Key Events of the Industrial Revolution By skeeden Mar 5, 1712 Thomas Newcomen built the first steam engine Mar 5, 1761 Britain’s first canal was opened Mar 5, 1771 The first cotton spinning factory was opened Mar 5, 1779 The first steam powered mill began operation Mar 5, 1782 Matthew Boulton and James Watt patented the first rotary steam engine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt_steam_engine Mar 5, 1801 Richard Trevithick demonstrated the first steam locomotive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Trevithick Mar 5, 1811 The ‘Luddites’ began to destroy machines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite Mar 5, 1825 Britain’s first passenger steam railway was opened http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_Great_Britain_to_1830 Mar 5, 1831 The first great cholera epidemic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1854_Broad_Street_cholera_outbreak Mar 5, 1833 Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire
