31 August
Mary Ward: the first fatality in a car accident in the UK & Ireland, 31.8.1869 – find out more on the BNA blog http://bit.ly/1duuKBB

“He who would valiant be ‘gainst all disaster” – John Bunyan died in London on 31 August 1688, aged 59 http://bit.ly/160Pzyp

30 August
Evacuation of children & other ‘priority classes’ from UK cities, 30/31 August 1939 – visit the BNA blog to read more http://bit.ly/16QhwtN

29 August
The sinking of HMS Royal George at Spithead on 29 August 1782 – visit the BNA blog to read newspaper reports on this tragedy

28 August
Leo Tolstoy (Lev Nikolayevich) was born in Yasnaya Polyana on 28 August 1828 http://bit.ly/18rQlVP

27 August
The eruption of Krakatoa on 27 August 1883 – visit the BNA blog to read contemporary a newspaper report on the disaster

On 27 August 1813, Napoleon defeated the coalition armies in the Battle of Dresden http://bit.ly/1eGHZey

26 August
Prince Albert, husband, consort and soulmate of Queen Victoria, was born in Schloss Rosenau on 19 August 1819 http://bit.ly/14t7SsB

25 August
Allan Pinkerton, creator of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, was born in Glasgow on 25 August 1819 http://bit.ly/167nhmg

24 August
Sir ‘Max’ Beerbohm, caricaturist, writer and wit, was born in London on 24 August 1872 http://bit.ly/18rMYhA

23 August
Rudolph Valentino died on 23 August 1926, aged only 31 – visit the BNA blog to read about ‘The Great Lover’ http://bit.ly/19zOZtt

22 August
‘What fresh Hell is this?’ Dorothy Parker, born 22.8.1893; flung out of Charlestown Jail, 11.8.1927 – read more on the BNA http://blog bit.ly/14g3IJg

Sir Oliver Lodge, a pioneer of wireless telegraphy, died on 22.8.1940 – visit the BNA blog to read more

Claude Debussy, composer of ‘Clair de Lune’, was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 22 August 1862 http://bit.ly/146Q7QE

21 August
Aubrey Beardsley, the illustrator and author, was born in Brighton on 21 August 1872 http://bit.ly/1cwZ4M8

20 August
William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, died on 20 August 1912 – visit the BNA blog to read an obituary of Booth

19 August
Orville Wright was born in Dayton, Ohio, on 19.8.1871 – read historical newspaper stories about Wright at @BNArchive http://bit.ly/1bLZomx

Groucho Marx died on 19 August 1977 – visit the BNA blog to see a ‘cha-cha-cha’ photo of Groucho and Margaret Dumont

6-0, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0…Groucho Marx decides to stop playing his son, Arthur, at tennis – find out more on the BNA blog

18 August
Honore de Balzac, novelist and playwright, died in Paris on 18 August 1850, aged 51 http://bit.ly/16TJGEH

17 August
Bridget Driscoll: the first pedestrian fatality in a car accident in the UK, 17.8.1896 – read more on the BNA blog http://bit.ly/16PKQzg

16 August
The death of ‘Babe’ Ruth, 16 August 1948 – visit the BNA blog to read reports about the ‘Home Run King’

15 August
On 15 August 1947, India declared its independence from the UK, with Jawaharial Nehru as the first prime minister http://bit.ly/13QSGMp

14 August
Lord Northcliffe, the newspaper magnate who founded The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail, died on 14.8.1922, aged 57 http://bit.ly/18mYrQ8

13 August
Annie Oakley, the American sharpshooter and muse for ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, was born in North Star, Ohio, on 13.8.1860 http://bit.ly/120jTei

12 August
‘The Glorious 12th’ – visit @BNArchive to read historical newspaper stories about the start of the grouse-shooting season http://bit.ly/13SnDjp

George Stephenson, inventor of the ‘Rocket’ steam locomotive, died in Chesterfield, on 12 August 1848, aged 67 http://bit.ly/13BbNms

11 August
Andrew Carnegie, the Scots-American industrialist who became become a steel baron & philanthropist, died on 11.8.1919 http://bit.ly/151PcDy

10 August
John George Haigh, ‘the Acid Bath Murderer’, was executed at Wandsworth Prison on 10 August 1949 http://bit.ly/13B5QWv

9 August
On 9 August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi was arrested in Mumbai for his role in leading the ‘Quit India’ campaign http://bit.ly/14WkDz9

8 August
The Graf Zeppelin airship began its round-the-world flight on 8 August 1929 http://bit.ly/15CqSqC

7 August
Samuel Cody, the first man to perform a powered flight in the UK, was killed in an air crash in Hampshire on 7.8.1913 http://bit.ly/190Qp2p

6 August
William Kemmler became the first person to be executed in an electric chair on 6 August 1890 http://bit.ly/190MMJD

5 August
Friedrich Engels, author of ‘The Condition of the Working Class in England’, died in London on 5 August 1895, aged 74 http://bit.ly/18lqPpe

4 August
Hans Christian Anderson, the cobbler’s son who blossomed into a writer of beautiful fairy tales, died on 4 August 1875 http://bit.ly/190LpKZ

3 August
Joseph Conrad, the Polish author who wrote ‘Heart of Darkness’, died in Bishopsbourne on 3 August 1924, aged 66 http://bit.ly/15Cdhjk

2 August
Enrico Caruso, the Neapolitan with the golden voice, died in Naples on 2 August 1921, aged 48 http://bit.ly/12SMGfT

1 August
The Warsaw Uprising started on 1 August 1944 http://bit.ly/13gmYVZ

31 July
Dr Crippen and Ethel Le Neve were arrested on-board the SS Montrose on 31 July 1910 http://bit.ly/14smvOh

30 July
Parkinson’s Law: work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Northcote Parkinson, born 30.7.1909 http://bit.ly/11MYfFc

Celebrate the birthday of Northcote Parkinson by reading newspaper reports about the effects of Parkinson’s Law http://bit.ly/17fciYk

29 July
William Wilberforce, the English politician who was a leading figure in the anti-slavery movement, died on 29.7.1833 http://bit.ly/18fJpOA

28 July
Beatrix Potter, writer, artist and conservationist, was born in Kensington, London, on 28 July 1866 http://bit.ly/12jEfwL

27 July
The Korean War ended on 27 July 1953, with the signing of an armistice by Nam II and William K. Harrison Jr http://bit.ly/1clNmyM

26 July
George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin on 26 July 1856 – read historical newspaper stories about ‘GBS’ http://bit.ly/14wRIjZ

25 July
Mata Hari (‘eye of the day’), the alleged WW1 spy, was found guilty and sentenced to death in Paris on 25 July 1917 http://bit.ly/10kBk6q

24 July
Simon Bolivar, soldier, statesman and liberator, was born in Caracas on 24 July 1783 http://bit.ly/11Hr8Ws

23 July
‘You can always take one with you’: on 23.7.1940, Churchill renamed ‘The Local Defence Volunteers’ as ‘The Home Guard’ http://bit.ly/16z0bo3

22 July
Florenz Ziegfeld, founder of ‘The Ziegfeld Follies’ and creator of ‘The American Girl’ idea, died on 23 July 1932 http://bit.ly/14wOHA8

21 July
Ernest Miller Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on 21.7.1899 – read historical newspaper stories about ‘Hem’ http://bit.ly/122YBar

20 July
Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian inventor famous for his work on long distance radio transmission, died on 20 July 1937 http://bit.ly/11MPGtN

19 July
Lizzie Borden, famously accused of being an axe murderer, was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, on 19 July 1860 http://bit.ly/149sKrW

18 July
Dr William Gilbert Grace was born on 18 July 1848 – read 19thC newspaper stories about the famed cricketer http://bit.ly/10kuzBw

17 July
On 17 July 1815, Napoleon surrendered to the British at Rochefort – read newspaper stories about this historic moment http://bit.ly/11MNCC8

16 July
Roald Amundsen was born on 16 July – read historical newspaper stories about the famous explorer http://bit.ly/11ZWz9W

15 July
General Tom Thumb, a star in PT Barnum’s ‘Greatest Show on Earth’, died on 15 July 1883, aged only 45 http://bit.ly/12Gb7Bz

14 July
A Paris mob stormed the Bastille on 14 July 1789 – read newspaper stories from 1789 about the Bastille http://bit.ly/14fU9Hq

Read newspaper stories from July 1789 reporting on Marquis de Launay’s defence of the Bastille against the Paris Mob http://bit.ly/19McRw4

13 July
On 13 July 1923, the UK parliament passed a law banning the sale of alcohol to under-18s http://bit.ly/128sW6a

12 July
On 12 July 1930, Don Bradman broke all cricket records with a score of 334 runs in a test against England at Leeds http://bit.ly/ZZzrfd

Alfred Dreyfus, the French soldier whose conviction for treason caused a nation scandal, died on 12 July 1935 http://bit.ly/13X5WtF

11 July
“George Gershwin died on July 11, 1937, but I don’t have to believe that if I don’t want to” http://bit.ly/11W3xRo

10 July
James McNeill Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on 10 July 1834 – read 19thC news stories about Whistler http://bit.ly/14FwSAQ

9 July
Allies forces began the invasion of Sicily on 9 July 1943 http://bit.ly/11K3qW5

8 July
‘Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world’ – P.B. Shelley drowned in the Bay of Spezia on 8 July 1822 http://bit.ly/11K2Ya7

7 July
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, passed over to the other side on 7 July 1930 http://bit.ly/11K09WC

6 July
Guy de Maupassant, the brilliant short story writer, died in an asylum in Paris on 6 July 1893 http://bit.ly/14Ftnu8

‘I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing’ – the epitaph that Guy De Maupassant wrote for himself

5 July
To celebrate the coronation of Edward VII, “The King’s Dinner to the Poor” was held in London on 5 July 1902 http://bit.ly/11j7yQc

4 July
Marie Curie, the Polish-born scientist who won two Nobel Prizes, died on 4 July 1934 http://bit.ly/14cSWjW

3 July
The Battle of Gettysburg ended on 3 July 1863, with the Union Army defeating the Confederates http://bit.ly/10pLgxH

2 July
Herman Hesse, author of ‘Steppenwolf’ and ‘Narcissus & Goldmund’, was born in Calw on 2 July 1877 http://bit.ly/15bYnyA

1 July
The Battle of the Somme started on 1.7.1916, with the British suffering 60,000 casualties on day one of the offensive http://bit.ly/19Me4Uf

30 June
On 30 June 1894, Tower Bridge in London was officially opened by the Prince of Wales http://bit.ly/14mWPTV

29 June
Lady Randolph Churchill, the American mother of Winston, died on 29 June 1921, aged 67 http://bit.ly/104ncOK

28 June
In Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown http://bit.ly/17tScMe

27 June
Charles Parnell, the politician who led the Irish Home Rule party in the House of Commons, was born on 27 June 1846 http://bit.ly/1819r5l

26 June
In Hyde Park on 26 June 1857, Queen Victoria awarded 62 soldiers with a new military honour – the Victoria Cross http://bit.ly/11E3aO2

25 June
‘In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act’; George Orwell was born on 25 June 1903 http://bit.ly/104l75A

24 June
On 24 June 1867, General Custer was defeated by Crazy Horse and his Sioux warriors at the Battle of Little Big Horn http://bit.ly/13kDzUR

23 June
The coronation of King George V took place in Westminster Abbey on 23 June 1911 http://bit.ly/141YC1c

Edward VIII, the UK monarch who abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, was born on 23 June 1894 http://bit.ly/TpRUwa

22 June
Erich Maria Remarque, author of ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, was born in Osnabruck on 22 June 1898

21 June
Pagan alert! Read historical newspaper stories about celebrations of the summer solstice http://bit.ly/15MaUis

20 June
Princess Victoria became Queen on 20 June 1837 – read a newspaper report about this event on the @BNArchive homepage http://bit.ly/NwJfmD

19 June
On 19 June 1953, Ether and Julius Rosenberg were executed at Sing Sing prison after being found guilty of treason http://bit.ly/100vGmL

18 June
On 18 June 1815, Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo – read a newspaper report of the battle via the @BNArchive homepage http://bit.ly/NwJfmD

17 June
Iceland became an independent republic on 17 June 1944, after ending its union with Denmark http://bit.ly/13wXgfA

16 June
Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston, Cumbria, on 16 June 1890

15 June
On 15 June 1919, Alcock and Brown landed at Clifden, Ireland, after flying non-stop across the Atlantic http://bit.ly/13cjjrP

14 June
Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was born in Litchfield, Connecticut on 14 June 1811 http://bit.ly/13lp19V

13 June
W.B. Yeats was born in Sandymount on 13 June 1865 – visit @BNArchive to read historical newspaper stories about Yeats http://bit.ly/10gahdM

12 June
The Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay ended with an armistice on 12 June 1935, after 100,000 lives had been lost http://bit.ly/1068Qgj

11 June
On 11 June 1940, Benito Mussolini declared war on the Allies http://bit.ly/15pK92Z

10 June
Judy Garland (aka Frances Ethel Gumm) was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota on 10 June 1922 http://bit.ly/18pfYb3

9 June
Charles Dickens died on 9 June 1870 – visit @BNArchive to read 19th Century newspaper stories about ‘Boz’ http://bit.ly/ZAy1EC

8 June
Thomas Paine, author of ‘Rights of Man’ and champion of free thought, died in New York on 8 June 1809 http://bit.ly/12JrsjS

7 June
On 7 June 1905, Norway ended its union with Sweden and started to negotiate its move towards independence http://bit.ly/12JpTCv

6 June
On 6 June, Allied forces landed on beaches at Normandy as ‘Operation Overlord’ begins http://bit.ly/11aN52k

5 June
Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, drowned near Orkney when HMS Hampshire struck a mine and sank on 5.6.1916 http://bit.ly/16M6yHp

4 June
Fred Spofforth, the Australian cricketer who was nicknamed ‘the demon bowler’, died in Long Ditton on 4 June 1926 http://bit.ly/10BCmWZ

3 June
Franz Kafka died in a sanatorium in Kierling, near Vienna, on 3 June 1924, after losing his 7-year battle with TB http://bit.ly/10dD396

2 June
Giuseppe Garibaldi, a leading figure in the Italian ‘Risorgimento’, died in Caprera on 2 June 1882, aged 74 http://bit.ly/127vMMd

1 June
John Masefield, the ancient mariner who became Poet Laureate, was born in Ledbury on 1 June 1878 http://bit.ly/10BBemh

31 May
‘Here we are again!’ Joseph ‘Joey’ Grimaldi, the Clown Laureate of the Regency era, died on 31 May 1837 http://bit.ly/17g3PUw

30 May
On 30 May 1842, John Francis attempted to shoot Queen Victoria as she drove down Constitution Hill with Prince Albert http://bit.ly/17g9vO9

29 May
G.K. Chesterton, the English novelist, essayist and poet, was born in London on 29 May 1874 http://bit.ly/12FeBTg

28 May
Noah Webster, lexicographer and editor of ‘An American Dictionary of the English Language’, died on 18 May 1843 http://bit.ly/13slB4L

27 May
Amelia Bloomer, the American women’s right campaigner who invented ‘bloomers’, was born in New York on 27 May 1818 http://bit.ly/11ADnl3

26 May
Al Jolson (aka Asa Yoelson), “The World’s Greatest Entertainer”, was born in Seredzius on 26 May 1886 http://bit.ly/SCAN7j

25 May
Gustav Holst, composer of ‘The Planets’ orchestral suite, died on 25 May 1934 http://bit.ly/10aVMlz

24 May
Dartmoor Prison was opened on 24 May 1809, to hold French prisoners of war from the Napoleonic Wars http://bit.ly/17fDmXb

23 May
Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s Chief of Police and Minister of the Interior, killed himself on 23 May 1945 http://bit.ly/17MQNMz

22 May
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, was born in #Edinburgh on 22 May 1859 http://bit.ly/10vZtcJ

21 May
Visit the British Newspaper Archive to read historical newspaper stories about the Chelsea Flower Show http://bit.ly/Y1tyzn

On 21 May 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed his plane in Paris after completing the first solo flight across the Atlantic http://bit.ly/15DG4I2

20 May
On 20 May 1867, Queen #Victoria appeared in public to lay the foundation stone for the Royal Albert Hall http://bit.ly/ZJQsq5

