Historic Anniversaries & other events

Other historic events, with notable anniversaries in recent years are listed here. You may also be interested in annual events: church festivals, or notable annual secular days. Back to list of Things To Ring For

DateDayEvent YearAnniversaryEventComment
5 Feb 2024Mon1924100The 'pips' first broadcast by the BBCHourly Time Signals from the Royal Greenwich Observatory
4 Mar 2024Mon1824200Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) foundedInitially called the "National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck"
6 Mar 2024Wed1899125Aspirin first marketedBy Bayer
21 Mar 2024Thu1874150Guild of Devonshire Ringers foundedFirst territorial ringing society
21 Mar 2024Thu199925First circumnavigation of the world in a hot air balloonBy Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones
4 Apr 2024Thu193490First use of 'Cats eyes' on UK roadsLaid by Percy Shaw on a road near Bradford the day after he patented them
23 Apr 2024Tue1924100First Broadcast by British MonarchGeorge V, at the opening of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley
9 May 2024Thu1924100Brian Price bornNotable ringing composer who introduced the use of singles into Surprise
19 May 2024Sun1824200National Gallery in London opened to the public
20 May 2024Mon197650George Ernest Fearn diedProminent Birmingham ringer
26 May 2024Sun199925Welsh Assembly opened in Cardiff.First for over 600 years
5 Jun 2024Wed1774250First peal of Kent Treble Bob MajorSt Nicholas, Leeds, Kent
6 Jun 2024Thu194480Normandy Landings (D-Day)Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion. Ring out for Peace at 6pm
15 Jun 2024Sat1874150Inaugural ringing by the Guild of Debvonshire RingersAt St Andrew's Plymouth
16 Jun 2024Sun1824200Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) founded
1 Jul 2024Mon199925Scottish Executive received devolved powers from LondonScottish Parliament officially opened by Elizabeth II
31 Jul 2024Wed1924100Wilfrid Moreton bornProminent Yorkshire ringer who founded the Hereford Ringing Course
3 Dec 2024Tue199925First woman rowed across the Atlantic aloneTori Murden, after 81 days
DateDayEvent YearAnniversaryEventComment
14 Jan 2025Tues1725300James Barham bornLeading 18th century ringer who conducted the 40,320 in 1761
19 Jan 2025Sun1725300First peal of Grandsire CinquesSt Bride's, Fleet Street, London
24 Jan 2025Fri196560Winston Churchill died
27 Mar 2025Thu1625400King James o of England and VI of Scotland died
27 Mar 2025Thu1625400King Charles I acceded to the English throne
4 Apr 2025Fri1875150William Chattell diedProminent Birmingham ringer and teacher
23 Apr 2025Wed1775250Joseph M W Turner bornFamous English landscape artist
26 Apr 2025Wed1775250First peal of Grandsire MajorSt Mary Matfelon, Whitechapel
26 Apr 2025Sat1725300First peal of Plain Bob MajorSt Bride's, Fleet Street, London
8 May 2025Thu194580VE DayRinging for peace at 6.30pm
3 Jul 2025Thu1875150Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers founded
10 Aug 2025Sun1675350Royal Greenwich Observatory foundedKing Charles II laid the first stone
15 Aug 2025Fri194580VJ DayRinging for peace
24 Aug 2025Sun1875150Captain Matthew Webb swam the English ChannelFirst person to do so, in 21 hours 45 mins
27 Sep 2025Sat1825200Stockton to Darlington Railway openedFirst service of locomotive-hauled passenger trains
22 Nov 2025Sat1725300First peal of Plain Bob RoyalSt Bride's, Fleet Street, London
29 Nov 2025Sat1875150Society of Framland Ringers foundedAt Waltham on the Wolds
16 Dec 2025Sun1775250Jane Austen bornProminent English author
DateDayEvent YearAnniversaryEventComment
8 Jan 2026Thu1876150Jabez Armiger Trollope bornNotable ringer & author
21 Jan 2026Wed197650First commercial supersonic flightConcorde from London Heathrow to Bahrain
26 Jan 2026Mon1926100First demonstration of televisionAt the Royal Institute in London
30 Jan 2026Fri1826200Menai Straits Bridge openedThe world's first modern suspension bridge, designed by Thomas Telford
26 Feb 2026Thu1726300First peal of Plain Bob MaximusSt Bride, St Bride's, Fleet Street, London
7 Mar 2026Sat1926100First 2-way transatlantic phone callBetween the Post Office in London and Bell Labs in New York
10 Mar 2026Tue1876150First telephone callBy Alexander Graham Bell
17 Mar 2026Tue1776250John Harrison bornClock maker who also wrote on bell manufacture
26 Mar 2026Thu197650Queen Elizabeth II sent the first Royal emailFrom Malvern, Worcs.
8 May 2026Fri1926100David Atenborough bornBroadcaster & environmental advocate
10 Jun 2026Wed1876150Lancashire Association of Change Ringers first meetingAt Chorley National School-room
11 Jun 2026Thu1776250John Constable bornEnglish painter
20 Jun 2026Sat1726300First municipal fire brigadeBeverley, East Yorkshire
14 Oct 2026Wed1926100Winnie the Pooh published as a bookBy A A Milne
4 Nov 2026Wed1876150William Henry Barber bornProminent Birmingham ringer who conducted the first handbell peal in Scotland.
DateDayEvent YearAnniversaryEventComment
7 Mar 2027Sun1777270First peal of Grandsire DoublesSt Lawrence, Alton, Hants
4 Apr 2027Sun1877150Norwich Diocesan Association founded
30 Apr 2027Fri1927100First peal of Superlative Surprise MaximusSt Mary le Tower, Ipswich
10 Oct 2027Sun1877150William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield bornEnglish motor magnate & philanthropist
24 Nov 2027Wed1877150Durham Association of Ringers inaugural meetingHeld at North Shields. (Precursor to Durham & Newcastle Association)
13 Dec 2027Mon1577450Francis Drake sets out on round the world voyageFrom Plymouth
DateDayEvent YearAnniversaryEventComment
5 Jan 2028Wed1778250First peal of Kent Treble Bob RoyalSt Nicholas, Leeds, Kent
13 Jan 2028Thu1878150John Sparkes Goldsmith bornProprietor and first editor of The Ringing World
12 Oct 2028Thu1878150Bertam Prewitt bornProminent peal ringer & conductor killed in WW1

Other historic events, with notable anniversaries in recent years are listed here. You may also be interested in annual events: church festivals, or notable annual secular days. Back to list of Things To Ring For

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