Key Events of the Industrial Revolution By emily.jackson.01@tased.edu.au Feb 26, 1712 Thomas Newcomen built the first steam engine Feb 26, 1761 Britain’s first canal was opened Feb 26, 1771 The first cotton spinning factory was opened Feb 26, 1779 The first steam powered mill began operation Feb 26, 1782 Matthew Boulton and James Watt patented the first rotary steam engine Feb 26, 1801 Richard Trevithick demonstrated the first steam locomotive Feb 26, 1811 The ‘Luddites’ began to destroy machines Feb 26, 1825 Britain’s first passenger steam railway was opened Feb 27, 1831 The first great cholera epidemic Feb 27, 1833 Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire Feb 27, 1834 Henry Fox Talbot produced the first photograph Feb 27, 1876 Telephone invented Feb 27, 1879 Thomas Edison invents the lightbulb Feb 27, 1880 Compulsory education for all children is introduced Feb 27, 1883 First skyscraper was built in Chicago Feb 27, 1885 Karl Benz invented the first automobile Feb 27, 1888 Heinrich Hertz produced radio waves Feb 27, 1889 Wireless radio invented Feb 27, 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered flight Feb 27, 1914 Outbreak of World War I