August  

1        1798. Nelson destroyed the French fleet at the battle of the Nile.  

2        1875. Britain's first public roller skating rink was opened in Belgravia, London.  

3        1858. English explorer John Speke discovered Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile.  

4        Britain declared war on Germany following the German invasion of Belgium - the beginning of World War 1.              

5        1858. The first transatlantic cable was opened when Queen Victoria exchanged telegrams with US President Buchanan.  

6        1962. Jamaica was granted independence after 300 years as a British colony.  

7   1711. The first ever race meeting at Ascot was held.  

8   1963. The Great Train Robbery took place at Bletchley, Buckinghamshire.  

9   1979. Britain's first ever nudist beach was opened at Brighton.  

10   1889. The screw bottle top was patented by Dan Reynolds of Hope Glass Works, Yorkshire.  

11   1576. English navigator Martin Frobisher on his search for the North West passage entered the bay in Canada now named after him.  

12   1812. The Duke of Wellington's army entered Madrid in the Peninsular War.  

13   1705. The Duke of Marlborough commanding a joint Anglo-Austrian force  defeated the French at the battle of Blenheim in Germany.  

14      1969. British troops were sent to Northern Ireland to restore order.  

15      1947. India granted independence by Britain.  

16      1819. The Peterloo massacre in Manchester took place when troops opened fire on a crowd meeting to discuss social reform.  

17      1836. Registration of births, deaths and marriages introduced in Britain.  

18      1941. The National Fire Service was established in Britain.  

19      1942. British and Canadian forces attacked Dieppe suffering heavy casualties.  

20      1956. Britain's first nuclear power station opened at Calder Bank.  

21      1485. The battle of Bosworth took place in the war of the Roses. Victory for the Lancastrians resulted in the death of King Richard 3^rd.  

22      1642. King Charles 1st raised his standard at Nottingham beginning the English Civil War.  

23      1914. The British Expeditionary Force saw its first action of the 1^st World War at the battle of Mons.  

24      1814. British forces captured Washington DC and set fire to the US Presidential Palace. It was later repainted and named the White House.  

25      1944. The Allies liberated Paris.  

26      1346. King Edward 3^rd aided by his son, the Black Prince, defeated the French at the battle of Crecy.  

27      1784. The first British balloon ascent took place in Edinburgh by James Tytler.  

28      1933. A BBC broadcast was used for the first time in tracking down a wanted man.  

29      1831. Michael Faraday successfully demonstrated the first electrical transformer at the Royal Institute in London.  

30      1939. The evacuation of children from British cities began in anticipation of German bombing - 4 days before war was declared.  

31      1900. Coca Cola first went on sale in Britain.

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