Britain 1918-97

By history_student 1998

  • David lloyd George new primeminister

    He was a liberal and was Prime Minster from December 7th 1916 till October 19th 1922.
  • Period: to

    Britain 1918-1997

  • Limited number of Women given the vote for the first time

  • Massive flu epidemic reaches Britain

    The 1918-1919 'Spanish flu' epidemic killed more than 200,000 people in Britain and up to 50 million worldwide.

  • World War 1 ends

    War ends. Uk war dead runs to several hundred thousand.

  • British soilders kill hundreds of unarmed Indian civilians at Amritsar, India

  • Exclusion of women from many jobs is made illegal

  • Women at Oxford University are allowed to recieve degrees

  • Foundation of Irish Free State

    Uk agrees to foundation of Irish Free State, Nothern Ireland remains part of of the UK.

  • Irish Civil war breaks out

  • Andrew Bonar Law

    Prime minister from October 23rd 1922 till May 20th 1923. He was a conservative prime minister.

  • Stanley Baldwin

    A conservative government lasted from May 23rd 1923 to January 16th 1924 after a general election was called to gain a mandate but he failed to gain a majority.

  • Ramsay MacDonald

    A labour prime minister from a hung parilament, it was a minority governement which relied on liberal support. He settled reparations with Germany following World War I. Prime minster from January 22nd 1924 till November 4th 1924.

  • Ramsay Mcdonald

    Primeminster from 5th june 1924 till 24th August 1931.Labour government. It was a hung parliament. In 1931, the Labour Government split on measures to resolve a budget crisis; MacDonald resigned, but was reappointed at the head of a National Government with the support of the Conservative and Liberal parties.

  • First labour government

    First UK government lead by the labour party under Ramsay Mcdonald.

  • Stanley Baldwin II

    During his time as priminister he was present in the Treaty of Locarno; signatory of the Kellogg-Briand Pact. He enacted the Pensions Act 1925. He also founded National Grid. He was Prime Minister from November 4th 1924 to June 5th 1929

  • Coal disputes

    Genral strike arising from coal disputes. lasted 9 days from 4th May 1926 till 13th May

  • All women over the age of 21 get the vote

  • BBC created

  • Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

  • Market crash

    The world stock market crashed as a result unemployment rises in the uk

  • Economic Crisis

    Millions are unemployed. A national government coalition is formed.

  • Ramsay Mcdonald

    Primeminister from August 24th 1931 till 7th June 1935. It was a National Labour Government.

  • Stanley Baldwin

    Prime minister under a conservative government from 7th June 1935 till 28th May 1937

  • Abdication

    King Edward VIII abdicates over relationship with an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson

  • Neville Chamberlain

    Prime Minister from 28th May 1937 til 3rd September 1939, It was a conservative government.

  • Neville Chamberlain meets leader of Germany

    PM Neville Chamberlain meets with the leader of nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, in Munich. Chamberlain claims her has averted war with Germany.

  • Germany invades Poland

  • Neville Chamberlain

    Re-elected from 3rd September 1939 to 10th May 1940.

  • Uk declares war on Germany

    This happened just 2 days after Germany invaded Poland.

  • Winston Churchill

    Elected 10th May 1940 till 23rd May 1945

  • Battle of Britain

    British fighter pilots repel German air attacks in the Battle Of Britain (10th July-31st August). London and other cities badly damaged in German air raids.

  • Allied troops invade france

    Allied troops invade France from Britain on D-Day and begin to fight their way towards Germany

  • Winston Churchill

    Re-elected from May 23rd 1945 till June 26th 1945 under a conservative government.

  • Clement Attlee

    Prime Minster from 26th July 1945 till 26th October 1951. Labour government.

  • UN security council

    UK becomes a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The first session was held on the 17th of January 1946

  • British coal industry

    British coal industry is nationalised

  • India independence

    Former colony India wins independence.

  • Commonwealth

    Post war immigration from the commonwealth begins

  • NHS

    NHS Established.

  • Nato

    UK becomes a founder member of Nato.

  • Korean war

    British troops arrive to support US forces in the Korean war

  • Winston Churchill

    Conservative government. Prime Minister from 26th October 1951 till 6th April 1955

  • Coronation

    Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

  • Anthony Eden

    Conservative government. 6th april 1955 till 10th january 1957.

  • Clean Air Act

    Worsening pollution prompts the passing of the Clean Air Act

  • Nuclear power station

    Britain switches on its first nuclear power station

  • Suez Canal Zone

    Britain intervenes in Suez Canal Zone, but withdraws under pressure from the US.

