Major dates in British History Flashcards
1837-1901
Reign of Queen Victoria, marked by the expansion of the empire and by Puritanism (strictness and austerity in social and religious matters).
1838-48
The Chartists present petitions to Parliament, asking for universal male suffrage, vote by secret ballot, equal constituencies and the abolition of the need to own land to become an M.P. Rejected, and the movement dies down in 1850.
1851
The Great Exhibition : shows displays from countries all over the world, but mainly a presentation of the latest technological achievements of British engeneering.
1853-56
Crimean War : a conflict in which Russia lost to an alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia. It involved the rights of Christian minorities in the Holy Land, which was controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
1859
Darwin’s Origin of Species about natural selection and the survival of the fittest.
1868
Creation of the Trades Union Congress.
1870
Education Act (primary education becomes free for all).
1872
Ballot Act (voting becomes secret).
1876
Queen Victoria becomes empress of India.
1899-1902
Boer War (in South Africa).
1900
Creation of the Labour Party.
1911
Parliament Act (the Lords lose their power of veto).
1914
Britain enters WWI.
1916
Easter Rising in Dublin : an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans to end British rule in Ireland.
1919
Women obtain the right to vote, after much campaigning on the part of the suffragettes.
1921
Ireland is divided into two.
1926
General strike, the result of a period of industrial crisis and unemployment.
1928
Representation of the People Act: the vote is given to all men and women of 21 and above.
1929
Beginning of the Great Depression: bankruptcies and unemployment.
1936
Edward VIII becomes king, but abdicates the same year to marry an American divorcee.
1939
Britain declares war on Germany. Led by Winston Churchill, Britain shows courage and determination in the war against Nazi Germany.
1940
The Battle of Britain (air battles, Germany bombing strategic positions in Britain to prepare for an invasion); the Blitz (air raids on London). The war effort (rationing, women working in industry) helps to create a spirit of solidarity.
1942
Beveridge Report : an influential document in the founding of the Welfare State. It was chaired by William Beveridge, an economist, who identified five “Giant Evils” in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness, and disease.
1944
D-Day (allied forces land in France). The Butler Act makes school free and compulsory.
1945
VE-Day: end of WWII. The Labour government creates the Welfare State, which institutes the NHS, welfare payments, unemployment benefits and education for all.
1947-49
Many former colonies (such as India, Pakistan or Kenya) reach independence.
1949
The U.K. becomes a member of NATO.
1951-64
Conservative governments (Churchill, Eden, Macmillan, Home).
1956
Britain and France invade Egypt to regain the Suez canal, but have to pull out.
1964-70
Labour government (Wilson): the death penalty is abolished, the Abortion Act legalizes the termination of pregnancy, the Sexual Offences Act decriminalizes homosexuality and the Divorce Act liberalizes the divorce laws.
1969
Beginning of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.
1973
Britain and Ireland enter the Common Market.
1979
During the “winter of discontent”, many strikes paralyse Britain and eventually bring down James Callaghan’s Labour government.
1979-90
The first woman P.M., Margaret Thatcher (nicknamed the Iron Lady) introduces liberal policies.
1982
Falklands War, a conflict between Argentina and Britain after the Argentinians invaded the Falkland Islands. The war is short and won by Britain.
1984
A national miner’s strike (to protest against the closure of coal pits) lasts a year and is defeated.
1994
The Channel Tunnel links Britain and France.
1997
After Labour’s landslide victory, Tony Blair becomes PM. Breaking with the traditional Labour doctrines, Tony Blair calls his party New Labour. It is often described as a Third Way between left and right, between social democracy and neo-liberalism: it is based on pragmatism and defends family values and social justice within a competitive market.
1999
Beginning of the reform of the House of Lords: hereditary peers will no longer be able to sit in the HoL, which will consist mainly of appointed members. A Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly are created, giving more direct decision-making power to the people of these regions.
2001
After the 9/11 attacks, Britain supports the US’s war on terrorism.
2002
Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.
2003-4
Britain sends troops to Iraq.
2005
Tony Blair is re-elected for a third term. Terrorist attacks cause huge explosions in London, killing 52 people. Britain’s unconditional support for the US begins to be questioned as troops fight and die in Iraq and as violence there keeps increasing.
2007
Tony Blair stands down as PM and is replaced by Gordon Brown.
