|  | Date | Event(s) | 
	
| 1 | 1856 | 1856—1856: End of Crimean War29 Jan 1856—29 Jan 1856: Victoria Cross created by Royal Warrant, backdated to 1854 to recognise acts
during the Crimean War (first award ceremony 26 June 1857)
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| 2 | 1857 | 1857—1857: Work starts on the laying of the Transatlantic cable
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| 3 | 1858 | 1858—1858: 'The great stink' -  smell of the River Thames forced Parliament to stop work1858—1858: Royal Opera House opens in Covent Garden, London
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| 4 | 1859 | 1859—1859: Peaceful picketing legalised in Britain25 Apr 1859—25 Apr 1859: Work started on building the Suez canal (opened 17 Nov 1869)4 May 1859—4 May 1859: Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge opened at Saltash giving rail link between Devon
and Cornwall24 Nov 1859—24 Nov 1859: Charles Darwin publishes 'The Origin of Species'
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| 5 | 1860 | 29 Aug 1860—29 Aug 1860: First tram service in Europe starts in Birkenhead
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| 6 | 1861 | 25 May 1861—25 May 1861: American Civil War begins
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| 7 | 1862 | 1862—1862: Lincoln issues first legal US paper money (Greenbacks)20 Apr 1862—20 Apr 1862: First pasteurisation test completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard
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| 8 | 1863 | 1863—1863: Football Association founded (UK)1863—1863: Opening of state institution for criminally insane at Broadmoor, England10 Jan 1863—10 Jan 1863: First section of the London Underground Railway opens
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| 9 | 1864 | 1864—1864: 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 ship11 Mar 1864—11 Mar 1864: The Great Sheffield Flood -  over 250 died when a new dam broke while it was being filled for the first time20 Aug 1864—20 Aug 1864: Red Cross established -  Twelve nations sign the First Geneva Convention8 Dec 1864—8 Dec 1864: Clifton Suspension Bridge over the River Avon officially opened
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| 10 | 1865 | 1865—1865: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1836-1917) becomes first woman doctor in England [she later became the first woman mayor in England, in Aldeburgh 1908]1865—1865: First concrete roads built in Britain14 Apr 1865—14 Apr 1865: End of American Civil War -  slavery abolished in USA14 Apr 1865—14 Apr 1865: Abraham Lincoln assassinated in Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth5 Jul 1865—5 Jul 1865: William Booth (1829-1912) founds Salvation Army, in London
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| 11 | 1867 | 1 Jul 1867—1 Jul 1867: The British North America Act takes effect, creating the Canadian Confederation
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| 12 | 1868 | 1868—1868: Last convicts landed in Australia (Western Australia)
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| 13 | 1869 | 1869—1869: Ball bearings, celluloid, margarine, and washing machines, all invented23 Nov 1869—23 Nov 1869: Cutty Sark launched in Dumbarton
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| 14 | 1870 | 1870—1870: GPO takes over the privately-owned Telegraph Companies (nationalised)1870—1870: Dr Thomas Barnardo opens his first home for destitute children1870—1870: Water closets come into wide use1870—1870: Diamonds discovered in Kimberley, South Africa1 Oct 1870—1 Oct 1870: First British postcard -  halfpenny post
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| 15 | 1871 | 27 Mar 1871—27 Mar 1871: First Rugby Football international, England v Scotland, played in Edinburgh29 Mar 1871—29 Mar 1871: Opening of Royal Albert Hall, London29 Jun 1871—29 Jun 1871: Trades Unions legalised in Britain, but picketing made illegal
