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St. Patrick Arrives in Ireland
St. Patrick came to Ireland and brought Christianity. His followers spread rapidly across the known world with the message that he had taught. -
May 1, 1169
Normans invade Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford at the request of Diarmait Mac Murchada, the ousted King of Leinster, who sought their help in regaining his kingdom. -
Union of the Crowns
Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two entirely independent kingdoms. This changed dramatically in 1603 on the death of Elizabeth I of England. Because the Queen had died unmarried and childless, the English crown passed to the next available heir, her cousin James VI, King of Scotland. England and Scotland now shared the same monarch under what was known as a union of the crowns. -
The Battle of the Boyne
The battle, won by William, was a turning point in James's unsuccessful attempt to regain the crown and ultimately helped ensure the continuation of Protestant ascendancy in Ireland. -
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union was passed by the English and Scottish Parliaments in 1707 which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain on 1 May of that year. -
Acts of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 were two corresponding acts: The Union with Ireland Act 1800, and the Act of Union (Ireland) 1800. The twin Acts united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It gave the British Empire expansion and more protection. -
The Great Famine of 1845
The Great Famine of 1845 started when the potato crops failed due to an air carried fungus called 'Phytophthora Infestans.' There was a 50% loss of potatoes in this year. The crop of 1846 was a total failure and there was a very poor harvest in 1847. This led to starvation and death. -
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848 were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in European history, but within a year, reactionary forces had regained control, and the revolutions collapsed. Five factors were involved: dissatisfaction with political leadership, demands for more participation in government, the demands of the working classes, the upsurge of nationalism, and the regrouping of the reactionary forces. -
Irish Home Rule Movement
William Ewart Gladstone became British prime minister in 1868. "My mission is to pacify Ireland", he immediately affirmed. -
The Easter Uprising
The Easter Rising was an armed uprising staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the purposes of ending British rule in Ireland, separating from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and establishing an independent Irish Republic at a time when the United Kingdom was heavily engaged in World War I. It was the most significant uprising in Ireland since the rebellion of 1798. -
Representation of the People Act
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to improve the electoral system in the United Kingdom. This act was the first to include practically all men in the political system and began the inclusion of women. It is also known as the Fourth Reform Act. -
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was an agreement between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Irish representatives that ended the Irish War of Independence. It provided for the creation of the Irish Free State within a year as a self-governing dominion within the British Commonwealth of Nations. It also provided Northern Ireland an option to opt out of the Irish Free State, which it used. -
The Great Depression or "The Great Slump"
The Great Depression in the United Kingdom, also known as the Great Slump, was a period of national economic downturn in the 1930s, which had its origins in the global Great Depression. It was Britain's largest economic depression of the 20th century, the hardest hit by economic problems were the industrial and mining areas in north England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Unemployment reached 70% in some areas. -
The Battle of Britian
The Battle of Britain was the intense air battle between the Germans and the British over Great Britain's airspace from July 1940 to May 1941. Even though the Germans kept bombing them, Great Britain clearly had won. The Battle of Britain was a significant victory for the British because it was the first time the Germans had faced defeat in World War II. -
The Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Social Insurance and Allied Services
The Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Social Insurance and Allied Services was an important document in the founding of the welfare state in the UK. It was chaired by William Beveridge, an economist, who identified five "Giant Evils" in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness, and disease, and went on to propose widespread reform to the system of social welfare to address these. The Report proposed a comprehensive national system of social security, maternity, and child benefits -
National Health Service
The NHS is a publicly-funded healthcare system that came from the ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. The services provide a complete range of health services, which are free for people legally resident in the United Kingdom. Since its launch in 1948, the NHS has grown to become the world’s largest publicly funded health service. It is also one of the most efficient, most open and most comprehensive. -
United Kingdom referendum of 1975
The United Kingdom referendum of 1975 was a post-legislative referendum held on 5 June 1975 in the United Kingdom to measure support for the country's continued membership of the European Economic Community (EEC).
