Case Studies
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SDS Heritage
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14001400
Geoffrey Chaucer (born 1341), author of The Canterbury Tales, and one of the first major writers in the English language, dies and is buried in Westminster Abbey.
14151415
Henry V defeats the French at the Battle of Agincourt, renewing claims to the French throne. Inflicting a humiliating defeat on the much larger French army, the English archers play a key role in the victory.
14371437
Henry VI, who had acceded to the throne before his first birthday after the sudden death of his father in 1422, is now considered old enough to rule himself.
14551455
A power struggle between two branches of the royal family results in civil war. The Wars of the Roses, fought between the Lancaster and York houses, would last for a further thirty years.
14771477
William Caxton publishes the first printed book in England, "Dictes of Sayengs of the Philosophres", from his press in Westminster.
14781478
Author of "Utopia" Thomas More is born. Originally written in Latin and published in 1516, the best-selling satire of the travel literature of the day is translated into English in 1551.
14401440
Founded by King Henry VI as "The King’s College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor" Eton College is established in this year.
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15081508
On 21 April, at the age of seventeen, Henry VIII inherits the throne from his father, Henry VII.
15151515
As a reward for helping Henry VIII’s campaign in France, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is made lord chancellor of England on 24 December.
15531553
Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Mary is proclaimed queen on 3 August, and becomes the first woman to be crowned monarch of England in her own right.
15641564
William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, and baptised on 26 April. The first collected edition of his works, known as "the First Folio", is published in 1623.
15761576
The first London theatre (aptly called "The Theatre") opens to the public. Built by James Burbage, the Elizabethan entrepreneur also constructed the "Globe" theatre.
15721572
Harrow School was formally founded in 1572 by John Lyon under a Royal Charter of Elizabeth I.
15671567
Rugby School was founded as a provision in the will of Lawrence Sheriff, who had made his fortune supplying groceries to Queen Elizabeth I.
15581558
The licence to found Brentwood School in Essex, as "The Grammar School of Antony Browne, Serjeant at the Law, in Brentwood" was granted by Queen Mary to Sir Antony Browne on 5 July.
15561556
In his will, Sir William Laxton decreed the founding of a school, Oundle School, for the local boys of Oundle, which was to be maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
15521552
Part of the Foundation of schools, King Edward’s School in Birmingham is founded by King Edward VI. Christ’s Hospital school was also founded in this year.
15251525
The Royal Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne is founded by Thomas Horsley, the city’s mayor.
15161516
Bolton Grammar School is established.
15141514
Pocklington School in East Riding, Yorkshire, was founded by John Dolman.
15021502
Founded by Sir John Percyvale, a former Lord Mayor of London, as Macclesfield Grammar School, The King’s School, Macclesfield is established in this year.
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16051605
A gunpowder plot to assassinate James I and the government is discovered and foiled. Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators had planned to blow up the houses of parliament by igniting barrels of gunpowder in a vault.|
16111611
The authorised version of the Bible (also known as the "King James Bible") is first published in English.
16201620
Escaping religious persecution in England, the Pilgrim Fathers, set sail for America in the Mayflower. They land at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts.
16601660
Samuel Pepys starts his decade long diary. A naval administrator and later a member of parliament, Pepys’ diaries would provide historians with valuable insights into life in 17th century.
16661666
The Great Fire of London destroys two-thirds of the city, leaving 65,000 homeless. The fire started in a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane.
16941694
Scottish merchant William Paterson establishes the Bank of England to assist the Crown in managing its considerable debts. It continues to issue bank notes to this day.
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17211721
Sir Robert Walpole becomes first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer. Walpole is given 10 Downing Street, still the prime minister’s official residence today.
17361736
Inventor and mechanical engineer in steam engine technology, James Watt is born in Greenock on 18 January.
17441744
The British naval commander George Anson begins his four year round the world voyage in HMS ’Centurion’. He returns with nearly £500,000 of Spanish treasure.
17681768
Captain James Cook leads the first of his expeditions aboard HMS Endeavour. He sails to the Pacific, circumnavigates New Zealand and charts the east coast of Australia.
17711771
Inventor Richard Arkwright opens the first cotton mill in Cromford, Derbyshire, using his own patented spinning machine, the water frame.
17881788
The first edition of "The Times of London" (originally founded in 1785 as the Daily Universal Register) is published on 1 January.
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18011801
England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are formally joined under the Act of Union to create the United Kingdom.
18071807
After an act to end the supply of slaves on British ships to colonies passes in parliament the year before, the trade is completely abolished in Britain, ending 200 years of slavery.