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| 16 | 1872 | 1872—1872: Licensing hours introduced1872—1872: Penalties introduced for failing to register births, marriages & deaths (Eng & Wales)4 Dec 1872—4 Dec 1872: American ship 'Mary Celeste' is found abandoned by the British brig 'Dei Gratia' in the Atlantic Ocean
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| 17 | 1874 | 1874—1874: Factory Act introduces 56-hour week5 Apr 1874—5 Apr 1874: Birkenhead Park opened, said to be the first civic public park in the world -  features of it later copied in Central Park, New York
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| 18 | 1875 | 1875—1875: London's main sewage system completed1 Jan 1875—1 Jan 1875: 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)
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| 19 | 1876 | 14 Feb 1876—14 Feb 1876: Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray each file a patent for the telephone -  Bell awarded the rights
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| 20 | 1877 | 1877—1877: Edison invents microphone and phonograph
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| 21 | 1878 | 1878—1878: Edison & Swan invent electric lamp1878—1878: Red Flag Act in Britain limits mechanical road vehicles to 4mph1878—1878: CID established at New Scotland Yard
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| 22 | 1879 | 18 Sep 1879—18 Sep 1879: Blackpool illuminations switched on for first time
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| 23 | 1880 | 1880—1880: Education Act: schooling compulsory for 5-10 year olds1880—1880: Mosquito found to be the carrier of malaria2 Aug 1880—2 Aug 1880: Greenwich Mean Time adopted throughout UK
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| 24 | 1881 | 1881—1881: Postal Orders introduced1881—1881: Flogging abolished in Army and Royal NavySep 1881—Sep 1881: 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—26 Oct 1881: Gunfight at OK Corral
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| 25 | 1882 | 1882—1882: Fourth Eddystone Lighthouse completed
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| 26 | 1883 | 1883—1883: Statue of Liberty presented to USA by France24 May 1883—24 May 1883: Brooklyn Bridge, New York opens (crosses East River)1 Aug 1883—1 Aug 1883: Parcel post starts in Britain27 Aug 1883—27 Aug 1883: Eruption of Krakatoa near Java -  30,000 killed by tidal wave
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| 27 | 1884 | 31 May 1884—31 May 1884: John Harvey Kellogg patents corn flakes13 Oct 1884—13 Oct 1884: Greenwich made prime meridian of the world
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| 28 | 1885 | 1885—1885: Carl Benz builds the 'Motorwagen', a single-cylinder motor car1885—1885: Gottlieb Daimler patents the world's first motorcycle1885—1885: Eastman makes first coated photographic paper1885—1885: Canadian Pacific Railway completedMar 1885—Mar 1885: First UK cremation in modern times took place at Woking5 Sep 1885—5 Sep 1885: The first train runs through the Severn Tunnel29 Sep 1885—29 Sep 1885: First electric tramcar used at Blackpool
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| 29 | 1886 | 20 Jan 1886—20 Jan 1886: Mersey railway (under Mersey) opened by Prince of WalesMay 1886—May 1886: Pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invents a carbonated beverage later named 'Coca-Cola'29 May 1886—29 May 1886: Putney Bridge opens in London
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| 30 | 1887 | 1887—1887: Daimler produces a four-wheeled motor car
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| 31 | 1888 | 1888—1888: Convention of Constantinople guarantees free maritime passage through Suez Canal in war and peace1888—1888: Jack the Ripper active in east London during the latter half of the year1888—1888: County Councils set up in Britain1888—1888: Dunlop invents pneumatic tyre1888—1888: First box camera -  George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak, and receives a patent
