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Native American Day

Today (22/09/23) is Native American Day. It is observed in California on the fourth Friday of September and on different dates in Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington. It commemorates and honours Native American communities and highlights the significance of... Read more →

Published 22nd September, 2023 · 2 min read

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Today (19/09/2023) is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. The parodic holiday was created in 2002 by John Baur and Mark Summers. They decided that there should be a day where everybody talks like a pirate. The idea came to the... Read more →

Published 19th September, 2023 · 3 min read

Krishna Janmashtami

Today (06/09/2023) marks the start of Krishna Janmashtami celebrations. Krishna Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Celebrations begin today and continue into tomorrow. The date of the... Read more →

Published 6th September, 2023 · 2 min read

Rasksha Bandhan

Today (30/08/2023) marks the traditional Hindu festival, Rasksha Bandhan. Often referred to as just “Rakhi” this festival is a commemoration of the special bond between brothers and sisters. Raksha Bandhan is observed annually on the last day of the Hindu... Read more →

Published 30th August, 2023 · 1 min read

Women's Equality Day

Today (26/08/2023) is Women's Equality Day.On this day in 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution came into effect. This ended the denial of voting rights on the basis of sex. The Nineteenth Amendment was introduced to Congress... Read more →

Published 26th August, 2023 · 2 min read

Anniversary of the Birth of Marsha P. Johnson

Today (24/08/2023) marks the birthday of Marsha P. Johnson. Born Malcolm Michaels Jr., Marsha was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1945 to working class African-American parents. Although assigned male at birth, Marsha began questioning her gender from a young... Read more →

Published 24th August, 2023 · 5 min read

The Eruption of Mont Vesuvius 79CE

On this day (24/08/2023) in 79CE the eruption of Mont Vesuvius sent shockwaves through the Roman Empire. This event resulted in the destruction of hundreds of lives which have been immortalised in the famous casts scattered throughout the sites of... Read more →

Published 24th August, 2023 · 4 min read

Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

Today (23/08/23) is the Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Established by UNESCO, it memorialises the victims of the slave trade and seeks to amplify the voices of the more than fifteen million men, women, and... Read more →

Published 23rd August, 2023 · 2 min read

Dividing the Subcontinent: The Radcliffe Line and its Aftermath

“I cannot quite believe that Lord Radcliffe, a former pupil of Haileybury, knew absolutely nothing about India before it fell to him to divide Bengal and the Punjab.” – The Sphere, 11 January 1964.Today (17/08/2023) marks 76 years since the... Read more →

Published 17th August, 2023 · 11 min read

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Today (09/08/2023) is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This was established in 1994 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. It aims to raise awareness about and to protect the human rights of indigenous communities across the... Read more →

Published 9th August, 2023 · 2 min read

60 Years Since the Great Train Robbery

Today (08/08/2023) is the 60th anniversary of the Great Train Robbery, an event which has since taken on increasingly fantastical dimensions in popular media. On 8 August 1963, fifteen men set out to rob an overnight Royal Mail train. Intercepted... Read more →

Published 8th August, 2023 · 2 min read

Emancipation Day

On this day (01/08/2023) in 1834 slavery was officially abolished throughout Britain’s colonies as a result of the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act twelve months earlier. Since the sixteenth century Britain had perpetrated appalling crimes against humanity, participating in... Read more →

Published 1st August, 2023 · 3 min read

The First World War Begins

Today (28/07/2023) marks 109 years since the First World War broke out. Also known as “The Great War” due to its sheer scale and devastating impact, it was fought between the Allied Powers (Belgium, France, Italy, Russia, Serbia, the United... Read more →

Published 28th July, 2023 · 4 min read

South Asian Heritage Month 2023

This month marks the annual South Asian Heritage Month in the United Kingdom. The month, running from 18th July to 17th August, celebrates the heritage and history of South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal,... Read more →

Published 19th July, 2023 · 5 min read

Al Hijra (Islamic New Year)

Today’s (18/07/2023) sunset will mark the beginning of Al Hijra celebrations. Al Hijra, signifying the beginning of the Islamic New Year and the first day of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar), is celebrated by Muslims worldwide. It... Read more →

Published 18th July, 2023 · 1 min read

100 Years: Matrimonial Causes Act of 1923

Today (18/07/2023) marks 100 years since the passing of the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1923. Introduced as a Private Member’s Bill, the Matrimonial Causes Act granted women the right to divorce their husbands for adultery.Prior to this Act being passed... Read more →

Published 18th July, 2023 · 4 min read

Nelson Mandela International Day

"It is not our diversity which divides us; it is not our ethnicity, or religion or culture that divides us. Since we have achieved our freedom, there can only be one division amongst us: between those who cherish democracy and... Read more →

Published 18th July, 2023 · 6 min read

Emmeline Pankhurst: Born this day (15/07/1858)

Once they are aroused, once they are determined, nothing on earth and nothing in heaven will make women give way; it is impossible. [1]Emmeline Pankhurst (née Goulden) was born 165 years ago today (15/07/2023). She was a leading figure within... Read more →

Published 15th July, 2023 · 8 min read

Bastille Day

Today (14/07/2023) is Bastille Day (the "Fête nationale française"), a national holiday celebrated throughout France and its overseas territories, as well as in former French colonies, including parts of Canada and India. The event commemorates the storming of the Bastille Saint-Antoine in... Read more →

Published 14th July, 2023 · 1 min read

65 years: The Quarrymen, who later became The Beatles, record their first demo in Liverpool

Today (12/07/2023) marks 65 years since The Quarrymen recorded their first demo. The Quarrymen, formed by John Lennon in 1956, are a skiffle/rock and roll group that evolved into The Beatles in 1960. The Quarrymen still play today, the current... Read more →

Published 12th July, 2023 · 3 min read

Cornelia Sorabji: India’s First Female Lawyer

“If we want the women of the past to speak to the women of today, we must value protect and preserve their authentic voices”  —  Kate Mosse1Today (06/07/2023) marks the 69th anniversary of the death of the inspirational Cornelia Sorabji.... Read more →

Published 6th July, 2023 · 12 min read

75th Anniversary of The National Health Service

“Everyone – rich or poor, man, woman or child – can use it or any part of it”1Today (5/07/2023) marks the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS). On 5th July 1948, following the National Health Service Act of... Read more →

Published 5th July, 2023 · 8 min read

Happy Fourth of July!

On the 4th July 1776 the Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Second Continental Congress. This document brought about the formal separation of the thirteen North American British colonies from Great Britain, thereby establishing the United States of America.... Read more →

Published 4th July, 2023 · 1 min read

Eid al-Adha 2023

Today (28/06/2023) marks the Eid al-Adha religious holiday in Islam. The celebration, which is also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice”, is all about remembering the sacrifices that Prophet Ibrahim made for this faith. Following Eid prayers the act of Qurbani,... Read more →

Published 28th June, 2023 · 1 min read

Windrush Day

Today (22/06/2023) is Windrush Day, marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush to the UK. Carrying over 800 migrants from the Caribbean, the arrival of the vessel at Tilbury Docks, Essex in 1948 marked the beginning... Read more →

Published 22nd June, 2023 · 6 min read

Summer Solstice

Today marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Also known as ‘Midsummer’, it is the longest day of the year and, historically, it has been an important cultural event in many countries. In the UK, pagans often observe the... Read more →

Published 21st June, 2023 · 2 min read

650 years: The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance between England and Portugal

Marriage of King John I of Portugal to Philippa of Lancaster, 14th February 1387 650 years ago today (16/06/2023), King Edward III of England and King Ferdinand and Queen Eleanor of Portugal agreed the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty, establishing a formal alliance... Read more →

Published 16th June, 2023 · 17 min read

70 years: The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Today (02/06/2023) marks 70 years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Despite acceding to the throne on the 6th of February 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI, Elizabeth’s coronation was delayed by more than a... Read more →

Published 2nd June, 2023 · 2 min read

225 years: Outbreak of the 1798 rebellion led by the United Irishmen

Today (23/05/2023), 225 years ago, the United Irishmen launched a short, unsuccessful but nonetheless bloody and influential rebellion against British rule. Somewhere in the region of 50,000 rebels took to the field in the summer of 1798, faced by around... Read more →

Published 23rd May, 2023 · 7 min read

75 years: The British Mandate of Palestine is officially terminated as the state of Israel comes into being.

