Timeline: James Cunningham: Our Family History

Aft 1437 - Yes, date unknown

	Date	Event(s)
1	1383	1383—99 9999: Regular series of wills starts in Prerogative Court of Canterbury
2	1832	4 Jan 1832—1937: Immigrants quarantined at Grosse Isle Canada's immigrant quarantine station opens at Grosse Isle
3	1898	7 Jul 1898—20 Aug 1959: Territory of Hawaii was Oraganized
4	1910	5 Jun 1910—20 Jan 1936: George V House of Windsor (name adopted Jul 17, 1917): 2nd son of Edward VII, married Princess Mary of Teck. Accession, Jan 20, abdication, Dec 10.
5	1912	8 1912—2 Jan 1959: Alaska Territory Organized
6	1923	8 Mar 1923—4 Mar 1929: Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge, vice president under Warren Harding, sworn in as president the day after Harding dies 2 Aug 1923—4 Mar 1929: Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge U.S. Presidency
7	1926	1926—1926: Walt Disney arrives in Hollywood 1926—1926: Kodak produces 16mm movie film 1926—1926: Adoption of children is legalised in Britain 1926—1926: First public demonstration of television (TV) by John Logie Baird 1926—1926: Robert H. Goddard invents liquid-fueled rockets 21 Apr 1926—21 Apr 1926: Princess Elizabeth born 3 May 1926—3 May 1926: General Strike begins. Lasts until May 12 (mine workers for 6 months more) 31 Oct 1926—31 Oct 1926: Death of Harry Houdini
8	1927	1927—1927: Release of the first 'talkie' film (The Jazz Singer) 1927—1927: Eduard Haas III invents PEZ candy 1927—1927: JWA Morrison invents the first quartz crystal watch 1927—1927: Philo Taylor Farnsworth invents a complete electronic TV system 1927—1927: Technicolor invented 1927—1927: Erik Rotheim patents an aerosol can 1927—1927: Warren Marrison developed the first quartz clock 1927—1927: Philip Drinker invents the iron lung 7 Jan 1927—7 Jan 1927: First transatlantic telephone call - New York City to London 22 Jan 1927—22 Jan 1927: First football broadcast by BBC (Arsenal v Sheffield United at Highbury) 1 May 1927—1 May 1927: First cooked meals on a scheduled flight introduced by Imperial Airways from London to Paris 20 May 1927—20 May 1927: Lindbergh makes solo flight across the Atlantic, in 33? hours 31 May 1927—31 May 1927: Last Ford Model T rolls off assembly line 24 Jul 1927—24 Jul 1927: The Menin Gate war memorial unveiled at Ypres
9	1928	1928—1928: Women over 21 get vote in Britain - same qualification for both sexes 1928—1928: Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin 1928—1928: Bubble gum invented by Walter E. Diemer 1928—1928: Jacob Schick patented the electric shaver 26 Apr 1928—26 Apr 1928: Madame Tussauds opens in London 15 Sep 1928—15 Sep 1928: Sir Alexander Fleming accidentally discovers penicillin (results published 1929)
10	1929	1929—1929: BBC begins experimental TV transmissions 1929—1929: Minimum age for a marriage in Britain (which had been 14 for a boy and 12 for a girl) now 16 for both sexes, with parental consent (or a licence) needed for anyone under 21 1929—1929: Abolition of Poor Law system in Britain 1929—1939: The Great Depression Canada hit hardest by the depression 1929—1929: American, Paul Galvin invents the car radio 1929—1929: Yo-Yo re-invented as an American fad 4 Mar 1929—4 Mar 1933: Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover U.S. Presidency 3 Apr 1929—4 Mar 1933: Herbert Hoover 10 1929—18 Oct 1929: The 'Persons' Case Decision Women are declared 'persons' by the British Privy Council
11	1930	1930—1930: Youth Hostel Association (YHA) founded in Britain 1930—1930: First Nazis elected to the German Reichstag 1930—1930: Scotch tape patented by 3M engineer, Richard G. Drew 1930—1930: The frozen food process patented by Clarence Birdseye 1930—1930: Wallace Carothers and DuPont Labs invents neoprene 1930—1930: The "differential analyzer", or analog computer invented by Vannevar Bush at MIT in Boston 1930—1930: Frank Whittle and Dr Hans von Ohain both invent a jet engine 30 Jan 1930—30 Jan 1930: Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany 31 Jan 1930—31 Jan 1930: 3M begins marketing Scotch Tape 6 Mar 1930—6 Mar 1930: Clarence Birdseye first marketed frozen peas 5 Oct 1930—5 Oct 1930: R101 airship disaster - British abandons airship construction
12	1931	1931—1931: Collapse of the German banking system; 3,000 banks there close 1931—1931: Statute of Westminster: British Dominions become independent sovereign states 1931—1931: Statute of Westminster The British Dominions are formally recognized by British Parliament 1931—1931: Harold Edgerton invented stop-action photography 1931—1931: Germans Max Knott and Ernst Ruska co-invent the electron microscope 14 Apr 1931—14 Apr 1931: Highway Code first issued 26 Apr 1931—26 Apr 1931: Census: Population - England and Wales; 40 Million; Scotland: 4.8 Million; N Ireland: 1.24 Million (Unfortunately, the census was destroyed by fire in WW2) 21 Oct 1931—21 Oct 1931: National Government formed to deal with economic crisis - Britain comes off gold standard
13	1932	1932—1932: Sir Thomas Beecham established the London Philharmonic Orchestra 1932—1932: Cockroft and Walton accelerate particles to disintegrate an atomic nucleus 1932—1932: Moseley founds British Union of Fascists 1932—1932: Great Hunger March of unemployed to London 1932—1932: Polaroid photography invented by Edwin Herbert Land 1932—1932: The zoom lens and the light meter invented 1932—1932: Carl C. Magee invents the first parking meter 1932—1932: Karl Jansky invents the radio telescope 3 Feb 1932—2 Mar 1932: 20th Amendment passed by Congress 21 May 1932—21 May 1932: Amelia Earhart first solo nonstop flight across Atlantic by a female pilot 3 Oct 1932—3 Oct 1932: Iraq gains independence from Britain 3 Oct 1932—3 Oct 1932: 'The Times' introduces 'Times New Roman' typeface
14	1933	1933—1933: ICI scientists discover polythene 1933—1933: Only 6 pennies minted in Britain this year 1933—1933: Frequency modulation (FM radio) invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong 1933—1933: Stereo records invented 1933—1933: Richard M. Hollingshead builds a prototype drive-in movie theater in his driveway 4 Mar 1933—12 Apr 1945: Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt U. 3 Apr 1933—12 Apr 1945: Franklin Roosevelt 12 May 1933—5 Dec 1933: 21st Amendment ratified 12 Nov 1933—12 Nov 1933: First known photos of the 'Loch Ness Monster' taken 2 1933—20 Feb 1933: 21st Amendment passed by Congress 1 1933—23 Jan 1933: 20th Amendment ratified
15	1934	1934—1934: Hitler becomes Fuehrer of Germany 1934—1934: Englishmen, Percy Shaw invents cat eyes or roads reflectors 1934—1934: Charles Darrow claims he invented the game Monopoly 1934—1934: Joseph Begun invents the first tape recorder for broadcasting - first magnetic recording 18 Jul 1934—18 Jul 1934: King George V opens Mersey Tunnel 26 Sep 1934—26 Sep 1934: RMS Queen Mary launched 30 Nov 1934—30 Nov 1934: First time a steam locomotive travels at 100 mph ('Flying Scotsman')
16	1935	1935—1935: Land speed record of 301.13 mph by Malcolm Campbell 1935—1935: London adopts a 'Green Belt' scheme 1935—1935: Newfoundland census Census taken in Newfoundland 1935—1935: Wallace Carothers and DuPont Labs invents nylon ( polymer 6.6.) 1935—1935: The first canned beer made 1935—1935: Robert Watson-Watt patented radar 28 Feb 1935—28 Feb 1935: Nylon first produced by Gerard J. Berchet of Wallace Carothers' research group at DuPont (there is no evidence to the widely-supposed story that the name derives from New York-London) 12 Mar 1935—12 Mar 1935: Hore-Belisha introduces pedestrian crossings and speed limits for built-up areas in Britain 1 Jun 1935—1 Jun 1935: Voluntary driving tests introduced in UK 30 Jul 1935—30 Jul 1935: Penguin paperbacks launched
