink' - smell of the River Thames forced Parliament to stop work 1858: Royal Opera House Royal Opera House opens in Covent Garden, London
236	1859	25 Apr 1859: Work Started on the Suez canal Work started on building the Suez canal (opened 17 Nov 1869) 4 May 1859: Royal Albert Bridge opened Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge opened at Saltash giving rail link between Devon and Cornwall 24 Nov 1859: The Origin of Species published Charles Darwin publishes 'The Origin of Species'
237	1860	29 Aug 1860: First tram service in Europe starts First tram service in Europe starts in Birkenhead
238	1861	25 May 1861: American Civil War begins American Civil War begins
239	1862	20 Apr 1862: First pasteurisation test First pasteurisation test completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard
240	1863	1863: Football Association founded Football Association founded (UK) 1863: Broadmoor opens Opening of state institution for criminally insane at Broadmoor, England 10 Jan 1863: London Underground First section of the London Underground Railway opens - In 1855 an Act of Parliament was passed approving the construction of an underground railway between Paddington Station and Farringdon Street via King's Cross which was to be called the Metropolitan Railway.
241	1864	1864: First recorded successful attack by a submarine on a surface ship A man-powered submarine, 'Hunley' sank a Federal steam ship USS Housatonic at the entrance to Charleston harbour in 1864 - the first recorded successful attack by a submarine on a surface ship 11 Mar 1864: Great Sheffield Flood The Great Sheffield Flood - over 250 died when a new dam broke while it was being filled for the first time 20 Aug 1864: Red Cross established Red Cross established - Twelve nations sign the First Geneva Convention 8 Dec 1864: Clifton Suspension Bridge Clifton Suspension Bridge over the River Avon officially opened
242	1865	1865: First woman doctor in England Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1836-1917) becomes first woman doctor in England [she later became the first woman mayor in England, in Aldeburgh 1908] 1865: Last convicts landed in NSW First concrete roads built in Britain 14 Apr 1865: End of American Civil War End of American Civil War - slavery abolished in USA 14 Apr 1865: Abraham Lincoln assassinated Abraham Lincoln assassinated in Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth 5 Jul 1865: Salvation Army founded William Booth (1829-1912) founds Salvation Army, in London
243	1867	1 Jul 1867: Canadian Confederation The British North America Act takes effect, creating the Canadian Confederation
244	1868	1868: Last convicts landed in Australia Last convicts landed in Australia (Western Australia)
245	1869	1869: Washing machines Ball bearings, celluloid, margarine, and washing machines, all invented 23 Nov 1869: Cutty Sark Cutty Sark launched in Dumbarton
246	1870	1870: General Post Office GPO takes over the privately-owned Telegraph Companies (nationalised) 1870: Dr Thomas Barnardo Dr Thomas Barnardo opens his first home for destitute children 1870: Water closets Water closets come into wide use 1870: Diamonds Diamonds discovered in Kimberley, South Africa 1 Oct 1870: First British postcard First British postcard - halfpenny post
247	1871	27 Mar 1871: First Rugby Football international First Rugby Football international, England v Scotland, played in Edinburgh 29 Mar 1871: Royal Albert Hall Opening of Royal Albert Hall, London 29 Jun 1871: Trades Unions legalised Trades Unions legalised in Britain, but picketing made illegal
248	1872	1872: Licensing hours introduced Licensing hours introduced 1872: Penalties introduced Penalties introduced for failing to register births, marriages & deaths (Eng & Wales) 4 Dec 1872: Mary Celeste American ship 'Mary Celeste' is found abandoned by the British brig 'Dei Gratia' in the Atlantic Ocean
249	1874	1874: 56-hour week Factory Act introduces 56-hour week 5 Apr 1874: Birkenhead Park opened Birkenhead Park opened, said to be the first civic public park in the world - features of it later copied in Central Park, New York
250	1875	1875: London's main sewage system completed. Joseph Bazalgette, a civil engineer and Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Board of Works, was given responsibility for the work. He designed an extensive underground sewerage system that diverted waste to the Thames Estuary, downstream of the main centre of population. Six main interceptor sewers, totalling almost 100 miles (160 km) in length, were constructed, some incorporating stretches of London's 'lost' rivers. Three of these sewers were north of the river, the southernmost, low-level one being incorporated in the Thames Embankment. 1 Jan 1875: Second Class passenger facilities abolished Midland Railway abolishes Second Class passenger facilities, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies followed during the rest of the year. (Third Class was renamed Second Class in 1956)
251	1876	14 Feb 1876: Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray each file a patent for the telephone - Bell awarded the rights
252	1877	1877: Edison invents microphone Edison invents microphone and phonograph
253	1878	1878: Electric lamp invented Edison & Swan invent electric lamp 1878: Red Flag Act in Red Flag Act in Britain limits mechanical road vehicles to 4mph 1878: CID established Criminal Investigation Department established at New Scotland Yard
254	1879	18 Sep 1879: Blackpool illuminations Blackpool illuminations switched on for first time
255	1880	1880: Education Act: Education Act: schooling compulsory for 5-10 year olds 1880: Malaria Mosquito found to be the carrier of malaria 2 Aug 1880: Greenwich Mean Time Greenwich Mean Time adopted throughout UK
256	1881	1881: Postal Orders introduced Postal Orders introduced 1881: Flogging abolished Flogging abolished in Army and Royal Navy Sep 1881: First town with electricity supply Godalming in Surrey became the first town in England to have a public electricity supply installed (but in 1884 it reverted to gas lighting until 1904) 26 Oct 1881: Gunfight at OK Corral Gunfight at OK Corral
257	1882	1882: Fourth Eddystone Lighthouse completed Fourth Eddystone Lighthouse completed
258	1883	1883: Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty presented to USA by France 24 May 1883: Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn Bridge, New York opens (crosses East River) 1 Aug 1883: Parcel post starts in Britain Parcel post starts in Britain 27 Aug 1883: Eruption of Krakatoa Eruption of Krakatoa near Java - 30,000 killed by tidal wave
259	1884	31 May 1884: Kellogg's corn flakes John Harvey Kellogg patents corn flakes 13 Oct 1884: Greenwich made prime meridian Greenwich made prime meridian of the world
260	1885	1885: Carl Benz Carl Benz builds the 'Motorwagen', a single-cylinder motor car 1885: Gottlieb Daimler Gottlieb Daimler patents the world's first motorcycle 1885: first coated photographic paper Eastman makes first coated photographic paper Mar 1885: First UK cremation in modern times First UK cremation in modern times took place at Woking 5 Sep 1885: Severn Tunnel The first train runs through the Severn Tunnel 29 Sep 1885: Blackpool Trams First electric tramcar used at Blackpool
261	1886	20 Jan 1886: Mersey railway opened Mersey railway (under Mersey) opened by Prince of Wales May 1886: Coca-Cola Pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invents a carbonated beverage later named 'Coca-Cola' 29 May 1886: Putney Bridge Putney Bridge opens in London
262	1887	1887: Daimler produces a four-wheeled motor car Daimler produces a four-wheeled motor car
263	1888	1888: Suez Canal Convention of Constantinople guarantees free maritime passage through Suez Canal in war and peace 1888: Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper active in east London during the latter half of the year 1888: County Councils County Councils set up in Britain 1888: Pneumatic tyre invented Dunlop invents pneumatic tyre 1888: First box camera First box camera - George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak, and receives a patent for his camera which uses roll film 20 Mar 1888: Football League Football League formed