19 May
T.E. Lawrence, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, died on 19 May 1935, five days after fracturing his skull in a motorcycle crash http://bit.ly/15DENAC

18 May
Frank Capra, film director and writer was born in Bisacquino, Sicily, on 18 May 1897 http://bit.ly/XT8Kb2

17 May
On 17 May 1900, news reached the UK that the siege at #Mafeking had ended, leading to hysterical scenes of rejoicing http://bit.ly/Zl7qzL

16 May
The ‘Warsaw Ghetto Uprising’ ended on 16 May 1943 http://bit.ly/Zl9k3s

15 May
On 15 May 1957, the UK dropped its first H-bomb on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean http://bit.ly/173jbeP

Rita Hayworth died on 15 May 1987 – read historical newspaper stories about the Forces’ Sweetheart of World War two http://bit.ly/11dhLw1

14 May
On 14 May 1939, Sam Goldwyn took control of United Artists, after buying out Chaplin, Pickford and Fairbanks http://bit.ly/11hhJ4Z

13 May
Arthur Sullivan was born in Lambeth on 13 May 1842 – read historical newspaper stories about his life and music http://bit.ly/Rpesen

12 May
Florence Nightingale was born in Florence on 12 May 1820 – read Victorian news stories about ‘The lady with the lamp’ http://bit.ly/15meRJB

11 May
The UK Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, was shot dead in the House of Commons by John Bellingham on 11 May 1812 http://bit.ly/VZmfpt

10 May
“It is the Lord’s Day; my wish is fulfilled. I have always desired to die on Sunday”: Stonewall Jackson died 10.5.1863 http://bit.ly/17o5KVc

9 May
On 9 May 1926, the aptly-named aviator, Richard Byrd, became the first person to fly over  the North Pole http://bit.ly/YvdIbd

8 May
Harry S. Truman, the US president who ordered the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was born on 8 May 1884 http://bit.ly/11h7o9o

7 May
Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg on 7 May 1833 – read Victorian newspaper stories about Brahms http://bit.ly/ZZYs5f

You wait ages for one composer to turn up, then two arrive together – Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk on 7 May 1840 http://bit.ly/ZqTwus

6 May
The airship ‘Hindenburg’ exploded in New Jersey on 6 May 1937 – read old newspaper stories about the tragedy http://bit.ly/ZzGkPP

5 May
Karl Marx was born in Trier on 5 May 1818 – read historical newspaper stories about Marx’s life and achievements http://bit.ly/15m5VDW

4 May
Alice Liddell, the muse for ‘Alice in Wonderland’, was born on 4 May 1852 – read Victorian newspaper stories about ‘Alice’ http://bit.ly/ZxjwkI

3 May
On 3 May 1935, John MacRae wrote the poem, ‘In Flanders fields the poppies grow’ http://bit.ly/XQRjdx

2 May
Baron Manfred von Richthofen was born in Breslau on 2 May 1892 – read old newspaper stories about ‘the Red Baron’ http://bit.ly/11eNYQR

1 May
Up the workers! Read historical newspaper stories about Mayday celebrations from all over the world http://bit.ly/13iHQtC

David Livingstone died at Ilala, near Lake Bangweulu, on 1 May 1873 – read historical news reports about his death http://bit.ly/15lx75Y

30 April
‘Shoulder the sky, my lad, and drink your ale’ – A.E. Housman, poet and Shropshire Lad, died on 30 April 1936 http://bit.ly/XWvHXl

29 April
Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, was born on 29 April 1769 – read news stories from 1815 about ‘the iron Duke’ http://bit.ly/YNvLrP

28 April
Benito Mussolini, ‘Il Duce’, was killed by a mob in Giulino di Mezzegra on 28 April 1946 http://bit.ly/YNvu8f

27 April
Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist, poet and leader of the Transcendentalist Movement,  died on 27 April 1882 http://bit.ly/10fvBjV

26 April
Rudolf Hess, Deputy Fuhrer, was born in Alexandria on 26 April 1894 – read historical newspaper stories about Hess http://bit.ly/WJS41T

25 April
Sir Stafford Cripps, the UK Chancellor during the ‘Austerity Era’ that followed World War Two, was born in London on 25 April 1889 http://bit.ly/WS9LlE

24 April
William Joyce (aka ‘Lord Haw-Haw’(,the Nazi propaganda broadcaster,  was born in New York on 24 April 1906 http://bit.ly/YNs7hB

23 April
Rupert Brooke died of blood poisoning on his way to the Dardanelles on 23 April 1915 http://bit.ly/VFKLwb

William Wordsworth died in Cumberland on 23 April 1850 – read Victorian newspaper tributes to the ‘Poet of Nature’ http://bit.ly/12ubW0U

22 April
Robert Oppenheimer was born on 22 April 1904 – visit the BNA blog to read stories about the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ http://bit.ly/VqxYfM

21 April
Charlotte Bronte, novelist & poet, was born in Thornton on 21 April 1816 – read 19thC newspaper stories about ‘C. Bell’ http://bit.ly/YNpXyi

20 April
Bram Stoker, the Dublin author who wrote ‘Dracula’, died on 20 April 1912 – read old newspaper stories about Stoker http://bit.ly/WS0utS

19 April
Charles Darwin died on 19 April 1882 – read 19th Century newspaper stories about his life and work http://bit.ly/VFH0a9

18 April
On 18 April 1906, San Francisco was bit by a massive earthquake – read newspaper stories about the disaster http://bit.ly/YygJsX

17 April
‘In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes’ – Benjamin Franklin died on 17 April 1790 http://bit.ly/WRYD8m

16 April
The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746 – read newspaper reports from 1746 that describe the battle http://bit.ly/168Fhx8

15 April
Abraham Lincoln died on 15 April 1865, after being shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington http://bit.ly/Yz5Dmu

RMS Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 – visit the timeline on the BNA homepage to read a FREE news story about the disaster http://bit.ly/NwJfmD

Sir James Clark Ross, the English explorer of the Antarctic, was born in London on 15 April 1800 http://bit.ly/Y1RpZg

14 April
George Frederic Handel died in London on 14 April 1759 – read newspaper tributes from 1959 to the great composer http://bit.ly/WhcapT

13 April
Frederick North (aka Lord North), PM of Great Britain from 1770 to 1882, was born in London on 13 April 1732 http://bit.ly/13n8STu

12 April
Henry Clay, US statesman and founder of the Republican Party, was born in Virginia on 12 April 1777 http://bit.ly/V8Ju0f

11 April
Sir Charles Halle, the pianist and conductor who founded the Halle Orchestra in #Manchester, was born on 11 April 1819 http://bit.ly/Xapr1E

10 April
Joseph Pulitzer, the newspaper owner who founded the Pulitzer Prize, was born in Mako, Hungary, on 10 April 1847 http://bit.ly/13VHNCS

9 April
Isambard Kingdom #Brunel was born on 9 April 1806 – read 19th Century newspaper stories about his life and work http://bit.ly/13VGG64

8 April
Pablo Picasso died at his chateau at Mougins on 8 April 1973 – read newspaper stories about his life and art http://bit.ly/ZA7x74

7 April
Dick Turpin was hanged at York on 7 April 1739 – read newspaper stories from the 1730s about the highwayman http://bit.ly/XanySs

6 April
William Wordsworth became Poet Laureate  on 6 April 1906 – read newspaper reports of his appointment to the post http://bit.ly/WqLLAc

5 April
Spencer Tracy was born in Milwaukee on 5 April 1900 – read historical newspaper stories about his life and acting career http://bit.ly/15PGJUW

4 April
Edward, Prince of Wales, narrowly escaped death on 4 April 1900, when two shots were fired at him by an anarchist in Brussels http://bit.ly/V8Bf4u

3 April
Johannes Brahms died in Vienna on 3 April 1897 – read 19th Century newspaper stories about the great composer http://bit.ly/XFExJ3

The trial of Oscar Wilde began at the Old Bailey on 3 April 1895 – read newspaper reports about the trial http://bit.ly/13j3eSI

2 April
William Holman Hunt, the English painter and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, was born in ‘London on 2 April 1827 http://bit.ly/Xh9UM6