for his camera which uses roll film20 Mar 1888—20 Mar 1888: Football League formed
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| 32 | 1889 | 1889—1889: Celluloid film produced1889—1889: Dock Strike -  docker's won their 'Docker's Tanner' 6 old pennies31 Mar 1889—31 Mar 1889: Eiffel Tower completed (to mark centenary of French Revolution)14 May 1889—14 May 1889: Children's charity NSPCC launched in London3 Jun 1889—3 Jun 1889: Canadian Pacific Railway completed from coast to coast28 Sep 1889—28 Sep 1889: Length of a metre defined
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| 33 | 1890 | 4 Mar 1890—4 Mar 1890: Forth railway bridge opens -  took six years to build4 Nov 1890—4 Nov 1890: City & South London Railway opens -  London's first deep-level tube railway
and first major railway in the world to use electric traction
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| 34 | 1891 | 1891—1891: Primary education made free and compulsory18 Mar 1891—18 Mar 1891: First telephone link between London & Paris4 May 1891—4 May 1891: Fictional date when Sherlock Holmes throws Moriarty over Reichenbach Falls, then disappears for 3 years! (published in 1893)24 Aug 1891—24 Aug 1891: Thomas Edison patents the motion picture camera
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| 35 | 1892 | 1892—1892: Electric oven invented1892—1892: Shop Hours Act -  limit 74 hours per week for under-18's6 Oct 1892—6 Oct 1892: Alfred Lord Tennyson dies, aged 83, at his house Aldworth, near Haslemere
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| 36 | 1893 | 1893—1893: Henry Ford's first car1893—1893: Zip fastener invented
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| 37 | 1894 | 1894—1894: Picture postcard introduced in Britain1 Jan 1894—1 Jan 1894: Manchester Ship Canal opens1 Mar 1894—1 Mar 1894: Blackpool Tower opens30 Jun 1894—30 Jun 1894: Tower Bridge first opens2 Aug 1894—2 Aug 1894: Death duties first introduced in Britain
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| 38 | 1895 | 1895—1895: Sir Henry Wood starts Promenade Concerts in London12 Jan 1895—12 Jan 1895: The National Trust founded in England24 May 1895—24 May 1895: Henry Irving becomes the first person from the theatre to be knighted28 May 1895—28 May 1895: Oscar Wilde sent to prison12 Jul 1895—12 Jul 1895: First recorded motor journey of any length (56 miles) in Britain17 Oct 1895—17 Oct 1895: First people in Britain to be charged with motor offences -  John Henry Knight and James Pullinger of Farnham, SurreyNov 1895—Nov 1895: X-rays discovered
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| 39 | 1896 | 5 Apr 1896—5 Apr 1896: First modern Olympic Games held in Athens2 Jun 1896—2 Jun 1896: Guglielmo Marconi receives a British patent (later disputed) for the radio
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| 40 | 1897 | 1897—1897: Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope, the first movie projector
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| 41 | 1898 | 1898—1898: First photograph using artificial light1898—1898: Zeppelin builds airship1898—1898: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company founded17 Mar 1898—17 Mar 1898: USS Holland launched, the first practical submarine27 Jun 1898—27 Jun 1898: The first solo circumnavigation of the globe completed at Rhode island by
Joshua Slocum in Spray (started from Boston, Mass on Apr 24, 1895)
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| 42 | 1899 | 6 Mar 1899—6 Mar 1899: Aspirin first marketed by Bayer11 Oct 1899—11 Oct 1899: Start of Second Boer War
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| 43 | 1900 | 1900—1900: School leaving age in Britain raised to 14 years1900—1900: Central Line opens in London: underground is electrified1900—1900: Escalator shown at Paris exhibition9 Feb 1900—9 Feb 1900: Davis Cup tennis competition established27 Feb 1900—27 Feb 1900: Labour Party formed
