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This Day in History - 26th January

 

1788www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sailed into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. 26th January is now commemorated as Australia Day.

1823www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe death of Edward Jenner, the pioneer of smallpox vaccine. Sometimes referred to as the 'Father of Immunology'; it's been said that his work 'saved more lives than the work of any other man'.

 

1841www.beautifulbritain.co.ukHong Kong was proclaimed British sovereign territory.

 

1871www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe Rugby Football Union was formed, in London, by an initial 20 clubs.

 

1885www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe British commander of Khartoum, General Charles Gordon, was killed during the attack on Khartoum by troops of the Mahdi following a 10 month siege.

 

1907www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III was officially introduced into British Military Service. Its name comes from the designer of the rifle's bolt system, James Paris Lee, and the factory in which it was designed, the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield.

 

1908www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe 1st Glasgow Boy Scout group, the first Scout group ever, was registered. Today, there are nearly 32 million members in 218 countries and territories and the movement is still growing. In the UK, the total membership is over 500,000.

 

1910www.beautifulbritain.co.ukPolice rescued the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, from a crowd of angry Suffragettes.

 

1922www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe birth of Michael Bentine, British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goon Show radio show with Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe.

 

1926www.beautifulbritain.co.ukJohn Logie Baird gave a special public demonstration of television to members of the Royal Institution in London. Baird's invention used mechanical rotating disks to scan moving images into electronic impulses.

 

1942www.beautifulbritain.co.ukWorld War II: The first United States forces arrived in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.

 

1950www.beautifulbritain.co.ukIndia became a Republic within the British Commonwealth.

 

1952www.beautifulbritain.co.ukAt least 20 people were killed and hundreds injured in anti-British riots in Cairo.

 

1968www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe National Provincial Bank and the Westminster Bank merged to form the National Westminster (NatWest).

 

1982www.beautifulbritain.co.ukConservative Prime Minister Mrs. Thatcher was elected in 1979 on the slogan 'Labour isn't working', yet the number of people out of work in Britain rose above three million for the first time since the 1930s.

 

1986www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe Sunday Times and News of the World were printed at Wapping for the first time as the nation's presses moved away from Fleet Street.

 

1994www.beautifulbritain.co.ukA protester fired two blank shots from a starting pistol at Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, as he prepared to speak at an Australia Day rally in Sydney.

 

2014www.beautifulbritain.co.ukThe Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, was named Honorary Australian of the Year for displaying 'archetypal Aussie characteristics in abundance'.

 

2014www.beautifulbritain.co.ukPolice stopped a learner driver for speeding on the M62 in West Yorkshire. She was accompanied only by her pet parrot. 'Since parrots are not allowed to supervise learner drivers, her vehicle has been seized,' police tweeted.

 

2015 Australian PM Tony Abbott used the country's national day (Australia Day) to announce a knighthood for Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, for his "long life of service and dedication".

 

2015 The Rt. Rev. Libby Lane became the first female Church of England bishop, when she was consecrated Bishop of Stockport in a ceremony at York Minster.


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