22 July
Paris–Rouen, Le Petit Journal Horseless Carriages Contest, was a pioneering city-to-city motoring competition held on this day in 1894 which is sometimes described as the world’s first competitive motor race. Continue reading “1894 – The Paris-Rouen motor race”
3 June
Lin Tse-hsü destroys 1.2 million kg of opium confiscated from British merchants, providing Britain with a casus belli to open hostilities, resulting in the First Opium War. Continue reading “1839 – Humen, China”
The Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish Republican organization who were based in the United States, on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland.
10 May
The National Gallery in London opens to the public on this day in 1824.
2 May
Cree and Assiniboine warriors win the Battle of Cut Knife, their largest victory over Canadian forces during the North-West Rebellion.
24 March
HMS Eurydice was a 26-gun Royal Navy corvette which was the victim of one of Britain’s worst peace-time naval disasters when she sank in 1878. Continue reading “1878 – The British frigate HMS Eurydice sinks, killing more than 300”
13 March
The Battle of Khartoum, Siege of Khartoum was the conquest of Egyptian held Khartoum by the Mahdist forces led by Muhammad Ahmad. Egypt had held the city for some time prior, but the siege that the Mahdists engineered and carried out from 13 March, 1884, to January 26, 1885 was enough to wrest control away from the Egyptian administration. Continue reading “1884 – The Siege of Khartoum, Sudan begins”
