1865 - death of palmerston. russell establishes his second liberal government
end of american civil war slavery abolished in usa
rockefeller forms standard oil (esso) in ohio
william booth (1829-1912) founds salvation army, in london
elizabeth garrett anderson (1836-1917) becomes first woman doctor in england [she later became the first woman mayor in england, in aldeburgh 1908]
first concrete roads built in britain
mendel states his law of heredity
lewis carroll alice in wonderland
tolstoy war and peace
2
1866
1866 - russell and gladstone fail to have their moderate reform bill passed in parliament. derby takes power in his third minority conservative government
atlantic cable first used
marquis of queensbury rules accepted for boxing
winchester repeating rifle comes into use in usa
3
1867
1867 - derby and disraeli's second reform bill doubles the franchise to two million. canada becomes the first independent dominion in the british empire under the dominion of canada act
dominion of canada founded
usa buys alaska from russia
the second reform bill vote given to town householders
fanny adams murdered in alton
typewriter invented (but not commercially successful until 1873 see 1874)
nobel produces dynamite
lister uses carbolic antiseptic
ibsen peer gynt
strauss blue danube
4
1868
1868 - disraeli succeeds derby as prime minister. gladstone becomes prime minister for the first time
last british election for which poll books available
last convicts landed in australia (western australia)
impressionist movement begins to emerge in art
5
1869
1869 - the irish church is disestablished. the suez canal is opened
imprisonment for debt abolished in britain
nov 18: suez canal opens
cutty sark launched
transcontinental railway completed in america
ballbearings, celluloid, margarine, washing machine all invented
6
1870
1870 - primary education becomes compulsory in britain through the forster-ripon english elementary education act. parliament also passes the women's property act, extending the rights of married women, and the irish land act
gpo takes over the privately-owned telegraph companies (nationalised)
oct 1: first british postcard halfpenny post
board schools start attempting to impose consistent spelling (forster's act?)
dr. thomas barnardo opens his first home for destitute children
water closets come into wide use
diamonds discovered in kimberley, souith africa
britain possesses 43% of world's merchant steam tonnage
1870-1900 art & crafts period (art & antiques)
7
1871
1871 - trade unions are legalized
apr 2: fourth full british census
jun 29: trades unions legalised in britain, but picketing made illegal
commissions in british armed forces no longer to be purchased
fa cup introduced
stanley finds livingstone in africa (some say 1872)
gilbert and sullivan begin a 20 year collaboration
opening of royal albert hall
verdi aida
8
1872
1872 - secret voting is introduced for elections. parliament passes the scottish education act
licensing hours introduced
penalties introduced for failing to register births, marriages & deaths (eng & wales)
penny-farthing bicycles in general use
over 32,000 friendly societies in england
9
1873
1873 - gladstone's government resigns after the defeat of their irish universities bill. disraeli declines to take up office instead
glidden invents barbed wire
jules verne around the world in 80 days
10
1874
1874 - disraeli becomes conservative prime minister for the second time
disraeli and the tories come to power in britain pass 11 major acts of social reform in next 2 years
first trades union mp is elected
factory act introduces 56-hour week
remington & sons manufacture and sell the new scholes and glidden typewriter (named remington from 1876)
hardy far from the madding crowd
verdi requiem
11
1875
1875 - disraeli purchases a controlling interest for britain in the suez canal. agricultural depression increases
1875-76 - parliament passes r.a. cross's conservative social reforms
london's main sewage system completed
captain webb swims channel
artisan's dwellings act
climbing boys act passed
peaceful picketing permitted again
universal postal union established at geneva
britain takes 42% share in suez canal
bizet carmen
12
1876
1876 - queen victoria becomes empress of india. the massacre of christians in turkish bulgaria leads to anti-turkish campaigns in britain, led by gladstone
alexander graham bell invents telephone
annual centralised list of scottish wills from now (and most from 1823 also)
civil registration of deaths in isle of man started
plimsoll line established for loading of ships
battle of little big horn last major north american indian victory
tchaikovsky swan lake
13
1877
1877 - confederation of british and boer states established in south africa
edison invents microphone and phonograph
first tennis championships at wimbledon
schiaperelli observes 'canals' on mars
14
1878
1878 - the congress of berlin is held. disraeli announces 'peace with honour'
edison & swan invent electric lamp
red flag act in britain limits mechanical road vehicles to 4mph (also see 1896)
cid established at new scotland yard
gilbert and sullivan hms pinafore
15
1879
1879 - a trade depression emerges in britain. the zulu war is fought in south africa. the british are defeated at isandhlwana, but are victorious at ulundi
1879-80 - gladstone's midlothian campaign denounces imperialism in south africa and afghanistan
first telephone exchanges opened in london & manchester
dec 28 (sunday): tay bridge disaster bridge collapsed in storm taking train with it enquiry revealed corners had been cut during construction to reduce costs replacement bridge constructed in 1888
church of christ scientist established at boston
16
1880
1880 - gladstone establishes his second liberal government
1880-81 - the first anglo-boer war is fought
education act: schooling compulsory for 5-10 year olds
the burial laws amendment act, 1880, section 13 to be buried under this act normally means that the person buried was a non-conformist: the burial service was performed by a non-conformist minister.before, non-conformists could not be buried in parish churchyards.