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| 44 | 1901 | 1901—1901: Commonwealth of Australia founded1901—1901: Hubert Cecil Booth patents the vacuum cleaner22 Jan 1901—22 Jan 1901: Queen Victoria dies -  Edward VII king2 Feb 1901—2 Feb 1901: Queen Victoria's funeral -  interred beside Prince Albert in the Frogmore
Mausoleum at Windsor Great ParkJun 1901—Jun 1901: Denunciation of use of concentration camps by British in Boer War2 Oct 1901—2 Oct 1901: Britain's first submarine launched12 Dec 1901—12 Dec 1901: First successful radio transmission across the Atlantic, by Marconi -  Morse
code from Cornwall to Newfoundland
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| 45 | 1902 | 1902—1902: Balfour's Education Act provides for secondary education1902—1902: Cremation Act -  cremation can only take place at officially recognised establishments,
and with two death certificates issued1902—1902: Marie Curie discovers radioactivity24 May 1902—24 May 1902: Empire Day (later Commonwealth Day) first celebrated31 May 1902—31 May 1902: Treaty of Vereeniging ends Second Boer War9 Aug 1902—9 Aug 1902: Coronation of Edward VII
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| 46 | 1903 | 1903—1903: Workers' Education Association (WEA) formed in Britain1903—1903: Women's Social and Political Union formed in Britain by Emmeline Pankhurst1903—1903: Henry Ford sets up his motor company14 Dec 1903—14 Dec 1903: First flight of Wilbur & Orville Wright
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| 47 | 1904 | 1904—1904: Leeds University established8 Apr 1904—8 Apr 1904: France and UK sign the Entente Cordiale4 May 1904—4 May 1904: America takes over construction of the Panama Canal from the French
(completed 1914)
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| 48 | 1905 | 1905—1905: 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 York1905—1905: Aliens Act in Britain: Home Office controls immigration1905—1905: Germany lays down the first Dreadnought battleship11 Apr 1905—11 Apr 1905: Einstein publishes Special Theory of Relativity
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| 49 | 1906 | 1906—1906: Introduction of free school meals for poor children10 Feb 1906—10 Feb 1906: Launching of HMS Dreadnought, first turbine-driven battleship15 Mar 1906—15 Mar 1906: Rolls-Royce Ltd registered26 May 1906—26 May 1906: Vauxhall Bridge opened in London20 Sep 1906—20 Sep 1906: Launching of Cunard's RMS Mauretania on the Tyne
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| 50 | 1907 | 1907—1907: New Zealand becomes a Dominion1907—1907: Imperial College, London, is established1907—1907: First airship flies over London1907—1907: Lumiere develops a process for colour photographyJul 1907—Jul 1907: Leo Hendrik Baekeland patents Bakelite, the first plastic invented that held its
shape after being heated1 Aug 1907—1 Aug 1907: Baden-Powell leads the first Scout camp on Brownsea Island9 Nov 1907—9 Nov 1907: The Cullinan Diamond presented to Edward VII on his birthday
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| 51 | 1908 | 1908—1908: Coal Mines Regulation Act in Britain limits men to an eight hour day1908—1908: Separate courts for juveniles established in Britain1908—1908: Lord Baden-Powell starts the Boy Scout movement1 Jul 1908—1 Jul 1908: SOS became effective as an international signal of distress12 Aug 1908—12 Aug 1908: First 'Model T' Ford made
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| 52 | 1909 | 1909—1909: Beveridge Report prompts creation of labour Exchanges1909—1909: Peary reaches the north pole1909—1909: First commercial manufacture of Bakelite -  start of the plastic age1 Jan 1909—1 Jan 1909: Old Age Pensions Act came into force16 Jan 1909—16 Jan 1909: Ernest Shackleton's expedition finds the magnetic South Pole15 Mar 1909—15 Mar 1909: Selfridges department store opens in London25 Jul 1909—25 Jul 1909: Bleriot flies across the Channel (36 minutes, Calais to Dover)