On this day (14/05/2023) 75 years ago, the British mandate for Palestine was ended and the independent state of Israel came into being.The British army occupied Palestine, formerly part of Ottoman Syria, in 1917. The British mandate was granted on... Read more →

Published 14th May, 2023 · 3 min read

African World Heritage Day

Today (05/05/2023) marks African World Heritage Day, which was proclaimed at the 38th General Conference of UNESCO in 2015. It provides an opportunity to celebrate and to reflect upon Africa’s vibrant cultural and natural heritage, encouraging us to honour the... Read more →

Published 5th May, 2023 · 5 min read

May Day (International Workers' Day)

Today (01/05/2023) is International Workers’ Day (or ‘May Day’), an annual event observed worldwide to celebrate the history of organised labour. The day is often utilised to promote current campaigns for better working and living conditions. The first May Day... Read more →

Published 1st May, 2023 · 1 min read

50 Years: The Bristol Bus Boycott

Today (30/04/2023) marks 50 years since the start of the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963. The boycott marks a significant event in the history of the civil rights movement in the UK. The boycott, which lasted between April to August... Read more →

Published 30th April, 2023 · 4 min read

100 years: The Empire Stadium, Wembley is opened to the public for the first time and holds the FA Cup Final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United football clubs

Today (28/04/2023) marks 100 years since The Empire Stadium (Wembley) opened to the public for the first time, hosting the FA Cup Final, which was played between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United. The match was attended by King George... Read more →

Published 28th April, 2023 · 2 min read

Eid al-Fitr 2023

Today marks the Eid al-Fitr religious holiday in Islam. The celebration, which falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar, is an important religious holiday for Muslims as it marks the end of the holy month of... Read more →

Published 21st April, 2023 · 1 min read

Vaisakhi 2023

Today (14/04/2023) marks Vaisakhi, one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar. Vaisakhi, also pronounced Baisakhi, is a spring festival that celebrates the year when Sikhism was born as a faith in 1699. Prior to 1699 Vaisakhi had been... Read more →

Published 14th April, 2023 · 1 min read

70 years: Ian Fleming publishes his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale

Today (13/04/2023) marks 70 years since the publication of Ian Fleming’s first novel Casino Royale, the first James Bond book, which subsequently lead to eleven more novels and two short stories written by Fleming. There have since also been numerous... Read more →

Published 13th April, 2023 · 3 min read

Easter

Easter Sunday is a significant event in Christianity, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion by the Romans. Celebrations usually begin on Palm Sunday, which alludes to the palm leaves used to greet Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, and is... Read more →

Published 9th April, 2023 · 2 min read

Good Friday

Good Friday (07/04/2023) is one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Observed during Holy Week, the most sacred week in the liturgical year for Christians, Good Friday occurs three... Read more →

Published 7th April, 2023 · 3 min read

Pesach (Passover)

In 2023, Pesach (Passover) will be celebrated from 5th to 13th April. Today (5/04/2023) marks the first day of Passover, the celebration of the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, as told in the Bible. To commemorate... Read more →

Published 5th April, 2023 · 1 min read

Independence Day of Bangladesh

On 26th March 1971 Bangladesh declared its independence from Pakistan. When Pakistan was created in 1947 it consisted of East Pakistan, present day Bangladesh and West Pakistan, present day Pakistan. The two areas were not just geographically distant, but were... Read more →

Published 26th March, 2023 · 2 min read

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Today (25/03/2023) marks the sixteenth annual International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The day was designated by the United Nations in 2007, with the purpose of honouring and remembering the lives of... Read more →

Published 25th March, 2023 · 2 min read

Ramadan 2023

Today (23/03/2023) marks the start of the Islamic holy month Ramadan. Throughout this month Muslims all across the world partake in fasting between sunrise and sunset, prayer and self-reflection. Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar, a lunar calendar... Read more →

Published 23rd March, 2023 · 1 min read

St. Patrick’s Day

Today (17/03/2023) marks Saint Patrick’s Day, Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Irish, a cultural and religious celebration held annually to celebrate Ireland’s foremost patron saint.The 17th of March was chosen as the traditionally recognised death date of Saint Patrick (c.385 –... Read more →

Published 17th March, 2023 · 2 min read

International Women’s Day 2023

Today (08/03/2023) marks International Women’s Day, an annual global holiday that commemorates cultural, political, social and economic achievements of women. It has become a focal point in the women’s rights movement, and is used to spotlight issues facing women, such... Read more →

Published 8th March, 2023 · 3 min read

Holi

Today (08/03/2023) marks the religious festival in Hinduism called Holi. This festival, also known as the “festival of colours”, commemorates the beginning of spring. Alongside this, the festival is seen as a joyful new beginning/fresh start. Usually on the eve... Read more →

Published 8th March, 2023 · 2 min read

Saint David's Day

Saint David's Day, or the Feast of Saint David, is a celebration of the patron saint of Wales. It is commemorated on the anniversary of the date of Saint David's death in 589 AD. The feast has been regularly celebrated... Read more →

Published 1st March, 2023 · 1 min read

Women’s History Month 2023

This month marks the annual Women’s History Month, a month long celebration that began in 1987 in the United States of America. Despite discrimination, hardships, and exclusion, women throughout history have strived for equality. Women’s History Month provides an opportunity... Read more →

Published 1st March, 2023 · 2 min read

International Mother Language Day 2023

“Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage” - United NationsToday (21/02/2023) marks International Mother Language Day. The annual observance, first declared in 1999, promotes awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and not... Read more →

Published 21st February, 2023 · 3 min read

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is a key event in the Christian calendar, which takes place every year before the commencement of Lent (the 40-day period leading up to Easter). For many Christians, the date is marked by the ritual burning of the... Read more →

Published 21st February, 2023 · 1 min read

Maha Shivaratri

Today (18/02/2023) is Maha Shivaratri, an annual festival dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Meaning “the Great Night of Shiva”, the festival falls in the month of Phalguna (February - March) as per the North Indian Hindu calendar and in... Read more →

Published 18th February, 2023 · 1 min read

Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun

On this day, 16th February 1923 (16/02/1923), Howard Carter unsealed the burial chamber containing the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Carter, 1874-1839, was a prominent British archaeologist and Egyptologist.The unsealing of the tomb... Read more →

Published 16th February, 2023 · 2 min read

Ten years since the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passed the House of Commons

Today (05/02/2023) marks ten years since the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passed its second reading in the UK House of Commons. The bill passed through the Commons by 400 votes to 175 and paved the way for same-sex marriage... Read more →

Published 12th February, 2023 · 2 min read

Darwin Day

Today (12/02/2023) is Darwin Day, an annual celebration that commemorates the birthday of Charles Darwin (12th February 1809 - 19th April 1882), Britain’s most famous naturalist and biologist. Known for his contributions to evolutionary biology, Darwin’s pioneering work proposed that all... Read more →

Published 12th February, 2023 · 2 min read

LGBT+ History Month

This month marks the 18th LGBT+ History Month in the United Kingdom. LGBT+ History Month is an annual observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history, as well as the history of the gay rights movement. It was founded by... Read more →

Published 12th February, 2023 · 2 min read

Black History Month - 2023

“History is a people’s memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.” – Malcolm XThis February marks Black History Month in the United States. Black History Month is an annual observance that officially began in 1970,... Read more →

Published 2nd February, 2023 · 3 min read

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

Today (27/01/2023) marks the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in south-west Poland by Allied troops. In 2005, the United Nations designated the 27th January an annual event to commemorate the horrors of the Holocaust and remember all those... Read more →