1881 - parliament passes the irish land and coercion acts
apr 3: fifth full british census
postal orders introduced
first boer war transvaal independence recognised
flogging abolished in army and royal navy
18
1882
1882 - britain occupies egypt. a triple alliance is established between germany, austria and italy
may 6: phoenix park murders in dublin
institution of 'the ashes' in cricket
standard oil co controls 95% of us oil refining capacity
tb bacillus discovered by koch
conan doyle a study in scarlet, first appearance of sherlock holmes
19
1883
aug 1: parcel post starts in britain
oct 4: foundation of the boys' brigade in glasgow by william smith
foundation of the primrose league, british conservative organisation, by lord randolph churchill
married women's property act of 1882 becomes law
ekman opens a wood pulp mill in england, for manufacture of paper (he had opened one in sweden in 1874)
statue of liberty presented to usa by france
robert louis stevenson treasure island
20
1884
1884 - parliament passes the third reform act which further extends the franchise vote given to agricultural workers
jan 29: appearance of the first 'fascicle' [from 'a' to 'ant'] ofoxford english dictionary (full dictionary not completed until 1928)
standard meridian conference greenwich made prime meridian of the world
bateman's great landowners published (relates to land values in 1882)
fabergι produces the first of his jewelled easter eggs for the tsar
1884-1918 art noveau period (art & antiques)
21
1885
1885 jan 26- death of general gordon at khartoum. burma is annexed. salisbury succeeds gladstone with his first minority conservative government. parliament passes the redistribution act
carl benz builds single-cylinder motor car
first electric tramcar used at blackpool
eastman makes first coated photographic paper
secretary for scotland appointed
mar: first uk cremation in modern times took place at woking (see 1902)
sep 5: the first train runs through the severn tunnel
canadian pacific railway completed
twain huckleberry finn
22
1886
1886 - gladstone's third liberal government fails to pass its first irish home rule bill through the house of commons. gladstone resigns as prime minister. split in the liberal party.