1 April
Read historical newspaper stories about the history, traditions and folklore of April Fools’ Day http://bit.ly/Z7ALdw

Otto von Bismarck was born in Prussia on 1 April 1815 – read 19th Century newspaper stories about Bismarck http://bit.ly/13mZEXz

31 March
Baa! March…goes out like a lamb! Read historical newspaper stories that contain this cute meteorological phrase http://bit.ly/12oRwWn

30 March
Always chasing Rimbaud – Paul-Marie Verlaine was born in Metz on 30 March 1844 http://bit.ly/UasSFf

29 March
‘The Eighth Wonder of the World! ‘King Kong’ fever swept the UK after its world premiere in London over Easter 1933 http://bit.ly/UsSwGb

28 March
On 28 March 1941, Virginia Woolf committed suicide by drowning herself in the River Ouse http://bit.ly/12KZXqs

27 March
“I am big! It’s the pictures that got small!” Gloria Swanson was born in Chicago on 27 March 1899 http://bit.ly/UneucA

26 March
‘Poetry is what gets lost in translation’ – Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on 26 March 1874 http://bit.ly/XdQPrX

25 March
Bela Bartok, composer and virtuoso pianist, was born in Nagyszentmiklos, Austria-Hungary, on 25 March 1881 http://bit.ly/YvEBe5

AJP Taylor, historian and broadcaster, was born in Birkdale, Lancashire, on 25 March 1906 http://bit.ly/XSFVJf

24 March
Harry Houdini, the magician & escapologist, was born on 24 March 1874 – read amazing stories about Houdini @BNArchive http://bit.ly/H8ijuE

23 March
On 23 March 1918, a giant German gun called Big Bertha’ began shelling Paris from 75 miles away http://bit.ly/VVAL2T

22 March
Thomas Hughes, author of “Tom Brown’s Schooldays”, lawyer and Liberal MP, died on 22 March 1896 for http://bit.ly/Xbskxh

21 March
Read historical newspaper stories about the traditions, customs and legends of the Spring Equinox http://bit.ly/YvCas8

Dead poets’ alert! Robert Southey, England’s Poet Laureate from 1813 to 1843, died on 21 March 1843 http://bit.ly/XDmty9

Luke Howard, the man who named clouds, died in Tottenham, London, on 21 March 1864 http://bit.ly/T9iU7B

20 March
Henrik Ibsen was born in Skien, Norway, on 20 March 1828 – read historical newspaper stories about the playwright http://bit.ly/12KCFRz

19 March
Bicentenary alert! Dr David Livingstone was born in Blantyre, Scotland, on 19 March 1813 http://bit.ly/VYWNN3

Tobias Smollett, writer of satirical novels, was born in Dalquhurn, Scotland, on 19 March 1721 http://bit.ly/ZfkcjB

18 March
‘I have in my hand a piece of paper signed by Mr Hitler’ – Neville Chamberlain was born in Birmingham on 18 March 1869 http://bit.ly/15hLt5t

17 March
Bobby Jones was born in Atlanta on 17 March 1902 – visit the BNA blog to read about him winning The Open in 1926

16 March
Captain Matthew Flinders, the explorer after whom the Flinders River is named, was born in Donington on 16 March 1774 http://bit.ly/XJw7Dj

15 March
‘Beware the Ides of March!’ – read historical newspaper reports that contain this chilling exclamation http://bit.ly/YOrV7U

Read historical news stories in the British Newspaper Archive which include the ominous phrase, ‘the Ides of March’ http://bit.ly/Umtys7

Tsar Nicolas II abdicated on 15 March 1917, thus ending the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty in Russia http://bit.ly/X9QjvW

14 March
‘E = mc2’ alert! Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner, was born in Ulm on 14 March 1879 http://bit.ly/Y4Zpcn

“Einstein’s Arithmetic” – visit the BNA blog to read about Einstein being dissed by a Berlin Tram Conductor http://bit.ly/X9N2gd

13 March
On 13 March 1881, Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in St Petersburg by the Narodniks http://bit.ly/URuti4

12 March
Vaslav Nijinsky, the virtuoso dancer whose career was cut short by mental illness, was born in Kiev on 12 March 1890 http://bit.ly/YOpGBC

11 March
Sir Henry Tate, the sugar magnate who endowed the Tate Gallery in London, was born in White Coppice on 11 March 1819 http://bit.ly/14LNwhK

10 March
Tamara Karsavina, the ballerina who co-founded the Royal Academy of Dance, was born in St Petersburg on 10 March 1885 http://bit.ly/11kc0jh

9 March
William Cobbett was born on 9 March 1763 – celebrate his birthday by reading “Cobbett’s Weekly Political Register” http://bit.ly/VyJVwX

8 March
Kenneth Grahame, author of ‘The Wind in the Willows’ and Secretary of the Bank of England, was born on 8 March 1859b http://bit.ly/XRRrlU

7 March
Edwin Henry Landseer, English painter & sculptor of the lions in Trafalgar Square, was born in London on 7 March 1802 http://bit.ly/URohqj

6 March
‘Let me count the ways’ – Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in Coxhoe Hall, County Durham, on 6 March 1806 http://bit.ly/11AGJIa

John Philip Sousa, the American composer of military marches, died in Reading, Pennsylvania, on 6 March 1932 http://bit.ly/XEnqYy

5 March
On 5 March 1926, the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon was destroyed by fire http://bit.ly/WiSfBL

‘Quietly flows the quiet Don’ – Anna Akhmatova died in St Petersburg on 5 Match 1966 http://bit.ly/11AFsRi

On 5 March 1946, Winston Churchill ‘warned that ‘an iron curtain has descended across Europe’ http://bit.ly/UZjK20

4 March
On 4 March 1941, Norwegian Resistance Fighters and British forces launched a raid on the Lofoten Islands http://bit.ly/Xry2Z0

3 March
Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ was published on 3 March 1802 – visit the BNA blog to read a wonderful story about the sonata http://bit.ly/Xrvk5y

Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh on 3 March 1847 – read historical news stories about his life http://bit.ly/13TQIXe

2 March
Kurt Weill, composer and songwriter, was born in Dessau, Germany, on 2 March 1900 http://bit.ly/YgHmpf

1 March
Grr! ‘March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb’ – read historical news stories about this famous saying http://bit.ly/Vjl4ys

Frederic Chopin was born in Zelazowa Wola on 1 March 1810 – read 19thC newspaper stories about ‘the poet of the piano’ http://bit.ly/11IQFyV

28 February
On 28 February 1874, Arthur Orton, ‘the Tichborne Claimant’, was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to 14 years in jail http://bit.ly/ULI7Tf

27 February
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, the Russian physiologist famous for co-inventing the ‘conditioned reflex’ concept, died in Leningrad on 27 February 1936 http://bit.ly/ULHrxg

26 February
‘An intelligent hell would be better than a stupid paradise’ – Victor Hugo was born in Besancon on 26 February 1802 http://bit.ly/138Nqis

25 February
Emmeline Pankhurst went on trial in London on 25 February 1913, accused of bombing David Lloyd George’s villa in Surrey http://bit.ly/UoVMNm

24 February
On 24 February 1932 at Daytona Beach, Malcolm Campbell reached 253mph, thus breaking his own land speed record http://bit.ly/WrQy3n

On 24 February 1920, Nancy Astor became the first woman MP to speak in the UK’s House of Commons http://bit.ly/UORu5s

23 February
On 23 February 1898, Emile Zola is imprisoned for the publication of his famous letter, “J’accuse”, in the French newspapers http://bit.ly/VAqaYq

Johann Hoch, the ‘Chicago Bluebeard’ who murdered six of his 13 wives, was executed on 23 February 1906 http://bit.ly/UoCLQu

22 February
‘Be Prepared’ – Sir Robert Baden-Powell, hero of Mafeking, was born in London on 22 February 1857 http://bit.ly/RwVwyO

In Lhasa in Tibet on 22 February 1940, the six-year old Tenzin Gyatso was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama http://bit.ly/UOPpXb

‘The Great Blondin’ died on 22 February 1897 – visit the BNA blog to read about his tightrope-walk over Niagara Falls in 1859 http://bit.ly/VwoIGz

21 February
John Henry Newman, the English cardinal famous for his theological & philosophical writings, was born in London on 21 February 1801 http://bit.ly/134WAN9

