First Spanish Republic ended, 1874
In February, 1873 King Amadeo I abdicated from the Spanish throne. Three years earlier, following the revolution against Queen Isabella II, the Spanish parliament, the Cortes Generales, had elected Amadeo,…
First edition of The Times published, 1785
In 1781, a wealthy London coal merchant called John Walters joined Lloyd’s insurance company only to be left bankrupt by series of disasters. Undeterred, he decided to try his hand…
English Parliament authorised the trial of Charles I, 1649
Following their victory over the forces of King Charles I during the civil wars, the New Model Army became the most powerful political body in Britain eclipsing Parliament, which created…
First transatlantic telephone service, 1927
The earliest attempt at transatlantic telephony was in 1915 when the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (later known as AT&T) managed to transmit one-way voice signal between the Naval Wireless…
Foundation of the African National Congress, 1912
In May 1910 the Union of South Africa came into being as unitary state comprising the former colonies of Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal.…
Balloonmania reached the United States, 1793
In the years following the Montgolfier brothers’ first successful balloon flights in 1783 ‘balloonmania’ swept across Europe. One of the greatest promoters of this new form of transport was the…
First underground railway opened, 1863
By the 1850s many of those commuting into central London by rail had to continue their journey by road because all but one of metropolis’ seven railway termini were outside…
East Pakistan renamed Bangladesh, 1972
As a result of their victory over the French during the Seven Years War, the British East India Company gained control of Bengal in 1757, and installed their own local…
East Pakistan renamed Bangladesh, 1972
As a result of their victory over the French during the Seven Years War, the British East India Company gained control of Bengal in 1757, and installed their own local…
Colored National Labor Union founded, 1869
The end of the American Civil War and the resultant emancipation of slaves produced economic changes, which brought about a growth in interest in trade unions. In 1866 Andrew Cameron…