| |
Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1666 | - 2 Sep 1666—2 Sep 1666: Great Fire of London, after a drought beginning 27 June (2-6 Sep)
|
| 2 | 1668 | - 1668—1668: Newton constructs reflecting telescope
|
| 3 | 1679 | - 27 May 1679—27 May 1679: Habeas Corpus Act becomes law in England - (later repealed from time to
time)
|
| 4 | 1681 | - 1681—1681: Oil lighting first used in London streets
|
| 5 | 1682 | - 1682—1682: Halley observes the comet which bears his name
|
| 6 | 1687 | - 5 Jul 1687—5 Jul 1687: Newton published his Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica' - written
in Latin
|
| 7 | 1688 | - Feb 1688—Feb 1688: Edward Lloyd's Coffee House opens - later became Lloyd's of London
|
| 8 | 1692 | - 13 Feb 1692—13 Feb 1692: The massacre of Glencoe - Clan Campbell sides with King William and
murders members of Clan McDonald
|
| 9 | 1697 | - 2 Dec 1697—2 Dec 1697: Official opening of St Paul's Cathedral
|
| 10 | 1698 | - 1698—1698: Invention of steam engine by Capt Thomas Savery
|
| 11 | 1702 | - 11 Mar 1702—11 Mar 1702: First English daily newspaper The Daily Courant (till 1735)
|
| 12 | 1703 | - 4 Aug 1703—4 Aug 1703: British take Gibraltar
|
| 13 | 1705 | - 1705—1705: First workable steam pumping engine devised by Thomas Newcomen (some say c1710
or 1711)
|
| 14 | 1707 | - 16 Jan 1707—16 Jan 1707: Union with Scotland - Scots agree to send 16 peers and 45 MPs to English
Parliament in return for full trading privileges - Scottish Parliament meets for the last time in
March
|
| 15 | 1712 | - 1712—1712: Last trial for witchcraft in England (Jane Wenham)
|
| 16 | 1714 | - 1714—1714: Longitude Act: prize of ?20,000 offered to the inventor of a workable method of
determining a ship's longitude (won by John Harrison in 1773 for his chronometer).
|
| 17 | 1726 | - 1726—1726: Invention of the chronometer by John Harrison
|
| 18 | 1731 | - 1731—1731: Invention of sextant by John Hadley
|
| 19 | 1733 | - 1733—1733: Law forbidding the use of Latin in parish registers generally obeyed - some continued in
Latin for a few years
|
| 20 | 1739 | - 7 Apr 1739—7 Apr 1739: Dick Turpin, highwayman, hanged at York
|
| 21 | 1744 | - 1744—1744: Tune 'God Save the King' makes its appearance
|
| 22 | 1746 | - 16 Apr 1746—16 Apr 1746: Battle of Culloden - last battle fought in Britain - 5,000 Highlanders routed by
the Duke of Cumberland and 9,000 loyalists Scots - Young Pretender Charles flees to
Continent, ending Jacobite hopes forever - the wearing of the kilt prohibited
|
| 23 | 1752 | - 3 Sep 1752—3 Sep 1752: Julian Calendar dropped and Gregorian Calendar adopted in England and
Scotland, making this Sep 14
|
| 24 | 1754 | - 1754—1754: Hardwicke Act (1753): Banns to be called, and Printed Marriage Register forms to be
used - Quakers & Jews exempt
|
| 25 | 1755 | - 1755—1755: Publication of Dictionary of the English Language' by Dr Samuel Johnson
|
| 26 | 1762 | - 1762—1762: Cigars introduced into Britain from Cuba
|
| 27 | 1764 | - 1764—1764: James Hargeaves invents the Spinning Jenny (but destroyed 1768)
|
| 28 | 1767 | - 1767—1767: Newcomen's steam pumping engine perfected by James Watt
|
| 29 | 1768 | - 6 Dec 1768—6 Dec 1768: The first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica' published in Edinburgh by
William Smellie
|
| 30 | 1769 | - 1769—1769: Arkwright invents water frame (textile production)
|
| 31 | 1770 | - 28 Apr 1770—28 Apr 1770: Capt James Cook lands in Australia (Botany Bay) ? Aug 21: formally claims
Australia for Britain
|
| 32 | 1776 | - 4 Jul 1776—4 Jul 1776: American Declaration of Independence
|
Abt 1863 - 