Published 27th January, 2023 · 1 min read

Burns Night

Tonight (25/01/2022) is Burns Night, a tradition observed annually throughout Scotland, on the birthday of Robert Burns (1759-1796). Burns wrote many well-known poems and songs (primarily in Scots), including "Ae Fond Kiss", "Tam o’Shanter" and, of course, "Auld Lang Syne",... Read more →

Published 25th January, 2023 · 1 min read

International Day of Education

Today (24/01/2022) is the fifth International Day of Education. Started by the United Nations in 2018, this initiative aims to promote education as a human right, as well as a key contributor to global peace and development. As the UN notes,... Read more →

Published 24th January, 2023 · 1 min read

Lunar New Year

British Online Archives would like to wish all our customers a happy Lunar New Year. From midnight on the 22nd January 2023 (22/01/2023), until the festival ends on the 1st February, China’s population and its worldwide diaspora will celebrate the... Read more →

Published 22nd January, 2023 · 1 min read

250 years: Captain James Cook and his crew become the first Europeans to sail below the Antarctic Circle.

On this day (17/01/2023), 250 years ago, Captain James Cook became the first European to discover and sail below the Antarctic Circle. Commandeering HMS Resolution in 1773 during the second of his three legendary voyages exploring the Pacific Ocean, Cook... Read more →

Published 17th January, 2023 · 3 min read

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today (16/01/2023) is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a public holiday in the United States which celebrates the birthday of one of the most influential civil rights activists of the twentieth century. Born in 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.... Read more →

Published 16th January, 2023 · 3 min read

Seventy-five years since the opening of Britain's first "supermarket"

Today (12/01/2023) marks seventy-five years since the London Co-operative Society (LCS) opened what historians often consider to be Britain’s first ever supermarket. On the 12th January 1948, a branch of the LCS inaugurated a new shop in Manor Park (now... Read more →

Published 12th January, 2023 · 2 min read

Christmas

Following the four-week season of preparation known as “Advent”, Christmas Day commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem (in what is now Palestine). Most Christians consider Jesus to have been the “Messiah”,... Read more →

Published 22nd December, 2022 · 2 min read

Winter Solstice

For those living north of the equator, today (21/12/2022) marks the annual Winter Solstice: the point at which the northern hemisphere is tilted furthest from the sun, producing the shortest day and longest night of the year, respectively. Throughout human... Read more →

Published 21st December, 2022 · 1 min read

50th anniversary of the signing of the Basic Treaty between East and West Germany

On 21/12/1972, fifty years ago today, East and West Germany signed the Basic Treaty in Berlin. In the context of the Cold War détente, this treaty marked the acknowledgement of each nation's individual sovereignty for the first time.For West Germany,... Read more →

Published 21st December, 2022 · 1 min read

One hundred years since the Irish Free State was established

In December 1922, one hundred years ago, the Irish Free State was established as a dominion of the British Empire, formally ending the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921).The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 dictated that twenty-six out of thirty-two counties in... Read more →

Published 18th December, 2022 · 2 min read

Hanukkah

Today (18/12/2022) is the first day of Hanukkah (or, more traditionally, “Chanukah”). Also known as the “festival of lights”, this eight-day holiday usually occurs between late November and December. Hanukkah commemorates a Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid Empire in Judea... Read more →

Published 18th December, 2022 · 2 min read

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

Today (02/12/2022) is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, an annual event organised by the United Nations (UN). The day marks the adoption by the UN’s General Assembly, of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in... Read more →

Published 2nd December, 2022 · 2 min read

Anniversary of Rosa Parks Arrest

Today (01/12/2022)  marks 67 years since Rosa Parks was arrested. On 1st December 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, after she had refused to give up her bus seat for a white passenger. 1950s America was segregated along... Read more →

Published 1st December, 2022 · 2 min read

Remembrance Day

This Remembrance Day (11/11/2022) marks 104 years since the end of the First World War, a global conflict that claimed the lives of over 886,000 British and Commonwealth military personnel. Inaugurated by King George V in 1919 to commemorate the signing... Read more →