salisbury establishes his second conservative-liberal-unionist government. the royal niger company is chartered. gold is discovered in the transvaal
crofters act
hardy the mayor of casterbridge
23
1887
1887 - queen victoria celebrates her golden jubilee. the independent labour party is founded. the british east africa company is chartered
daimler produces a four-wheeled motor car
kipling plain tales
24
1888
1888 - the county councils' act establishes representative county based authorities
dunlop invents pneumatic tyre
first box camera
van gogh sunflowers
25
1889
1889 - london dockers' strike. the british south africa company is chartered
celluloid film produced
eiffel tower built (to mark centenary of french revolution)
dock strike docker's won their "docker's tanner", 6 old pennies
26
1890
london's first electric underground
mar 4: forth railway bridge opens took six years to build
27
1891
mar 18: first telephone link between london & paris
apr 5: sixth full british census
primary education made free and compulsory
28
1892
1892 - gladstone forms his fourth liberal government
electric oven invented
shop hours act limit 74 hours per week for under-18s
may 20: last broad-gauge train leaves paddington for plymouth
29
1893
1893 - second irish home rule bill fails to pass the house of lords
keir hardy founds independent labour party
henry ford's first car
tchaikovsky 6th symphony, and suicide
30
1894
1894 - rosebery takes power with his minority liberal government
jan 1: manchester ship canal opens
local government act passed (start of civil parish councils, etc)
graduated death duties introduced in britain
picture postcard introduced in britain
jun 30: tower bridge opens
beatrice and sidney webb history of trade unionism
kipling jungle book
shaw arms and the man
31
1895
1895 - salisbury forms his third unionist ministry
jan 12: the national trust founded in england
london school of economics (lse) established
mar 22: first public showing of film on screen in paris by lumiθres
rφntgen discovers x-rays
gugliemo marconi invents wireless telegraphy message over a mile
safety razor invented by king c gillette
jul 12: first recorded motor journey of any length (56 miles) in britain
oct 17: first people in britain to be charged with motor offences john henry knight and james pullinger of farnham, surrey
sir henry wood starts promenade concerts in london
hg wells the time machine
32
1896
1896 - the british conquest of the sudan begins
opening of the underground railway (the "shooglie") in glasgow remains the only underground in scotland
first modern olympic games held in athens (some say 1894)
repeal of the 1878 red flag act (annual london to brighton run started in celebration)
klondyke gold rush in the yukon
term psychoanalysis first comes into use
33
1897
1897 june 22 - queen victoria celebrates her diamond jubilee
workmen's compensation act: employers liable for insurance of workforce
34
1898
1898 - british rule over sudan fully established. german naval expansion begins
first photograph using artificial light
zeppelin builds airship
the curies discover radium
oscar wilde the ballad of reading gaol
35
1899
1899 - british disasters in south africa
1899-1902 - boer war in south africa - second
oct: start of second boer war
board of education established in britain
britain's first 'garden city' laid out at letchworth
valdemar poulsen invents the tape recorder
johann vaaler designs the paper clip
aspirin invented
36
1900
1900 - salisbury wins the khaki election. the labour representation committee is formed. parliament passes the commonwealth of australia act
feb 28: relief of ladysmith
may 17: relief of mafeking
june/july: boxer rising in peking
school leaving age in britain raised to 14 years
central line opens in london: underground is electrified
max planck proposes the quantum theory
escalator shown at paris exhibition
first transmission of human speech by radio waves
37
1901
1901 jan 22- death of queen victoria. she is succeeded by her son, prince albert, as king edward vii
commonwealth of australia founded
mar 31: seventh full british census (available for inspection jan 2002)
june: denunciation of use of concentration camps by british in boer war
oct 2: britain's first submarine launched
dec 12: first successful radio transmission across the atlantic, by marconi morse code from cornwall to newfoundland
ragtime introduced into american jazz
kipling kim
38
1902
balfour's education act provides for secondary education
cremation act cremation can only take place at officially recognised establishments, and with two death certificates issued
may 24: empire day (later commonwealth day) first celebrated
may 31: treaty of vereeniging ends second boer war
marie curie discovers radioactivity
usa acquires perpetual control of panama canal (not yet completed, see 1913)
discovery by physicist heaviside of atmospheric layer which aids conduction of radio waves
times literary supplement appears for first time
39
1903
workers' education association (wea) formed in britain
women's social and political union formed in britain by emmeline pankhurst
first flight of wilbur & orville wright
henry ford sets up his motor company
bertrand russell principles of mathematics
shaw man and superman
40
1904