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| 53 | 1910 | 1910—1910: Railway strike and coal strikes in Britain1910—1910: Constitutional crisis in Britain1910—1910: Dr Crippen caught by radio telegraphy; hanged 23 Nov at Pentonville1910—1910: Madame Curie isolates radium1910—1910: Halley's comet reappears1910—1910: Tango becomes popular in North America and Europe6 May 1910—6 May 1910: Edward VII dies -  George V becomes King
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| 54 | 1911 | 1911—1911: Parliament Act in Britain reduces the power of the House of Lords1911—1911: British MPs receive a salary1911—1911: First British Official Secrets Act1911—1911: Rutherford: theory of atomic structures1911—1911: Strikes by seamen, dock and transport workers (1911-1912)2 Apr 1911—2 Apr 1911: Census: Population - England and Wales: 36 Million; Scotland: 4.6 Million; N Ireland: 1.25 Million22 Jun 1911—22 Jun 1911: Coronation of George V14 Dec 1911—14 Dec 1911: National Insurance introduced in Britain
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| 55 | 1912 | 1912—1912: Irish Home Rule crisis grows in Britain1912—1912: Britain nationalises the telephone system1912—1912: Discovery of the 'Piltdown Man' -  hoax, exposed in 195318 Jan 1912—18 Jan 1912: 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 November14 Apr 1912—14 Apr 1912: The 'unsinkable' Titanic sinks on maiden voyage -  loss of 1,513 lives13 May 1912—13 May 1912: Royal Flying Corps (later the RAF) founded in Britain
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| 56 | 1913 | 1913—1913: Third Irish Home Rule Bill rejected by House of Lords -  threat of civil war in Ireland - 
formation of Ulster Volunteers to oppose Home Rule1913—1913: Suffragette demonstrations in London -  Mrs Pankhurst imprisoned1913—1913: Trade Union Act in Britain establishes the right to use Union funds for political
purposes1913—1913: Invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley of Sheffield1913—1913: Geiger invents his counter to measure radioactivity4 Jun 1913—4 Jun 1913: Emily Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of the king's horse, Anmer, at the
Epsom Derby and dies
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| 57 | 1914 | 1914—1914: Irish Home Rule Act provides for a separate Parliament in Ireland; the position of Ulster
to be decided after the War1914—1914: Chaplin and De Mille make their first films28 Jun 1914—28 Jun 1914: Archduke Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo4 Aug 1914—4 Aug 1914: Britain declares war on Germany, citing Belgian neutrality as reason5 Aug 1914—5 Aug 1914: British cableship Telconia cut through all five of Germany's undersea telegraph
links to the outside world15 Aug 1914—15 Aug 1914: 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—Oct 1914: Battle of Ypres -  beginning of trench warfare on western front27 Nov 1914—27 Nov 1914: First policewoman goes on duty in Britain16 Dec 1914—16 Dec 1914: German battleships bombard Hartlepool and Scarborough
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| 58 | 1915 | 1915—1915: Junkers construct first fighter aeroplane1915—1915: First automatic telephone exchange in Britain19 Jan 1915—19 Jan 1915: First Zeppelin air raid on England, over East Anglia -  four killedFeb 1915—Feb 1915: Submarine blockade of Britain startsApr 1915—Apr 1915: Second Battle of Ypres -  poison gas used for first time25 Apr 1915—25 Apr 1915: Gallipoli campaign starts (declared ANZAC Day in 1916)7 May 1915—7 May 1915: RMS Lusitania sunk by German submarine off coast of Ireland -  1,198 died16 May 1915—16 May 1915: First meeting of a British WI (Women's Institute) took place in Llanfairpwll
(aka Llanfair PG), Anglesey
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| 59 | 1916 | 1916—1916: Compulsory military service introduced in BritainFeb 1916—Feb 1916: Battle of Verdun -  appalling losses on both sides, stalemate continues24 Apr 1916—24 Apr 1916: Easter Rising in Ireland -  after the leaders are executed, public opinion backs
independence21 May 1916—21 May 1916: First use of Daylight Saving Time in UK31 May 1916—31 May 1916: Battle of Jutland -  only major naval battle between the British and
