Victorian Britain Timeline
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1837
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 William IV died and his niece Victoria became Queen at the age of 18 |
| 1837 |
Houses of Parliament built |
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1838
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The first photograph taken, by Louis Daguerre in France and William Henry Fox-Talbot in Britain. |
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1839 – 1842
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Britain defeated China in the Opium War and made China sign the Treaty of Nanking. Britain was given Hong Kong. |
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1840
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February 6 – Britain claims New Zealand as a colony to head off proposed French settlements. |
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1840
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The first postage stamps (Penny Post) came into use |
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1840
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Queen Victoria married Prince Albert |
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1841
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 The Great Western Railway from Bristol to London was completed offering a journey of only four hours. |
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1842
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The Mines Act stopped children under 10 from working in the mines. |
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1842
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Assassination attempt on Queen Victoria by John Francis |
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1843
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Britain claims the former Boer republic of Natal as a British colony. |
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1843
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Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol. It sold out completely in 6 days. |
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1844
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The Factory Act stops children between 8 and 13 working more than 6.5 hours a day. |
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1845 – 1849
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Ireland  suffered the Great Potato Famine when entire crops of potatoes, the staple Irish food, were ruined. The famine was a consequence of the appearance of blight, the potato fungus. About 800,000 people died as a result of the famine. A large number of people migrated to Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia. |
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1844-1845
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 8,000km of railway track built across Britain |
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1850s
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The first post boxes were built |
| 1850 |
Workhouses opened to try to help the poorest people who had no money. In return for their labour, the workers were given a bed and basic food. |
| 1851 |
The Great Exhibition opened at Crystal Palace by Prince Albert.
Census showed just over half of Britain’s population (of 20 million) lived in towns |
| 1851 |
The first free public library opened in Winchester. |
| 1851 |
London is now Britain’s largest city, with 2.4 million |
| 1851 |
Ice Cream is invented by Jacob Fussell, in the USA |
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1852
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The first public flushing toilet opens in London |
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1854 -1856
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The Crimean War fought by Britain and France against Russia |
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1854
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A cholera epidemic led to demands for a clean water supply and proper sewage systems in the big cities |
| 1856 |
Britain defeated Russia in the Crimean War |
| 1856 |
Police forces now in every town |
| 1858 |
The British Parliament passed the Government of India Act, ending the rule of the East India company and bringing India under British rule.
November 1 – Queen Victoria is crowned Empress of India. |
| 1861 |
Death of Prince Albert from Typhoid |
| 1863 |
 The first underground railway is opened in London.
The foundation of the Football Association |
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1864
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A law bans boys under 10 from working as chimney sweeps. |
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1868
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The last public hanging |
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1869
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The first Sainsbury’s shop open in Dury Lane, London |
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1870
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Schools provided for 5 – 10 year olds |
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1871
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Queen Victoria opens the Albert Hall |
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1871
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Bank Holiday Act introduced, allowing banks to close a few days a year |
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1872
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First FA Cup Final |
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1875
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Captain Matthew Webb became the first man to swim the English Channel. It took him 22 hours. |
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1876
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Queen Victoria was crowned the Empress of India |
| 1876 |
Scotsman Alexander Bell invented the telephone
Primary education was made compulsory |
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1877
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The world’s first recording of the human voice was heard when the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison, recited ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ and played it back |
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1878
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The first public electric lighting in London, replacing the old gas lamps, which had to be lit by hand every evening. |
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1880
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The Education Act makes compulsory schooling for all children between 5 and 10. |
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1881
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London’s Natural History Museum opened |
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1883
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January – Britain takes complete control of Egypt. |
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1883
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First electric railway |
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1887
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Britain establishes the colony of Nigeria in Africa. |
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1887
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The invention of the gramophone |
| 1891 |
Free education for every child aged 5-13 |
| 1896 |
The speed limit for horseless carriages in Britain was raised from 4 m.p.h. to 14 m.p.h. |
| 1901 |
Queen Victoria died. Her son, Edward VII, became King.
Population of Britain 40 million |
| See our timeline of Kings and Queens of England |