264	1889	1889: Celluloid film Celluloid film produced 1889: Dock Strike Dock Strike - docker's won their 'Docker's Tanner' 6 old pennies 31 Mar 1889: Eiffel Tower Eiffel Tower completed (to mark centenary of French Revolution) 14 May 1889: NSPCC charity launched Children's charity NSPCC launched in London 3 Jun 1889: Canadian Pacific Railway Canadian Pacific Railway completed from coast to coast 28 Sep 1889: Length of a metre defined Length of a metre defined
265	1890	4 Mar 1890: Forth railway bridge opens Forth railway bridge opens - took six years to build 4 Nov 1890: City & South London Railway opens City & South London Railway opens - London's first deep-level tube railway and first major railway in the world to use electric traction
266	1891	1891: Primary education Primary education made free and compulsory 18 Mar 1891: London & Paris First telephone link between London & Paris 4 May 1891: Reichenbach Falls Fictional date when Sherlock Holmes throws Moriarty over Reichenbach Falls, then disappears for 3 years! (published in 1893) 24 Aug 1891: Thomas Edison Thomas Edison patents the motion picture camera
267	1892	1892: Electric oven invented Electric oven invented 1892: Shop Hours Act Shop Hours Act - limit 74 hours per week for under-18's 6 Oct 1892: Alfred Lord Tennyson Alfred Lord Tennyson dies, aged 83, at his house Aldworth, near Haslemere
268	1893	1893: Henry Ford Henry Ford's first car 1893: Zip fastener invented Zip fastener invented
269	1894	1894: Picture postcard Picture postcard introduced in Britain 1 Jan 1894: Manchester Ship Canal Manchester Ship Canal opens 1 Mar 1894: Blackpool Tower opens Blackpool Tower opens 30 Jun 1894: Tower Bridge Tower Bridge first opens 2 Aug 1894: Death duties Death duties first introduced in Britain
270	1895	1895: Promenade Concerts Sir Henry Wood starts Promenade Concerts in London 12 Jan 1895: The National Trust The National Trust founded in England 24 May 1895: Henry Irving Henry Irving becomes the first person from the theatre to be knighted 28 May 1895: Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde sent to prison 12 Jul 1895: First recorded motor journey of any length First recorded motor journey of any length (56 miles) in Britain 17 Oct 1895: First motor offences First people in Britain to be charged with motor offences - John Henry Knight and James Pullinger of Farnham, Surrey Nov 1895: X-rays discovered X-rays discovered
271	1896	5 Apr 1896: First modern Olympic Games First modern Olympic Games held in Athens 2 Jun 1896: Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Marconi receives a British patent (later disputed) for the radio
272	1897	1897: Thomas Edison Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope, the first movie projector
273	1898	1898: First photograph using artificial light First photograph using artificial light 1898: Zeppelin airship Zeppelin builds airship 17 Mar 1898: USS Holland launched USS Holland launched, the first practical submarine 27 Jun 1898: First solo circumnavigation of the globe The first solo circumnavigation of the globe completed at Rhode island by Joshua Slocum in Spray (started from Boston, Mass on Apr 24, 1895)
274	1899	6 Mar 1899: Aspirin Aspirin first marketed by Bayer 11 Oct 1899: Second Boer War Start of Second Boer War
275	1900	1900: School leaving age School leaving age in Britain raised to 14 years 1900: Central Line Central Line opens in London: underground is electrified 1900: Escalators Escalator shown at Paris exhibition 9 Feb 1900: Davis Cup Davis Cup tennis competition established 27 Feb 1900: Labour Party formed Labour Party formed
276	1901	1901: Commonwealth of Australia Commonwealth of Australia founded 1901: Vacuum cleaner Hubert Cecil Booth patents the vacuum cleaner 22 Jan 1901: Queen Victoria dies Queen Victoria dies - Edward VII king 2 Feb 1901: Queen Victoria's funeral Queen Victoria's funeral - interred beside Prince Albert in the Frogmore Mausoleum at Windsor Great Park Jun 1901: Concentration camps Denunciation of use of concentration camps by British in Boer War 2 Oct 1901: Britain's first submarine launched Britain's first submarine launched 12 Dec 1901: Radio transmission across the Atlantic First successful radio transmission across the Atlantic, by Marconi - Morse code from Cornwall to Newfoundland
277	1902	1902: Balfour's Education Act Balfour's Education Act provides for secondary education 1902: Cremation Act Cremation Act - cremation can only take place at officially recognised establishments, and with two death certificates issued 1902: Marie Curie Marie Curie discovers radioactivity 24 May 1902: Empire Day Empire Day (later Commonwealth Day) first celebrated 31 May 1902: Treaty of Vereeniging Treaty of Vereeniging ends Second Boer War 9 Aug 1902: Edward VII Coronation of Edward VII
278	1903	1903: Workers' Education Association (WEA) Workers' Education Association (WEA) formed in Britain 1903: Women's Social and Political Union Women's Social and Political Union formed in Britain by Emmeline Pankhurst 1903: Henry Ford Henry Ford sets up his motor company 14 Dec 1903: First flight First flight of Wilbur & Orville Wright
279	1904	1904: Leeds University established Leeds University established 8 Apr 1904: Entente Cordiale France and UK sign the Entente Cordiale 4 May 1904: Panama Canal America takes over construction of the Panama Canal from the French (completed 1914)
280	1905	1905: Prime Minister The title 'Prime Minister' noted in a royal warrant for the first time - placed the Prime Minister in order of precedence in Britain immediately after the Archbishop of York 1905: Aliens Act in Britain Aliens Act in Britain: Home Office controls immigration 11 Apr 1905: Special Theory of Relativity Einstein publishes Special Theory of Relativity
281	1906	1906: Free school meals Introduction of free school meals for poor children 10 Feb 1906: HMS Dreadnought Launching of HMS Dreadnought, first turbine-driven battleship 15 Mar 1906: Rolls-Royce Ltd Rolls-Royce Ltd registered 26 May 1906: Vauxhall Bridge Vauxhall Bridge opened in London 20 Sep 1906: RMS Mauretania Launching of Cunard's RMS Mauretania on the Tyne
282	1907	1907: New Zealand New Zealand becomes a Dominion 1907: Imperial College, London Imperial College, London, is established 1907: First airship flies over London First airship flies over London 1907: colour photography Lumiere develops a process for colour photography Jul 1907: Bakelite Leo Hendrik Baekeland patents Bakelite, the first plastic invented that held its shape after being heated 1 Aug 1907: Baden-Powell Baden-Powell leads the first Scout camp on Brownsea Island 9 Nov 1907: Cullinan Diamond The Cullinan Diamond presented to Edward VII on his birthday
283	1908	1908: Coal Mines Regulation Act Coal Mines Regulation Act in Britain limits men to an eight hour day 1908: Separate courts for juveniles Separate courts for juveniles established in Britain 1908: Lord Baden-Powell Lord Baden-Powell starts the Boy Scout movement 1 Jul 1908: SOS SOS became effective as an international signal of distress 12 Aug 1908: First Ford Model T First 'Model T' Ford made
284	1909	1909: Beveridge Report Beveridge Report prompts creation of labour Exchanges 1909: Peary reaches the north pole Peary reaches the north pole 1909: First commercial manufacture of Bakelite First commercial manufacture of Bakelite - start of the plastic age 1 Jan 1909: Old Age Pensions Act Old Age Pensions Act came into force 16 Jan 1909: Ernest Shackleton Ernest Shackleton's expedition finds the magnetic South Pole 15 Mar 1909: Selfridges Selfridges department store opens in London 25 Jul 1909: Bleriot flies across the Channel Bleriot flies across the Channel (36 minutes, Calais to Dover)
