Here you will find our Victorian Timeline featuring some of the most notable events and achievements in the Victorian era. Spanning from 1837 when Queen Victoria came to power, through to her death in 1901. Many important and amazing things happened throughout this period and helped shaped the world we live in today!
1837 – 1901
1837 – Alexandrina Victoria became the Queen of aged 18 after her uncle William IV died.
1837-1867 – The neo-Gothic Houses of Parliament are built in London.
1838 – London to Birmingham is linked by railway starting the railway boom.
1838 – The first ever photograph was taken in Britain by William Henry Fox-Talbot.
1838 – Charles Dickens publishes “Oliver Twist”.
1838 – Slavery is finally abolished over the British Empire.
1838 – Vaccination for the poor is provided free.
1839 – 1842 – Britain defeated China in the Opium War and China signed the Treaty of Nanking. Britain was given Hong Kong.
1840 – Queen Victoria marries first cousin Prince Albert
1840 – Usage of the first stamps named “Penny Blacks”.
1840 – Britain claims New Zealand as a colony.
1841 – Bristol and London are linked by The Great Western Railway offering a journey in just 4 hours.
1842 – Income tax is introduced for first time in peacetime.
1842 – John Frances tried to assassinate Queen Victoria.
1842 – Children under 10 are no longer allowed to work in Mines (The Mines Act).
1843 – Britain claims the former Boer Republic of Natal as a British colony.
1843 – Dickens publishes “A Christmas Carol”.
1844 – Children aged 8 – 13 are no longer allowed to work over 6.5 hours a day (The Factory Act).
1845 – 1849 – Around 800,000 people die in the Irish Potato Famine. Irish survivors migrate to Britain, Australia, USA and Canada.
1844 – 1845 – over 8,000km of railways is built across Britain.
1847 – Worlds first municipal park is opened in Merseyside, Liverpool
1848 – Public health act introduced to try and combat death rates.
1850 – Workhouses opened to try and help the poorest people. In return for work they are given basics including food and a bed.
1850 – Tubular Bridge is opened linking mainland North Wales to Anglesey and Holyhead for Ferries to Ireland.
1850 – Britain introduces the post box.
1851 – London is Britain’s largest city with a population of around 2.4 million.
1851 – The First free public library opens in Winchester, Hampshire.
1851 – The Great Exhibition opens at Crystal Palace.
1851 – First telegraph cable laid across English Channel.
1851 – Roughly half Britains population now live in cities.
1852 – Flushing public toilet opens in London.
1854 – Cholera Epidemic leads to people demanding clean water and sewage systems in the cities.
1854 – 1856 – The Crimean War is fought by Britain and France against Russia.
1856 – Britain and France beat Russia in the Crimean War.
1856 – Police Established in all towns and cities.
1857– Many members of the Bengal army in India mutiny.
1858 – India is now under British Rule.
1858 – Britain creates first symphony orchestra.
1859 – Big Ben enters service next to Houses of Parliment.
1859 – Charles Darwin publishes “On the Origin of Species”.
1859 – Bridge created across the River Tamar to link Devon and Cornwall.
1860 – Trams enter service in England.
1861 – Post office savings introduced for normal members of the public.
1861 – Death of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert.
1863 – First underground railway is opened under London.
1863 – Foundation of the Football Association (FA).
1864 – Boys under 10 can no longer work as Chimney Sweeps.
1865 – Foundation of The Salvation Army.
1866 – First Atlantic telegraph cable laid.
1868 – The last public hanging.
1869 – Suez Canal opens linking the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
1869 – Sainsbury’s opens in Dury Lane, London.
1870 – Schools open for 5 – 10 year olds.
1871 – The Albert Hall is opened by Victoria.
1871 – Bank holidays are introduced allowing banks to close for a few days.
1872 – Secret ballot voting is introduced.
1872 – First FA Cup Final takes place.
1875 – First man swims the English Channels in 22 hours.
1876 – Queen Victoria crowned Empress of India after control taken in 1858.
1876 – Alexander Bell invents the telephone.
1876 – Primary school is made compulsory.
1877 – First recording of a human’s voice is made.
1878 – Public electric lighting is first seen in London.
1879 – Edison invents the light bulb.
1880 – School is compulsory for 5 – 10 year olds (Education Act).
1881 – First electric power station in England opens in Goldalming.
1881 – Natural History Museum opens in Cromwell Road, London.
1883 – The First electric powered railway.
1883 – Britain takes full control of Egypt.
1887 – Britain creates colony of Nigeria in Africa.
1887 – Golden Jubilee celebrating 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign.
1887 – The Gramophone is invented.
1888 – Unsolved murders in London by “Jack the Ripper.”
1889 – New local government authorities.
1891 – Completion of New Scotland Yard.
1891 – Free education for children aged 5-13.
1894 – Parish councils are founded.
1896 – Speed limit for horseless carriages (Early Cars) is raised up to 14mph from 4mph.
1897 – Patent for radio communications is given to Gulielmo Marconi.
1899 – The second Boer War starts in South Africa.
1901 – Population of Britain has reached 40million.
1901 – Queen Victoria Passes Away ending the Victorian Era.