17	1936	1936—1936: Jet engine first tested 1936—1936: Bell Labs invents the voice recognition machine 1936—1936: Samuel Colt patents the Colt revolver 20 Jan 1936—20 Jan 1936: George V dies 5 May 1936—5 May 1936: First flight of a Spitfire 24 Jul 1936—24 Jul 1936: 'Speaking clock' service starts in UK 2 Nov 1936—2 Nov 1936: British Broadcasting Corporation initiates the BBC Television Service, world's first public TV transmission 12 Nov 1936—6 Feb 1952: George VI House of Windsor (name adopted Jul 17, 1917): 2nd son of George V, Duke of York; married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 30 Nov 1936—30 Nov 1936: Crystal Palace destroyed by fire 5 Dec 1936—5 Dec 1936: Edward VIII abdicates (announced Dec 10) - popular carol that Christmas: 'Hark the Herald Angels sing Mrs Simpson's got our King' 1 1936—11 Dec 1936: Edward VIII House of Windsor (name adopted Jul 17, 1917): Eldest son of George V
18	1937	1937—1937: Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp 1937—1937: '999' emergency telephone call facility starts in London 1937—1937: Chester F. Carlson invents the photocopier 1937—1937: The first jet engine is built 12 Apr 1937—12 Apr 1937: Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft 12 May 1937—12 May 1937: Coronation of King George VI 28 May 1937—28 May 1937: Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister - policy of appeasement towards Hitler 3 Jun 1937—3 Jun 1937: Duke of Windsor marries Wallis Simpson 4 Dec 1937—4 Dec 1937: 'The Dandy' first published
19	1938	1938—1938: First practical ball-point pen produced by Hungarian journalist, Lajos Biro 1938—1938: HMS Rodney first ship to be equipped with radar 1938—1938: Principle of paid holidays established in Britain 1938—1938: The ballpoint pen invented by Ladislo Biro 1938—1938: Strobe lighting invented 1938—1938: Roy J. Plunkett invented tetrafluoroethylene polymers or Teflon 1938—1938: Nescafe or freeze-dried coffee invented 1938—1938: The first working turboprop engine 12 Mar 1938—12 Mar 1938: Germany invades and annexes Austria 3 Jul 1938—3 Jul 1938: 'Mallard' reaches 126 mph (203 km/h); still world record for a steam locomotive 27 Sep 1938—27 Sep 1938: Largest ocean liner ever built, Queen Elizabeth launched on Clydebank 29 Sep 1938—29 Sep 1938: Chamberlain visits Hitler in Munich - promises 'peace in our time' 30 Oct 1938—30 Oct 1938: Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of HG Wells 'The War of the Worlds', causing panic in the USA
20	1939	1939—1939: Coldest winter in Britain since 1894, though this could not be publicised at the time 1939—1939: Start of evacuation of women and children from London 1939—1939: Germany annexes Czechoslovakia 1939—1945: World War II huge involvement of Canadian supplies and troops 1939—1939: Igor Sikorsky invents the first successful helicopter 1939—1939: The electron microscope invented 9 Jan 1939—2 Sep 1945: World War II Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan vs. Major Allied Powers: United States, Great Britain, France, and Russia 12 Jul 1939—7 Dec 1939: Troops leave Canada First group of Canadian troops sail to Britain -- 7,400 on 5 ships 1 Sep 1939—1 Sep 1939: Germany invades Poland 3 Sep 1939—3 Sep 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany 6 Sep 1939—6 Sep 1939: First air-raid on Britain 11 Sep 1939—11 Sep 1939: British Expeditionary Force (BEF) sent to France 9 Oct 1939—10 Sep 1939: Canada declares war on Germany 14 Oct 1939—14 Oct 1939: HMS Royal Oak sunk in Scapa Flow with loss of 810 lives 7 Dec 1939—7 Dec 1939: 'First flight' of Canadian troops sail for Britain - 7,400 men on 5 ships 17 Dec 1939—17 Dec 1939: 'Admiral Graf Spee' scuttled outside Montevideo
21	1940	1940—1940: Québec permits women to vote The last province to give women the right to vote 1940—1946: National Registration Compulsory registration of all persons 16 years of age or older 1940—1945: German occupation of Denmark 1940—1940: Dr William Reich invents the orgone accumulator 1940—1940: Peter Goldmark invents modern color television system 1940—1940: Karl Pabst invents the jeep 1 Apr 1940—1 Apr 1940: BOAC starts operations, replacing Imperial and British Airways Ltd 11 May 1940—11 May 1940: National Government formed under Churchill 13 May 1940—13 May 1940: Germany invades France 27 May 1940—27 May 1940: Start of the evacuation of the British Army at Dunkirk (27 May - 4 Jun) 25 Jun 1940—25 Jun 1940: Fall of France to Germany 7 Sep 1940—7 Sep 1940: Germany launches bombing blitz on Britain, the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing 15 Sep 1940—15 Sep 1940: Battle of Britain: massive waves of German air attacks decisively repulsed by the RAF - Hitler postpones invasion of Britain 14 Nov 1940—14 Nov 1940: Coventry heavily bombed and the Cathedral almost completely destroyed
22	1941	1941—1941: First use of antibiotics 1941—1941: Bailey invents his portable military bridge 1941—1941: First British jet aircraft flies, based on work of Whittle 1941—1941: Britain introduces severe rationing 1941—1941: Konrad Zuse's Z3, the first computer controlled by software 1941—1941: Aerosol spray cans invented by American inventors, Lyle David Goodloe and W.N. Sullivan 1941—1941: Enrico Fermi invents the neutronic reactor 12 1941—Dec 1941: Canadian forces defend south coast of England 10 May 1941—10 May 1941: Rudolf Hess flies to Scotland 27 May 1941—27 May 1941: 'Bismark' sunk 22 Jun 1941—22 Jun 1941: Germany invades Russia (Operation Barbarossa) 1 Jul 1941—1 Jul 1941: First Canadian armoured regiments arrive in Britain 12 Jul 1941—7 Dec 1941: Canada declares war on Japan Attack on Pearl Harbour causes Canada to declare war on Japan Dec 1941—Dec 1941: 'Manhattan Project' of nuclear research begins in America Dec 1941—Dec 1941: Canadian forces given operation role in defending south coast of England 7 Dec 1941—7 Dec 1941: Japan attackes US fleet at Pearl Harbour 7 Dec 1941—2 Sep 1945: World War II World War II 8 Dec 1941—8 Dec 1941: USA enters WWII 24 Dec 1941—24 Dec 1941: Hong Kong falls to the Japanese 6 1941—14 Jun 1941: Census of Canada Census date changed to prevent clash with Victory Bond campaign. Sampling is initiated
23	1942	1942—1942: Gilbert Murray founds Oxfam 1942—1942: Invention of world's first programmable computer by Alan Turing in co-operation with Max Neumann - used to crack German codes 1942—1942: John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry built the first electronic digital computer 1942—1942: Max Mueller designs a turboprop engine 30 May 1942—30 May 1942: Over 1,000 allied bombers raid Cologne 4 Jun 1942—4 Jun 1942: Battle of Midway 19 Aug 1942—19 Aug 1942: Abortive raid on Dieppe, largely by Canadian troops 6 Sep 1942—6 Sep 1942: Germans defeated at Stalingrad 3 Oct 1942—3 Oct 1942: First successful launch of V2 rocket in Germany - first man-made object to reach space 23 Oct 1942—23 Oct 1942: Battle of El Alamein - Montgomery defeats Rommel 2 Dec 1942—2 Dec 1942: 'Manhattan Project' - a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction
24	1943	1943—1943: Round-the-clock bombing of Germany begins 1943—1943: Synthetic rubber invented 1943—1943: Richard James invents the slinky 1943—1943: James Wright invent silly putty 1943—1943: Swiss chemist, Albert Hofmann discovered the hallucinogenic properties of LSD 1943—1943: Emile Gagnan and Jacques Cousteau invent the aqualung 16 May 1943—16 May 1943: 'Dam Buster' raids on Ruhr dams by RAF 24 Jul 1943—24 Jul 1943: Allies invade Italy - Benito Mussolini resigns as Italian Dictator, 24 July
25	1944	1944—1944: The kidney dialysis machine invented by Willem Kolff 1944—1944: Synthetic cortisone invented by Percy Lavon Julian 6 Apr 1944—6 Apr 1944: PAYE income tax begins 4 Jun 1944—4 Jun 1944: Allies enter Rome 6 Jun 1944—6 Jun 1944: D-Day invasion of Normandy 12 Jun 1944—12 Jun 1944: First V1 flying bombs hit London 8 Sep 1944—8 Sep 1944: First V2 rocket bombs hit London 11 Sep 1944—11 Sep 1944: Allies enter Germany 16 Dec 1944—16 Dec 1944: Battle of the Bulge: German counter-offensive