18151815
Masterminded by British general, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, the Battle of Waterloo ends in a decisive victory for Britain and its allies in the Napoleonic wars.
18251825
On 27 September, the first public steam railway runs between Stockton and Darlington, ushering in the Railway Age with the building of an extensive railway network in Britain.
18311831
Chemist and physicist Michael Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction, the principle behind the electric transformer and generator.
18401840
After Rowland Hill’s proposal to make a uniform rate of a penny per letter (irrespective of distance) is implemented in 1840, the volume of post sent in Britain soars.
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18591859
Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (b.1806) dies, five years before his design for the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, is completed.
18631863
The Metropolitan Railway opens the world’s first underground railway between Bishop’s Road, Paddington and Farringdon Street.
18651865
William Booth, a London minister, takes his message to the streets, where he can reach the poor and homeless. From these early missions the Salvation Army is formed.
18871887
Sir Frank Bowden purchases an interest in a small bicycle company on Raleigh Street, Nottingham. Taking its name from the street, the Raleigh Bicycle Company is formed three years later.
18971897
Guglielmo Marconi is awarded a patent following his first successful wireless radio communication from Lavernock Point in South Wales, to Flat Holm Island in the Bristol Channel.
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19011901
Frank Hornby applies for a patent that would later lead to the establishment of Meccano Ltd.
19071907
Lord Robert Baden-Powell organises a camping expedition on Brownsea Island, bringing together 20 boys from different backgrounds, and starting the Scouts movement.
19181918
On 29 November of the previous year, an Act of Parliament establishing an Air Force received the Royal Assent, and the Royal Air Force and Women’s Royal Air Force were formed on 1 April 1918.
19261926
On 26 January, John Logie Baird demonstrates his invention of a machine for the transmission of pictures, which he called television.
19411941
The jet engine makes its first test flight on 15 May. Royal Air Force officer Frank Whittle, made a major contribution to its invention.
19481948
Former Welsh miner turned Labour politician Nye Bevan’s vision of free health care for everyone becomes a reality on 5 July when the National Health Service is formed.
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19521952
Elizabeth II succeeds her father, George VI who passed away on 6 February 1952. She is crowned a year later on 2 June 1953.
19531953
Scientists James Watson and Francis Crick discover the structure of a chemical called deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA.
19551955
Known as "Mr Motor Racing", Sir Stirling Moss OBE achieves his first Grand Prix win at British Grand Prix at Aintree, driving the Mercedes-Benz W196.
19621962
After joining EMI’s Parlophone label, "Love Me Do", the Beatles’ first single is released, reaching number 17 in the UK chart.
19661966
England beat Germany 4 - 2 in a closely contested final to win the World Cup at Wembley stadium. Geoff Hurst scores three of England’s four goals - the only footballer to get a hat-trick in a world cup final.
19691969
Concorde, the supersonic airliner jointly developed by Britain and France, makes its maiden flight. It will be another seven years before it begins commercial flights.
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19741974
Developed by BBC engineers working on ways to provide subtitles for the deaf, Ceefax (a play on "see facts") first broadcast on 23 September.
19761976
Legendary motorbike racer Barry Sheene won the first of two consecutive 500cc Motorcycle Championships.
19791979
Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s first female prime minister. One of the dominant political figures of the twentieth century, she would go on to serve three consecutive terms in office.
19821982
On 2 November at 4.45pm, Channel 4 began its broadcast, showing the quiz show "Countdown" with Richard Whiteley.
19841984
Bob Geldof and Midge Ure form the charity group Band Aid to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. "Do They Know It’s Christmas?" is the Christmas number one, and sells more than 3,000,000 copies.
19891989
Tim Berners-Lee invents a new way to share information using existing internet technology. The World Wide Web is born. A year later he programs the first web browser.
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19921992
The Channel Tunnel opens, linking the UK with mainland Europe. An average of 40m below the sea bed, measuring 50km in length, it is the world’s longest undersea tunnel.
19951995
After demonstrating his invention on the Tomorrow’s World TV programme, Trevor Baylis’ innovative wind-up radio goes into production in Cape Town, South Africa.
19961996
A former 150 acre safari park in Windsor is transformed by more than 25 million bricks to become the first LEGOLAND theme park outside of Denmark.
20032003
England win the Rugby Union World Cup in Australia, beating the hosts, with Jonny Wilkinson scoring the winning drop-goal in extra time.
20042004
Kelly Holmes wins gold medals in both the 1500m and 800m events at the Olympic Games in Athens.
20052005
On 7 February, Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur, DBE becomes the world record holder for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe.
