20th century +YearDateEvent190027 FebruaryThe Labour Party is founded.190122 JanuaryQueen Victoria dies and Edward VII ascends the throne.190212 JulyArthur Balfour becomes Prime Minister.9 AugustCoronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.31 MayTreaty of Vereeniging ends the Second Boer War.1903SeptemberThe Lib-Lab pact enables Labour to break into national politics.19048 AprilEntente Cordiale signed between Britain and France.19055 DecemberHenry Campbell-Bannerman becomes Prime Minister.19085 AprilH. H. Asquith becomes Prime Minister.27 AprilThe Summer Olympics open at White City in London.27 OctoberParliament approves old age pensions.19106 MayKing Edward VII dies and George V ascends the throne.191122 JuneCoronation of King George V and Queen Mary.191213 AprilRoyal Flying Corps established.14 - 15 AprilThe RMS Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg. Over 1500 crew and passengers die.19144 AugustWorld War I: Great Britain declares war on Germany in response to the invasion of Belgium.5 NovemberBritain declares war on the Ottoman Empire.19166 DecemberDavid Lloyd George becomes Prime Minister.19186 FebruaryWomen get the vote for the first time - women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification could vote as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918.1 AprilThe Royal Air Force is founded, becoming the first independent air force in the world.11 NovemberWorld War I ends.19191 DecemberNancy Astor becomes the first woman to take her seat in parliament.1921The Great Britain road numbering scheme.192218 OctoberThe BBC is founded as the British Broadcasting Company.23 OctoberBonar Law becomes Prime Minister.192322 MayStanley Baldwin becomes Prime Minister.192422 JanuaryRamsay MacDonald becomes Prime Minister.4 NovemberStanley Baldwin becomes Prime Minister for the second time.19264 May - 12 MayThe 1926 United Kingdom general strike takes place.19282 JulyWomen receive the right to vote on the same terms as men (over the age of 21) as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1928.SeptemberThe first film with dialogue is shown in Britain, The Jazz Singer.30 SeptemberAlexander Fleming discovers penicillin.19295 JuneRamsay MacDonald becomes Prime Minister for the second time.1931?The Dominion of Canada later has more recognition as Canada193430 NovemberThe LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman built in Doncaster becomes the first steam locomotive to reach .19357 JuneStanley Baldwin becomes Prime Minister for the third time.193620 JanuaryKing George V dies and Edward VIII ascends the throne.5 - 31 OctoberThe Jarrow March protest occurs.10 DecemberKing Edward VIII abdicates the throne over his proposal to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Automatic accession of George VI.193712 MayCoronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.28 MayNeville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister.30 JuneFirst available in the London area, the 999 telephone number is introduced as the world's first emergency telephone service.19383 JulyThe LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard built in Doncaster breaks the land speed record for the fastest steam locomotive, reaching ; the record still stands.19393 SeptemberBritish entry into World War II.194010 MaySir Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister.19458 MayWorld War II ends in Europe.26 JulyClement Attlee becomes Prime Minister.24 OctoberBritain becomes a founding member of the United Nations.194715 AugustIndia gains independence from Britain.19481 JanuaryBritish Rail is established.5 JulyThe National Health Service is founded, bringing state funded healthcare to all.29 July - 14 AugustLondon hosts the 1948 Summer Olympics.14 NovemberBirth of Charles, Prince of Wales.195015 AugustBirth of Anne, Princess Royal.29 AugustBritish troops arrive to support US forces in the Korean War.195126 OctoberSir Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister for the second time.1952?Autocode, regarded as the first compiled programming language, is developed by Alick Glennie.6 FebruaryDeath of King George VI. Automatic accession of Queen Elizabeth II.195325 AprilJames Watson and Francis Crick publish their discovery of the structure of DNA.2 JuneCoronation of Elizabeth II.19546 MayRoger Bannister breaks the four-minute mile with a time of 3:59.4.19556 AprilAnthony Eden becomes Prime Minister.22 SeptemberCommercial television starts with the first ITV broadcast.195617 OctoberBritain opens its first nuclear power station, Calder Hall.195710 JanuaryHarold Macmillan becomes Prime Minister.19585 DecemberThe British motorway system opens with the M6 Preston bypass.196019 FebruaryBirth of Prince Andrew, Duke of York.19611 JulyBirth of Diana, Princess of Wales.196327 MarchThe first report of the Beeching cuts - a railway restructuring plan - was published, The Reshaping of British Railways.19 OctoberAlec Douglas-Home becomes Prime Minister but lasts only 363 days.196410 MarchBirth of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.16 OctoberHarold Wilson becomes Prime Minister.196524 JanuaryDeath of Sir Winston Churchill.8 NovemberThe death penalty is abolished officially.196727 JulyThe Sexual Offences Act 1967 legalises homosexuality between men over 21.27 OctoberThe Abortion Act 1967 is passed, legalising abortion on certain grounds.19692 MarchConcorde, the world's first supersonic