26	1945	1945—1945: Newfoundland census Census taken in Newfoundland 1945—1945: Vannevar Bush proposes hypertext 1945—1945: The atomic bomb invented 4 Feb 1945—4 Feb 1945: Yalta Conference between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin 29 Mar 1945—29 Mar 1945: Last V1 flying bomb attack 12 Apr 1945—20 Jan 1953: Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman U.S. Presidency 25 Apr 1945—25 Apr 1945: Berlin surrounded by Russian troops 30 Apr 1945—30 Apr 1945: Hitler commits suicide 8 May 1945—8 May 1945: VE Day (Victory in Europe) 9 May 1945—9 May 1945: Channel Islands liberated 26 Jun 1945—26 Jun 1945: UN Charter signed in San Francisco 16 Jul 1945—16 Jul 1945: First ever atomic bomb exploded in a test in New Mexico (although there were other forms of atomic device before that, such as the Pile at Stagg Field, first critical on 2nd Dec 1942) 26 Jul 1945—26 Jul 1945: Labour win UK General Election - Churchill out of office 29 Jul 1945—29 Jul 1945: BBC Light Programme starts 6 Aug 1945—6 Aug 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima 9 Aug 1945—9 Aug 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki 15 Aug 1945—15 Aug 1945: VJ Day (Victory in Japan) 2 Sep 1945—2 Sep 1945: Japanese surrender signed aboard USS Missouri 24 Oct 1945—24 Oct 1945: United Nations Organisation comes into existence 4 Nov 1945—4 Nov 1945: UNESCO founded 4 Dec 1945—20 Jan 1953: Harry Truman 6 1945—26 Jun 1945: Canada joins the United Nations
27	1946	1946—1946: Alistair Cooke starts his regular 'Letter from America' on BBC radio - until 2004 1946—1946: Transition to National Health Service starts in Britain (came into being 5th July 1948) 1946—1946: The microwave oven invented by Percy Spencer 1 Jan 1946—1 Jan 1946: First civillian flight from Heathrow Airport 7 Jan 1946—1 Jul 1946: Canadian Citizenship Act Parliament proclaims an act providing for the creation of Canadian citizens to take effect 1 January 1947 1 Mar 1946—1 Mar 1946: Bank of England nationalised
28	1947	1947—1947: First British nuclear reactor developed 1947—1947: Most severe winter in Britain for 53 years at start of the year - heavy snow and much flooding later 1947—1947: British/Hungarian scientist, Dennis Gabor, developed the theory of holography 1947—1947: Mobile phones first invented 1947—1947: Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley invent the transistor 1947—1947: Earl Silas Tupper patented the Tupperware seal 1 Jan 1947—1 Jan 1947: Coal Mines nationalised 23 Feb 1947—23 Feb 1947: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) founded 1 Mar 1947—1 Mar 1947: International Monetary Fund begins financial operations 1 Apr 1947—1 Apr 1947: School leaving age raised to 15 in Britain 26 Oct 1947—26 Oct 1947: British military occupation ends in Iraq 20 Nov 1947—20 Nov 1947: Marriage of Princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth II) and Philip Mountbatten in Westminster Abbey 3 1947—21 Mar 1947: 22nd Amendment passed by Congress
29	1948	1948—1948: Transistor radio invented 1948—1948: Long-playing record (LP) invented by Goldmark 1948—1948: British Citizenship Act : all Commonwealth citizens qualify for British passports 1948—1948: The Frisbee® invented by Walter Frederick Morrison and Warren Franscioni 1948—1948: Velcro ® invented by George de Mestral 1948—1948: Robert Hope-Jones invented the Wurlitzer jukebox 1 Jan 1948—1 Jan 1948: British Railways nationalised 5 Jul 1948—5 Jul 1948: National Health Service (NHS) begins in Britain 29 Jul 1948—29 Jul 1948: London Olympics begin
30	1949	1949—1949: De Haviland produces the Comet - first jet airliner 1949—1949: Maiden flight of the Bristol Brabazon (broken up in 1953 for scrap) 1949—1949: Cake mix invented 15 Mar 1949—15 Mar 1949: Clothes rationing ends in Britain 4 Apr 1949—4 Apr 1949: Twelve nations sign The North Atlantic Treaty creating NATO 4 Apr 1949—4 Apr 1949: Canada joins NATO 3 1949—31 Mar 1949: Newfoundland joins Canada Newfoundland becomes Canada's tenth province
31	1950	1950—1950: The first credit card (Diners) invented by Ralph Schneider 4 1950—30 Jun 1950: Winnipeg flood More than 100,000 people forced from their homes in Winnipeg, Manitoba, by the Red River flooding 19 May 1950—19 May 1950: Points rationing ends in Britain 26 May 1950—26 May 1950: Petrol rationing ends in Britain 25 Jun 1950—27 Jul 1953: Korean War Korean War 11 Jul 1950—11 Jul 1950: 'Andy Pandy' first seen on BBC TV 9 Sep 1950—9 Sep 1950: Soap rationing ends in Britain 28 Dec 1950—28 Dec 1950: The Peak District becomes the Britain's first National Park 6 1950—27 Jul 1953: Korean War As part of the United Nations, Canadian troops participate in the Korean War 6 1950—27 Jul 1953: Korean War United States (as part of the United Nations) and South Korea vs. North Korea and Communist China
32	1951	1951—1951: Super glue invented 1951—1951: Power steering invented by Francis W. Davis 1951—1951: Charles Ginsburg invented the first videotape recorder (VTR) 3 May 1951—3 May 1951: Festival of Britain and Royal Festival Hall open on South Bank, London 28 May 1951—28 May 1951: First Goon Show broadcast 20 Dec 1951—20 Dec 1951: Electricity first produced by nuclear power, from Experimental Breeder Reactor 2 1951—27 Feb 1951: 22nd Amendment ratified
33	1952	1952—1952: Bonn Convention: Britain, France and USA end their occupation of West Germany 1952—1952: Radioactive carbon used for dating prehistoric objects 1952—1952: Contraceptive pill invented 1952—1952: Britain explodes her first atomic bomb, in Australia 1952—1952: Mr. Potato Head patented 1952—1952: The first patent for bar code (US Patent #2,612,994) issued to inventors Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver 1952—1952: The first diet soft drink sold 1952—1952: Edward Teller and team build the hydrogen bomb 6 Feb 1952—6 Feb 1952: King George VI dies 21 Feb 1952—21 Feb 1952: Identity Cards abolished in Britain 2 May 1952—2 May 1952: First commercial jet airliner service launched, by BOACComet between London and Johannesburg 2 Jun 1952—2004: Elizabeth II House of Windsor (name adopted Jul 17, 1917):Elder daughter of George VI, acceded Feb 6, 1952 5 Jul 1952—5 Jul 1952: Last tram runs in London (Woolwich to New Cross) 16 Aug 1952—16 Aug 1952: Lynmouth (North Devon) flood disaster 6 Sep 1952—6 Sep 1952: DH110 crashes at Farnborough Air Show, 26 killed 3 Oct 1952—3 Oct 1952: End of tea rationing in Britain 1 Nov 1952—1 Nov 1952: The first H-bomb ever ('Mike') was exploded by the USA - the mushroom cloud was 8 miles across and 27 miles high. The canopy was 100 miles wide. Radioactive mud fell out of the sky followed by heavy rain. 80 million tons of earth was vaporised. 25 Nov 1952—25 Nov 1952: Agatha Christie's 'The Mousetrap' opens in London 4 Dec 1952—4 Dec 1952: Great smog hits London
34	1953	1953—1953: Radial tires invented 1953—1953: The first musical synthesizer invented by RCA 1953—1953: David Warren invented the black box - flight recorder 1953—1953: Transistor radio invented by Texas Instruments 20 Jan 1953—20 Jan 1961: Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower U.S. 31 Jan 1953—31 Jan 1953: Said to be the biggest civil catastrophe in Britain in the 20th century - severe storm and high tides caused the loss of hundreds of lives - - effects travelled from the west coast of Scotland round to the south-east coast of England [The Netherlands wer 5 Feb 1953—5 Feb 1953: Sweet rationing ends in Britain 5 Mar 1953—5 Mar 1953: Death of Stalin 26 Mar 1953—26 Mar 1953: Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine 24 Apr 1953—24 Apr 1953: Winston Churchill knighted 25 Apr 1953—25 Apr 1953: Francis Crick and James D Watson publish the double helix structure of DNA 2 Jun 1953—2 Jun 1953: Coronation of Elizabeth II 26 Sep 1953—26 Sep 1953: Sugar rationing ends in Britain (after nearly 14 years) 1 1953—20 Jan 1961: Dwight Eisenhower
