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TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1950-01-04In 1951 Chinese and North Korean troops were said to be close to capturing the South Korean capital city of Seoul for a second time since the war began. South Korea was invaded by the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) in June 1950, but after UN intervention they had been forced back into their own country and pursued by UN Forces. When the NKPA’s defeat seemed certain the Chinese Communist Forces (CFF) joined the North Korean forces for this counter-strike. UN forces regained control of Seoul in March 1951. After many failed attempts at peace talks, a demilitarised zone was set up between the two countries which still exists today.1950-01-21In 1950 George Orwell died. The writer of political novels such as ‘Animal Farm’ and 1984 died on this day in 1950 from a haemorrhage in a London hospital after his three-year battle with tuberculosis. George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair on June 25, 1903, in Motihari, British India, was a British writer, journalist, and critic known for his profound insights into politics, society, and human nature. His works, including Animal Farm and 1984, have become cornerstones of modern literature and political thought, exploring themes such as authoritarianism, propaganda, and social justice. Early Life Orwell was born into a middle-class family with connections to the British Empire. Educated at prestigious institutions like Eton College, he later chose a non-traditional path, rejecting his privileged background to live among the working class and explore the realities of poverty. Political Awakening and Literary Beginnings After serving in the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, Orwell resigned, disillusioned by colonial oppression. His experiences in Burma and later among...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1949-04-17  On this day in 1949 Ireland or Eire officially became the Republic of Ireland. Following the “Easter Uprising” (24th-30th of April 1916) public support for the Irish Republican Party had grown. On the 14th of December 1918 as part of the United Kingdom's general elections, votes cast in Ireland gave overwhelming support for the Irish Republican Party, (called Sinn Fein). However there was still massive support for the Unionist Party in the northern province of Ulster (this region would later become Northern Ireland).  Instead of the elected members of Sinn Fein attending the Imperial Parliament in London, Sinn Fein created their own Parliament in Dublin called the ‘First Dáil Eirean’ (first Irish Assembly). On the 21st of January 1919 Sinn Fein declared Ireland’s Independence from the United Kingdom. On the same day two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) were shot dead. This was the beginning of the Irish War of Independence. A large group of Irish gorilla fighters formed (some from the Irish Volunteers) and by September of 1919 they would be known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The IRA began “liberating” weapons for their cause from the UK forces. The UK declared both Sinn Fein and their government illegal and sent in troops. But with the army recovering from the losses of WWI many of the troops sent were ex-soldiers. The influx of soldiers in their tanned uniform and the black uniform of the police led to their nick name of ‘Black and Tan’. Many of the troops acted less than professionally, drunk brash and badly organised. The IRA were able to...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1948-06-08In 1948 George Orwell’s classic novel Nineteen Eighty-four was first published. Nineteen Eighty-Four is the story of a totalitarian future, where the oppression of the population resembles that of the people under Stalin and Franco’s regimes but to a greater extent. This work has given the English language many additional words and phrases including Room 101, Thought Police, Big Brother, doublethink and thoughtcrime. It has been seen as a warning as to what can happen in a society without freedom of speech and with the oppression of people's ideas or points of view.1948-06-20In 1948 the Deutsch Mark was introduced to West Germany. After World War II tougher restrictions were put on Germany compared with the First World War. Part of the restrictions included the country being put under the control of the major powers of the ‘Allies’ (United Kingdom, United States, France and Russia) with each country controlling a section. Each of the four countries also controlled part of the German capital of Berlin which is situated deep within what was soviet controlled Germany. When the United States, the United Kingdom and France discussed merging their sections to form West Germany, the Soviet Union was outraged. This outrage grew when on the 20th of June 1948 they introduced the Deutsche Mark to their regions. By the 24th of June 1948, the Soviet Union set up a blockade preventing all supplies to the would-be West Berlin. For eleven months the United Kingdom and the United States flew in supplies (mainly fuel). On this day the Soviet blockade was lifted and on the 23rd of May 1949 the Western areas were united as the Federal Republic of...