20 February
Dame Marie Rambert, the Russian/Polish/Jewish ballerina who was a massive influence on ballet in the UK, was born in Warsaw on 20 February 1888 http://bit.ly/VjFOFu

19 February
On 19 February 1855, bread riots took place in Liverpool http://bit.ly/Ur3DtP

On 19 February 1942, the Australian city of Darwin was bombed by Japanese aircraft http://bit.ly/Ww4vh0

18 February
James ‘Gentleman Jim’ Corbett, American prize-fighter and world champion from 1892 to 1897, died on 18 February 1933 http://bit.ly/Wf8KNn

17 February
On 17 February 1880, Tsar Alexander II escaped an assassination attempt, when a bomb exploded at the Winter Palace http://bit.ly/Wf4cXc

16 February
On 16 February 1945, US forces led by General MacArthur captured Bataan in the Philippines http://bit.ly/12ZmZNd

15 February
On 15 February 1942, Singapore fell to Japanese forces, who captured thousands of Allied troops http://bit.ly/X17v6V

14 February
On 14 February 1933, the Oxford Union declared they would not fight for ‘King and Country’ http://bit.ly/UImEeM

On 14 February 1779, Captain James Cook was killed by natives in Hawaii – read 18thC newspaper tributes to the famous explorer http://bit.ly/WezZYu

13 February
On 13 February 1935, Bruno Hauptmann was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering the baby son of Charles Lindbergh http://bit.ly/134fcN6

12 February
From log cabin to White House – Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville on 12 February 1809 http://bit.ly/10Oc4q6

11 February
Thomas Edison was born in Milan (Ohio) on 11 February 1847 – visit the BNA blog to read about the demo of his phonograph http://bit.ly/UtGxFR

10 February
Boris Pasternak, author of ‘Dr Zhivago’ and Nobel Prize winner, was born in Moscow on 10 February 1890 http://bit.ly/ZbBGww

‘Subject, I married him!’ On 10 February 1840, Queen Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha http://bit.ly/VIXR78

9 February
Mrs Patrick Campbell, the English actress who enjoyed a close relationship with George Bernard Shaw, was born in London on 9 February 1865 http://bit.ly/VQN1ei

8 February
Richard Southwell Bourke, the 6th Earl of Mayo and Viceroy to India, was assassinated in Port Blair on 8 February 1872 http://bit.ly/X7Zgdd

7 February
Dr Alfred Adler, the Austrian psychoanalyst who introduced the concept of ‘the inferiority complex’, was born on 7 February 1870 http://bit.ly/WedIKD

Daniel Malan, PM of South Africa from 1948-54 and architect of apartheid, died on 7 February 1959 http://bit.ly/VrTeyj

6 February
Joseph Priestley, the English clergyman and scientist who discovered oxygen, died on 6 February 1804 http://bit.ly/VcPS2V

‘Babe Ruth’ (aka George Herman), the ‘Home Run King’ of American baseball, was born in Baltimore on 6 February 1895 http://bit.ly/VqMtwA

5 February
On 5 February 1945, General MacArthur and US troops entered Manila in the Philippines http://bit.ly/12XUu1i

4 February
Charles Lindbergh, the American aviator who made the first solo crossing of the Atlantic, was born in Detroit on 4 February 1902 http://bit.ly/X6Bcas

3 February
In Paris on 3 February 1919, the League of Nations met for the first time, with Woodrow Wilson chairing proceedings http://bit.ly/WdqHvZ

2 February
“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery” – James Joyce was born in Rathgar on 2 February 1882 http://bit.ly/12XSczc

1 February
“I’m just a lucky slob from Ohio who happened to be in the right place at the right time” – Clark Gable was born in Cadiz on 1 February 1901 http://bit.ly/VwzvOI

31 January
After a 3-month delay, Brunel succeeded in launching ‘The Great Eastern’ (‘Leviathan’) steamship on 31 January 1858 http://bit.ly/12k4NNW

30 January
On 30 January 1948, Mahatma Gandhi, India’s ‘Great Soul’ and prophet of satyagraha, was assassinated in New Delhi http://bit.ly/ZDwK3i

29 January
‘The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion’ – Thomas Paine, born 29.1.1737 http://bit.ly/T3JvAm

28 January
‘The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity’ – WB Yeats died on 28 January 1938 http://bit.ly/U4datc

27 January
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg on 27 January 1756 – read news stories from the 18thC about Mozart http://bit.ly/SExMKB

26 January
On 26 January 1828, the Duke of Wellington became UK prime minister – read news stories about this historic moment http://bit.ly/U4cpAo

25 January
‘The sweetest hours that e’er I spend, are spent amang the lasses, O’ – Robert Burns was born on 25 January 1759 http://bit.ly/HUUDWO

Read stories about Robert Burns from UK newspapers published in the late 18th Century http://bit.ly/Tr7KXY

Read historical newspaper stories about how Burns Night has been celebrated in the UK over the decades http://bit.ly/SEWQBk

24 January
Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Winston and leader of the Conservative Party, died in London on 24 January 1895 http://bit.ly/WiMbcP

Sir Winston Churchill, ‘the last lion of British politics’ & great wartime leader, died on 24 January 1965, aged 90 http://bit.ly/RnNQjd

23 January
On 23 January 1931, Anna Pavlova, the Russian prima ballerina, died in Holland at the age of 49 http://bit.ly/U6RNZ9

On 23 January 1849, Bristol-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to gain a medical degree in the USA http://bit.ly/ZD8RZT

22 January
‘Mad, bad and dangerous to know’ – Lord Byron was born in London on 22 January 1788 http://bit.ly/12vcaRP

After a reign of 64 years, Queen Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight on 22 January 1901, aged 81 http://bit.ly/12jMTe3

21 January
‘You say you wanna revolution…’ – V.I. Lenin, the country lawyer who became a revolutionary, died on 21 January 1924 http://bit.ly/UtffwH

20 January
On 20 January 1937, FD Roosevelt took office for a 2nd presidential term, following a resounding electoral victory http://bit.ly/ZcrOUc

19 January
On 19 January 1915, a Zeppelin airship dropped bombs on Great Yarmouth and Kings Lynn, killing over 20 people http://bit.ly/VLgSVA

‘Nevermore, nevermore!’ Edgar Allan Poe was born on 19 January 1808 – read 19thC newspaper stories about his life http://bit.ly/12vaY0I

18 January
Peter Mark Roget, the English doctor who compiled “Roget’s Thesaurus”, was born in London on 18 January 1779 http://bit.ly/R1IFo0

Pooh Sticks alert! AA Milne, the English writer who created ‘Winnie the Pooh’, was born in London on 18 January 1882 http://bit.ly/Xy7TbT

17 January
Alphonse Gabriel ‘Al’ Capone, the American gangster known as ‘Scarface’, was born in New York on 17 January 1899 http://bit.ly/SDSoCG

David Lloyd George, the Liberal politician who was UK prime minister from 1916 to 1922, was born on 17 January 1863 http://bit.ly/UCiP74

16 January
Andre Michelin, the French industrialist who manufactured rubber tyres, was born on 16 January 1853 http://bit.ly/Rzi2Z6

Carole Lombard died in an air crash on 16 January 1942 – visit the BNA blog to read a newspaper report on the tragedy http://bit.ly/U0A9Wt

15 January
40 people drowned in Regent’s Park on 15 January 1867, when the ice on the boating lake gave way http://bit.ly/Uj4L0V

Lady Hamilton, the former mistress of Lord Nelson, died in poverty in Calais on 15 January 1815 http://bit.ly/UrTHRm

14 January
On 14 January 1878, Alexander Graham Bell gave Queen Victoria a demonstration of how the telephone worked http://bit.ly/127cRR0

13 January
“J’accuse” – Emile Zola stunned Paris and France with his open letter on the Dreyfus case on 13 January 1898 http://bit.ly/YUN4fY

12 January
‘The Lady Vanishes’ – Agatha Christie, ‘Queen of Crime’, died on 12 January 1976, without explaining her ‘lost weekend’ http://bit.ly/VsgECy

11 January
Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University, was born in New York on 11 January 1807 http://bit.ly/YJsjoG

On 11 January 1898, Major Esterhazy was wrongly acquitted of forging the documents used to charge Alfred Dreyfus http://bit.ly/Uj0AlS

10 January
Colonel Samuel Colt, the American gunsmith who invented the Colt Revolver, died of gout on 10 January 1862, aged 47 http://bit.ly/QMRqCg

9 January
Dr Rudolf Bing, the conductor who founded the #Edinburgh Festival, was born in Vienna on 9 January 1902 http://bit.ly/VOKjZ2

‘Quem di diligunt adulescens moritur’ – Katherine Mansfield, the short story writer, died of TB on 9 January 1923 http://bit.ly/SLghWX

8 January
Wilkie Collins, the English novelist, playwright and short story writer, was born in #London on 8 January 1824 http://bit.ly/QMOKVn

7 January
On 7 January 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard & Dr John Jeffries crossed the English Channel in a hot air balloon http://bit.ly/SSr5ku

Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American engineer who developed the alternating current (AC), died in Manhattan on 7 January http://bit.ly/UiVqpX

6 January
Frances Burney, the English novelist, diarist & friend of Dr Johnson, died in Bath on 6 January 1840, aged 87 http://bit.ly/11QZchI

5 January
‘There’s something nasty in the woodshed!’ Stella Gibbons was born on ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ on 5 January 1902 http://bit.ly/YJ1Wza

4 January
Louis Braille, inventor of the alphabet system for the blind, was born in Coupvray on 4 January 1809 http://bit.ly/QMLSYq

3 January
JRR Tolkien, author of ‘The Hobbit’ & ‘Lord of the Rings, was born in Bloemfontein on 3 January 1892 http://bit.ly/VnZFBU

‘Worker of the Month’ alert! Alexey Stakhanov was born on 3 January 1906 – read stories about the #Stakhanov Movement http://bit.ly/HUyWZn

2 January
Manila fell to Japanese forces on 2 January 1942, as US General Douglas MacArthur started evacuating the Philipines http://bit.ly/VOlNYe

1 January
On 1 January 1892, the new immigrant depot opened at Ellis Island in New York http://bit.ly/RYcxRv

On 1 January 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation for all slaves who lived in the southern states http://bit.ly/Wg6RR3

31 December
On 31 December 1869, Henri Matisse was born in Le Cateau-Cambresis – read historical newspaper stories about his art http://bit.ly/U7ycpk

Charles Edward Stuart (aka ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ and ‘The Young Pretender’) was born in Rome on 31 December 1720 http://bit.ly/Wg8GO2

Celebrate Hogmanay by reading old newspaper articles about the origins of the ancient festival of New Year’s Eve http://bit.ly/TT8sfH

30 December
‘And rode madly off in all directions!’ The English-Canadian humourist, Stephen Leacock, was born on 30 December 1869 http://bit.ly/ZWldtM

29 December
HMS Warrior was launched in London on 29 December 1860 – ‘a black vicious ugly customer as ever I saw’, wrote Dickens http://bit.ly/SQWG4B

28 December
Part of the Tay Bridge collapsed during a storm on 28 December 1879: read a story on the BNA timeline about the tragedy http://bit.ly/NwJfmD

27 December
Louis Pasteur was born in Dole on 27 December 1822 – read historical newspaper stories about his life and research http://bit.ly/TRRb6X

26 December
On 26 December 1900, the relief crew at Flannan Isles Lighthouse discovered the previous crew had completely vanished http://bit.ly/WduUF7

25 December
On 25 December 1914, an impromptu truce took place on the Western Front, as soldiers celebrated Christmas Day together http://bit.ly/UNIF7I

24 December
Body-snatching alert! On 24 December 1828, William Burke went on trial in Edinburgh accused of murder http://bit.ly/XLuxSK

William Makepeace Thackeray, author of ‘Vanity Fair’, died on 24 December 1863, aged only 52 http://bit.ly/TRJvl7

23 December
Self-help alert! Samuel Smiles, author of the world’s first self-help books, was born in Scotland on 23 December 1812 http://bit.ly/SvNh1R

22 December
‘Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another’ –  George Eliot died on 22 December 1880 http://bit.ly/RWpBGY

21 December
General George ‘Blood and Guts’ Patton died on 21 December 1945, following a car crash http://bit.ly/SPfCR9

20 December
John Steinbeck, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, died on 20 December 1968 http://bit.ly/TLGvGL

19 December
‘Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same’ – Emily Bronte died on 18 December 1848 http://bit.ly/TLEeeL

18 December
Betty Grable, the actress who was a forces’ sweetheart during WW2, was born in St Louis on 18 December 1916 http://bit.ly/SP9QyV

17 December
The German battleship, ‘Graf Spee’, was scuttled in the River Plate, off Montevideo, on 17 December 1939 http://bit.ly/S0sc1a

16 December
Glenn Miller, the American bandleader, was presumed dead on 16 December 1944, after his plane vanished over the Channel http://bit.ly/XJ2uTV

‘Mad about the Boy’ – Sir Noel Coward was born in Teddington, Middlesex, on 16 December 1899 http://bit.ly/PWBXyZ

15 December
Charles Laughton, the English actor famous for playing Captain William Bligh and Quasimodo, died on 15 December 1962 http://bit.ly/RuUile

14 December
Prince Albert, the consort, husband and soulmate of Queen Victoria, died of typhoid on 14 December 1861 http://bit.ly/UhGZmh

13 December
‘Grandma Moses’, the famous American primitive painter, died on 13 December 1961, aged 101 http://bit.ly/RNjrcf

‘Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people also’ – Heinrich Heine was born on 13 December 1797 http://bit.ly/ZpxXsB

12 December
Writer of hot books alert! Gustave Flaubert was born in Rouen on 12 December – read 19thC news stories about his life http://bit.ly/SYtKLg

11 December
King Edward VIII abdicated the UK throne on 11 December 1936, so he could marry Mrs Wallis Simpson http://bit.ly/TpRUwa

10 December
The first #Nobel Prizes were awarded in Oslo/Stockholm on 10 December 1901, with Dunant & Passy sharing the Peace Prize http://bit.ly/TA3rX3

9 December
‘Still falls the rain’ – Edith Sitwell, poet and brother of Sacheverell, died on 9 December 1964 http://bit.ly/Z9Iw3P

8 December
Herbert Spencer, the English philosopher who coined the phrase, ‘survival of the fittest’, died on 8 December 1903 http://bit.ly/SbWOLf

7 December
On 7 December 1941, a Japanese task force attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii http://bit.ly/PNALhv

6 December
The Irish Free State was born on 6 December 1921, as Ireland’s 26 southern states gained independence from the UK http://bit.ly/UwhaoJ

5 December
‘The Noble Experiment’ of banning alcohol in the US ended on 5 December 1933, as Utah voted to reopen its bars http://bit.ly/ZnZnz3

4 December
‘Erewhon Nam’ – Samuel Butler, novelist, satirist & uber-neologist, was born in Langar on 4 December 1835 http://bit.ly/RuaT8I

3 December
‘Heart of Darkness’ alert! Joseph Conrad was born in Berdychiv on 3 December 1857 http://bit.ly/Qyk5f4

2 December
‘But his soul goes marching on…’ – John Brown was hanged for treason in Charleston on 2 December 1859 http://bit.ly/Uh23ta

1 December
On 1 December 1918, the Danish Parliament passed an act granting Iceland its independence http://bit.ly/TzEVp4 #history #onthisday

On 1 December 1921, Henri Desire Landru was found guilty of murdering ten women he met via newspaper lonely hearts ads http://bit.ly/WTa3Ii

30 November
Read historical newspaper stories about how St Andrew’s Day was celebrated in previous years http://bit.ly/TrOuXn

29 November
Louisa Alcott, author of ‘Little Women, was born on 29 November 1832 – read stories about her life & writing http://bit.ly/RtzNUc #writers

28 November
‘To see the world in a grain of sand / And a heaven in a wild flower’ – William Blake was born on 28 November 1757 http://bit.ly/WnPssI

27 November
Totally random tweet alert! A giant meteor landed in Lake Michigan on 27 November 1919 http://bit.ly/R6BMz8

26 November
On 26 November 1922, Howard Carter & Lord Caernavon peeked into Tutankhamun’s Tomb and glimpsed the treasure by candlelight http://bit.ly/SXRFph