285	1910	1910: Railway and coal strikes Railway strike and coal strikes in Britain 1910: Constitutional crisis in Britain The 1909 People's Budget was a product of then British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith's Liberal government, introducing many unprecedented taxes on the wealthy and radical social welfare programmes to Britain's political life. It was championed by Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George and his strong ally Winston Churchill, who was then President of the Board of Trade; the duo was called the "Terrible Twins" by contemporaries 1910: Dr Crippen Dr Crippen caught by radio telegraphy; hanged 23 Nov at Pentonville 1910: Madame Curie Madame Curie isolates radium 1910: Halley's comet Halley's comet reappears 1910: Tango becomes popular Tango becomes popular in North America and Europe 6 May 1910: Edward VII dies Edward VII dies - George V becomes King
286	1911	1911: Parliament Act Parliament Act in Britain reduces the power of the House of Lords 1911: British MPs receive a salary British MPs receive a salary 1911: Official Secrets Act First British Official Secrets Act 1911: theory of atomic structures Rutherford: theory of atomic structures 1911: Strikes by seamen, dock and transport workers Strikes by seamen, dock and transport workers (1911-1912) 2 Apr 1911: Census Census: Population - England and Wales: 36 Million; Scotland: 4.6 Million; N Ireland: 1.25 Million 22 Jun 1911: George V Coronation of George V 14 Dec 1911: National Insurance National Insurance introduced in Britain
287	1912	1912: Irish Home Rule crisis Irish Home Rule crisis grows in Britain 1912: Britain nationalises the telephone system Britain nationalises the telephone system 1912: Discovery of the 'Piltdown Man' Discovery of the 'Piltdown Man' - The significance of the specimen remained the subject of controversy until it was exposed in 1953 as a forgery, consisting of the lower jawbone of an orangutan deliberately combined with the skull of a fully developed modern human. 18 Jan 1912: Captain Scott's last expedition Captain Scott's last expedition - he and his team reach the south pole on Jan 18th; all die on the way back, their bodies found in November 14 Apr 1912: Titanic sinks The 'unsinkable' Titanic sinks on maiden voyage - loss of 1,513 lives 13 May 1912: Royal Flying Corps Royal Flying Corps (later merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to become the RAF) founded in Britain
288	1913	1913: Third Irish Home Rule Bill rejected by House of Lords Third Irish Home Rule Bill rejected by House of Lords - threat of civil war in Ireland - formation of Ulster Volunteers to oppose Home Rule 1913: Suffragette demonstrations Suffragette demonstrations in London - Mrs Pankhurst imprisoned 1913: Trade Union Act Trade Union Act in Britain establishes the right to use Union funds for political purposes 1913: Stainless steel invented Invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley of Sheffield 1913: Geiger Counter Geiger invents his counter to measure radioactivity 4 Jun 1913: Emily Davison Emily Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of the king's horse, Anmer, at the Epsom Derby and dies
289	1914	1914: Irish Home Rule Act Irish Home Rule Act provides for a separate Parliament in Ireland; the position of Ulster to be decided after the War 1914: Chaplin and De Mille Chaplin and De Mille make their first films 28 Jun 1914: Archduke Ferdinand Archduke Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo 4 Aug 1914: Britain declares war on Germany Britain declares war on Germany, citing Belgian neutrality as reason 5 Aug 1914: British cableship Telconia British cableship Telconia cut through all five of Germany's undersea telegraph links to the outside world 15 Aug 1914: Panama Canal opened Panama Canal opened, the Canal cement boat 'Ancon' making the first official transit (plans for a grand opening were cancelled due to the start of WW1) Oct 1914: Battle of Ypres Battle of Ypres - beginning of trench warfare on western front 27 Nov 1914: First policewoman First policewoman goes on duty in Britain 16 Dec 1914: German battleships German battleships bombard Hartlepool and Scarborough
290	1915	1915: Junkers Junkers construct first fighter aeroplane 1915: Automatic telephone exchange First automatic telephone exchange in Britain 19 Jan 1915: Zeppelin air raid First Zeppelin air raid on England, over East Anglia - four killed Feb 1915: Submarine blockade Submarine blockade of Britain starts Apr 1915: Second Battle of Ypres Second Battle of Ypres - poison gas used for first time 25 Apr 1915: Gallipoli campaign Gallipoli campaign starts (declared ANZAC Day in 1916) 7 May 1915: RMS Lusitania RMS Lusitania sunk by German submarine off coast of Ireland - 1,198 died 16 May 1915: Women's Institute First meeting of a British WI (Women's Institute) took place in Llanfairpwll (aka Llanfair PG), Anglesey
291	1916	1916: Compulsory military service Compulsory military service introduced in Britain Feb 1916: Battle of Verdun Battle of Verdun - appalling losses on both sides, stalemate continues 24 Apr 1916: Easter Rising in Ireland Easter Rising in Ireland - after the leaders are executed, public opinion backs independence 21 May 1916: Daylight Saving Time First use of Daylight Saving Time in UK 31 May 1916: Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland - only major naval battle between the British and German fleets 5 Jun 1916: Death of Kitchener Sinking of HMS Hampshire and death of Kitchener 3 Aug 1916: Sir Roger Casement Sir Roger Casement, Irish nationalist, activist, patriot and poet, hanged at Pentonville Prison for treason 15 Sep 1916: First use of tanks in battle First use of tanks in battle, but of limited effect (Battle of the Somme 1 July to 18 Nov: over 1 million casualties) 7 Dec 1916: David Lloyd-George Lloyd-George becomes British Prime Minister of the coalition government
292	1917	1917: Battle of Cambrai Battle of Cambrai - first use of massed tanks, but effect more psychological than actual 1917: Ministry of Labour Ministry of Labour is established in Britain Feb 1917: February revolution in Russia February revolution in Russia; Tsar Nicholas abdicates 16 Apr 1917: Lenin returns to Russia Lenin returns to Russia after exile 17 Apr 1917: USA declares war on Germany USA declares war on Germany 26 May 1917: George V George V changes surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor (Royal proclamation on 17 July) Jul 1917: Battle of Passchendaele Battle of Passchendaele - little gained by either side (Jul-Nov) 7 Nov 1917: 'October' Revolution 'October' Revolution in Russia - Bolsheviks overthrow provisional government; Lenin becomes Chief Commissar 6 Dec 1917: Halifax (Nova Scotia) Explosion Halifax (Nova Scotia) Explosion, one of the world's largest artificial non-nuclear explosions to date: a ship loaded with wartime explosives blew up after a collision, obliterating buildings and structures within two square kilometres of the explosion 9 Dec 1917: British forces capture Jerusalem British forces capture Jerusalem
293	1918	1918: The Vote Vote for women over 30, men over 21 (except peers, lunatics and felons) 1918: War of Independence War of Independence in Ireland 18 Jan 1918: Bentley Motors Bentley Motors founded 8 Mar 1918: 'Flu pandemic Start of world-wide 'flu pandemic Jul 1918: Battle of the Marne Second Battle of the Marne: last major German offensive in WW1 (Jul-Aug) 1 Oct 1918: Lawrence of Arabia Arab forces under Lawrence of Arabia capture Damascus 11 Nov 1918: Armistice signed Armistice signed - end of the Great War Dec 1918: First woman elected to House of Commons First woman elected to House of Commons, Countess Markiewicz as a Sinn Fein member refused to take her seat
294	1919	1919: Working Week Britain adopts a 48-hour working week 1919: Sir Ernest Rutherford Sir Ernest Rutherford publishes account of splitting the atom 15 Jun 1919: Alcock and Brown Alcock and Brown complete first nonstop flight across the Atlantic 28 Jun 1919: Treaty of Versailles Treaty of Versailles signed