airliner, makes its maiden flight.197019 JuneEdward Heath becomes Prime Minister.197115 FebruaryDecimal Day; the United Kingdom introduces a decimalised currency.197222 January The United Kingdom signs the Treaty of Accession in a ceremony in Brussels which was attended by Prime Minister Edward Heath in preparedness for membership of the European Communities from 1 January 1973.19731 January The United Kingdom joins and becomes a member state of the European Communities.19744 MarchHarold Wilson becomes Prime Minister for the second time.19755 JuneThe United Kingdom chooses to remain a member state of the European Communities in a non-blinding referendum.19765 AprilJames Callaghan becomes Prime Minister.SeptemberBritain becomes the first major Western state to be forced to ask to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund.197825 JulyLouise Brown becomes the first human in history to be born via in vitro fertilisation.19794 MayMargaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister.27 AugustThe IRA kill the Queen's cousin Lord Mountbatten.198124 JuneThe Humber Bridge opens, the longest single-span bridge in the world.29 JulyWedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.198221 JuneBirth of Prince William of Wales.2 April - 14 JuneThe Falklands War is fought against Argentina, resulting in  British victory and the United Kingdom reclaiming the Falkland Islands.2 NovemberChannel 4 launches across most of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.1984-19856 March 1984 - 3 March 1985The UK miners' strike takes place, a major strike and protest to prevent Margaret Thatcher's government from closing down the British coal mining industry.198415 SeptemberBirth of Prince Harry of Wales.198625 DecemberThe Christmas episode of the soap opera EastEnders becomes the most watched programme in the United Kingdom with a viewing of 30.1 million.19883 MarchThe Liberal Democrats are founded.198912 MarchTim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web.199028 NovemberJohn Major becomes Prime Minister.199118 - 26 MayHelen Sharman becomes the first British person and  first European woman in space.19946 MayThe Channel Tunnel opens, the first physical connection between the United Kingdom and France.1996?A sheep named Dolly becomes the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell.19972 MayTony Blair becomes Prime Minister.1 JulyThe United Kingdom hands Hong Kong back to China, marking the end of the British Empire.31 AugustDiana, Princess of Wales, dies due to a traffic collision in Paris.199931 DecemberThe Millennium Dome and London Eye are opened to mark the new millennium.
20th century +YearDateEvent190027 FebruaryThe Labour Party is founded.190122 JanuaryQueen Victoria dies and Edward VII ascends the throne.190212 JulyArthur Balfour becomes Prime Minister.9 AugustCoronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.31 MayTreaty of Vereeniging ends the Second Boer War.1903SeptemberThe Lib-Lab pact enables Labour to break into national politics.19048 AprilEntente Cordiale signed between Britain and France.19055 DecemberHenry Campbell-Bannerman becomes Prime Minister.19085 AprilH. H. Asquith becomes Prime Minister.27 AprilThe Summer Olympics open at White City in London.27 OctoberParliament approves old age pensions.19106 MayKing Edward VII dies and George V ascends the throne.191122 JuneCoronation of King George V and Queen Mary.191213 AprilRoyal Flying Corps established.14 - 15 AprilThe RMS Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg. Over 1500 crew and passengers die.19144 AugustWorld War I: Great Britain declares war on Germany in response to the invasion of Belgium.5 NovemberBritain declares war on the Ottoman Empire.19166 DecemberDavid Lloyd George becomes Prime Minister.19186 FebruaryWomen get the vote for the first time - women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification could vote as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1918.1 AprilThe Royal Air Force is founded, becoming the first independent air force in the world.11 NovemberWorld War I ends.19191 DecemberNancy Astor becomes the first woman to take her seat in parliament.1921The Great Britain road numbering scheme.192218 OctoberThe BBC is founded as the British Broadcasting Company.23 OctoberBonar Law becomes Prime Minister.192322 MayStanley Baldwin becomes Prime Minister.192422 JanuaryRamsay MacDonald becomes Prime Minister.4 NovemberStanley Baldwin becomes Prime Minister for the second time.19264 May - 12 MayThe 1926 United Kingdom general strike takes place.19282 JulyWomen receive the right to vote on the same terms as men (over the age of 21) as a result of the Representation of the People Act 1928.SeptemberThe first film with dialogue is shown in Britain, The Jazz Singer.30 SeptemberAlexander Fleming discovers penicillin.19295 JuneRamsay MacDonald becomes Prime Minister for the second time.1931?The Dominion of Canada later has more recognition as Canada.193430 NovemberThe LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman built in Doncaster becomes the first steam locomotive to reach .19357 JuneStanley Baldwin becomes Prime Minister for the third time.193620 JanuaryKing George V dies and Edward VIII ascends the throne.5 - 31 OctoberThe Jarrow March protest occurs.10 DecemberKing Edward VIII abdicates the throne over his proposal to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Automatic accession of