William of Normandy Defeats Harold at Hastings
William of Normandy defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066, and was crowned on Christmas Day.
Henry VII Is Crowned King of England
On October 30, 1485, Henry Tudor was crowned Henry VII, ending the Wars of the Roses.
Parliament Names Henry VIII Head of the English Church
On November 3, 1534, Parliament made Henry VIII head of the Church of England.
Francis Drake Returns to Plymouth After Circumnavigating the Globe
On September 26, 1580, Francis Drake returned to Plymouth after becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
Shakespeare's Othello Receives Its First Performance
Shakespeare's Othello premiered at Whitehall Palace in London on November 1, 1604, before King James I.
The Mayflower Sails from Plymouth for North America
On September 16, 1620, the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth with 102 passengers. The 66-day crossing ended at Cape Cod, not the Hudson.
Great Fire of London Begins on Pudding Lane
On September 2, 1666, a bakery fire on Pudding Lane swept through London, destroying 13,000 houses and St Paul's Cathedral over four days.
Swift Publishes Gulliver's Travels
On October 28, 1726, Jonathan Swift published Gulliver's Travels, a satire that mocked the age.
Handel Finishes the Messiah
On September 14, 1741, Handel completed the oratorio Messiah, written in about 24 days and first performed in Dublin.
Britain Adopts the Gregorian Calendar and Skips Eleven Days
On September 2, 1752, Britain skipped eleven days to adopt the Gregorian calendar, and September 3 to 13 of that year never happened.
George III Becomes King of Britain
George III became king of Britain on October 25, 1760, at age twenty-two, after the death of his grandfather George II.
The Metropolitan Police Begins Patrolling London
On September 29, 1829, the Metropolitan Police began patrolling London, the first professional police force of its kind.
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway Opens
On September 15, 1830, the Liverpool to Manchester railway opened, the first modern intercity line, and killed MP William Huskisson.
Michael Faraday Discovers Electromagnetic Induction
Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction on October 17, 1831, the principle behind the electric generator and the transformer.
The Newport Rising
On November 4, 1839, several thousand Chartists marched on Newport in south Wales and were fired on by troops.
Neptune Is Found Where the Mathematics Said It Would Be
On September 23, 1846, Neptune was observed at Berlin within a degree of the position predicted by Le Verrier's mathematics.
Melville's Moby-Dick Is First Published
Herman Melville's Moby-Dick was published in London on October 18, 1851, and only found its fame after the author's death.
The Arrow Incident Opens the Second Opium War
On October 23, 1856, British forces attacked the forts on the Pearl river near Guangzhou, opening the Second Opium War.
The Convention of Beijing Ends the Second Opium War
On October 24, 1860, the Qing court signed the Convention of Beijing with Britain, ending the Second Opium War on terms imposed on China.
The Football Association Is Founded
On October 26, 1863, English clubs formed the Football Association in London, the first body to set common football rules.
The International Workingmen's Association Is Founded in London
On September 28, 1864, the First International was founded in London, bringing together trade unionists, socialists and political exiles.
The Journal Nature Is Published
On November 4, 1869, the first issue of the journal Nature appeared in London, edited by the astronomer Norman Lockyer.
The First Electric Underground Railway Opens
On November 4, 1890, the City and South London Railway opened the first deep level electric underground line in the world.
Britain and France Declare War on the Ottoman Empire
On November 5, 1914, Britain and France declared war on the Ottoman Empire, opening fronts from the Caucasus to the Suez Canal.
Britain Issues the Balfour Declaration on Palestine
On November 2, 1917, Britain's Balfour Declaration backed a Jewish national home in Palestine.
The British Broadcasting Company Is Founded
The British Broadcasting Company was founded on October 18, 1922, and became the public BBC in 1927.
Baird Shows the First Television
On October 30, 1925, John Logie Baird demonstrated television, sending a moving image by wire.