295	1920	1920: The Channel Regular cross-channel air service starts 1920: Marconi Marconi opens a radio broadcasting station in Britain 1920: Tommy Gun Thompson patents his machine gun (Tommy gun) Feb 1920: 1st Petrol Station First roadside petrol filling station in UK - opened by the Automobile Association at Aldermaston on the Bath Road
296	1921	1921: Railway Act Railway Act in Britain amalgamates companies - only four remained 1921: Insulin Insulin discovery announced 1921: Birth Control First birth control clinic 19 Jun 1921: Census Census: Population - England and Wales: 37.9 Million; Scotland: 4.9 Million; N Ireland: 1.25 Million 6 Dec 1921: Anglo-Irish Treaty Anglo-Irish Treaty signed in London, leading to the formation of the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland
297	1922	1922: Law of Property Act Law of Property Act - the manorial system effectively ended 1 Jun 1922: RUC Royal Ulster Constabulary founded Oct 1922: BBC BBC established as a monopoly, and begins transmissions in November (2LO in London on 14 Nov; 5IT in Birmingham and 2ZY in Manchester on 15 Nov)
298	1923	1923: Road Classification Roads in Great Britain classified with A and B numbers 1923: Edwin Hubble Edwin Hubble shows there are galaxies beyond the Milky Way 1923: Radio Broadcasts First American broadcasts heard in Britain 1 Jan 1923: Railway Grouping The majority of the railway companies in Great Britain grouped into four main companies, the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, LMSR - lasted until nationalisation in 1948 16 Feb 1923: Tutankhamun Howard Carter unsealed the burial chamber of Tutankhamun 28 Apr 1923: Wembley First Wembley cup final (West Ham 0, Bolton 2) - 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles ' popular song of the time became the West Ham anthem 28 Sep 1923: Radio Times First publication of Radio Times
299	1924	4 Jan 1924: Labour government First Labour government in Britain, headed by Ramsay MacDonald 5 Feb 1924: Greenwich Time Signals Hourly Greenwich Time Signals from the Royal Greenwich Observatory were first broadcast by the BBC 31 Mar 1924: British Imperial Airways British Imperial Airways begins operations (formed by merger of four British airline companies - became BOAC in 1940)
300	1925	1925: Gold Standard Britain returns to gold standard 18 Jul 1925: Mein Kampf Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf
301	1926	1926: TV First public demonstration of television (TV) by John Logie Baird 1926: Adoption of children Adoption of children is legalised in Britain 1926: Kodak Kodak produces 16mm movie film 1926: Walt Disney Walt Disney arrives in Hollywood 21 Apr 1926: Princess Elizabeth Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, born 3 May 1926: General Strike General Strike begins. Lasts until May 12 (mine workers for 6 months more) 31 Oct 1926: Houdini Death of Harry Houdini
302	1927	1927: 1st 'Talkie' film Release of the first 'talkie' film (The Jazz Singer) 7 Jan 1927: Telephone First transatlantic telephone call - New York City to London 22 Jan 1927: BBC First football broadcast by BBC (Arsenal v Sheffield United at Highbury) 1 May 1927: Imperial Airways First cooked meals on a scheduled flight introduced by Imperial Airways from London to Paris 20 May 1927: Lindbergh solo Atlantic flight Lindbergh makes solo flight across the Atlantic, in 33 hours 24 Jul 1927: The Menin Gate The Menin Gate war memorial unveiled at Ypres
303	1928	1928: Vote Women over 21 get vote in Britain - same qualification for both sexes 26 Apr 1928: Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds opens in London 15 Sep 1928: Penicillin Sir Alexander Fleming accidentally discovers penicillin (results published 1929)
304	1929	1929: Poor Law Abolition of Poor Law system in Britain 1929: Minimum age for a marriage in Britain raised Minimum age for a marriage in Britain (which had been 14 for a boy and 12 for a girl) now 16 for both sexes, with parental consent (or a licence) needed for anyone under 21 1929: TV BBC begins experimental TV transmissions
305	1930	1930: First Nazis elected First Nazis elected to the German Reichstag 1930: Youth Hostel Association Youth Hostel Association (YHA) founded in Britain 30 Jan 1930: Adolf Hitler Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany 31 Jan 1930: Scotch Tape 3M begins marketing Scotch Tape 6 Mar 1930: Birdseye Clarence Birdseye first marketed frozen peas 5 Oct 1930: R101 R101 airship disaster - British abandons airship construction
306	1931	1931: Banking Collapse of the German banking system; 3,000 banks there close 14 Apr 1931: Highway Code Highway Code first issued 26 Apr 1931: Census Census: Population - England and Wales; 40 Million; Scotland: 4.8 Million; N Ireland: 1.24 Million (Unfortunately, the census was destroyed by fire in WW2) 21 Oct 1931: National Government National Government formed to deal with economic crisis - Britain comes off gold standard 11 Dec 1931: Statute of Westminster Statute of Westminster: British Dominions become independent sovereign states
307	1932	1932: Great Hunger March Great Hunger March of unemployed to London 1932: Cockroft and Walton Cockroft and Walton accelerate particles to disintegrate an atomic nucleus 1932: London Philharmonic Orchestra Sir Thomas Beecham established the London Philharmonic Orchestra 21 May 1932: Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart first solo nonstop flight across Atlantic by a female pilot Oct 1932: Moseley Moseley founds British Union of Fascists 3 Oct 1932: Iraq Iraq gains independence from Britain 3 Oct 1932: The Times 'The Times' introduces 'Times New Roman' typeface
308	1933	1933: Polythene discovered ICI scientists discover polythene 1933: Only 6 pennies minted in Britain Only 6 pennies minted in Britain this year 12 Nov 1933: Loch Ness Monster First known photos of the 'Loch Ness Monster' taken
309	1934	18 Jul 1934: Mersey Tunnel King George V opens Mersey Tunnel 2 Aug 1934: Adolf Hitler Hitler becomes Fuehrer of Germany 26 Sep 1934: RMS Queen Mary launched RMS Queen Mary launched by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland 30 Nov 1934: The Flying Scotsman First time a steam locomotive travels at 100 mph ('Flying Scotsman')
310	1935	1935: Green Belt London adopts a 'Green Belt' scheme 1935: Malcolm Campbell Land speed record of 301.13 mph by Malcolm Campbell 28 Feb 1935: Nylon Nylon first produced by Gerard J. Berchet of Wallace Carothers' research group at DuPont (there is no evidence to the widely-supposed story that the name derives from New York-London) 12 Mar 1935: Hore-Belisha Hore-Belisha introduces pedestrian crossings and speed limits for built-up areas in Britain 1 Jun 1935: Voluntary driving tests introduced Voluntary driving tests introduced in UK 30 Jul 1935: Penguin paperbacks Penguin paperbacks launched
311	1936	1936: Jet engine Jet engine first tested 20 Jan 1936: George V George V dies 5 May 1936: Spitfire First flight of a Spitfire 24 Jul 1936: Speaking clock 'Speaking clock' service starts in UK 2 Nov 1936: BBC British Broadcasting Corporation initiates the BBC Television Service, world's first public TV transmission 30 Nov 1936: Crystal Palace Crystal Palace destroyed by fire 5 Dec 1936: Edward VIII abdicates Edward VIII abdicates (announced Dec 10) - popular carol that Christmas: 'Hark the Herald Angels sing Mrs Simpson's got our King'
312	1937	1937: 999 '999' emergency telephone call facility starts in London 1937: Billy Butlin Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp 12 Apr 1937: Frank Whittle Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft 12 May 1937: King George VI Coronation of King George VI 28 May 1937: Neville Chamberlain becomes PM Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister - policy of appeasement towards Hitler 3 Jun 1937: Duke of Windsor Duke of Windsor marries Wallis Simpson 4 Dec 1937: The Dandy' 'The Dandy' comic first published