George VI.193712 MayCoronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.28 MayNeville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister.30 JuneFirst available in the London area, the 999 telephone number is introduced as the world's first emergency telephone service.19383 JulyThe LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard built in Doncaster breaks the land speed record for the fastest steam locomotive, reaching ; the record still stands.19393 SeptemberBritish entry into World War II.194010 MaySir Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister.19458 MayWorld War II ends in Europe.26 JulyClement Attlee becomes Prime Minister.24 OctoberBritain becomes a founding member of the United Nations.194715 AugustIndia gains independence from Britain.19481 JanuaryBritish Rail is established.5 JulyThe National Health Service is founded, bringing state-funded healthcare to all.29 July - 14 AugustLondon hosts the 1948 Summer Olympics.14 NovemberBirth of Charles, Prince of Wales.195015 AugustBirth of Anne, Princess Royal.29 AugustBritish troops arrive to support US forces in the Korean War.195126 OctoberSir Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister for the second time.1952?Autocode, regarded as the first compiled programming language, is developed by Alick Glennie.6 FebruaryDeath of King George VI. Automatic accession of Queen Elizabeth II.195325 AprilJames Watson and Francis Crick publish their discovery of the structure of DNA.2 JuneCoronation of Elizabeth II.19546 MayRoger Bannister breaks the four-minute mile with a time of 3:59.4.19556 AprilAnthony Eden becomes Prime Minister.22 SeptemberCommercial television starts with the first ITV broadcast.195617 OctoberBritain opens its first nuclear power station, Calder Hall.195710 JanuaryHarold Macmillan becomes Prime Minister.19585 DecemberThe British motorway system opens with the M6 Preston bypass.196019 FebruaryBirth of Prince Andrew, Duke of York.19611 JulyBirth of Diana, Princess of Wales.196327 MarchThe first report of the Beeching cuts - a railway restructuring plan - was published, The Reshaping of British Railways.19 OctoberAlec Douglas-Home becomes Prime Minister but lasts only 363 days.196410 MarchBirth of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.16 OctoberHarold Wilson becomes Prime Minister.196524 JanuaryDeath of Sir Winston Churchill.8 NovemberThe death penalty is abolished officially.196727 JulyThe Sexual Offences Act 1967 legalises homosexuality between men over 21.27 OctoberThe Abortion Act 1967 is passed, legalising abortion on certain grounds.19692 MarchConcorde, the world's first supersonic airliner, makes its maiden flight.197019 JuneEdward Heath becomes Prime Minister.197115 FebruaryDecimal Day; the United Kingdom introduces a decimalized currency.197222 January The United Kingdom signs the Treaty of Accession in a ceremony in Brussels which was attended by Prime Minister Edward Heath in preparedness for membership of the European Communities from 1 January 1973.19731 January The United Kingdom joins and becomes a member state of the European Communities.19744 MarchHarold Wilson becomes Prime Minister for the second time.19755 JuneThe United Kingdom chooses to remain a member state of the European Communities in a non-binding referendum.19765 AprilJames Callaghan becomes Prime Minister.SeptemberBritain becomes the first major Western state to be forced to ask to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund.197825 JulyLouise Brown becomes the first human in history to be born via in vitro fertilisation.19794 MayMargaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister.27 AugustThe IRA kill the Queen's cousin Lord Mountbatten.198124 JuneThe Humber Bridge opens, the longest single-span bridge in the world.29 JulyWedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.198221 JuneBirth of Prince William of Wales.2 April - 14 JuneThe Falklands War is fought against Argentina, resulting in a British victory and the United Kingdom reclaiming the Falkland Islands.2 NovemberChannel 4 launches across most of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.1984-19856 March 1984 - 3 March 1985The UK miners' strike takes place, a major strike and protest to prevent Margaret Thatcher's government from closing down the British coal mining industry.198415 SeptemberBirth of Prince Harry of Wales.198625 DecemberThe Christmas episode of the soap opera EastEnders becomes the most-watched programme in the United Kingdom with a viewing of 30.1 million.19883 MarchThe Liberal Democrats are founded.198912 MarchTim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web.199028 NovemberJohn Major becomes Prime Minister.199118 - 26 MayHelen Sharman becomes the first British person and the first European woman in space.19946 MayThe Channel Tunnel opens, the first physical connection between the United Kingdom and France.1996?A sheep named Dolly becomes the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell.19972 MayTony Blair becomes Prime Minister.1 JulyThe United Kingdom hands Hong Kong back to China, marking the end of the British Empire.31 AugustDiana, Princess of Wales, dies due to a traffic collision in Paris.199931 DecemberThe Millennium Dome and London Eye are opened to mark the new millennium.
R
Canada193430
Canada.193430
R
state funded
state-funded
R
decimalised
decimalized
R
non-blinding
non-binding
A
a
R
most watched
most-watched
A
the