25 November
Andrew Carnegie, the Scots-American industrialist and philanthropist, was born in #Dunfermline on 25 November 1835 http://bit.ly/T2vLrf

24 November
Grace Darling was born at Bamburgh on 24 November 1815 – read stories from historical newspapers about her heroism http://bit.ly/SUbyC5

23 November
President Harding signed the Anti-Medical Beer Bill on 23 November 1921, stopping doctors from prescribing beer http://bit.ly/UZSK1M

22 November
Sir Arthur Sullivan died on 22 November 1900 – read 19th Century newspaper stories about his life & music http://bit.ly/Rpesen

21 November
A hot air balloon built by the Montgolfier brothers made the first untethered flight in #history on 21 November 1783 http://bit.ly/T2r94c

20 November
Royal wedding anniversary alert! Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten in Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947 http://bit.ly/QZflNN

Leo Tolstoy died of pneumonia at Astopovo Railway Station on 20 November 1910 http://bit.ly/Rp8tWZ

19 November
The British steamer, ‘Hilda’, was wrecked off St Malo on 19 November 1905, with the loss of 128 lives http://bit.ly/QZflNN

18 November
On 18 November 1910, 5,000 policemen clashed with 300 suffragettes in a day that became known as ‘Black Friday’ http://bit.ly/RoZi8S

17 November
The small steamer, ‘Louise’, became the first ship to sail through the Panama Canal on 17 November 1913 http://bit.ly/R5KLjW

On 17 November 1913, Kaiser Wilhelm II banned his armed forces from dancing the tango http://bit.ly/SU2g9c

16 November
In Breslau on 16 November 1900, a woman threw an axe at Kaiser Wilhem II – learn more about this incident http://bit.ly/QBMBbw

15 November
On 15 November 1901, Miller Reese Hutchison patented his invention of an electrical hearing aid http://bit.ly/P2pn2d

14 November
Claude Monet was born in Paris on 14 November 1840; read historical newspaper stories on his life & #art http://bit.ly/RIiWh8

13 November
‘Wine is bottled poetry’ – Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh on 13 November 1850 http://bit.ly/RoRN1O

12 November
Auguste Rodin was born in Paris on 12 November 1840 – read stories about his life and #art http://bit.ly/T2c7LP
11 November
The Armistice came into effect at 11am on 11 November 1918, thus ending World War One http://bit.ly/OtE6l2

10 November
‘Straight lines vary only in length, and therefore are least ornamental’ – William Hogarth was born on 10 November 1697 http://bit.ly/QVUGdt

9 November
‘Rage, rage against the dying of the light’ – Dylan Thomas died on 9 November 1953 http://bit.ly/RCxBKs

8 November
‘Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven’: John Milton died on 8 November 1674 http://bit.ly/X0XAP9

7 November
The ‘golden spike’ in the Canadian-Pacific Railway was finally driven at Craigellachie on 7 November 1885 http://bit.ly/QVOTEN

6 November
Adolphe Sax, the Belgian famous for inventing the musical instrument that bears his name, was born on 6 November 1814 http://bit.ly/RCmgdC

5 November
Guy Fawkes, one of the few people to have entered Westminster with a rational idea, was arrested on 5 November 1605 http://bit.ly/Tc9SQK

‘Remember, remember, the 5th of November’ – visit @BNArchive to read 19thC newspaper stories about ‘Bonfire Night’ http://bit.ly/RlrdXI

Read the speech made to parliament by King James I (or VI) after the discovery of ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ http://bit.ly/QpQz6Z

4 November
On 4 November 1931, Mahatma Gandhi visited Buckingham Palace to take tea with King George V http://bit.ly/RTtOuo

3 November
General Ulysses S. Grant (aka ‘Unconditional Surrender Grant’) was elected President of the United States on 3 November 1868 http://bit.ly/Rh4eNb

2 November
Daniel Boone, the frontiersman who was adopted as a son by the Shawnee Chief, ‘Blackfish’, was born on 2 November 1734 http://bit.ly/SUWWhp

1 November
‘Matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs’- LS Lowry was born in Stretford on 1 November 1887 http://bit.ly/UVbVtt

Spencer Perceval, the UK Prime Minister assassinated in the House of Commons in 1812, was born on 1 November 1762 http://bit.ly/VZmfpt

31 October
Boo!…Boo, again! Celebrate Hallowe’en by reading reports from early 18th Century newspapers about witchcraft http://bit.ly/R7Jjz3

‘Please park all brooms at the door’ – visit @BNArchive to read historical newspaper stories about Halloween http://bit.ly/TGkcWl

Celebrate “All Hallows’ Eve” by reading about how #Halloween was celebrated in the early 19th Century http://bit.ly/UQGzdg

Halloween baby alert – John Keats, 1795! Read Hallowe’en stories from newspapers published in the 1820s http://bit.ly/SRG2ob

‘I could be martyred for my religion. Love is my religion – I could die for that.’ John Keats, born 31 October 1795 http://bit.ly/SEUpID

Helen Duncan was the last person imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act – read newspaper reports from 1944 about the trial http://bit.ly/Ud5c2n

30 October
On 30 October 1938, Orson Welles created mass panic in the USA with his radio broadcast of ‘The War of the Worlds’ http://bit.ly/T1xjB8

29 October
On 29 October 1914, Prince Louis of Battenberg resigned from his post as First Sea Lord due to his German origins http://bit.ly/SxXE8m

‘We must take our friends as they are’ – James Boswell was born in Edinburgh on 29 October 1740 http://bit.ly/Rckwaw

28 October
On 28 October 1886, the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York by President Grover Cleveland http://bit.ly/Uchmth

27 October
Niccolo Paganini, the genius violinist alleged to have made a Faustian pact with the devil, was born on 27 October 1782 http://bit.ly/QXE3uX

26 October
Jackie Coogan, the child actor who starred with Charlie Chaplin in ‘The Kid’, was born in Los Angeles on 26 October 1914 http://bit.ly/SxUIbK

25 October
The Charge of the Light Brigade took place on 25 October 1854 – read historical newspaper accounts of the battle http://bit.ly/Qro7SW

24 October
Al Capone was found guilty of tax evasion on 24 October 1931 – read historical newspaper stories about the trial http://bit.ly/SEz0PK

23 Oct
Al Jolson, jazz singer and star of the first ‘talkie’, died on 23 October 1950 – read stories about his life & #music http://bit.ly/SCAN7j

22 October
Sarah Bernhardt (‘the Divine Sarah’), the French actress who achieved worldwide fame, was born on 22 October 1844 http://bit.ly/RcaxC5

Charles Arthur ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd, aka ‘Public Enemy Number 1’, was killed by FBI agents on 22 October 1934 http://bit.ly/Sp7bjO
21 October
Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist who invented dynamite & also founded the Nobel Prize, was born on 21 October 1833 http://bit.ly/OD7ua3

20 October
Bela Lugosi, the Hungarian actor who became a star of horror films in Hollywood, was born in Lugos on 20 October 1882 http://bit.ly/T0W0IE

19 October
Auguste Lumiere, co-inventor of the motion picture camera & projector, was born in Besancon on 19 October 1862 http://bit.ly/QOYEou

George Mortimer Pullman, the American industrialist and inventor of the Pullman sleeping car, died on 19 October 1897 http://bit.ly/QFeT3U
18 October
The trial of Dr Hawley Harvard Crippen began at the Old Bailey on 18 October 1910 http://bit.ly/QdlF47

17 October
Frederic Chopin, ‘the poet of the piano’, died of tuberculosis in Paris on 17 October 1849 http://bit.ly/OlFc3x

16 October
‘We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.’ Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on 16 October 1854 http://bit.ly/UKwAU1

15 October
‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger.’ Friedrich Nietzsche was born in Rocken-bei-Lutzen on 15 October 1844 http://bit.ly/UrmEM8

14 October
439 miners died in an explosion at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd, #Wales, on 14 October 1913 http://bit.ly/VxdmAu

13 October
Lillie Langtry, music hall star & close friend of Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales, was born on 13 October 1853 http://bit.ly/QPm3TO

12 October
‘Patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.’ Edith Cavell: 12 October 1915 http://bit.ly/SlpLTW