313	1938	1938: Paid holidays Principle of paid holidays established in Britain 1938: HMS Rodney HMS Rodney first ship to be equipped with radar 1938: Lajos Biro First practical ball-point pen produced by Hungarian journalist, Lajos Biro 12 Mar 1938: Germany annexes Austria Germany invades and annexes Austria 3 Jul 1938: Mallard A4 Steam loco 'Mallard' reaches 126 mph (203 km/h) at Stoke Bank south of Grantham on the East Coast Main Line; still world record for a steam locomotive. 27 Sep 1938: RMS Queen Elizabeth Largest ocean liner ever built, Queen Elizabeth launched on Clydebank 29 Sep 1938: Peace in our time Chamberlain visits Hitler in Munich - promises 'peace in our time' 30 Oct 1938: The War of the Worlds Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of HG Wells 'The War of the Worlds', causing panic in the USA
314	1939	1939: Czechoslovakia Germany annexes Czechoslovakia 1939: London evacuation Start of evacuation of women and children from London 1939: Coldest winter in Britain Coldest winter in Britain since 1894, though this could not be publicised at the time 1 Sep 1939: Germany invades Poland Germany invades Poland 3 Sep 1939: Britain and France declare war Britain and France declare war on Germany 6 Sep 1939: First air-raid First air-raid on Britain 11 Sep 1939: British Expeditionary Force British Expeditionary Force (BEF) sent to France 14 Oct 1939: HMS Royal Oak HMS Royal Oak sunk in Scapa Flow with loss of 810 lives 7 Dec 1939: Canadian troops 'First flight' of Canadian troops sail for Britain - 7,400 men on 5 ships 17 Dec 1939: Admiral Graf Spee 'Admiral Graf Spee' scuttled outside Montevideo
315	1940	1 Apr 1940: BOAC starts operations BOAC starts operations, replacing Imperial and British Airways Ltd 11 May 1940: National Government National Government formed under Churchill 13 May 1940: Germany invades France Germany invades France, Frances signs armistice on 22 June 1940 27 May 1940—4 Jun 1940: Dunkirk Start of the evacuation of the British Army at Dunkirk 25 Jun 1940: Fall of France Fall of France to Germany 7 Sep 1940: The Blitz Germany launches bombing blitz on Britain, the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing 15 Sep 1940: Battle of Britain Battle of Britain: massive waves of German air attacks decisively repulsed by the RAF - Hitler postpones invasion of Britain 11 Nov 1940—12 Nov 1940: Battle of Taranto The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers (Swordfish) from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in the Mediterranean Sea to attack the Italian fleet in Taranto harbour. 14 Nov 1940: Coventry bombed Coventry heavily bombed and the Cathedral almost completely destroyed
316	1941	1941: Rationing Britain introduces severe rationing 1941: Bailey bridge Bailey invents his portable military bridge 1941: antibiotics First use of antibiotics 10 May 1941: Rudolf Hess Rudolf Hess flies to Scotland 15 May 1941: First British jet aircraft flies First British jet aircraft flies, The Gloster E.28/39, (also referred to as the "Gloster Whittle", "Gloster Pioneer", or "Gloster G.40") based on work of Frank Whittle 27 May 1941: Bismark 'Bismark' sunk by Swordfish aircraft flying from HMS Ark Royal 22 Jun 1941: Operation Barbarossa Germany invades Russia (Operation Barbarossa) 1 Jul 1941: Canada First Canadian armoured regiments arrive in Britain 14 Nov 1941: HMS Ark Royal III The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the third ship to bear the name, sinks near Gibraltar after being torpedoed by U-81 the previous day. Dec 1941: Canadian forces Canadian forces given operation role in defending south coast of England Dec 1941: Manhattan Project 'Manhattan Project' of nuclear research begins in America 7 Dec 1941: Pearl Harbour Japan attackes US fleet at Pearl Harbour, USA then enters World War II 24 Dec 1941: Hong Kong Hong Kong falls to the Japanese
317	1942	1942: Alan Turing Invention of world's first programmable computer by Alan Turing in co-operation with Max Neumann - used to crack German codes 1942: Oxfam Gilbert Murray founds Oxfam 30 May 1942: 1,000 bomber raid Over 1,000 allied bombers raid Cologne 4 Jun 1942: Battle of Midway Battle of Midway. Only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet. 4 Japanese carriers were sunk 19 Aug 1942: Dieppe raid Abortive raid on Nazi held Dieppe, largely by Canadian troops 6 Sep 1942: Stalingrad Germans defeated at Stalingrad 3 Oct 1942: V2 First successful launch of V2 rocket in Germany - first man-made object to reach space 23 Oct 1942: Battle of El Alamein Battle of El Alamein - Montgomery defeats Rommel 2 Dec 1942: Manhattan Project 'Manhattan Project' - a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction
318	1943	1943: Round-the-clock bombing Round-the-clock bombing of Germany begins 16 May 1943: Dam Buster 'Dam Buster' raids on Ruhr dams by RAF 24 Jul 1943: Benito Mussolini resigns Allies invade Italy - Benito Mussolini resigns as Italian Dictator, 24 July
319	1944	6 Apr 1944: PAYE PAYE (Paye As You Earn) income tax begins 4 Jun 1944: Rome Allies enter Rome 6 Jun 1944: D-Day D-Day invasion of Normandy 12 Jun 1944: First V1 flying bombs First V1 flying bombs hit London 8 Sep 1944: V2 rocket First V2 rocket bombs hit London 11 Sep 1944: Allies enter Germany Allies enter Germany 16 Dec 1944: Battle of the Bulge Battle of the Bulge: German counter-offensive
320	1945	4 Feb 1945: Yalta Conference Yalta Conference between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin 29 Mar 1945: V1 flying bomb Last V1 flying bomb attack 25 Apr 1945: Berlin surrounded Berlin surrounded by Russian troops 30 Apr 1945: Hitler commits suicide Hitler commits suicide 8 May 1945: VE Day VE Day (Victory in Europe) 9 May 1945: Channel Islands Channel Islands liberated 26 Jun 1945: United Nations UN Charter signed in San Francisco 16 Jul 1945: First ever atomic bomb First ever atomic bomb exploded in a test in New Mexico (although there were other forms of atomic device before that, such as the Pile at Stagg Field, first critical on 2nd Dec 1942) 26 Jul 1945: Labour win General Election Labour win UK General Election - Churchill out of office 29 Jul 1945: BBC Light Programme BBC Light Programme starts 6 Aug 1945: Hiroshima Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima 9 Aug 1945: Nagasaki Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki 15 Aug 1945: VJ Day VJ Day (Victory in Japan) 2 Sep 1945: Japanese surrender Japanese surrender signed aboard USS Missouri 24 Oct 1945: United Nations United Nations Organisation comes into existence 4 Nov 1945: UNESCO UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)founded
321	1946	1946: NHS Transition to National Health Service starts in Britain (came into being 5th July 1948) 1946: Alistair Cooke Alistair Cooke starts his regular 'Letter from America' on BBC radio - until 2004 1 Jan 1946: Heathrow Airport First civillian flight from Heathrow Airport 1 Mar 1946: Bank of England Bank of England nationalised
322	1947	1947: Most severe winter in Britain for 53 years Most severe winter in Britain for 53 years at start of the year - heavy snow and much flooding later 1947: First British nuclear reactor First British nuclear reactor developed 1 Jan 1947: National Coal Board Coal Mines nationalised 23 Feb 1947: International Organization for Standardization International Organization for Standardization (ISO) founded 1 Mar 1947: International Monetary Fund International Monetary Fund begins financial operations 1 Apr 1947: School leaving age School leaving age raised to 15 in Britain 26 Oct 1947: British military occupation British military occupation ends in Iraq 20 Nov 1947: Marriage of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten Marriage of Princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth II) and Philip Mountbatten in Westminster Abbey
323	1948	1948: British Citizenship Act British Citizenship Act : all Commonwealth citizens qualify for British passports 1948: Transistor radio Transistor radio invented 1948: Long-playing record Long-playing record (LP) invented by Goldmark 1 Jan 1948: British Railways British Railways nationalised 5 Jul 1948: NHS National Health Service (NHS) begins in Britain 29 Jul 1948: London Olympics London Olympics begin