35	1954	1954—1954: First transistor radios sold 1954—1954: Routemaster bus starts operating in London 1954—1954: First comprehensive school opens in London 1954—1954: Oral contraceptives invented 1954—1954: The first nonstick pan produced 1954—1954: The solar cell invented by Chaplin, Fuller and Pearson 1954—1954: Ray Kroc started McDonalds 6 May 1954—6 May 1954: First sub 4 minute mile (Roger Bannister, 3 mins 59.4 secs) 3 Jul 1954—3 Jul 1954: Food rationing officially ends in Britain 5 Jul 1954—5 Jul 1954: BBC broadcasts its first television news bulletin 30 Sep 1954—30 Sep 1954: First atomic powered sumbmarine USS Nautilus commissioned 10 1954—15 Oct 1954: Hurricane Hazel Southwestern Ontario, Toronto and area, hit by Hurricane Hazel -- 81 died, 4,000 homeless
36	1955	1955—1955: 'Mole' self-grip wrench patented by Thomas Coughtrie of Mole & Sons 1955—1955: Tetracycline invented 1955—1955: Optic fiber invented 27 Jul 1955—27 Jul 1955: Jul 27: Allied occupation of Austria (after WW2) ends 22 Sep 1955—22 Sep 1955: Commercial TV starts in Britain
37	1956	1956—1956: Britain constructs world's first large-scale nuclear power station in Cumberland 1956—1956: The first computer hard disk used 1956—1956: The hovercraft invented by Christopher Cockerell 1956—1956: Bette Nesmith Graham invented "Mistake Out," later renamed Liquid Paper, to paint over mistakes made with a typewriter 6 Jan 1956—1 Jun 1956: First nation-wide 5-year census Population-count censuses initiated 11 Jan 1956—1 Nov 1956: Springhill Mine explosion 39 miners killed from explosion in mine at Springhill, Nova Scotia 1 Mar 1956—1 Mar 1956: Radiotelephony spelling alphabet introduced (Alpha, Bravo, etc) 17 Apr 1956—17 Apr 1956: Premium Bonds first launched - first prizes drawn on 1 Jun 1957 3 Jun 1956—3 Jun 1956: 3rd class travel abolished on British Railways (renamed 'Third Class' as 'Second Class', which had been abolished in 1875 leaving just First and Third Class) 31 Oct 1956—31 Oct 1956: Britain and France invade Suez
38	1957	1957—1957: Helvetica typeface developed (in Switzerland) 1957—1957: Britain introduces parking meters 1957—1957: Fortran (computer language) invented 11 Jan 1957—11 Jan 1957: Harold Macmillan becomes Prime Minister 14 May 1957—14 May 1957: Post-Suez petrol rationing ends 15 May 1957—15 May 1957: Britain explodes her first hydrogen bomb, at Christmas Island 25 May 1957—25 May 1957: Treaty of Rome to create European Economic Community (EEC) of six countries: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg - became operational Jan 1958 4 Dec 1957—4 Dec 1957: Lewisham rail disaster - 90 killed as two trains collide in thick fog and a viaduct collapses on top of them 25 Dec 1957—25 Dec 1957: Queen's first Christmas TV broadcast
39	1958	1958—1958: USA begins to produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) 1958—1958: Computers begin to be used in research, industry and commerce 1958—1958: Easter: First anti-nuclear protest march to Aldermaston (emergence of CND) 1958—1958: The modem invented 1958—1958: Gordon Gould invents the laser 1958—1958: The Hula Hoop invented by Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin 1958—1958: The integrated circuit invented by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce 13 May 1958—13 May 1958: Velcro trade mark registered 26 Jul 1958—26 Jul 1958: Prince Charles' Investiture as 'Prince of Wales' 5 Dec 1958—5 Dec 1958: Preston by-pass opens - UK's first stretch of motorway 5 Dec 1958—5 Dec 1958: Inauguration of Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) in Britain (completed in 1979) 10 1958—23 Oct 1958: Springhill Mine disaster 74 miners killed from third major explosion in mine at Springhill, Nova Scotia
40	1959	1959—1959: The internal pacemaker invented by Wilson Greatbatch 1959—1959: Barbie Doll invented 1959—1959: Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce both invent the microchip 3 Feb 1959—3 Feb 1959: 'The Day The Music Died' - plane crash kills Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper 17 Feb 1959—17 Feb 1959: Vanguard 2 satellite launched - first to measure cloud-cover distribution 1 Mar 1959—3 Jan 1959: Alaska 49th State 24 May 1959—24 May 1959: Empire Day becomes Commonwealth Day Aug 1959—Aug 1959: BMC Mini car launched 26 Sep 1959—30 Apr 1975: Vietnam War Vietnam War 3 Oct 1959—3 Oct 1959: Postcodes introduced in Britain 1 Nov 1959—1 Nov 1959: First section of M1 motorway opened 8 1959—21 Aug 1959: Hawaii 50th State 6 1959—26 Jun 1959: St. Lawrence seaway opens Ocean vessels can now sail as far inland as Lakes Michigan and Superior
41	1960	1960—1975: Vietnam War United States and South Vietnam vs North Vietnam 1960—1960: Canada's Bill of Rights Bans discrimination by federal agencies on grounds of race, national origin, colour, religion or sex -- permits Indians to vote 1960—1960: The halogen lamp invented 17 Mar 1960—17 Mar 1960: New ?1 notes issued by Bank of England 18 Mar 1960—18 Mar 1960: Last steam locomotive of British Railways named 21 Jul 1960—21 Jul 1960: Francis Chichester arrives in New York aboard Gypsy Moth II (took 40 days), winning the first single-handed transatlantic yacht race which he co-founded 12 Aug 1960—12 Aug 1960: Echo I, the first (passive) communications satellite, launched 12 Sep 1960—12 Sep 1960: MoT tests on motor vehicles introduced 1 Oct 1960—1 Oct 1960: HMS 'Dreadnought' nuclear submarine launched 2 Nov 1960—2 Nov 1960: Penguin Books found not guilty of obscenity in the 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' case 6 1960—16 Jun 1960: 23rd Amendment passed by Congress
42	1961	1961—1961: Valium invented 1961—1961: The nondairy creamer invented 1 Jan 1961—1 Jan 1961: Farthing ceases to be legal tender in UK 20 Jan 1961—20 Nov 1963: John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy U.S. Presidency 13 Mar 1961—13 Mar 1961: Black & White ?5 notes cease to be legal tender 14 Mar 1961—14 Mar 1961: New English Bible (New Testament) published 1 May 1961—1 May 1961: Betting shops legal in Britain 4 1961—19 Apr 1961: Bay of Pigs Invasion United States vs Cuba 1 1961—22 Nov 1963: John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas 3 1961—29 Mar 1961: 23rd Amendment ratified
43	1962	1962—1962: Britain and France agree to construct 'Concorde' 1962—1962: Thalidomide withdrawn after it causes deformities in babies 1962—1962: Britain passes Commonwealth Immigrants Act to control immigration 1962—1962: The audio cassette invented 1962—1962: The fiber-tip pen invented by Yukio Horie 1962—1962: Spacewar, the first computer video game invented 1962—1962: Dow Corp invents silicone breast implants 7 Jan 1962—1 Jul 1962: Medicare introduced in Saskatchewan Saskatchewan sets medicare prototype for all provinces 9 Mar 1962—3 Sep 1962: Trans-Canada Highway officially opens 25 May 1962—25 May 1962: Consecration of new Coventry Cathedral (old destroyed in WW2 blitz) 15 Jun 1962—15 Jun 1962: First nuclear generated electricity to supplied National Grid (from Berkeley Glos) Jul 1962—Jul 1962: First passenger-carrying hovercraft enters service, along the North Wales Coast from Moreton to Rhyl 10 Jul 1962—10 Jul 1962: First TV transmission between US and Europe (Telstar) - first live broadcast on 23 Jul 24 Oct 1962—24 Oct 1962: Cuba missile crisis - brink of nuclear war 8 1962—27 Aug 1962: 24th Amendment passed by Congress
44	1963	1963—1963: France vetoes Britain's entry into EEC 1963—1963: The first videodisc invented Jan 1963—Jan 1963: Cold weather forces cancellation of most football matches (only 4 English First Division matches in the month) - the first 'pools panel' created 27 Mar 1963—27 Mar 1963: Beeching Report on British Railways (the 'Beeching Axe') 1 Aug 1963—1 Aug 1963: Minimum prison age raised to 17 8 Aug 1963—8 Aug 1963: 'Great Train Robbery' on Glasgow to London mail train 17 Sep 1963—17 Sep 1963: Fylingdales (Yorks) early warning system operational 18 Nov 1963—18 Nov 1963: Dartford Tunnel opens 20 Nov 1963—20 Jan 1969: Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson U.S. Presidency 23 Nov 1963—23 Nov 1963: First episode of 'Dr Who' on BBC TV 11 1963—20 Jan 1969: Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson, vice president under John F. Kennedy, sworn in as president aboard Air Force One upon death of Kennedy.
