October  

1        1843. The News of the World was first published.

2        1909. Twickenham first used for rugby union in a game between Harlequins and Richmond.

3        1888. Gilbert and Sullivan's Yeomen of the Guard first performed at the Savoy Theatre, London.

4        1958. BOAC began operating the first transatlantic passenger jet service.

5        1936. The start of the Jarrow March on London by unemployed shipyard workers.

6        1769. English explorer Captain Cook landed in New Zealand on board the Endeavour.

7        1806. Carbon paper patented by English inventor Ralph Wedgwood.

8        1967. The Breathalyser first used in Britain.

9        1779. The Luddite riots began in Manchester protesting against the introduction of machinery for spinning cotton.

10    1903. Emmeline Pankhurst formed the Women's Social and Political Union to fight for women's emancipation in Britain.

11    1899. The Boer War began in South Africa.

12    1948. The first Morris Minor, designed by Alec Issigonis, was produced at Cowley, Oxfordshire.

13    1884. Greenwich, London adopted as universal time meridian of longitude from which world times are calculated.

14    1066. The battle of Hastings was fought marking the end of Anglo-Saxon rule and the beginning of Norman rule.

15    1961. Amnesty International founded in London.

16    1902. The first detention centre for young offenders was opened in Borstal, Kent.

17    1651. Charles 2^nd fled to France following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester by Oliver Cromwell.

18    1922. The BBC was founded.

19    1781. Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia ending the American War of Independence.

20    1818. The 49^th parallel established as the boundary between USA and Canada.

21    1805. The battle of Trafalgar. The British fleet commanded by Nelson destroyed the combined fleets of France and Spain.

22    1878. The first floodlit rugby game took place at Broughton, Lancashire when the local team played rivals Swinton.

23    1942. The battle of El Alamein, Egypt began.

24    1857. The first ever football club - Sheffield - was set up by a group of Cambridge University Old Boys.

25    1415. The battle of Agincourt. The English under Henry 5^th defeated the army of France.

26    1965. The Queen presented MBEs to the Beatles at Buckingham Palace.

27    1662. Charles 2^nd sold Dunkirk to Louis 14^th of France.

28    1971. The House of Commons backed Edward Heath's decision to apply for membership of the European Economic Community.

29    1618. Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded for treason.

30    1650. The Quakers (the Society of Friends) came into being.

31    1940. The Battle of Britain ended.

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