Famous Historical Events

Polio is an infectious disease, caused by a virus, that attacks the muscles, most commonly in the legs. In 1952 Jonas Salk, working at the University of Pittsburgh, developed a vaccine. After tests it was announced to the world on April 12th 1955 by Dr Thomas Francis. Sanitation improves, Polio…

The Watergate Scandal was a major political scandal in the US. Originally an investigation into a break-in at an apartment and office complex, the story and cover-up discovered by journalists and the FBI ended up bringing down President Richard Nixon. He is the only President to date who has resigned.…

The Indian Ocean Tsunami (also known as the ‘Boxing Day Tsunami’) was a catastrophic event that occurred on December 26th 2004. At 07.58 local time an earthquake measuring 9.3 and lasting 8-10 minutes – the the longest in time and third largest in force ever recorded – struck in the…

On December 17th 1903 the Wright Brothers  – Wilbur (1867-1912) and Orville (1871-1948) – made the first controlled powered ‘heavier-than-air’ aeroplane flight on Kitty Hawk beach in North Carolina. Who were they? The Wright Brothers’ parents had 7 children, but the last two (who were twins) died in infancy. Wilbur…

The National Health Service came into existence in 1948. It gave all citizens of the United Kingdom health care coverage, with the cost covered purely by taxation. Continuing a Plan Prior to the arrival of the NHS, Britain’s health care system was organised according to the 1911 National Insurance Act,…

World War II (also called ‘The Second World War’) was a global conflict. It ran from 1939 to 1945, involved over 30 countries and 100m people, and resulted in 50-85m deaths. It remains the deadliest conflict in world history. The Shadow of World War I World War I (1914-1919) had…

February 15th 1971 saw the UK move its money to the decimal system. The Old System Before decimalisation the UK used the Empirical System, based on 3s, 12s and 20s. Within this system, there were five different types of unit: pounds (£), crowns, shillings (s), pennies (d), and farthings (1/4…

The War of the Roses was a series of battles between two competing houses for the crown of England. The House of Lancaster (represented by a red rose) and the House of York (represented by a white rose) fought until a third house, the House of Tudor, eventually took control.…

On July 20th 1969, at 8:18pm, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, supported by Michael Collins, became the first people to walk on the surface of a celestial body beyond Earth. The Rise of Space Flight It was only 1903 when the Wright Brothers…

World War I (also called The First World War, or The Great War) lasted from 1914-1919 and directly resulted in at least 9 million deaths. The main protagonists were European powers, but due to their influence fighting extended outside Europe’s borders. Build-Up: Imperialism For many years the major European powers…