Published 11th November, 2022 · 1 min read

Bonfire Night

On this day, 5th November 1605, Guy Fawkes was arrested whilst guarding explosives that were hidden under the House of Lords. This was part of the Gunpowder Plot, which was a failed attempt at regicide against King James I.Guy Fawkes... Read more →

Published 5th November, 2022 · 2 min read

Halloween

Known to many as Halloween, tonight (31/10/2022) is All Hallows’ Eve, a festival observed in many parts of the world. Traditionally, to celebrate the occasion, people carve pumpkins into “jack-o-lanterns”, don scary costumes, tell ghost stories, and go “trick-or-treating”: calling... Read more →

Published 31st October, 2022 · 1 min read

Diwali

Today (24/10/2022) marks the start of Diwali, a five-day festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains around the world. Known as the “festival of lights”, Diwali always takes place between October and November, at the start of the Hindu New... Read more →

Published 24th October, 2022 · 1 min read

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Today (11/10/2022) is Indigenous Peoples' Day. Honouring the histories and cultures of Native Americans, the day is one of the United States' newest national holidays, formally recognised for the first time by President Joe Biden in October of last year.Initiated... Read more →

Published 11th October, 2022 · 2 min read

Rabi ul-Awal

This month marks the third month in the Islamic calendar, Rabi ul-Awal. This month, which follows the month Safar, translates as “the first spring”, but due to the Islamic calendar being a lunar calendar it does not correspond to the... Read more →

Published 10th October, 2022 · 1 min read

Black History Month (UK)

October marks the start of Black History Month. The month will be marked by a commemoration and celebration of Black history and culture.Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in 1987. In the UK, Black history centers on... Read more →

Published 1st October, 2022 · 2 min read

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holy Days in the Jewish calendar, and normally takes place in September. The two-day holiday began at sunset on Sunday the 25th, and will end tonight. This is an especially important celebration... Read more →

Published 27th September, 2022 · 1 min read

Anniversary of the Death of Noor Inayat Khan

Today, 13th September, marks 78 years since Noor Inayat Khan was executed in a Nazi concentration camp. Descendant of Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India, Noor Inyat Khan was the first female... Read more →

Published 13th September, 2022 · 3 min read

Women's Equality Day

Today (26/08/2020) is Women's Equality DayOn this day, 26th August 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution came into effect and ended the denial of voting rights on the basis of sex. The Nineteenth Amendment was first introduced... Read more →

Published 26th August, 2022 · 2 min read

Anniversary of the Birth of Marsha P. Johnson

Today (24/08/2022) is the birthday of Marsha P. Johnson, an African-American performer and activist who played a major role in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, both in the United States and abroad. Marsha was born in New Jersey in 1945,... Read more →

Published 24th August, 2022 · 4 min read

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

Today (23/08/2022) is International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition"It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all, and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual. Today, let... Read more →

Published 23rd August, 2022 · 2 min read

Partition of the Indian Subcontinent 75 Years

2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the partition of the Indian subcontinent. After more than 300 years of British rule, on 15th August 1947 the Indian subcontinent gained its independence and was partitioned into two independent nation states: India and... Read more →

Published 15th August, 2022 · 3 min read

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Today (09/08/2022) marks the annual celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The day was first pronounced in 1994 by the General Assembly of the United Nations and aims to raise awareness and protect the human rights... Read more →

Published 9th August, 2022 · 2 min read

Emancipation Day

On this date, in 1834, slavery was officially abolished throughout Britain’s colonies, following the approval of the Slavery Abolition Act, twelve months earlier. Since the 16th century, Britain had perpetrated appalling crimes against humanity, participating in a trade that saw... Read more →

Published 1st August, 2022 · 3 min read

Esperanto Day

Today (26/07/2022) is Esperanto Day, an event observed every year to celebrate the birth of the Esperanto language. On this date, in 1887, Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof – a Jewish ophthalmologist from what is now Poland – published the world’s first Esperanto... Read more →

Published 26th July, 2022 · 1 min read

South Asian Heritage Month 2022

This month marks the annual South Asian Heritage Month in the United Kingdom. The month, running from 18th July to 17th August, celebrates the heritage and history of South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal,... Read more →