leeds university established
barrie peter pan (legend says he invented the name wendy for this, but the name exists in census records as early as 1880)
41
1905
aliens act in britain: home office controls immigration
germany lays down the first dreadnought battleship
einstein publishes theory of relativity
picasso begins his 'pink period' in paris
42
1906
labour party formed
free school meals for poor children
launching of hms dreadnought, first turbine-driven battleship
freud and jung begin their association
san francisco earthquake and fire: 400 dead
amundsen traverses the north-west passage
hw fowler the king's english
43
1907
school medical system begins
new zealand becomes a dominion
imperial college, london, is established
first airship flies over london
pavlov begins his studies on conditioned reflexes
lumiere develops a process for colour photography
44
1908
coal mines regulation act in britain limits men to an eight hour day
separate courts for juveniles established in britain
lord baden-powell starts the boy scout movement
first 'model t' ford
grahame the wind in the willows
45
1909
jan 1: old age pensions act came into force
jul 25: bleriot flies across the channel (36 minutes, calais to dover)
beveridge report prompts creation of labour exchanges
peary reaches the north pole
first commercial manufacture of bakelite start of the plastic age
46
1910
constitutional crisis in britain
railway strike and coal strikes in britain
union of south africa formed botha first prime minister
may 6: edward vii dies george v king
crippen caught by radio telegraphy
madame curie isolates radium
halley's comet reappears
tango becomes popular in north america and europe
47
1911
parliament act in britain reduces the power of the house of lords
british mps receive a salary
apr 2 census: pop. e&w 36m, scot 4.6m, ni 1.25m
dec 14: national insurance in britain
first british official secrets act
standard oil in usa broken up into 33 companies
rutherford: theory of atomic structures
amundsen reaches the south pole
1911-1912 strikes by seamen, dock and transport workers
48
1912
irish home rule crisis grows in britain
apr 14: the 'unsinkable' titanic sinks on maiden voyage loss of 1,513 lives
britain nationalises the telephone system
daily herald founded lasts until 1964
royal flying corps (later the raf) founded in britain
captain scott's last expedition he and his team die on way back from the south pole
discovery of the 'piltdown man' hoax, exposed in 1953
49
1913
third irish home rule bill rejected by house of lords threat of civil war in ireland formation of ulster volunteers to oppose home rule
suffragette demonstrations in london mrs pankhurst imprisoned
trade union act in britain establishes the right to use union funds for political purposes
panama canal opened (1914?)
geiger invents his counter to measure radioactivity
dh lawrence sons and lovers
shaw pygmalion
50
1914
1914-1918 first world war (the "great war")
jun 28: archduke ferdinand assassinated in sarajevo
aug 4: britain declares war on germany, citing belgian neutrality as reason
aug 5: british cableship telconia cut through all five of germany's undersea telegraph links to the outside world
oct-nov: battle of ypres beginning of trench warfare on western front
first zeppelin air raid on england
irish home rule act provides for a separate parliament in ireland: the position of ulster to be decided after the war
james joyce the dubliners
chaplin and de mille make their first films
burroughs tarzan of the apes
vaughan williams london symphony
51
1915
feb: submarine blockade of britain starts
apr-may: second battle of ypres poison gas used for first time
apr 25: gallipoli campaign starts
may 7: lucitania sunk by german submarine off coast of ireland 1,198 died
junkers construct first fighter aeroplane
coalition government formed in britain under asquith
first automatic telephone exchange in britain
einstein general theory of relativity
52
1916
feb-dec: battle of verdun appalling losses on both sides, stalemate continues
apr 24: easter rising in ireland after the leaders are executed, public opinion backs independence
may 31-jun 1: battle of jutland only major naval battle between the british and german fleets
jun 5: sinking of hms hampshire and death of kitchener
jul: battle of the somme first use of tanks by britain, but of limited effect over 1 million casualties
dec 7: lloyd-george becomes british prime minister of the coalition
compulsory military service introduced in britain
holst the planets
jazz sweeps through america
53
1917
february revolution in russia: tsar nicholas abdicates
usa declares war on germany
battle of cambrai first use of massed tanks, but effect more psychological than actual
may 26: george v changes surname from saxe-coburg-gotha to windsor
jul-nov: battle of passchendaele little gained by either side
oct 17: trans-australian railway line completed
october revolution in russia bolsheviks overthrow provisional government: lenin becomes chief commissar
balfour declaration: britain will support a jewish state in palestine
dec 9: british forces capture jerusalem
ministry of labour is established in britain
daniel jones english pronouncing dictionary
54
1918
jul-aug: second battle of the marne: last major german offensive