Reign of Queen Victoria, marked by the expansion of the empire and by Puritanism (strictness and austerity in social and religious matters).
1837-1901
The Chartists present petitions to Parliament, asking for universal male suffrage, vote by secret ballot, equal constituencies and the abolition of the need to own land to become an M.P. Rejected, and the movement dies down in 1850.
1838-48
The Great Exhibition : shows displays from countries all over the world, but mainly a presentation of the latest technological achievements of British engeneering.
1851
Crimean War : a conflict in which Russia lost to an alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia. It involved the rights of Christian minorities in the Holy Land, which was controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
1853-56
Darwin’s Origin of Species about natural selection and the survival of the fittest.
1859
Creation of the Trades Union Congress.
1868
Education Act (primary education becomes free for all).
1870
Ballot Act (voting becomes secret).
1872
Queen Victoria becomes empress of India.
1876
Boer War (in South Africa).
1899-1902
Creation of the Labour Party.
1900
Parliament Act (the Lords lose their power of veto).
1911
Britain enters WWI.
1914
Easter Rising in Dublin : an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans to end British rule in Ireland.
1916
Women obtain the right to vote, after much campaigning on the part of the suffragettes.
1919
Ireland is divided into two.
1921
General strike, the result of a period of industrial crisis and unemployment.
1926
Representation of the People Act: the vote is given to all men and women of 21 and above.
1928
Beginning of the Great Depression: bankruptcies and unemployment.
1929
Edward VIII becomes king, but abdicates the same year to marry an American divorcee.
1936
Britain declares war on Germany. Led by Winston Churchill, Britain shows courage and determination in the war against Nazi Germany.
1939
The Battle of Britain (air battles, Germany bombing strategic positions in Britain to prepare for an invasion); the Blitz (air raids on London). The war effort (rationing, women working in industry) helps to create a spirit of solidarity.
1940
Beveridge Report : an influential document in the founding of the Welfare State. It was chaired by William Beveridge, an economist, who identified five “Giant Evils” in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness, and disease.
1942
D-Day (allied forces land in France). The Butler Act makes school free and compulsory.
1944
VE-Day: end of WWII. The Labour government creates the Welfare State, which institutes the NHS, welfare payments, unemployment benefits and education for all.
1945
Many former colonies (such as India, Pakistan or Kenya) reach independence.
1947-49
The U.K. becomes a member of NATO.
1949
Conservative governments (Churchill, Eden, Macmillan, Home).
1951-64
Britain and France invade Egypt to regain the Suez canal, but have to pull out.
1956
Labour government (Wilson): the death penalty is abolished, the Abortion Act legalizes the termination of pregnancy, the Sexual Offences Act decriminalizes homosexuality and the Divorce Act liberalizes the divorce laws.
1964-70
Beginning of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.
1969
Britain and Ireland enter the Common Market.
1973
During the “winter of discontent”, many strikes paralyse Britain and eventually bring down James Callaghan’s Labour government.
1979
The first woman P.M., Margaret Thatcher (nicknamed the Iron Lady) introduces liberal policies.
1979-90
Falklands War, a conflict between Argentina and Britain after the Argentinians invaded the Falkland Islands. The war is short and won by Britain.
1982
A national miner’s strike (to protest against the closure of coal pits) lasts a year and is defeated.
1984
The Channel Tunnel links Britain and France.
1994
After Labour’s landslide victory, Tony Blair becomes PM. Breaking with the traditional Labour doctrines, Tony Blair calls his party New Labour. It is often described as a Third Way between left and right, between social democracy and neo-liberalism: it is based on pragmatism and defends family values and social justice within a competitive market.
1997
Beginning of the reform of the House of Lords: hereditary peers will no longer be able to sit in the HoL, which will consist mainly of appointed members. A Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly are created, giving more direct decision-making power to the people of these regions.
1999
After the 9/11 attacks, Britain supports the US’s war on terrorism.
2001
Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.
2002
Britain sends troops to Iraq.
2003-4
Tony Blair is re-elected for a third term. Terrorist attacks cause huge explosions in London, killing 52 people. Britain’s unconditional support for the US begins to be questioned as troops fight and die in Iraq and as violence there keeps increasing.
2005
Tony Blair stands down as PM and is replaced by Gordon Brown.
2007