324	1949	1949: Bristol Brabazon Maiden flight of the Bristol Brabazon (broken up in 1953 for scrap) 1949: De Haviland Comet De Haviland produces the Comet - first jet airliner 15 Mar 1949: Clothes rationing Clothes rationing ends in Britain 4 Apr 1949: NATO Twelve nations sign The North Atlantic Treaty creating NATO
325	1950	26 May 1950: Petrol rationing Petrol rationing ends in Britain 11 Jul 1950: Andy Pandy 'Andy Pandy' first seen on BBC TV 9 Sep 1950: Soap rationing Soap rationing ends in Britain 28 Dec 1950: Peak District The Peak District becomes the Britain's first National Park
326	1951	3 May 1951: Festival of Britain Festival of Britain and Royal Festival Hall open on South Bank, London 28 May 1951: The Goon Show First Goon Show broadcast 20 Dec 1951: Experimental Breeder Reactor Electricity first produced by nuclear power, from Experimental Breeder Reactor
327	1952	1952: Contraceptive pill Contraceptive pill invented 1952: Britain explodes her first atomic bomb Britain explodes her first atomic bomb, in Australia 1952: Radioactive carbon Radioactive carbon used for dating prehistoric objects 1952: Bonn Convention Bonn Convention: Britain, France and USA end their occupation of West Germany 6 Feb 1952: King George VI dies King George VI dies 21 Feb 1952: ID Cards abolished Identity Cards abolished in Britain 2 May 1952: First commercial jet airliner service First commercial jet airliner service launched, by BOACComet between London and Johannesburg 5 Jul 1952: Last tram runs in London Last tram runs in London (Woolwich to New Cross) 16 Aug 1952: Lynmouth flood disaster Lynmouth (North Devon) flood disaster 6 Sep 1952: DH110 crashes DH110 crashes at Farnborough Air Show, 26 killed including Test Pilot John Derry. The DH110 was the prototype of the Royal Navy's Sea Vixen fighter jet. 3 Oct 1952: Tea rationing End of tea rationing in Britain 1 Nov 1952: First H-bomb The first H-bomb ever ('Mike') was exploded by the USA - the mushroom cloud was 8 miles across and 27 miles high. The canopy was 100 miles wide. Radioactive mud fell out of the sky followed by heavy rain. 80 million tons of earth was vaporised. 25 Nov 1952: The Mousetrap Agatha Christie's 'The Mousetrap' opens in London 4 Dec 1952: The Great Smog Great smog hits London
328	1953	31 Jan 1953: East Coast Floods Said to be the biggest civil catastrophe in Britain in the 20th century - severe storm and high tides caused the loss of hundreds of lives - - effects travelled from the west coast of Scotland round to the south-east coast of England [The Netherlands were even worse affected with over a thousand deaths] 5 Feb 1953: Sweet rationing ends Sweet rationing ends in Britain 5 Mar 1953: Death of Stalin Death of Stalin 26 Mar 1953: Polio vaccine Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine 24 Apr 1953: Winston Churchill knighted Winston Churchill knighted 25 Apr 1953: DNA Francis Crick and James D Watson publish the double helix structure of DNA 2 Jun 1953: Elizabeth II Coronation of Elizabeth II 26 Sep 1953: Sugar rationing ends Sugar rationing ends in Britain (after nearly 14 years)
329	1954	1954: Comprehensive school First comprehensive school opens in London 1954: Routemaster bus Routemaster bus starts operating in London 1954: Transistor radios First transistor radios sold 6 May 1954: Roger Bannister First sub 4 minute mile (Roger Bannister, 3 mins 59.4 secs) 3 Jul 1954: Food rationing Food rationing officially ends in Britain 5 Jul 1954: first television news bulletin BBC broadcasts its first television news bulletin 30 Sep 1954: USS Nautilus First atomic powered sumbmarine USS Nautilus commissioned
330	1955	1955: Self-grip wrench 'Mole' self-grip wrench patented by Thomas Coughtrie of Mole & Sons 27 Jul 1955: Allied occupation of Austria ends Jul 27: Allied occupation of Austria (after WW2) ends 22 Sep 1955: Commercial TV Commercial TV starts in Britain
331	1956	1956: First nuclear power station Britain constructs world's first large-scale nuclear power station in Cumberland 1 Mar 1956: Radiotelephony spelling alphabet Radiotelephony spelling alphabet introduced (Alpha, Bravo, etc) 17 Apr 1956: Premium Bonds Premium Bonds first launched - first prizes drawn on 1 Jun 1957 3 Jun 1956: 3rd class travel 3rd class travel abolished on British Railways (renamed 'Third Class' as 'Second Class', which had been abolished in 1875 leaving just First and Third Class) 31 Oct 1956: Suez Crisis Britain and France invade Suez
332	1957	1957: Parking meters Britain introduces parking meters 1957: Helvetica Helvetica typeface developed (in Switzerland) 11 Jan 1957: Harold Macmillan Harold Macmillan becomes Prime Minister 14 May 1957: Petrol rationing Post-Suez petrol rationing ends 15 May 1957: British hydrogen bomb Britain explodes her first hydrogen bomb, at Christmas Island 25 May 1957: Treaty of Rome Treaty of Rome to create European Economic Community (EEC) of six countries: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg - became operational Jan 1958 4 Dec 1957: Lewisham rail disaster Lewisham rail disaster - 90 killed as two trains collide in thick fog and a viaduct collapses on top of them 25 Dec 1957: Christmas TV broadcast Queen's first Christmas TV broadcast
333	1958	1958: Anti-nuclear protest Easter: First anti-nuclear protest march to Aldermaston (emergence of CND) 1958: Rise of Computers Computers begin to be used in research, industry and commerce 1958: ICBM USA begins to produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) 13 May 1958: Velcro Velcro trade mark registered 26 Jul 1958: Prince of Wales Prince Charles' Investiture as 'Prince of Wales' 5 Dec 1958: Subscriber Trunk Dialling Inauguration of Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) in Britain (completed in 1979) 5 Dec 1958: Preston by-pass opens Preston by-pass opens - UK's first stretch of motorway
334	1959	3 Feb 1959: The Day The Music Died 'The Day The Music Died' - plane crash kills Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper 24 May 1959: Commonwealth Day Empire Day becomes Commonwealth Day Aug 1959: Mini BMC Mini car launched 3 Oct 1959: Postcodes introduced Postcodes introduced in Britain 1 Nov 1959: M1 motorway First section of M1 motorway opened
335	1960	17 Mar 1960: New Pound Notes New £1 notes issued by Bank of England 18 Mar 1960: Last steam locomotive Last steam locomotive of British Railways named 'Evening Star' 21 Jul 1960: Francis Chichester Francis Chichester arrives in New York aboard Gypsy Moth II (took 40 days), winning the first single-handed transatlantic yacht race which he co-founded 12 Sep 1960: MoT tests MoT tests on motor vehicles introduced 1 Oct 1960: HMS Dreadnought HMS 'Dreadnought' the Royal Navy's 1st nuclear submarine launched 2 Nov 1960: Lady Chatterley's Lover Penguin Books found not guilty of obscenity in the 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' case
336	1961	1 Jan 1961: Farthing Farthing ceases to be legal tender in UK 13 Mar 1961: £5 notes Black & White £5 notes cease to be legal tender 14 Mar 1961: New English Bible New English Bible (New Testament) published 1 May 1961: Betting shops Betting shops legal in Britain
337	1962	1962: Commonwealth Immigrants Act Britain passes Commonwealth Immigrants Act to control immigration 1962: Thalidomide Thalidomide withdrawn after it causes deformities in babies 1962: Concorde Britain and France agree to construct 'Concorde' 25 May 1962: Coventry Cathedral Consecration of new Coventry Cathedral (old destroyed in WW2 blitz) 15 Jun 1962: Berkeley Power Station First nuclear generated electricity to supplied National Grid (from Berkeley Glos) Jul 1962: Hovercraft First passenger-carrying hovercraft enters service, along the North Wales Coast from Moreton to Rhyl 10 Jul 1962: Telstar First TV transmission between US and Europe (Telstar) - first live broadcast on 23 Jul 24 Oct 1962: Cuba missile crisis Cuba missile crisis - brink of nuclear war