45	1964	1964—1964: Acrylic paint invented 1964—1964: Permanent-press fabric invented 1964—1964: BASIC (an early computer language) is invented by John George Kemeny and Tom Kurtz 4 1964—Apr 1964: Social Insurance cards first issued Social Insurance cards issued to all Canadian adults -- privacy concerns limit their use for genealogy puposes 1 Jan 1964—1 Jan 1964: First 'Top of the Pops' on BBC TV 9 Apr 1964—9 Apr 1964: First Greater London Council (GLC) election 21 Apr 1964—21 Apr 1964: BBC2 TV launched 22 Aug 1964—22 Aug 1964: 'Match of the Day' starts on BBC2 4 Sep 1964—4 Sep 1964: Forth road bridge opens 3 1964—1993: Canadian troops in Cyprus Canadian troops serve in Cyprus as part of the UN peace-keeping force 1 1964—23 Jan 1964: 24th Amendment ratified
46	1965	1965—1965: Britain enacts first Race Relations Act 1965—1965: Astroturf invented 1965—1965: Soft contact lenses invented 1965—1965: NutraSweet invented 1965—1965: The compact disk invented by James Russell 1965—1965: Kevlar invented by Stephanie Louise Kwolek 7 Feb 1965—7 Feb 1965: First US raids against North Vietnam 7 Apr 1965—7 Apr 1965: Winston Churchill dies 7 Jun 1965—6 Jul 1965: 25th Amendment passed by Congress 1 Aug 1965—1 Aug 1965: TV cigarette advertising banned in Britain 8 Oct 1965—8 Oct 1965: Post Office Tower operational in London 28 Oct 1965—28 Oct 1965: Death penalty for murder suspended in Britain for five-year trial period, then abolished 18 Dec 1969 22 Dec 1965—22 Dec 1965: 70mph speed limit introduced on British roads 2 1965—15 Feb 1965: Canadian Flag changed Maple Leaf flag is adopted by Parliament as the official flag of Canada. It replaces the "Canadian" (modified) Red Ensign
47	1966	1966—1966: Electronic Fuel injection for cars invented 14 Feb 1966—14 Feb 1966: Australia converts from ? to $ 3 May 1966—3 May 1966: 'The Times' begins to print news on its front page in place of classified Advertisements 30 Jul 1966—30 Jul 1966: World Cup won by England at Wembley (4-2 in extra time v West Germany) 8 Sep 1966—8 Sep 1966: First Severn road bridge opens 21 Oct 1966—21 Oct 1966: Aberfan disaster - slag heap slip kills 144, incl. 116 children 1 Dec 1966—1 Dec 1966: First Christmas stamps issued in Britain
48	1967	1967—1967: The first handheld calculator invented 4 Jan 1967—4 Jan 1967: Donald Campbell dies attempting to break his world water speed record on Conniston Water - his body and Bluebird recovered in 2002 18 Mar 1967—18 Mar 1967: 'Torrey Canyon' oil tanker runs aground off Lands End first major oil spill 28 May 1967—28 May 1967: Francis Chichester arrives in Plymouth after solo circumnavigation in Gipsy Moth IV (he was knighted 7th July at Greenwich by the queen using the sword with which Elizabeth I had knighted Sir Francis Drake four centuries earlier 27 Jun 1967—27 Jun 1967: First withdrawal from a cash dispenser (ATM) in Britain - at Enfield branch of Barclays 1 Jul 1967—1 Jul 1967: First colour TV in Britain 14 Aug 1967—14 Aug 1967: Offshore pirate radio stations declared illegal by the UK 20 Sep 1967—20 Sep 1967: 'QE2' launched on Clydebank 27 Sep 1967—27 Sep 1967: 'Queen Mary' arrives Southampton at end of her last transatlantic voyage 30 Sep 1967—30 Sep 1967: BBC Radios 1 2 3 & 4 open first record played on Radio 1 was the controversial 'Flowers in the Rain' by 'The Move' 2 Oct 1967—10 Feb 1967: 25th Amendment ratified 5 Oct 1967—5 Oct 1967: Introduction of majority verdicts in English courts 4 1967—25 Apr 1967: Canadian Armed Forces established The Canadian Army, Navy and Air Force unite into one combined military force -- a world first
49	1968	1968—1968: The computer mouse invented by Douglas Engelbart 1968—1968: The first computer with integrated circuits made 1968—1968: Robert Dennard invented RAM (random access memory) 18 Feb 1968—18 Feb 1968: British Standard Time introduced - Summer Time became permanent but arguments prevailed and Britain reverted to GMT in October 1971 18 Apr 1968—18 Apr 1968: London Bridge sold (and eventually moved to Arizona) - modern London Bridge, built around it as it was demolished, was opened in Mar 1973 20 Apr 1968—20 Apr 1968: Enoch Powell 'Rivers of Blood' speech on immigration 23 Apr 1968—23 Apr 1968: Issue of 5p and 10p decimal coins in Britain 29 May 1968—29 May 1968: Manchester United first English club to win the European Cup 11 Aug 1968—11 Aug 1968: Last steam passenger train service ran in Britain (Carlisle- Liverpool) 16 Sep 1968—16 Sep 1968: Two-tier postal rate starts in Britain 5 Oct 1968—5 Oct 1968: Beginning of disturbances in N Ireland
50	1969	1969—1969: The arpanet (first internet) invented 1969—1969: The artificial heart invented 1969—1969: The ATM invented 1969—1969: The bar-code scanner is invented 20 Jan 1969—9 Aug 1974: Richard Nixon Richard Nixon U.S. Presidency 2 Mar 1969—2 Mar 1969: Maiden flight of 'Concorde', at Toulouse 7 Mar 1969—7 Mar 1969: Victoria Line tube opens in London 17 Apr 1969—17 Apr 1969: Voting age lowered from 21 to 18 2 May 1969—2 May 1969: Maiden voyage of liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) 31 Jul 1969—31 Jul 1969: Halfpenny ceases to be legal tender in Britain 14 Aug 1969—14 Aug 1969: Civil disturbances in Ulster - Britain sends troops to support civil authorities 7 Sep 1969—7 Sep 1969: First episode of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' recorded 14 Oct 1969—14 Oct 1969: 50p coin introduced in Britain (reduced in size 1998) 1 1969—9 Aug 1974: Richard Nixon Richard M Nixon first president to resign from office. His decision was announced 8 Aug 1974
51	1970	1970—1970: Boeing 747 (Jumbo jet) goes into service 1970—1970: The daisy-wheel printer invented 1970—1970: The floppy disk invented by Alan Shugart 17 Jun 1970—17 Jun 1970: Decimal postage stamps first issued for sale in Britain 19 Jun 1970—19 Jun 1970: Edward Heath becomes Prime Minister 30 Jul 1970—30 Jul 1970: Damages awarded to Thalidomide victims 19 Sep 1970—19 Sep 1970: First Glastonbury Festival held 20 Nov 1970—20 Nov 1970: Ten shilling note (50p after decimalisation) goes out of circulation in Britain 10 1970—16 Oct 1970: War Measures Act Proclaimed in Quebec Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invokes the War Measures Act to counteract FLQ terrorism
52	1971	1971—1971: Rolls-Royce declared bankrupt 1971—1971: 'Greenpeace' founded 1971—1971: Sunday becomes the seventh day in the week as UK adopts decision of the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) to call Monday the first day 1971—1971: Banking and Financial Dealings Act - replaced the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 1971—1971: Census of Canada 1971 census is the first completed by the householder 1971—1971: Multiculturalism/Bilingualism Policy adopted Canada gives equal status to both english and french languages 1971—1971: The dot-matrix printer invented 1971—1971: The food processor invented 1971—1971: The liquid-crystal display (LCD) invented by James Fergason 1971—1971: The microprocessor invented by Faggin, Hoff and Mazor 1971—1971: VCR or videocassette recorder invented 3 Jan 1971—3 Jan 1971: Open University starts 7 Jan 1971—1 Jul 1971: 26th Amendment ratified 15 Feb 1971—15 Feb 1971: Decimalisation of coinage in UK and Republic of Ireland 9 Aug 1971—9 Aug 1971: Internment without trial introduced in N Ireland 28 Oct 1971—28 Oct 1971: UK launches its first (and only) satellite, Prospero 28 Oct 1971—28 Oct 1971: Parliament votes to join Common Market (joined 1973) 3 1971—23 Mar 1971: 26th Amendment passed by Congress
53	1972	1972—1972: Dutch Elm disease devastates trees across UK 1972—1972: Domestic video cassette recorders introduced 1972—1972: Strict anti-hijack measures introduced internationally, especially at airports 1972—1972: Britain imposes direct rule in Northern Ireland 1972—1972: The word processor invented 1972—1972: Pong (first video game) invented by Nolan Bushnell 1972—1972: Hacky Sack® invented by John Stalberger and Mike Marshall 30 Jan 1972—30 Jan 1972: 'Bloody Sunday' in Derry, Northern Ireland 28 May 1972—28 May 1972: Duke of Windsor (ex-King Edward VIII) dies in Paris