Published 18th July, 2022 · 2 min read

Emmeline Pankhurst

Emmeline Pankhurst (née Goulden), the British suffragette known for her uncompromising militancy in pursuit of women’s right to vote, was born on this day in 1858. (15/07)Born in Manchester’s Moss Side, Pankhurst’s family was one steeped in ardent political activism.... Read more →

Published 15th July, 2022 · 3 min read

Bastille Day

Today (14/07/2022) is Bastille Day (the ‘Fête nationale française’), a national holiday celebrated throughout France and its overseas territories every year, as well as in former French colonies, including parts of Canada and India. The event commemorates the storming of the... Read more →

Published 14th July, 2022 · 1 min read

Eid al-Adha

Today (09/07/2022) marks the Eid al-Adha religious holiday in Islam. The celebration, which is also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice”, is all about remembering the sacrifices that Prophet Ibrahim made for this faith. Following Eid prayers the act of Qurbani,... Read more →

Published 9th July, 2022 · 1 min read

50th Anniversary of First Official UK Gay Pride Rally

"We Are Nature's Children Too" - Gay Pride March, (1974)This month marks fifty years since the first official UK Gay Pride rally, which took place in London on the 1st of July 1972. Now known as the annual ‘London Pride’... Read more →

Published 5th July, 2022 · 2 min read

Happy July 4th

BOA would like to wish all who celebrate a happy July 4th.Did you know that while fireworks are considered a ubiquitous part of Independence Day celebrations these days, the modern firework wasn’t invented until the 1830s?While some iteration of firework... Read more →

Published 4th July, 2022 · 1 min read

Windrush Day

Today, (June 22, 2022), marks the fifth annual Windrush Day in the United Kingdom. This commemorative day was introduced in June 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Windrush migration. On June 22, 1948, over 1,000 people from the Caribbean... Read more →

Published 22nd June, 2022 · 2 min read

Summer Solstice

Today marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Also known as ‘Midsummer’, this is the longest day of the year and, historically, it has been an important cultural event in many countries. In the UK, pagans often observe the summer... Read more →

Published 21st June, 2022 · 1 min read

World Ocean Day

World Ocean Day has been celebrated every June since 1992, when it was first instigated by the International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada, respectively.The organisation’s network now operates in 150 countries, raising awareness about the... Read more →

Published 8th June, 2022 · 1 min read

Eid al-Fitr

Today (02/05/2022) marks the Eid al-Fitr religious holiday in Islam. The celebration, which falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar, is an important religious holiday for Muslims as it marks the end of the holy month... Read more →

Published 2nd May, 2022 · 1 min read

May Day (International Workers’ Day)

Today (01/05/2022) is International Workers’ Day (or ‘May Day’), an annual event observed all over the world to celebrate the history of organised labour, and to campaign for better working and living conditions. The first May Day event took place... Read more →

Published 1st May, 2022 · 1 min read

Easter

Today is Easter Sunday, the most important event of the Christian calendar. Marking the end of Lent (a period of remembrance lasting for 40 days, in which many Christians give up certain luxuries, such as eating unhealthy foods, drinking alcohol,... Read more →

Published 17th April, 2022 · 1 min read

Pesach (Passover)

Pesach (Passover) Today (15/04/2022) marks the first day of Passover, the celebration of the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, as told in the Bible. To commemorate the Exodus, in which Moses led the Israelites away from persecution... Read more →

Published 15th April, 2022 · 1 min read

Ramadam

Today (02/04/2022) marks the start of the Islamic holy month Ramadan. Throughout this month Muslims all across the world partake in fasting between sunrise and sunset, prayer and self-reflection. Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar, a lunar calendar... Read more →

Published 2nd April, 2022 · 1 min read

Women's History Month

This March marks the annual Women’s History Month, a month long celebration that began in 1987 in the United States of America. Despite discrimination, hardships, and exclusion, women throughout history have strived for equality. Women’s History Month provides an opportunity... Read more →