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1947-08-14  In 1947 Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom.   The government of the United Kingdom passed the Indian Independence act in 1947 which received royal ascent on the 8th of July that year making it law. The act gave independence to the subcontinent of India which had previously been under British rule. However western India had expressed its desire to become an independent dominion separate from the rest of India and therefore the act proclaimed that both India and the new dominion of Pakistan would gain there independence as of midnight between the 14th and 15th of August 1947. Pakistan now celebrate their independence on the 14th of August each year while India celebrate their independence on the 15th each year.    1947-08-15  In 1947 control of India has transferred from Britian to the Indian people.   The East India Company was formed in 1600 just as England began to make its mark as a world trading nation. The company was set up to trade with the East Indies and the company grew quickly and soon became involved in at least half of the worlds trade. With its growing success it became extremely powerful, and even had its own private army.   During the “Seven Years War” (1754-1763) on the 23rd of June 1757 the British East India Company fought against the forces of newly appointed Nawab (Asian prince) Siraj-ud-daulah and his allies of the French East India Company. The British were hugely outnumbered but won the battle. This gave the British East India Company control of Bengal and over the next hundred years their...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1946-01-10In 1946 the first meeting of the United Nations convened in London, England. The founding document, the United Nations Charter, was signed on June 26, 1945, in San Francisco by 51 nations and came into force on October 24, 1945. The same fifty-one nations attended the first general assembly held on this day in 1946 at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. The United Nations replaced the League of Nations that disbanded shortly after World War I having failed in its main task of preventing global conflicts. It now has 193 member states, representing nearly all recognized sovereign nations with many more responsibilities. The Security Council is Responsible for maintaining peace and security. It has 15 members, including five permanent members with veto power (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US) and ten elected members. The veto power of the five permanent Security Council members is often seen as undemocratic and can lead to gridlock. Despite the failings of the Security Council the UN has many more responsibilities which aid the world including the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which Coordinates the UN’s economic, social, and environmental work and oversees specialized agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The UN is also responsible for the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Based in The Hague, it settles legal disputes between states and provides advisory opinions on international legal issues.  1946-04-20...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1945-01-16In 1945 Hitler descended into his bunker for the last months of the war. Hitler’s bunker situated 55ft below ground had its own water and electricity supply for the 18-roomed complex. Here Hitler remained with his companion (and soon-to-be wife) Eva Braun as well as his Alsatian called Blondi, for 105 days until both Hitler and Eva committed suicide. Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany, spent his final days in the Führerbunker, an underground bunker in Berlin, as the Allied forces closed in on the city during the final stages of World War II. The Führerbunker was part of a larger underground complex beneath the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. Constructed in 1936 and expanded in 1944, it was designed as a secure air-raid shelter and command centre for Nazi leadership. The Vorbunker (upper section) served as living quarters for staff. The Führerbunker (lower section) was deeper underground and housed Hitler’s private quarters and office. It was reinforced with thick concrete walls and ceilings, designed to withstand heavy bombing. By April 1945, Soviet forces had surrounded Berlin, and the city was under relentless bombardment. Hitler retreated to the Führerbunker on January 16, 1945, where he directed the war effort in its final stages. The atmosphere in the bunker was tense and claustrophobic, with senior Nazi officials, military staff, and Hitler’s close associates confined to the space. As the Allies advanced, reports of defeats intensified the despair and paranoia among those present. On April 29, 1945, Hitler married Eva Braun, his long-time companion, in a brief ceremony within the bunker. Hitler refused to flee Berlin, insisting he would not be captured...