Elizabeth Fry, the English social and prison reformer who was nicknamed the ‘angel of prisons’, died on 12 October 1845 http://bit.ly/PB5lbr

11 October
“I wasn’t kissing her, I was whispering in her mouth.” Chico Marx died on 11 October 1961 http://bit.ly/OP92gM

10 October
Giuseppe Verdi was born in the village of Le Roncole on 10 October 1813 – read 19thC newspaper stories about his life http://bit.ly/UoRt6Q

9 October
Camille Saint-Saens was born in Paris on 9 October 1835 – read historical newspaper stories about his life and music http://bit.ly/OEYz7D

8 October
Kathleen Ferrier, the English contralto, died from cancer on 8 October 1953, aged only 41 http://bit.ly/SBjF2a

7 October
‘Nevermore!’ Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore on 7 October 1849, in circumstances that have never been fully explained http://bit.ly/OZIzsI

6 October
Jenny Lind, the soprano who was nicknamed ‘the Swedish Nightingale’, was born in Stockholm on 6 October 1820 http://bit.ly/OZGpZT

5 October
On 5 October 1930,the R-101 airship crashed in a wood near Beauvais in France, killing 48 passengers http://bit.ly/S4K5bO

The ‘Jarrow Crusade’ began on 5 October 1936, as 200 marchers left Tyneside and started their journey to London http://bit.ly/PH1tE9  

4 October
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the French sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty, died on 4 October 1904 http://bit.ly/PSqEH9

3 October
Eleonora Duse, the muse who inspired D’Annunzio’s to write the play, ‘La Gioconda’, was born on 3 October 1858 http://bit.ly/UnKvz9

William Morris, leader of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts & Crafts Movement, died on 3 October 1896 http://bit.ly/UcebR9

2 October
Mahatma Gandhi was born in Porbandar on 2 October 1869 – read historical newspaper stories about his life and politics http://bit.ly/QYZU9G

On 2 October 1897, Henry Sturmey attempted to become the first person to drive from John o’ Groats to Land’s End http://bit.ly/RtIiDc

1 October
On 1 October 1918, a combined British and Arab force captured Damascus from Turkish troops http://bit.ly/Piv73R

30 September
Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich on 30 September 1938 and declared, ‘I believe it is peace for our time’ http://bit.ly/R4nsEO

29 September
Emile Zola accidentally died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his home on 29 September 1902 – read about his life & writing http://bit.ly/Q8JsyW

28 September
‘Call me Ishmael’: Herman Melville died on 28 September 1891 – read stories about his life and writing http://bit.ly/OoaS2h

27 September
On 27 September 1888, the Central News Agency received a letter signed ‘Jack the Ripper’ – read this chilling letter http://bit.ly/OME3gT

26 September
‘Let us go then, you and I’ – cat lover and poet, TS Eliot, was born in St Louis on 26 September 1888 http://bit.ly/QYFopH

“They’re writing songs of love, but not for me” – George Gershwin was born in New York on 26 September 1898 http://bit.ly/USSIdV

25 September
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’: Erich Maria Remarque died on 25 September 1970 – read about his life and writing http://bit.ly/Nsbg3Z

24 September
On 24 September 1940, King George VI instituted a new medal to reward acts of courage by civilians – the George Cross http://bit.ly/Ofx8v7

Read a newspaper obituary for Branwell Bronte, who died on 24 September 1848

23 September
On 23 September 1905, Norway and Sweden signed the ‘Karlstad Treaty’, dissolving the union between the two countries http://bit.ly/NZ5Lvi

22 September
Christabel Pankhurst, suffragette and daughter of Emmeline, was born in Manchester on 22 September 1880 http://bit.ly/TJACgs

21 September
HG Wells was born in Bromley on 21 September 1866 – read historical newspaper reports about his life and writing http://bit.ly/NZ3sIK

20 September
George Robey, the musical hall comedian known as ‘The Prime Minister of Mirth’, was born in London on 20 September 1869 http://bit.ly/SDz9sD

19 September
Dr Thomas John Barnardo, the founder of the Dr Barnardo’s homes for children, died on 19 September 1905 http://bit.ly/SaTbUM

On 19 September 1931, the UK abandoned the gold standard, devaluing the pound by almost a third http://bit.ly/QIuBjk

18 September
On 18 September 1911, the Russian premier, Pyotr Stolypin,  was assassinated while attending the opera in Kiev http://bit.ly/OpBDJx

Greta Garbo was born in Stockholm on 18 September 1905 – read historical news stories about her life and movies http://bit.ly/OFVcJ9

17 September
The first aircraft death occurred on 17 September 1908, when Thomas Selfridge died in a crash in Orville Wright’s plane http://bit.ly/PhNcxo

16 September
As Napoleon reached the gates, the Fire of Moscow began on 16 September 1812, destroying three quarters of the city http://bit.ly/SFi0xr

15 September
Erich Kempka, Adolf Hitler’s chauffeur, was born in Oberhausen on 15 September 1910 – read about his WW2 stories http://bit.ly/NvMBHb

14 September
The Duke of Wellington died on 14 September 1852 – read historical newspaper reports about the  reaction to his death http://bit.ly/Tf6Dbx

On 14 September 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest ever president of the USA http://bit.ly/PHppdA

13 September
Milton Hershey, the American chocolatier who built the world’s biggest chocolate factory, was born on 13 September 1857 http://bit.ly/NPLwji

On 13 September 1759, General James Wolfe died while leading his troops to victory at the Battle of Quebec http://bit.ly/SETjkU

12 September
Herbert Henry Asquith, the British PM who introduced old age pensions, was born in Morley on 12 September 1852 http://bit.ly/Nq8SfA

On 12 September 1936, Fred Perry became the first non-American to win the US Open http://bit.ly/RmOiM6

11 September
English novelist, DH Lawrence, was born in Eastwood on 11 September 1885 – read old news stories about his life http://bit.ly/Nq8Ow9

10 September
On 10 September 1940, Buckingham Palace was damaged when the Luftwaffe dropped several bombs on it http://bit.ly/NwH57c

9 September
Leo Tolstoy, author of ‘War and Peace’, was born in the Tula region of Russia on 9 September 1828 http://bit.ly/NyYbHh

8 September
On 8 September 1888, the first #football matches in the newly-formed English League were played http://bit.ly/Nd4k67

7 September
Marie Curie isolated pure radium metal on 7.9.1910 – visit the BNA blog to read stories about her discovery http://bit.ly/19ootm3

RMS Lusitania set sail on its maiden voyage from #Liverpool on 7 September, bound for New York http://bit.ly/Pxi6CD

‘The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our time’. Edward Grey died on 7 September 1933 http://bit.ly/Ru0Cwe

6 September
On 6 September 1901, President William McKinley was shot and fatally wounded by Leon Czolgosz in Buffalo, New York http://bit.ly/S8YLKY

5 September
On 5 September 1921, Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle was accused of murder, following the death of actress, Virginia Rappe http://bit.ly/OqEcaC

John Wisden, cricketer, writer and publisher, was born in #Brighton on 5 September 1826 http://bit.ly/NTxUhH

On 5 September 1936, Beryl Markham became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic http://bit.ly/Nd3dDj

4 September
On 4 September, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands abdicated in favour of her daughter, Juliana http://bit.ly/NPBdYT

Norwegian composer, Dr Edvard Grieg, died in Bergen on 4 September 1907 http://bit.ly/Raahpt

3 September
On 3 September 1939, Britain declared war on Nazi Germany – read historic newspaper reports of the declaration http://bit.ly/NxYnSN

Dieudonne Costes & Maurice Belltonte made the first non-stop flight from Paris to New York on 3 September 1930 http://bit.ly/NTJE7d

2 September
Thomas Telford, the Scottish civil engineer, architect and road/bridge/canal builder, died on 2 September http://bit.ly/PxhJbj

On 2 September 1945, Japan formally surrendered to the Allies aboard the USS Missouri in Toyko Bay http://bit.ly/QPu617

1 September
Helen Keller graduated with honours at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachussetts, on 1 September 1904 http://bit.ly/MFqlyY

On 1 September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland – read historical newspaper reports of the invasion http://bit.ly/Rtdnr6