54	1973	1973—1973: Gene splicing invented 1973—1973: The ethernet (local computer network) invented by Robert Metcalfe and Xerox 1973—1973: Bic invents the disposable lighter 1 Jan 1973—1 Jan 1973: Britain enters EEC Common Market (with Ireland and Denmark) 17 Mar 1973—17 Mar 1973: Modern London Bridge opened by the Queen 1 Apr 1973—1 Apr 1973: VAT introduced in Britain 26 Sep 1973—26 Sep 1973: Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking time 14 Oct 1973—14 Oct 1973: Marriage of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey 31 Dec 1973—31 Dec 1973: Miners strike and oil crisis precipitate 'three-day week' (till 9 Mar 1974) to conserve power
55	1974	1974—1974: New counties formed in Britain after re-organisation of some county boundaries 1974—1974: Quebec makes french the official language French language priority causes hundreds of businesses and non-french-speaking families to move out of Quebec 1974—1974: The post-it note invented by Arthur Fry 1974—1974: Giorgio Fischer, a gynecologist from Rome, Italy, invents liposuction 1 Jun 1974—1 Jun 1974: Flixborough disaster: explosion at chemical plant kills 28 people 9 Aug 1974—20 Jan 1977: Gerald Ford Gerald Ford U.S. Presidency 8 Sep 1974—20 Jan 1977: Gerald Ford 7 Nov 1974—7 Nov 1974: Lord Lucan disappears 21 Nov 1974—21 Nov 1974: Birmingham pub bombings by the IRA
56	1975	1975—1975: Unemployment in Britain rises above 1M for first time since before WW2 1975—1975: The laser printer invented 1975—1975: The push-through tab on a drink can invented 11 Feb 1975—11 Feb 1975: Margaret Thatcher becomes leader of Conservative party (in opposition) 28 Feb 1975—28 Feb 1975: Moorgate tube crash in London - over 43 deaths, greatest loss of life on the Underground in peacetime. The cause of the incident was never conclusively determined 4 Mar 1975—4 Mar 1975: Charlie Chaplin knighted 5 Jun 1975—5 Jun 1975: UK votes in a referendum to stay in the European Community 29 Oct 1975—29 Oct 1975: 'Yorkshire Ripper' commits his first murder 3 Nov 1975—3 Nov 1975: First North Sea oil comes ashore 29 Nov 1975—29 Nov 1975: The name 'Micro-soft' coined by Bill Gates (Microsoft' became a Trademark the following year) 27 Dec 1975—27 Dec 1975: Equal Pay Act and Sex Discrimination Act come into force
57	1976	1976—1976: National Theatre opens in London 1976—1976: James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister 1976—1976: Deaths exceeded live births in E&W for first time since records began in 1837 1976—1976: 'Cod War' between Britain and Iceland 1976—1976: The ink-jet printer invented 21 Jan 1976—21 Jan 1976: Concorde enters supersonic passenger service 1 Apr 1976—1 Apr 1976: Apple Computer formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak 6 Aug 1976—6 Aug 1976: Drought Act 1976 comes into force ? the long, hot summer 7 1976—14 Jul 1976: Canada abolishes death penalty
58	1977	1977—1977: Magnetic resonance imaging invented by Raymond V. Damadian 20 Jan 1977—20 Jan 1981: Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter U.S. Presidency 2 Mar 1977—2 Mar 1977: 'Red Rum' wins a third Grand National 25 May 1977—25 May 1977: George Lucas' film Star Wars' released 5 Jun 1977—5 Jun 1977: Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale 7 Jun 1977—7 Jun 1977: Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in London 22 Nov 1977—22 Nov 1977: Regular supersonic Concorde service between London and NY inaugurated 1 1977—20 Jan 1981: Jimmy Carter
59	1978	1978—1978: Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston invented the VisiCalc spreadsheet 1978—1978: The artificial heart Jarvik-7 invented by Robert K. Jarvik 8 Apr 1978—8 Apr 1978: Regular broadcast of proceedings in Parliament starts 1 May 1978—1 May 1978: First May Day holiday in Britain 25 Jul 1978—25 Jul 1978: World's first 'test tube' baby, Louise Browne born in Oldham 30 Nov 1978—30 Nov 1978: Publication of The Times suspended - industrial relations problems (until 13 Nov 1979)
60	1979	1979—1979: Cellular phones invented 1979—1979: Cray supercomputer invented by Seymour Cray 1979—1979: Walkman invented 1979—1979: Scott Olson invents roller blades 1 Mar 1979—1 Mar 1979: 32.5% of Scots vote in favor of devolution (40% needed) - Welsh vote overwhelmingly against 30 Mar 1979—30 Mar 1979: Airey Neave killed by a car bomb at Westminster 31 Mar 1979—31 Mar 1979: Withdrawal of the Royal Navy from Malta 4 May 1979—4 May 1979: Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman UK Prime Minister 1 Jul 1979—1 Jul 1979: Sony introduces the Walkman 27 Aug 1979—27 Aug 1979: Lord Mountbatten and 3 others killed in bomb blast off coast of Sligo, Ireland 18 Sep 1979—18 Sep 1979: ILEA votes to abolish corporal punishment in its schools
61	1980	1980—1980: The hepatitis-B vaccine invented 5 May 1980—5 May 1980: SAS storm Iranian Embassy in London to free hostages 8 Dec 1980—8 Dec 1980: John Lennon assassinated in New York
62	1981	1981—1981: MS-DOS invented 1981—1981: The first IBM-PC invented 1981—1981: The scanning tunneling microscope invented by Gerd Karl Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer 20 Jan 1981—20 Jan 1989: Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan U.S. Presidency 25 Jan 1981—25 Jan 1981: Launch of SDP by 'Gang of Four' in Britain 29 Mar 1981—29 Mar 1981: First London marathon run 11 Apr 1981—11 Apr 1981: Brixton riots in South London - 30 other British cities also experience riots 25 Apr 1981—25 Apr 1981: Worst April blizzards this century in Britain 27 Apr 1981—27 Apr 1981: First use of computer mouse (by Xerox PARC system) 29 Jul 1981—29 Jul 1981: Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (divorced 28 Aug 1996) 12 Aug 1981—12 Aug 1981: IBM launches its PC ? starts the general use of personal computers 12 Aug 1981—12 Aug 1981: First IBM PC IBM launches the first PC 1 1981—20 Jan 1989: Ronald Reagan
63	1982	1982—1982: Human growth hormone genetically engineered 26 Jan 1982—26 Jan 1982: Unemployment reached 3 million in Britain (1 in 8 of working population) 5 Feb 1982—5 Feb 1982: Laker Airways collapses 19 Feb 1982—19 Feb 1982: DeLorean Car factory in Belfast goes into receivership 18 Mar 1982—18 Mar 1982: Argentinians raised flag in South Georgia 2 Apr 1982—2 Apr 1982: Argentina invades Falkland (Malvinas) Islands 5 Apr 1982—5 Apr 1982: Royal Navy fleet sails from Portsmouth for Falklands 2 May 1982—2 May 1982: British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks Argentine cruiser General Belgrano 28 May 1982—28 May 1982: First land battle in Falklands (Goose Green) 14 Jun 1982—14 Jun 1982: Ceasefire in Falklands 21 Jun 1982—21 Jun 1982: Prince William is born 20 Jul 1982—20 Jul 1982: IRA bombings in London (Hyde Park and Regents Park) 19 Sep 1982—19 Sep 1982: Smiley emoticon :-) said to have been used for the first time 11 Oct 1982—11 Oct 1982: Mary Rose' raised in the Solent (sank in 1545) 31 Oct 1982—31 Oct 1982: Thames Barrier raised for first time (some say first public demonstration Nov 7) 2 Nov 1982—2 Nov 1982: Channel 4 TV station launched - first programme 'Countdown' 4 Nov 1982—4 Nov 1982: Lorries up to 38 tonnes allowed on Britain's roads 12 Dec 1982—12 Dec 1982: Women's peace protest at Greenham Common (Cruise missiles arrived 14 Nov 1983) 4 1982—17 Apr 1982: Canadian Constitution Act replaces British North America Act of 1867 Royal assent given to 'patriate the Constitution' and to create the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
64	1983	1983—1983: First female Lord Mayor of London elected (Dame Mary Donaldson) 1983—1983: The Apple Lisa invented 1983—1983: Soft bifocal contact lens invented 1983—1983: First Cabbage Patch Kids sold 1983—1983: Programmer Jaron Lanier first coins the term "virtual reality" 17 Jan 1983—17 Jan 1983: Start of breakfast TV in Britain 31 Jan 1983—31 Jan 1983: Seat belt law comes into force 21 Apr 1983—21 Apr 1983: ?1 coin into circulation in Britain 7 Oct 1983—7 Oct 1983: Plans to abolish GLC announced 26 Nov 1983—26 Nov 1983: Brinks Mat robbery: 6,800 gold bars worth nearly ?26 million are stolen from a vault at Heathrow Airport 10 1983—31 Oct 1983: Grenada United States Intervention