German fleets5 Jun 1916—5 Jun 1916: Sinking of HMS Hampshire and death of Kitchener3 Aug 1916—3 Aug 1916: Sir Roger Casement hanged at Pentonville Prison for treason15 Sep 1916—15 Sep 1916: 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—7 Dec 1916: Lloyd-George becomes British Prime Minister of the coalition government
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| 60 | 1917 | 1917—1917: Battle of Cambrai -  first use of massed tanks, but effect more psychological than actual1917—1917: Ministry of Labour is established in BritainFeb 1917—Feb 1917: February revolution in Russia; Tsar Nicholas abdicates16 Apr 1917—16 Apr 1917: Lenin returns to Russia after exile17 Apr 1917—17 Apr 1917: USA declares war on Germany26 May 1917—26 May 1917: George V changes surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor (Royal
proclamation on 17 July)Jul 1917—Jul 1917: Battle of Passchendaele -  little gained by either side (Jul-Nov)7 Nov 1917—7 Nov 1917: 'October' Revolution in Russia -  Bolsheviks overthrow provisional government;
Lenin becomes Chief Commissar6 Dec 1917—6 Dec 1917: 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 explosion9 Dec 1917—9 Dec 1917: British forces capture Jerusalem
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| 61 | 1918 | 1918—1918: Vote for women over 30, men over 21 (except peers, lunatics and felons)1918—1918: War of Independence in Ireland18 Jan 1918—18 Jan 1918: Bentley Motors founded8 Mar 1918—8 Mar 1918: Start of world-wide 'flu pandemicJul 1918—Jul 1918: Second Battle of the Marne: last major German offensive in WW1 (Jul-Aug)1 Oct 1918—1 Oct 1918: Arab forces under Lawrence of Arabia capture Damascus11 Nov 1918—11 Nov 1918: Armistice signedDec 1918—Dec 1918: First woman elected to House of Commons, Countess Markiewicz as a Sinn Fein
member refused to take her seat
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| 62 | 1919 | 1919—1919: Britain adopts a 48-hour working week1919—1919: Sir Ernest Rutherford publishes account of splitting the atom15 Jun 1919—15 Jun 1919: Alcock and Brown complete first nonstop flight across the Atlantic28 Jun 1919—28 Jun 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed
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| 63 | 1920 | 1920—1920: Regular cross-channel air service starts1920—1920: Marconi opens a radio broadcasting station in Britain1920—1920: Thompson patents his machine gun (Tommy gun)Feb 1920—Feb 1920: First roadside petrol filling station in UK -  opened by the Automobile Association
at Aldermaston on the Bath Road
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| 64 | 1921 | 1921—1921: Railway Act in Britain amalgamates companies -  only four remained1921—1921: Insulin discovery announced1921—1921: First birth control clinic19 Jun 1921—19 Jun 1921: Census: Population - England and Wales: 37.9 Million; Scotland: 4.9 Million; N Ireland: 1.25 Million6 Dec 1921—6 Dec 1921: Anglo-Irish Treaty signed in London, leading to the formation of the Irish Free
State and Northern Ireland
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| 65 | 1922 | 1922—1922: Law of Property Act -  the manorial system effectively ended1 Jun 1922—1 Jun 1922: Royal Ulster Constabulary foundedOct 1922—Oct 1922: 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)
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| 66 | 1923 | 1923—1923: Roads in Great Britain classified with A and B numbers1923—1923: Hubble shows there are galaxies beyond the Milky Way1923—1923: First American broadcasts heard in Britain1 Jan 1923—1 Jan 1923: 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 194816 Feb 1923—16 Feb 1923: Howard Carter unsealed the burial chamber of Tutankhamun28 Apr 1923—28 Apr 1923: First Wembley cup final (West Ham 0, Bolton 2) -  'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles ' popular song of the time  became the West Ham anthem28 Sep 1923—28 Sep 1923: First publication of Radio Times