Winnie-the-Pooh Is Published
A. A. Milne published Winnie-the-Pooh on October 14, 1926, with drawings by E. H. Shepard, for his son Christopher Robin.
Alexander Fleming Notices That Mould Kills Bacteria
On September 28, 1928, Alexander Fleming found that a mould had killed bacteria in a dish, and penicillin was discovered.
Leo Szilard Conceives the Nuclear Chain Reaction
On September 12, 1933, Leo Szilard conceived the nuclear chain reaction while crossing a street in Bloomsbury, London.
The Liner Queen Mary Is Launched at Clydebank
On September 26, 1934, the Queen Mary was launched at Clydebank, the largest British liner built to that date.
The BBC Launches the World's First Regular TV Service
On November 2, 1936, the BBC started the world's first regular TV service from London. The sets were few, but the habit of scheduled viewing began here.
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit Is Published
On September 21, 1937, Tolkien's The Hobbit was published in London, with a print run of 1,500 copies that sold out within months.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy Sign the Munich Agreement
On September 29, 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed, handing the Sudetenland to Germany without Czechoslovakia at the table.
The Blitz on London Begins
On September 7, 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed London, starting the Blitz, 57 consecutive nights of attacks on the capital.
UNESCO Comes Into Being
On November 4, 1946, the constitution of UNESCO came into force, a year after it was signed in London by thirty-seven countries.
George Bernard Shaw Dies
On November 2, 1950, the playwright George Bernard Shaw died at his home in Hertfordshire at the age of ninety-four.
Winston Churchill Returns as Prime Minister
Winston Churchill became prime minister again on 26 October 1951 at the age of 77, after the Conservatives won an election with a majority of 17.
Britain Tests Its First Atomic Bomb
On October 3, 1952, Britain detonated its first atomic bomb, Hurricane, off Western Australia.
ITV Goes on Air and Ends the BBC Television Monopoly
On September 22, 1955, ITV launched in London, ending the BBC's 19-year monopoly of British television.
TAT-1, the First Transatlantic Telephone Cable, Opens
On September 25, 1956, TAT-1 opened as the first transatlantic telephone cable, carrying 36 simultaneous calls between Britain and North America.
The Suez War Begins
On October 29, 1956, Israeli forces entered Sinai and the Suez war began, after Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal company.
British and French Troops Land at Port Said
On November 5, 1956, British and French forces began to land at Port Said, two weeks after Israel invaded the Sinai.
The First Successful Kidney Transplant in Britain
On October 30, 1960, the surgeon Michael Woodruff performed the first successful kidney transplant in Britain, between identical twins.
Dr. No, the First James Bond Film, Is Released
On October 5, 1962, Dr. No opened in Britain, the first James Bond film with Sean Connery.
The Beatles Release Their First Single
On October 5, 1962, the Beatles released Love Me Do, their first single, in Britain.
The Partial Test Ban Treaty Takes Effect
The Partial Test Ban Treaty took effect on October 10, 1963, ending nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in space and under water.
Lesotho Becomes Independent
On October 4, 1966, Basutoland became independent from Britain as the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The Aberfan Disaster
A coal tip collapsed on Aberfan, Wales on October 21, 1966, killing 144 people, most of them children. The disaster was blamed on neglect.
The Outer Space Treaty Enters Into Force
The Outer Space Treaty entered into force on October 10, 1967, banning national claims on the Moon and weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Is Published
Douglas Adams published The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on October 12, 1979, following his 1978 BBC radio series.
Britain and China Initial the Joint Declaration on Hong Kong
On September 26, 1984, Britain and China initialled the Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, setting the terms for the 1997 handover.
London's Financial Big Bang
On October 27, 1986, Britain's Big Bang deregulated the City of London, opening it to global finance.
The Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales
On September 6, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, was buried from Westminster Abbey after a car crash in Paris; billions watched worldwide.
Augusto Pinochet Is Arrested in London
Augusto Pinochet was arrested in London on October 17, 1998, on a Spanish warrant, a first for a former head of state.