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1944-01-27In 1944 the siege of Leningrad was finally over after 872 days (known as the 900-day siege). When the Germans could not take Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), the second largest city in the USSR (United Soviet States of Russia), Hitler ordered his troops to lay siege. It was one of the most devastating and prolonged sieges in modern history, lasting from September 8, 1941, to January 27, 1944, during World War II. Despite the unimaginable hardships, Leningrad’s citizens displayed remarkable resilience. Cultural life persisted as a form of defiance against the enemy. One of the most iconic moments was the performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, written during the siege and played by the Leningrad Symphony Orchestra in 1942. Broadcast across the city and beyond, it became a powerful symbol of Soviet resistance. The frozen surface of Lake Ladoga became the city’s only lifeline during the siege. Dubbed the Road of Life, this perilous route allowed for the transport of food and supplies during winter, as well as the evacuation of some civilians. However, German artillery and airstrikes constantly threatened these critical operations, making the journey extremely dangerous. Soviet forces launched numerous counteroffensives to break the siege. In January 1943, they succeeded in opening a narrow land corridor, slightly easing the city’s plight. The complete liberation of Leningrad occurred a year later, on January 27, 1944, marking a decisive Soviet victory. The Siege of Leningrad left an indelible mark on the city and its people. Over 1 million civilians and 300,000 soldiers perished, and the psychological scars of the ordeal lasted for decades. In recognition of their extraordinary...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1943-01-14In 1943 Soviet forces penetrated a section of the German Siege of Leningrad. In June 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of the Soviet Union. One of Adolf Hitler’s strategic objectives was the capture of Leningrad, the Soviet Union's second-largest city in Russia, an industrial powerhouse, and a cultural hub. The city held immense symbolic significance as the cradle of the Russian Revolution. As German forces, along with Finnish troops from the north, advanced toward the city, the Soviet government and Red Army hastily organized defensive efforts. Factories were repurposed to produce weapons, civilians were mobilized to build fortifications, and soldiers were prepared to hold the city at all costs. The Siege of Leningrad, one of the longest and most harrowing sieges in modern history, began on September 8, 1941, and lasted until January 27, 1944. For 872 days, the city of Leningrad (modern-day St. Petersburg) endured a brutal blockade imposed by Nazi Germany and its allies, resulting in immense suffering and loss of life. German and Finnish forces had effectively surrounded Leningrad, cutting off all land routes for supplies. The city's only lifeline was Lake Ladoga, through which supplies could be transported via a precarious route known as the Road of Life, initially by boat and later across the frozen lake during winter. Food supplies quickly dwindled, and rationing was introduced. By the winter of 1941-42, the daily bread ration for civilians dropped to as low as 125 grams (less than a slice of bread). Starvation claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. People resorted to desperate measures, including eating pets, and wallpaper paste, and, in extreme cases,...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1942-02-02In 1942 Vidkun Quisling, the Nazi collaborator established himself as Prime minister of German-occupied Norway. Quisling was a Norwegian commander and Nazi sympathiser who on the 9th of April 1940 gave the order to permit the Germans safe passage into Norwegian ports allowing them to slip through the mines laid by the British. This allowed thousands of troops to enter Norway and take control of the country. When the Norwegian government refused to surrender they were replaced by more controllable councillors, the chief of these was Quisling. Quisling sent many of his fellow countrymen to German concentration camps, buying favour with his German overlords. At the end of World War II Quisling was tried for treason and executed.1942-06-04  On this day in 1942, the Battle of Midway began. After the attack on Pearl Harbour (on the 7th of December 1941), the Japanese fleet continued to dominate the Pacific Ocean and conquer resource-rich islands in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. They destroyed anything in their path including British Battleships. Meanwhile, the United States had been salvaging the ships damaged at Pearl Harbour. They had managed to repair all but one of the sunk Battleships and within six months the United States were ready to strike back. Between the 4th and 8th of May 1942, the United States and Australian Naval vessels encountered the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Coral Sea with equal damage on both sides they both retreated. During the Battle two of the Japanese Aircraft carriers, the Shokaku and the Zuikaku, could not continue fighting. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Naval fleet had planned...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1941-03-11In 1941 the ‘Lend-Lease’ as devised by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt went into effect The Lend-Lease Act provided money and materials to Great Britain and its allies against Germany in World War II. Roosevelt wanted to find a way to help the Allies while officially staying Neutral and devised this act allowing the president to “sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government [whose defence the President deems vital to the defence of the United States] any defence article". Its official title was “An Act Further to Promote the Defense of the United States” and based on the reasoning that if you help your neighbour defend their home you effectively enhance the security of your own (it was also well known that this war may well come to the United States and helping Britain and her allies would help America). The military hardware was made available on the understanding that if an item was destroyed it would be paid for and if it was un-damaged it would be returned for free. To sell this to the American public, the majority of whom wanted to remain neutral, FDR compared the situation to a neighbour’s house being on fire and them wanting to borrow a hose "I don't say... 'Neighbor, my garden hose cost me $15; you have to pay me $15 for it' - I don't want $15 — I want my garden hose back after the fire is over."  On this day the Lend-Lease act became law and gave the Allies much needed resources and boosted morale.1941-04-17   On this...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1940-01-08In 1940 food rationing was introduced to Great Britain. Initially, bacon, butter and sugar were the only items that were rationed, using books of coupons for the items but later many more food items as well as petrol, clothes and soup would be added to the list. The rationing started due to supply lines and production being hampered by the Germans in World War II. The government launched initiatives like “Dig for Victory”, encouraging citizens to grow their own food in gardens, allotments, and even public parks. Recipes and cooking tips were widely circulated to help people make the most of rationed ingredients, with a focus on minimizing waste. Although rationing meant restrictions, it also led to healthier diets for many Britons, as people consumed fewer fats and sugars and relied more on vegetables and whole grains. It also increased the sense of shared sacrifice and fostered community spirit during the war. Rationing did not end with the war's conclusion in 1945. It continued into the post-war years due to economic challenges and food shortages. The last rationing restrictions were lifted in 1954, marking the end of a system that had lasted nearly 15 years.1940-05-10  On this day in 1940 First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In September 1938 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler at his Mountain top retreat. Hitler said he would invade Czechoslovakia unless Britain supported his plans to take Sudetenland (an area of Czechoslovakia around its border with Germany and full of German loyalists). Chamberlain discussed the situation with French leader, Edouard Daladier, and they met...

TIMELINE 1900's DateTypeEvent1939-08-25In 1939, the United Kingdom signed a military alliance treaty with Poland. On the 31st of March 1939, Britain and France pledged their support for Poland in the event that Poland was invaded.  This came when the threat of invasion by German forces was proving inevitable since Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia on the 15th of March that year. The declaration was made to Poland in the event of an invasion by any force, but had been drawn up with Hitler specifically in mind. On the 25th of August, the ‘Polish-British Common Defence Act’ was signed, pushing back Hitler’s planned invasion date. But it didn’t deter Hitler entirely, and on the 1st of September 1939, he invaded Poland. In response, Britain and France declared War on Germany on the 3rd of September 1939.1939-09-01In 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Five German armies totalling 1.5 million troops advance on Poland on several fronts while their planes attack from the air, bombing cities including the capital of Warsaw. This undeclared act of war without provocation angered the world, while England and France prepared for war with Germany in response. In February 1938, the Austrian Chancellor Dr. Kurt von Schuschnigg met with German leader, Hitler, to reassert Austria’s sovereignty. In the meeting, Hitler bullied the Austrian chancellor into allowing Nazi officers to fill high positions in the Austrian government, threatening that if he didn’t comply, then German forces would march in and take the country by force. Dr Schuschnigg attempted to hold a referendum in the country on the 9th of March, but before the vote could be taken, Hitler pressured the chancellor into resigning, and on the 12th of March 1938, Hitler rolled into Austria with his...