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| 67 | 1924 | 4 Jan 1924—4 Jan 1924: First Labour government in Britain, headed by Ramsay MacDonald5 Feb 1924—5 Feb 1924: Hourly Greenwich Time Signals from the Royal Greenwich Observatory were
first broadcast by the BBC31 Mar 1924—31 Mar 1924: British Imperial Airways begins operations (formed by merger of four British
airline companies -  became BOAC in 1940)
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| 68 | 1925 | 1925—1925: Britain returns to gold standard18 Jul 1925—18 Jul 1925: Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf
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| 69 | 1926 | 1926—1926: First public demonstration of television (TV) by John Logie Baird1926—1926: Adoption of children is legalised in Britain1926—1926: Kodak produces 16mm movie film1926—1926: Walt Disney arrives in Hollywood21 Apr 1926—21 Apr 1926: Princess Elizabeth born3 May 1926—3 May 1926: General Strike begins. Lasts until May 12 (mine workers for 6 months more)31 Oct 1926—31 Oct 1926: Death of Harry Houdini
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| 70 | 1927 | 1927—1927: Release of the first 'talkie' film (The Jazz Singer)7 Jan 1927—7 Jan 1927: First transatlantic telephone call -  New York City to London22 Jan 1927—22 Jan 1927: First football broadcast by BBC (Arsenal v Sheffield United at Highbury)1 May 1927—1 May 1927: First cooked meals on a scheduled flight introduced by Imperial Airways from
London to Paris20 May 1927—20 May 1927: Lindbergh makes solo flight across the Atlantic, in 33? hours31 May 1927—31 May 1927: Last Ford Model T rolls off assembly line24 Jul 1927—24 Jul 1927: The Menin Gate war memorial unveiled at Ypres
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| 71 | 1928 | 1928—1928: Women over 21 get vote in Britain -  same qualification for both sexes26 Apr 1928—26 Apr 1928: Madame Tussauds opens in London15 Sep 1928—15 Sep 1928: Sir Alexander Fleming accidentally discovers penicillin (results published 1929)
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| 72 | 1929 | 1929—1929: Abolition of Poor Law system in Britain1929—1929: 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 211929—1929: BBC begins experimental TV transmissions
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| 73 | 1930 | 1930—1930: First Nazis elected to the German Reichstag1930—1930: Youth Hostel Association (YHA) founded in Britain30 Jan 1930—30 Jan 1930: Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany31 Jan 1930—31 Jan 1930: 3M begins marketing Scotch Tape6 Mar 1930—6 Mar 1930: Clarence Birdseye first marketed frozen peas5 Oct 1930—5 Oct 1930: R101 airship disaster -  British abandons airship construction
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| 74 | 1931 | 1931—1931: Statute of Westminster: British Dominions become independent sovereign states1931—1931: Collapse of the German banking system; 3,000 banks there close14 Apr 1931—14 Apr 1931: Highway Code first issued26 Apr 1931—26 Apr 1931: 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—21 Oct 1931: National Government formed to deal with economic crisis -  Britain comes off
gold standard
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| 75 | 1932 | 1932—1932: Great Hunger March of unemployed to London1932—1932: Moseley founds British Union of Fascists1932—1932: Cockroft and Walton accelerate particles to disintegrate an atomic nucleus1932—1932: Sir Thomas Beecham established the London Philharmonic Orchestra21 May 1932—21 May 1932: Amelia Earhart first solo nonstop flight across Atlantic by a female pilot3 Oct 1932—3 Oct 1932: Iraq gains independence from Britain3 Oct 1932—3 Oct 1932: 'The Times' introduces 'Times New Roman' typeface
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| 76 | 1933 | 1933—1933: ICI scientists discover polythene1933—1933: Only 6 pennies minted in Britain this year12 Nov 1933—12 Nov 1933: First known photos of the 'Loch Ness Monster' taken
