|
|
|
1871 - 18801871 April 2: Fourth full British census June 29: Trades Unions legalised in Britain 1872 Secret Ballot introduced in Britain (no further Poll Books produced) Licensing hours introduced Penalties introduced for failing to register births, marriages &
deaths (Eng & Wales) 1874 Factory Act introduces 56-hour week 1875 London's main sewage system completed Captain Webb swims channel Submarine invented Artisan's Dwellings Act Climbing Boys Act passed 1876 Bell invents telephone Annual centralised list of Scottish Wills from now (and most from 1823
also) Civil Registration of deaths in Isle of Man started Victoria proclaimed Empress of India 1877 On November 20 Thomas Edison shouted
"Mary had a little lamb" into a machine he had built in Menlo Park, New Jersey,
then played the sound back. It was the first time anyone had ever recorded and reproduced
a sound. Edison's first records consisted of tinfoil wrapped around a cylinder. Sound
waves were recorded by variations in the depth of the grooves. Later his cylinders were
coated with wax instead of tin. Primitive by modern standards, these early gramophones, or
phonographs seemed miraculous at the time. First tennis championships at Wimbledon 1878 Edison & Swan invent electric lamp 1879 First telephone exchanges opened in London & Manchester Tay Bridge Disaster – bridge collapsed in storm taking train with it
– enquiry revealed corners had been cut during construction to reduce costs 1880 Education Act: schooling compulsory for 5-10 year olds
|
|
|