338	1963	1963: EEC France vetoes Britain's entry into EEC Jan 1963: Cold weather Cold weather forces cancellation of most football matches (only 4 English First Division matches in the month) - the first 'pools panel' created 27 Mar 1963: Beeching Axe Richard Beeching Report on British Railways - 'The Reshaping of British Railways' published (the 'Beeching Axe') 1 Aug 1963: Minimum prison age Minimum prison age raised to 17 8 Aug 1963: Great Train Robbery 'Great Train Robbery' on Glasgow to London mail train at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. £2.6 Million stolen 17 Sep 1963: Fylingdales Fylingdales (Yorkshire) early warning radar system operational 18 Nov 1963: Dartford Tunnel Dartford Tunnel opens 23 Nov 1963: Dr Who First episode of 'Dr Who' on BBC TV
339	1964	1 Jan 1964: Top of the Pops First 'Top of the Pops' on BBC TV 9 Apr 1964: GLC First Greater London Council (GLC) election 21 Apr 1964: BBC 2 BBC2 TV launched 22 Aug 1964: Match of the Day 'Match of the Day' starts on BBC2 4 Sep 1964: Forth road bridge Forth road bridge opens
340	1965	1965: Race Relations Act Britain enacts first Race Relations Act 7 Feb 1965: North Vietnam First US raids against North Vietnam 7 Apr 1965: Winston Churchill Winston Churchill dies 1 Aug 1965: Cigarette advertising TV cigarette advertising banned in Britain 8 Oct 1965: Post Office Tower Post Office Tower operational in London 28 Oct 1965: Death penalty Death penalty for murder suspended in Britain for five-year trial period, then abolished 18 Dec 1969 22 Dec 1965: 70mph speed limit 70mph speed limit introduced on British roads
341	1966	14 Feb 1966: Australia currency Australia converts from £ to $ 3 May 1966: The Times 'The Times' begins to print news on its front page in place of classified Advertisements 30 Jul 1966: World Cup World Cup won by England at Wembley (4-2 in extra time v West Germany) 8 Sep 1966: Severn road bridge First Severn road bridge opens 21 Oct 1966: Aberfan disaster Aberfan disaster - colliery slag heap slip kills 144, incl. 116 children 1 Dec 1966: Stamps First Christmas stamps issued in Britain
342	1967	4 Jan 1967: Donald Campbell Donald Campbell dies attempting to break his world water speed record on Conniston Water - his body and Bluebird recovered in 2002 18 Mar 1967: Torrey Canyon 'Torrey Canyon' oil tanker runs aground off Lands End first major oil spill 28 May 1967: Francis Chichester Francis Chichester arrives in Plymouth after solo circumnavigation in Gipsy Moth IV (he was knighted 7th July at Greenwich by the queen using the sword with which Elizabeth I had knighted Sir Francis Drake four centuries earlier 27 Jun 1967: ATM First withdrawal from a cash dispenser (ATM) in Britain - at Enfield branch of Barclays 1 Jul 1967: TV First colour TV in Britain 14 Aug 1967: Pirate Radio Offshore pirate radio stations declared illegal by the UK 20 Sep 1967: QE2 'QE2' launched on Clydebank 27 Sep 1967: RMS Queen Mary 'Queen Mary' arrives Southampton at end of her last transatlantic voyage 30 Sep 1967: BBC Radio BBC Radios 1 2 3 & 4 open first record played on Radio 1 was the controversial 'Flowers in the Rain' by 'The Move' 5 Oct 1967: Majority Verdicts Introduction of majority verdicts in English courts
343	1968	18 Feb 1968: BST British Standard Time introduced - Summer Time became permanent but arguments prevailed and Britain reverted to GMT in October 1971 18 Apr 1968: London Bridge London Bridge sold (and eventually moved to Arizona) - modern London Bridge, built around it as it was demolished, was opened in Mar 1973 20 Apr 1968: Enoch Powell Enoch Powell 'Rivers of Blood' speech on immigration 23 Apr 1968: Decimal Coins Issue of 5p and 10p decimal coins in Britain 29 May 1968: Manchester United Manchester United first English club to win the European Cup 11 Aug 1968: Steam Trains Last steam passenger train service ran in Britain (Carlisle- Liverpool) 16 Sep 1968: Royal Mail Two-tier postal rate starts in Britain 5 Oct 1968: The Troubles Beginning of disturbances in N Ireland
344	1969	2 Mar 1969: Concorde Maiden flight of 'Concorde', at Toulouse 7 Mar 1969: Victoria Line Victoria Line tube opens in London 17 Apr 1969: Voting age Voting age lowered from 21 to 18 2 May 1969: RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Maiden voyage of liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) 31 Jul 1969: Halfpenny Halfpenny ceases to be legal tender in Britain 14 Aug 1969: Civil disturbances Civil disturbances in Ulster - Britain sends troops to support civil authorities 7 Sep 1969: Monty Python's Flying Circus First episode of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' recorded 14 Oct 1969: 50p coin 50p coin introduced in Britain (reduced in size 1998)
345	1970	1970: Boeing 747 Boeing 747 (Jumbo jet) goes into service 17 Jun 1970: Decimal postage stamps Decimal postage stamps first issued for sale in Britain 19 Jun 1970: Edward Heath Edward Heath becomes Prime Minister 30 Jul 1970: Thalidomide Damages awarded to Thalidomide victims 19 Sep 1970: Glastonbury First Glastonbury Festival held 20 Nov 1970: Ten shilling note Ten shilling note (50p after decimalisation) goes out of circulation in Britain
346	1971	1971: Banking and Financial Dealings Act Banking and Financial Dealings Act - replaced the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 1971: Sunday becomes the seventh day in the week Sunday becomes the seventh day in the week as UK adopts decision of the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) to call Monday the first day 1971: Greenpeace 'Greenpeace' founded 1971: Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce declared bankrupt 3 Jan 1971: Open University Open University starts 15 Feb 1971: Decimalisation Decimalisation of coinage in UK and Republic of Ireland 9 Aug 1971: Internment Internment without trial introduced in N Ireland 28 Oct 1971: Common Market Parliament votes to join Common Market (joined 1973) 28 Oct 1971: UK launches its first satellite UK launches its first (and only) satellite, Prospero on the Black Arrow rocket
347	1972	1972: Northern Ireland Britain imposes direct rule in Northern Ireland 1972: Anti-hijack measures Strict anti-hijack measures introduced internationally, especially at airports 1972: Dutch Elm disease Dutch Elm disease devastates trees across UK 1972: VCR Domestic video cassette recorders introduced 30 Jan 1972: Bloody Sunday 'Bloody Sunday' in Londonderry, Northern Ireland 28 May 1972: Duke of Windsor Duke of Windsor (ex-King Edward VIII) dies in Paris
348	1973	1 Jan 1973: Britain enters Common Market Britain enters EEC Common Market (with Ireland and Denmark) 17 Mar 1973: London Bridge Modern London Bridge opened by the Queen 1 Apr 1973: VAT VAT introduced in Britain 26 Sep 1973: Concorde Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking time 14 Oct 1973: Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips Marriage of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey 31 Dec 1973—9 Mar 1974: Three-day week Miners strike and oil crisis precipitate 'three-day week' (till 9 Mar 1974) to conserve power
349	1974	1974: New counties formed New counties formed in Britain after re-organisation of some county boundaries 1 Jun 1974: Flixborough disaster Flixborough disaster: explosion at chemical plant kills 28 people 7 Nov 1974: Lord Lucan Lord Lucan disappears 21 Nov 1974: IRA Birmingham pub bombings by the IRA
350	1975	1975: Unemployment Unemployment in Britain rises above 1M for first time since before WW2 11 Feb 1975: Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher becomes leader of Conservative party (in opposition) 28 Feb 1975: Moorgate tube crash Moorgate tube crash in London - over 43 deaths, greatest loss of life on the Underground in peacetime. The cause of the incident was never conclusively determined 4 Mar 1975: Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin knighted 5 Jun 1975: Referendum UK votes in a referendum to stay in the European Community 29 Oct 1975: Yorkshire Ripper 'Yorkshire Ripper' commits his first murder 3 Nov 1975: North Sea oil First North Sea oil comes ashore 29 Nov 1975: Bill Gates The name 'Micro-soft' coined by Bill Gates ('Microsoft' became a Trademark the following year) 27 Dec 1975: Equal Pay Act Equal Pay Act and Sex Discrimination Act come into force