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| 77 | 1934 | 1934—1934: Hitler becomes Fuehrer of Germany18 Jul 1934—18 Jul 1934: King George V opens Mersey Tunnel26 Sep 1934—26 Sep 1934: RMS Queen Mary launched30 Nov 1934—30 Nov 1934: First time a steam locomotive travels at 100 mph ('Flying Scotsman')
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| 78 | 1935 | 1935—1935: London adopts a 'Green Belt' scheme1935—1935: Land speed record of 301.13 mph by Malcolm Campbell28 Feb 1935—28 Feb 1935: 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—12 Mar 1935: Hore-Belisha introduces pedestrian crossings and speed limits for built-up areas
in Britain1 Jun 1935—1 Jun 1935: Voluntary driving tests introduced in UK30 Jul 1935—30 Jul 1935: Penguin paperbacks launched
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| 79 | 1936 | 1936—1936: Jet engine first tested20 Jan 1936—20 Jan 1936: George V dies5 May 1936—5 May 1936: First flight of a Spitfire24 Jul 1936—24 Jul 1936: 'Speaking clock' service starts in UK2 Nov 1936—2 Nov 1936: British Broadcasting Corporation initiates the BBC Television Service, world's
first public TV transmission30 Nov 1936—30 Nov 1936: Crystal Palace destroyed by fire5 Dec 1936—5 Dec 1936: 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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| 80 | 1937 | 1937—1937: '999' emergency telephone call facility starts in London1937—1937: Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp12 Apr 1937—12 Apr 1937: Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft12 May 1937—12 May 1937: Coronation of King George VI28 May 1937—28 May 1937: Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister -  policy of appeasement towards
Hitler3 Jun 1937—3 Jun 1937: Duke of Windsor marries Wallis Simpson4 Dec 1937—4 Dec 1937: 'The Dandy' first published
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| 81 | 1938 | 1938—1938: Principle of paid holidays established in Britain1938—1938: HMS Rodney first ship to be equipped with radar1938—1938: First practical ball-point pen produced by Hungarian journalist, Lajos Biro12 Mar 1938—12 Mar 1938: Germany invades and annexes Austria3 Jul 1938—3 Jul 1938: 'Mallard' reaches 126 mph (203 km/h); still world record for a steam locomotive27 Sep 1938—27 Sep 1938: Largest ocean liner ever built, Queen Elizabeth launched on Clydebank29 Sep 1938—29 Sep 1938: Chamberlain visits Hitler in Munich -  promises 'peace in our time'30 Oct 1938—30 Oct 1938: Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of HG Wells 'The War of the Worlds', causing panic in the USA
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| 82 | 1939 | 1939—1939: Germany annexes Czechoslovakia1939—1939: Start of evacuation of women and children from London1939—1939: Coldest winter in Britain since 1894, though this could not be publicised at the time1 Sep 1939—1 Sep 1939: Germany invades Poland3 Sep 1939—3 Sep 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany6 Sep 1939—6 Sep 1939: First air-raid on Britain11 Sep 1939—11 Sep 1939: British Expeditionary Force (BEF) sent to France14 Oct 1939—14 Oct 1939: HMS Royal Oak sunk in Scapa Flow with loss of 810 lives7 Dec 1939—7 Dec 1939: 'First flight' of Canadian troops sail for Britain -  7,400 men on 5 ships17 Dec 1939—17 Dec 1939: 'Admiral Graf Spee' scuttled outside Montevideo
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| 83 | 1940 | 1 Apr 1940—1 Apr 1940: BOAC starts operations, replacing Imperial and British Airways Ltd11 May 1940—11 May 1940: National Government formed under Churchill13 May 1940—13 May 1940: Germany invades France27 May 1940—27 May 1940: Start of the evacuation of the British Army at Dunkirk (27 May - 4 Jun)25 Jun 1940—25 Jun 1940: Fall of France to Germany7 Sep 1940—7 Sep 1940: Germany launches bombing blitz on Britain, the first of 57 consecutive nights of
bombing15 Sep 1940—15 Sep 1940: Battle of Britain: massive waves of German air attacks decisively repulsed by the
RAF -  Hitler postpones invasion of Britain14 Nov 1940—14 Nov 1940: Coventry heavily bombed and the Cathedral almost completely destroyed
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