September  

1        1886. The Severn Tunnel was opened for commercial traffic.  

2        1666. The Great Fire of London began destroying 13,000 buildings in 4 days.

3        1939. Britain declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland.

4        1909. The first Boy Scout Rally was held in London.

5        1800. Malta was surrendered by the French following Nelson's blockade.

6        1880. The first cricket test match in England played against Australia at the Oval.

7        1838. Grace Darling became a national heroine following the rescue by her and her father of the crew of the Forfarshire steamer wrecked off the coast of Northumberland.

8        1888. The English Football League began its first matches.

9        1513. The English defeated the Scots at the battle of Flodden Field.

10    1894. George Smith, a London cab driver, became the first person to be convicted of drink driving in England. He was fined £1.

11    1709. The British and Austrians under Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene defeated the French at the battle of Malplaquet.

12    1609. Henry Hudson sailed up the river (subsequently named after him) from New York harbour to Albany.

13    1759. The British under James Wolfe defeated the French at the battle of Quebec completing the British conquest of North America. Both Wolfe and the French commander, Montcalm, were killed.

14    1891. The first ever penalty kick was taken in the English Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Accrington Stanley.

15    1940. Battle of Britain day.

16    1963. Malaysia became independent and a mob of over 100,000 people burned down the British Embassy. 

17    1900. The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed.

18    1879. Blackpool Illuminations switched on for the first time.

19    1356. The English army led by Edward the Black Prince defeated the French at the battle of Poitiers.

20    1854. The British and French army defeated the Russians at the battle of Alma in the Crimean War.

21    1949. The England football team lost 2-0 to the Republic of Ireland at Goodison Park in their first home defeat by a foreign nation.

22    1735. Sir Robert Walpole became the first prime minister to reside at 10 Downing St.

23    1803. Sir Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) led British forces to victory over Scindia and the Rajah of Berar at Assaye, India.

24    1776. The first ever running of the St. Leger horse race at Doncaster.

25    1818. The first ever blood transfusion using human blood took place at Guy's hospital, London.

26    1955. Frozen fish fingers (made by Birds Eye) first went on sale in Britain.

27    1938. The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth, weighing 80,000, tons was launched by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

28    1894. Simon Marks and Tom Spencer opened their penny bazaar in Manchester - the first of the nationwide Marks and Spencer's stores.

29    1829. The first regular police force inaugurated in London.

30    1928. Alexander Fleming announced his discovery of penicillin.

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