nov 11: armistice signed
vote for women over 30, men over 21 (except peers, lunatics and felons)
war of independence in ireland
world-wide 'flu epidemic
1918-1939 art deco period (art & antiques)
55
1919
treaty of versailles
first woman in house of commons (viscountess astor)
britain adopts a 48-hour working week
irish mps meet as dail eirann
alcock and brown fly atlantic
sir ernest rutherford publishes account of splitting the atom
keynes the economic consequencies of war
sassoon war poems
56
1920
first meeting of the league of nations
feb: first roadside petrol filling station in uk opened by the automobile association at aldermaston on the bath road
regular cross-channel air service starts
oxford university admits women to degrees
marconi opens a radio broadcasting station in britain
thompson patents his machine gun (tommy gun)
dh lawrence women in love
57
1921
jun 19 census: pop. e&w 37.9m, scot 4.9m, ni 1.25m
dec 6: irish free state and northern ireland formed
irish regiments of british army disbanded
railway act in britain amalgamates companies only four remained
first birth control clinic
chaplin the kid, first full-length film
58
1922
fall of lloyd-george coalition
law of property act - the manorial system effectively ended
bbc established as a monopoly, and begins transmissions
tomb of tutankhamen discovered in egypt
ts eliot the waste land
59
1923
mussolini becomes dictator of italy
massive inflation in germany leads to collapse of the currency
canberra made federal capital of australia
first publication of radio times
first wembley cup final (west ham 0, bolton 2) "i'm forever blowing bubbles" popular song of the time, became the west ham anthem
hubble shows there are galaxies beyond the milky way
first american broadcasts heard in britain
freud the ego and the id
pg wodehouse the inimitable jeeves
gershwin rhapsody in blue
60
1924
jan 4-nov 4: first labour government, headed by ramsay macdonald
death of lenin: succeeded by stalin
british imperial airways begin operations (became boac in 1940)
forster a passage to india
61
1925
britain returns to gold standard
adolf hitler writes mein kampf
fitzgerald the great gatsby
noel coward hay fever
charleston dance becomes fashionable
62
1926
apr 26: general strike begins, till may 12 (mine workers for 6 months more)
first public demonstration of television (tv) by john logie baird
adoption of children is legalised in britain
byrd makes flight to north pole
kodak produces 16mm movie film
walt disney arrives in hollywood
hw fowler dictionary of modern english usage
63
1927
german economy collapses on 'black friday'
lindbergh makes solo flight across the atlantic
release of the first 'talkie' film (the jazz singer)
64
1928
women over 21 get vote in britain same qualification for both sexes
teleprinters start to be used
nov 18: walt disney's 'mickey mouse' pictures begin
turkey adopts roman alphabet
dh lawrence lady chatterley's lover
ravel bolero
65
1929
abolition of poor law system in britain
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
sir alexander fleming accidentally discovers penicillin
wall street crash on 'black tuesday'
bbc begins experimental tv transmissions
einstein unified field theory
hemingway a farewell to arms
66
1930
first nazis elected to the german reichstag
oct 5: r101 airship disaster british abandons airship construction
youth hostel association (yha) founded in britain
discovery of planet pluto by tombaugh
film all quiet on the western front
67
1931
apr 26 census: pop. e&w 40m, scot 4.8m, ni 1.24m (but details destroyed by fire during ww2)
statute of westminster: british dominions become independent sovereign states
oct 21: national government formed to deal with economic crisis britain comes off gold standard
collapse of the german banking system: 3,000 banks there close
unemployment in germany reaches 5.66m
empire state building completed in new york
68
1932
great hunger march of unemployed to london
moseley founds british union of fascists
roosevelt elected president of usa
slump grows worse in usa: 5,000 banks close, unemployment rises
cockroft and walton accelerate particles to disintegrate an atomic nucleus
sir thomas beecham established the london philharmonic orchestra
69
1933
jan 30: hitler becomes chancellor of germany
roosevelt launches his 'new deal'
oxford union: "this house will in no circumstances fight for king and country"
ici scientists discover polythene
only 6 pennies minted in britain this year
70
1934
hitler becoms fuehrer of germany
mao tse-tung's 'long march' starts in china
graves i, claudius
flying down to rio first rogers/astaire film
71
1935
italy invades abyssinia
london adopts a 'green belt' scheme
hore-belisha introduces pedestrian crossings and speed limits for built-up areas in britain
land speed record of 301.13 mph by malcolm campbell
ts eliot murder in the cathedral
72
1936
jan 20: george v dies: edward viii king
first public tv transmission
jet engine first tested
queen mary makes maiden voyage
jesse owens wins 4 gold medals at berlin olympic games
jul 18: spanish civil war starts
dec 5: edward viii abdicates (announced dec 10) popular carol that christmas: "hark the herald angels sing, mrs simpson's got our king"
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