65	1984	1984—1984: The CD-ROM invented 1984—1984: The Apple Macintosh invented 6 Mar 1984—6 Mar 1984: Miners strike begins 17 Apr 1984—17 Apr 1984: Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher killed by gunfire from the Libyan Embassy in London 22 Jun 1984—22 Jun 1984: Inaugural flight of Virgin Atlantic 9 Jul 1984—9 Jul 1984: York Minster struck by lightning - the resulting fire damaged much of the building but the Rose Window' not affected 12 Oct 1984—12 Oct 1984: IRA bomb explodes at Tory conference hotel in Brighton - 4 killed 24 Oct 1984—24 Oct 1984: Miners' strike ? High Court orders sequestration of NUM assets 3 Dec 1984—3 Dec 1984: British Telecom privatised - shares make massive gains on first day's trading
66	1985	1985—1985: Windows program invented by Microsoft 3 Mar 1985—3 Mar 1985: Miners agree to call off strike 11 Mar 1985—11 Mar 1985: Al Fayed buys Harrods 13 Jul 1985—13 Jul 1985: Live Aid' pop concert raises over ?50M for famine relief 1 Sep 1985—1 Sep 1985: Wreck of Titanic' found (sank 1912) 12 Dec 1985—12 Dec 1985: Plane crash in Gander, Newfoundland A DC-8 crashes just after take-off killing 256
67	1986	1986—1986: Census of Canada 1986 census asks about activity limitations 1986—1986: A high-temperature super-conductor invented by J. Georg Bednorz and Karl A. Muller 1986—1986: Synthetic skin invented by G. Gregory Gallico, III 1986—1986: Fuji introduced the disposable camera 31 Mar 1986—31 Mar 1986: GLC and 6 metropolitan councils abolished 26 Apr 1986—26 Apr 1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident - radiation reached Britain on 2 Ma 26 May 1986—26 May 1986: The European Community adopts the European flag 23 Jul 1986—23 Jul 1986: Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey 27 Oct 1986—27 Oct 1986: 'Big Bang' (deregulation) of the London Stock Market 29 Oct 1986—29 Oct 1986: M25 motorway ring around London completed
68	1987	1987—1987: World population crossed the 5 billion mark 1987—1987: The first 3-D video game invented 1987—1987: Disposable contact lenses invented 2 Feb 1987—2 Feb 1987: Terry Waite kidnapped in Beirut (released 17 Nov 1991) 6 Mar 1987—6 Mar 1987: Car ferry Herald of Free Enterprise' capsizes off Zeebrugge - 188 die 1 Jul 1987—1 Jul 1987: Excavation begins on the Channel Tunnel 19 Aug 1987—19 Aug 1987: Hungerford Massacre - Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a rifle 16 Oct 1987—16 Oct 1987: The 'Hurricane' sweeps southern England 19 Oct 1987—19 Oct 1987: 'Black Monday' in the City of London - Stock Market crash 8 Nov 1987—8 Nov 1987: Enniskillen bombing at a Remembrance Day ceremony 18 Nov 1987—18 Nov 1987: King's Cross fire in London - 31 people die
69	1988	1988—1988: Digital cellular phones invented 1988—1988: The RU-486 (abortion pill) invented 1988—1988: Doppler radar invented by Christian Andreas Doppler 1988—1988: Prozac® invented at the Eli Lilly Company by inventor Ray Fuller 1988—1988: The first patent for a genetically engineered animal is issued to Harvard University researchers Philip Leder and Timothy Stewar 1988—1988: Ralph Alessio and Fredrik Olsen received a patent for the Indiglo ® nightlight 5 Feb 1988—5 Feb 1988: First 'Red Nose Day' in UK, raising money for charity 6 Jul 1988—6 Jul 1988: Piper Alpha disaster - North Sea oil platform destroyed by explosion and fire killing 167 men 15 Nov 1988—15 Nov 1988: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act - reformulated the statutory basis of copyright law (including performing rights) in the UK 12 Dec 1988—12 Dec 1988: Clapham Junction rail crash kills 35 and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains 21 Dec 1988—21 Dec 1988: Lockerbie disaster - Pan Am flight 103 explodes over Scotland
70	1989	1989—1989: Poll Tax implemented in Scotland 1989—1989: High-definition television invented 1 Jan 1989—1 Jan 1989: Free Trade Agreement with U.S. 20 Jan 1989—20 Jan 1993: George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush U.S. Presidency 14 Feb 1989—14 Feb 1989: The first of 24 satellites of the Global Positioning System is placed into orbit 2 Mar 1989—2 Mar 1989: EU decision to ban production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century 9 Nov 1989—9 Nov 1989: Berlin Wall torn down 21 Nov 1989—21 Nov 1989: Proceedings of House of Commons first televised live 1 1989—20 Jan 1993: George H.W. Bush 12 1989—3 Jan 1990: US Invasion of Panama United States vs Panama
71	1990	1990—1990: The World Wide Web/Internet protocol (HTTP) and WWW language (HTML) created by Tim Berners-Lee 8 Feb 1990—28 Feb 1991: Persian Gulf War United States and Coalition Forces vs Iraq 11 Feb 1990—11 Feb 1990: Nelson Mandela released in South Africa 31 Mar 1990—31 Mar 1990: Riots in London against Poll Tax which had been implemented in England & Wales 25 Apr 1990—25 Apr 1990: Hubble space telescope launched 2 Aug 1990—28 Feb 1991: Gulf War Gulf War 22 Nov 1990—22 Nov 1990: Margaret Thatcher resigns as Conservative party leader (and Prime Minister) 1 Dec 1990—1 Dec 1990: Channel Tunnel excavation teams meet in the middle
72	1991	1991—1991: The 'Internet' comes into existence 1991—1991: Poll Tax replaced (by Council Tax) 1991—1991: Census of Canada 1991 census asks about common-law status for the first time 1991—1991: The digital answering machine invented 18 May 1991—18 May 1991: Helen Sharman is first British Astronaut in Space Aug 1991—Aug 1991: Collapse of the Soviet Union 6 Sep 1991—6 Sep 1991: Leningrad renamed St Petersburg 5 Nov 1991—5 Nov 1991: Robert Maxwell drowns at sea
73	1992	1992—1992: The smart pill invented 7 Feb 1992—7 Feb 1992: European Union formed by The Maastricht Treaty 22 Apr 1992—22 Apr 1992: Betty Boothroyd elected as first female Speaker of the House of Commons 5 Jul 1992—7 May 1992: 27th Amendment ratified 15 Aug 1992—15 Aug 1992: Football Premier League kicks off in England 16 Sep 1992—16 Sep 1992: 'Black Wednesday' as Pound leaves the ERM 20 Nov 1992—20 Nov 1992: Fire breaks out in Windsor Castle causing over ?50 million worth of damage 24 Nov 1992—24 Nov 1992: The Queen describes this year as an 'Annus Horribilis'
74	1993	1993—1993: Elizabeth II becomes first British Monarch to pay Income Tax 1993—1993: Betty Boothroyd first woman Speaker of the House of Commons (to 2000) 1993—1993: The pentium processor invented 20 Jan 1993—20 Jan 2001: Bill Clinton Bill Clinton U.S. Presidency Jul 1993—Jul 1993: Ratification of Maastricht Treaty, established the European Union (EU) 1 1993—20 Jan 2001: William Jefferson Clinton
75	1994	1994—1994: 15 million people now connected to the Internet 1994—1994: HIV protease inhibitor invented 12 Mar 1994—12 Mar 1994: Church of England ordains its first female priests 6 May 1994—6 May 1994: Channel Tunnel open to traffic 19 Nov 1994—19 Nov 1994: National Lottery starts
76	1995	1995—1996: Intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina United States as part of NATO acted peacekeepers in former Yugoslavia 1995—1995: The Java computer language invented 1995—1995: DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) invented 26 Feb 1995—26 Feb 1995: Nick Leeson brings down Barings Bank 15 Jul 1995—15 Jul 1995: First item sold on Amazon.com 16 Nov 1995—16 Nov 1995: The Queen Mother has a hip replacement operation at 95 years old 22 Nov 1995—22 Nov 1995: Toy Story' released - first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery
77	1996	1996—1996: Web TV invented 9 Feb 1996—9 Feb 1996: IRA bomb explodes in London Docklands - ends 17 month ceasefire 13 Mar 1996—13 Mar 1996: Dunblane massacre 15 Jun 1996—15 Jun 1996: IRA bomb explodes in Manchester 5 Jul 1996—5 Jul 1996: Scientists in Scotland clone a sheep (Dolly) 28 Aug 1996—28 Aug 1996: Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales are divorced 5 1996—15 May 1996: Census of Canada 1996 census counts 28,846,761 individuals. Asks about unpaid housework and mode of transportation to work
78	1997	1997—1997: The gas-powered fuel cell invented 30 Mar 1997—30 Mar 1997: Channel 5 TV begins in UK (launched by the Spice Girls) 1 May 1997—1 May 1997: 'New' Labour landslide victory in Britain (Tony Blair replaces John Major as Prime Minister) 6 May 1997—6 May 1997: Announcement that Bank of England to be made independent of Government control 11 May 1997—11 May 1997: First time a computer beats a master at chess (IBM's Deep Blue v Garry Kasparov) 1 Jul 1997—1 Jul 1997: Hong Kong returned to China 19 Jul 1997—19 Jul 1997: IRA declares a ceasefire 31 Aug 1997—31 Aug 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales killed in car crash in Paris 25 Sep 1997—25 Sep 1997: Land speed record breaks sound barrier for first time
79	1998	1998—1998: Viagra® invented 10 Apr 1998—10 Apr 1998: Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland - effectively implemented in May 2007 14 Aug 1998—14 Aug 1998: Car bomb explodes in Omagh killing 29 people 27 Sep 1998—27 Sep 1998: 'Google' search engine founded
80	1999	1999—1999: World population reaches 6 billion 1999—1999: Scientists measure the fastest wind speed ever recorded on earth, 509 km/h(318 mph) 1999—1999: Tekno Bubbles patented 1 Jan 1999—1 Jan 1999: European Monetary Union begins - UK opts out - by the end of the year the Euro has approximately the same value as the US Dollar 4 Jan 1999—1 Apr 1999: Nunavut created in the Arctic Canada's third territory, Nunavut, formed from part of the Northwest Territories to give the Inuit people more autonomy 1 Jul 1999—1 Jul 1999: The Scottish Parliament is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth - powers are officially transferred from the Scottish Office in London to the new devolved Scottish Executive in Edinburgh 11 Aug 1999—11 Aug 1999: Total eclipse of the sun visible in Devon and Cornwall 11 Nov 1999—11 Nov 1999: Hereditary Peers no longer have right to sit in House of Lords
81	2000	1 Jan 2000—1 Jan 2000: The year in Britain started with a 'flu bug rather than a millennium bug Mar 2000—Mar 2000: London Eye opens, late but popular 22 Apr 2000—22 Apr 2000: The Big Number Change takes place in the UK - affected telephone dialling codes assigned to Cardiff, Coventry, London, Northern Ireland, Portsmouth and Southampton 4 May 2000—4 May 2000: Ken Livingstone elected first Mayor of London (not to be confused with Lord Mayor of London!) 10 Jun 2000—10 Jun 2000: Millennium footbridge over the Thames opens, but wobbles and is quickly declared dangerous and closed - finally reopened Feb 2002 25 Jul 2000—25 Jul 2000: A chartered Air France Concorde crashes on take-off at Paris with the loss of all lives Sep 2000—Sep 2000: 'People Power' emerged suddenly as protestors against high Road Fuel Tax used mobile phones and the Internet to co-ordinate blockades on fuel depots - resulted in nationwide panic buying of fuel and service stations running out across the country Oct 2000—Oct 2000: Heavy rains cause worst flooding since records began (1850s) in many parts of Britain (Oct-Dec) 17 Oct 2000—17 Oct 2000: Derailment at speed on the main London-North eastern line at Hatfield caused by a broken rail
82	2001	20 Jan 2001—20 Jan 2009: George W. Bush George W. Bush U.S. Presidency Feb 2001—Feb 2001: Outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease in UK - lasted until October - caused postponement of local and general elections from May to June 12 May 2001—12 May 2001: FA Cup Final played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff - first time away from Wembley since 1922 7 Jun 2001—7 Jun 2001: General Election - Labour returned again with a large majority, the first time they had succeeded in gaining a second term 1 Sep 2001—1 Sep 2001: New-style number plates on road vehicles in UK [eg. AB 51 ABC] 7 Oct 2001—28 Dec 2014: War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan 7 Nov 2001—7 Nov 2001: Concorde flights resume after modifications to tyres and fuel tanks Dec 2001—Dec 2001: UK Christmas stamps self-adhesive for the first time (self-adhesive 1st & 2nd class definitives already on sale) 5 2001—15 May 2001: Census of Canada 2001 census counts 30,007,094 individuals 1 2001—20 Jan 2009: George W. Bush
83	2002	1 Jan 2002—1 Jan 2002: Twelve major countries in Europe (Austria, Belgium, Holland, Irish Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Portugal) and their dependents start using the Euro instead of their old national currencies; the UK stays out - the 22 Feb 2002—22 Feb 2002: Millennium Bridge over the Thames in London finally opens 30 Mar 2002—30 Mar 2002: The Queen Mother dies, aged 101 years 2 Jul 2002—2 Jul 2002: Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon
84	2003	2003—1 May 2003: Invasion of Iraq United States and Coalition Forces vs. Iraq 17 Feb 2003—17 Feb 2003: Start of Congestion Charge for traffic entering central London 20 Mar 2003—18 Dec 2011: Iraq War Iraq War 10 Aug 2003—10 Aug 2003: Temperatures reach record high of 101 F (38.3 C) in Kent 24 Oct 2003—24 Oct 2003: Last commercial flight of Concorde 22 Nov 2003—22 Nov 2003: England wins Rugby World Cup in nail-biting final in Australia - first northern hemisphere team to do this 13 Dec 2003—13 Dec 2003: Saddam Hussein captured near his home town of Tikrit (executed 30 Dec 2006) 26 Dec 2003—26 Dec 2003: Queen Mary 2 arrives in Southampton from the builder's yard in France 2004
85	2004	29 Mar 2004—29 Mar 2004: Alistair Cooke dies at the age of 95 - until four weeks previously, and since 1946, he had broadcast his regular 'Letter from America' on BBC radio 29 Mar 2004—29 Mar 2004: Ireland becomes first country in the world to ban smoking in public places 1 May 2004—1 May 2004: Enlargement of the European Union to include 25 members by the entry of 10 new states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus
86	2005	16 Feb 2005—16 Feb 2005: Kyoto Protocol on climate change came into force 18 Feb 2005—18 Feb 2005: Ban on hunting with dogs came into force in England & Wales (had already been a similar law for about two years in Scotland) 6 Jul 2005—6 Jul 2005: London chosen as venue for the 2012 Olympic Games 7 Jul 2005—7 Jul 2005: Suicide bombers attack London for the first time 28 Jul 2005—28 Jul 2005: IRA declare an end to their 'armed struggle' 12 Sep 2005—12 Sep 2005: England regain the 'Ashes' after a gripping Test series (but are whitewashed 5-0 in the return series in Australia 2007) 9 Dec 2005—9 Dec 2005: Last Routemaster bus runs on regular service in London 11 Dec 2005—11 Dec 2005: Explosions at the Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead 21 Dec 2005—21 Dec 2005: Same-sex civil partnerships begin - famously, on this day, between Elton John and David Furnish
87	2006	1 Mar 2006—1 Mar 2006: Welsh Assembly Building opened by the Queen 26 Mar 2006—26 Mar 2006: Prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places in Scotland 21 Apr 2006—21 Apr 2006: 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II 21 Aug 2006—21 Aug 2006: UK postage rates start to be measured by size as well as by weight
88	2007	1 Jan 2007—1 Jan 2007: Further enlargement of the European Union to include Bulgaria and Romania 19 Feb 2007—19 Feb 2007: Extension of Congestion Charge zone for London, westwards 8 May 2007—8 May 2007: A Northern Ireland Executive formed under the leadership of Ian Paisley (DUP) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Fein) 1 Jul 2007—1 Jul 2007: Prohibition of smoking in enclosed public places in England (thus completing cover of the entire UK) 14 Nov 2007—14 Nov 2007: First rail service direct from St Pancras to France (replacing that from Waterloo)

My Footsteps

through our family History

James Cunningham