  • Harold Macmillan

    Prime minister from January 10th 1957 till 19th August 1963. Conservative government.

  • Ghana independence

    Ghana becomes the first British colony in Africa to gain independence

  • Hydrogen bomb

    Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb

  • Beatles

    Beatles first Top 40 UK hit with "love me do".

  • Alec Douglas-Home

    Prime Minister from 19th October 1963 till 16th October 1964. Conservative government.

  • New universities

    New universities open and students get state support.

  • Abolition

    Abolition of Resale Price ,aintenance prompts the rise of supermarkets

  • Harold Wilson

    Prime Minister from 16th August 1964 till 19th June 1970. Labour government

  • Education system change

    Comprehensive education system is initiated.

  • Death penalty

    Death penalty is abolished.

  • Football world cup

    England wins football world cup.

  • Abortion and Homosexuality are legalised

  • Concorde

    Concorde, the worlds first supersonic airliner, makes its maden flight

  • Nothern Ireland

    British troops sent to quell unrest in Nothern Ireland

  • Edward Heath

    Prime minister from 19th June 1970 till 4th March 1974. Conservative government.

  • First British soilder killed in Northern Ireland 'troubles'

  • Decimalised currency

    Decimalised currency replaces 'pounds,shillings and pence'

  • Auction north sea oil

    North Sea Oil concessions are auctioned.

  • Bloody Sunday

    British army kills 14 in Londonderry, Nothern Ireland, on Bloody Sunday.

  • Idi Amin

    Idi Amin expels Uganda's asians and many settle in Britain.

  • EEC and industry

    UK joins European Economic Community. Industrial 3 day week because of strike by power workers and miners.

  • Harold Wilson

    prime minister from 4th march 1974 till 5th april 1976. labour government

  • EEC endorsed

    EEC membership is endorsed in referedum. North sea oil begins to pump ashore.

  • James Callaghan

    Prime Minster from 5th April 1976 till 4th May 1979. Labour government.

  • International Monetary Fund

    Britain is forced to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund

  • Test tube baby

    Worlds first test tube baby is born in Oldham

  • Winter of discontent

    Strikes paralyse Britain during the 'Winter of Discontent'

  • Margaret Thatcher

    Prime Minister from 4th May 1979 till 28th November 1990. Conservative government.

  • Free-market policies

    PM Margaret Thatcher begins to introduce free market policies

  • Ira kills the Queen's cousin Lord Mountbatten

  • Racial tensions

    Racial tensions spark riots in Brixton and other areas,

  • Privatisation

    Thatcher government begins programme of privatisation of state-run industries.

  • Falkland invasion

    Argentina invades the Falklan Islands in the South Atlantic. the UK dispatches a taskforce, which retakes the islands.

  • Unemployment

    High unemployment rates and unrest in UK inner cities and continuing violence in Nothern Ireland.

  • Miners strike

    12 month 'Miners' strike' over pit closures begin

  • Ira attack

    Ira attempts to assassinate Margaret Thatcher in her hotel in Brighton. Several killed and injured by a bomb blast PM escapes unhurt.

  • Flight PAN AM 103

    Flight PAN AN 103 explodes mid-air over scotlandand pluges into the town of loderbie.All 259 people on board and 11 on the ground were killed.

  • World Wide Web

    Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web.

  • Margaret Thatcher resigns

    Margaret Thatcher resigns after failing to defeat the challenge to her leadrship of the Conservative party as a result John Major became the new Prime Minister.

  • John Major

    Prime Minister from November 28th 1990 till 2nd May 1997. Conservative government.

  • Kuwait

    UK takes part in US led military campaign to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation (the camapign lasted from the 24th to the 28th)

  • Channel tunnel opens

    channel tunnel opens linking London and Paris by rail

  • Black wednesday

    forces withdrawal of sterling from the ERM

  • Nothern Ireland Peace Proposal

    Downing street declares a Nothern Ireland peace proposal issued jointly with the Irish Government.

  • Women priests

    First women priests are ordained by the Church of England.

  • Death of John Smith

    John smith dies, Tony Blair is elected as new Labour leader.

  • BSE can be transmitted to humans

    Goverment announced BSE or Mad Cow Diease can be transmitted to humans,Mass slaughter of animals leading to a collapse in the market and an export ban. Many beef farmers faced financial ruin.

  • Election

    Labour under Tony Blair wins in landslide election

  • Britain hands Hong Kong back to China

  • Diana Princess of Wales killed

    Diana, Princess of Wales is killed in a car crash in paris

  • Referendum in Scotland and Wales

    Referendums in Scotland and Wales back the referendum for the creation of seperate assemblies in Edinburgh and Cardiff