351	1976	1976: Cod War 'Cod War' between Britain and Iceland 1976: Deaths exceeded live births Deaths exceeded live births in England & Wales for first time since records began in 1837 1976: National Theatre National Theatre opens in London 21 Jan 1976: Concorde Concorde enters supersonic passenger service 1 Apr 1976: Apple Computer Apple Computer formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak 5 Apr 1976: James Callaghan James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister 6 Aug 1976: Drought Act Drought Act 1976 comes into force during the long, hot summer
352	1977	2 Mar 1977: Red Rum 'Red Rum' wins a third Grand National 25 May 1977: Star Wars George Lucas' film Star Wars' released 5 Jun 1977: Apple II Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale 7 Jun 1977: Queen's Silver Jubilee Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in London 22 Nov 1977: Concorde Regular supersonic Concorde service between London and NY inaugurated
353	1978	8 Apr 1978: Parliament broadcasts Regular broadcast of proceedings in Parliament starts 1 May 1978: First May Day holiday First May Day holiday in Britain 25 Jul 1978: First 'test tube' baby World's first 'test tube' baby, Louise Browne born in Oldham 30 Nov 1978: The Times Publication of The Times suspended - industrial relations problems (until 13 Nov 1979)
354	1979	14 Feb 1979: HMS Ark Royal IV HMS Ark Royal, the fourth ship to bear the name and Britain's last conventional fixed-wing aircraft carrier, is decommissioned 1 Mar 1979: Devolution 32.5% of Scots vote in favor of devolution (40% needed) - Welsh vote overwhelmingly against 30 Mar 1979: Airey Neave Airey Neave killed by a car bomb at Westminster 31 Mar 1979: Malta Withdrawal of the Royal Navy from Malta 4 May 1979: Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman UK Prime Minister 1 Jul 1979: Sony Walkman Sony introduces the Walkman 27 Aug 1979: Lord Mountbatten Lord Mountbatten and 3 others killed in IRA bomb blast off coast of Sligo, Ireland 18 Sep 1979: Corporal punishment ILEA (Inner London Education Authority) votes to abolish corporal punishment in its schools
355	1980	5 May 1980: Iranian Embassy SAS storm Iranian Embassy in London to free hostages 8 Dec 1980: John Lennon John Lennon assassinated in New York
356	1981	25 Jan 1981: SDP Launched Launch of SDP by 'Gang of Four' in Britain 29 Mar 1981: London marathon First London marathon run 11 Apr 1981: Brixton riots Brixton riots in South London - 30 other British cities also experience riots 25 Apr 1981: April blizzards Worst April blizzards this century in Britain 27 Apr 1981: Computer mouse First use of computer mouse (by Xerox PARC systems) 2 Jun 1981: HMS Ark Royal V The 3rd and final member of the Invincible class light aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal, is launched by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother at Swan Hunter on the Tyne. 29 Jul 1981: Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (divorced 28 Aug 1996) 12 Aug 1981: IBM IBM launches the first PC
357	1982	26 Jan 1982: Unemployment Unemployment reached 3 million in Britain (1 in 8 of working population) 5 Feb 1982: Laker Airways Laker Airways collapses 19 Feb 1982: DeLorean DeLorean Car factory in Belfast goes into receivership 18 Mar 1982: South Georgia Argentinians raised flag in South Georgia 2 Apr 1982: Falkland (Malvinas) Islands Argentina invades Falkland (Malvinas) Islands 5 Apr 1982: Royal Navy Taskforce Royal Navy fleet sails from Portsmouth for Falklands 2 May 1982: ARA General Belgrano British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks Argentine cruiser General Belgrano 28 May 1982: Goose Green First land battle in Falklands (Goose Green). 2Para take the settlement despite loss of their CO Lt Col H Jones 14 Jun 1982: Ceasefire in Falklands Ceasefire in Falklands 21 Jun 1982: Prince William Prince William is born 20 Jul 1982: IRA bombings IRA bombings in London (Hyde Park and Regents Park) 19 Sep 1982: Smiley emoticon :-) Smiley emoticon :-) said to have been used for the first time 11 Oct 1982: Mary Rose Mary Rose raised in the Solent (sank in 1545) 31 Oct 1982: Thames Barrier Thames Barrier raised for first time (some say first public demonstration Nov 7) 2 Nov 1982: Channel 4 Channel 4 TV station launched - first programme 'Countdown' 4 Nov 1982: 38 tonnes lorries Lorries up to 38 tonnes allowed on Britain's roads 12 Dec 1982: Greenham Common Women's peace protest at Greenham Common (Cruise missiles arrived 14 Nov 1983)
358	1983	1983: Dame Mary Donaldson First female Lord Mayor of London elected (Dame Mary Donaldson) 17 Jan 1983: Breakfast TV Start of breakfast TV in Britain 31 Jan 1983: Seat belt law Seat belt law comes into force 21 Apr 1983: One Pound Coin £1 coin into circulation in Britain 7 Oct 1983: GLC Plans to abolish GLC announced 26 Nov 1983: Brinks Mat Brinks Mat robbery: 6,800 gold bars worth nearly £26 million are stolen from a vault at Heathrow Airport
359	1984	6 Mar 1984: Miners strike Miners strike begins 17 Apr 1984: Libyan Embassy Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher killed by gunfire from the Libyan Embassy in London 22 Jun 1984: Virgin Atlantic Inaugural flight of Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic 9 Jul 1984: York Minster Fire York Minster struck by lightning - the resulting fire damaged much of the building but the Rose Window' not affected 12 Oct 1984: Brighton Bomb IRA bomb explodes at Tory conference hotel in Brighton - 4 killed 24 Oct 1984: Miners' strike Miners' strike - High Court orders sequestration of NUM assets 3 Dec 1984: British Telecom privatised British Telecom privatised - shares make massive gains on first day's trading
360	1985	3 Mar 1985: Miners Strike ends Miners agree to call off strike 11 Mar 1985: Harrods Al Fayed buys Harrods 13 Jul 1985: Live Aid Live Aid' pop concert raises over £50M for famine relief 1 Sep 1985: Titanic found Wreck of Titanic' found (sank 1912)
361	1986	31 Mar 1986: Metropolitan councils abolished GLC and 6 other metropolitan councils abolished 26 Apr 1986: Chernobyl Chernobyl nuclear accident - radiation reached Britain on 2 May 26 May 1986: European flag The European Community adopts the European flag 23 Jul 1986: Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey 27 Oct 1986: London Stock Market 'Big Bang' (deregulation) of the London Stock Market 29 Oct 1986: M25 M25 motorway ring around London completed
362	1987	1987: World population World population crossed the 5 billion mark 2 Feb 1987: Terry Waite kidnapped Terry Waite kidnapped in Beirut (released 17 Nov 1991) 6 Mar 1987: Herald of Free Enterprise Car ferry 'Herald of Free Enterprise' capsizes off Zeebrugge - 188 die 1 Jul 1987: Channel Tunnel Excavation begins on the Channel Tunnel 19 Aug 1987: Hungerford Massacre Hungerford Massacre - Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a rifle 16 Oct 1987: October Hurricane The 'Hurricane' sweeps southern England 19 Oct 1987: Black Monday 'Black Monday' in the City of London - Stock Market crash 8 Nov 1987: Enniskillen bombing Enniskillen bombing at a Remembrance Day ceremony 18 Nov 1987: King's Cross fire King's Cross fire in London - 31 people die
363	1988	5 Feb 1988: First 'Red Nose Day' First 'Red Nose Day' in UK, raising money for charity 6 Jul 1988: Piper Alpha disaster Piper Alpha disaster - North Sea oil platform destroyed by explosion and fire killing 167 men 15 Nov 1988: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act Copyright, Designs and Patents Act - reformulated the statutory basis of copyright law (including performing rights) in the UK 12 Dec 1988: Clapham Junction rail crash Clapham Junction rail crash kills 35 and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains 21 Dec 1988: Lockerbie disaster Lockerbie disaster - Pan Am flight 103 explodes over Scotland