Published 30th March, 2022 · 7 min read

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Between the 16th and the 19th centuries, approximately 15 million people were violently removed from Africa and transported to the Americas. Those who survived the ‘middle passage’ across the Atlantic (and their successors) were subsequently enslaved and, for the most... Read more →

Published 25th March, 2022 · 1 min read

St Patrick’s Day

Today (17/03/2022) marks Saint Patrick’s Day, Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Irish, a cultural and religious celebration held annually to celebrate Ireland’s foremost patron saint.The 17th March was chosen as the traditionally recognised death date of Saint Patrick (c.385 – 461).... Read more →

Published 17th March, 2022 · 2 min read

FA Cup - 150th Anniversary

Today (16/03/2022) marks the 150th Anniversary of the first ever Football Association Cup Final, in which Wanderers Football Club beat Royal Engineers Football Club 1-0 in front of a crowd of 2000. The scene would instill a degree of confusion... Read more →

Published 16th March, 2022 · 1 min read

International Women’s Day (IWD)

International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on 8th March. This day commemorates cultural, political, social and economic achievements of women. It has become a focal point in the women’s rights movement, and is used to spotlight issues... Read more →

Published 8th March, 2022 · 3 min read

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is a key event in the Christian calendar, which takes place every year before the commencement of Lent (the 40-day period leading up to Easter). For many Christians, Lent is a time of sacrifice, when it is customary to... Read more →

Published 1st March, 2022 · 1 min read

International Mother Language Day

“Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage” - United NationsThe 21st February marks International Mother Language Day. The annual observance, first declared in 1999, promotes awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and... Read more →

Published 21st February, 2022 · 3 min read

50th Anniversary of Nixons's Visit to China

Today (21/02/2022) marks the 50th anniversary of President Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, which signaled the end of the decades long hostility between the two nations. Since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the US... Read more →

Published 21st February, 2022 · 2 min read

Darwin Day

Today (12/02/2022) is Darwin DayCharles Darwin is perhaps Britain’s most famous naturalist and biologist, known for his contribution to the theory of evolutionary biology. On the Origin of Species (1859), in which Darwin posits the idea that populations evolve over... Read more →

Published 12th February, 2022 · 1 min read

Black History Month (US)

“History is a people’s memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.” – Malcolm XThis February marks Black History Month in the United States. Black History Month is an annual observance that officially began in 1970,... Read more →

Published 9th February, 2022 · 2 min read

70th Anniversary of the Accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the British Throne

Today (06/02/2022) marks the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the British throne. Elizabeth Windsor is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, as well as the longest-serving female head of state in history.On this day in... Read more →

Published 4th February, 2022 · 2 min read

LGBT History Month

This month marks the 17th LGBT History Month in the United Kingdom. LGBT History month is an annual observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history and the history of the gay rights movement. It was founded by co-chairs of... Read more →

Published 2nd February, 2022 · 2 min read

Chinese New Year

The whole team at British Online Archives would like to wish all our customers a happy Lunar New Year. When the clock strikes 00:00 on February 1st, China’s population and its worldwide diaspora will celebrate the coming of the Year... Read more →

Published 31st January, 2022 · 2 min read

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

Today (27/01/2022) marks the 77th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in south-west Poland by troops from the Soviet Union. Since then, the 27th of January has come to commemorate the horrors of the Holocaust and remember all those who... Read more →

Published 27th January, 2022 · 1 min read

Burns Night

Tonight (25/01/2022) is Burns Night, a tradition observed annually throughout Scotland, on the birthday of Robert Burns (1759-1796). Burns wrote many well-known poems and songs (primarily in Scots), including ‘Ae Fond Kiss’, ‘Tam o’Shanter’ and, of course, ‘Auld Lang Syne’,... Read more →

Published 25th January, 2022 · 1 min read

International Day of Education

Today (24/01/2022) is the fourth International Day of Education. Started by the United Nations in 2018, this initiative aims to promote education as a human right, as well as a key contributor to global peace and development. As the UN notes,... Read more →

Published 24th January, 2022 · 1 min read

Martin Luther King Day

Today (17/01/2022) the U.S. remembers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Dr. King was a leader of the civil rights movement in the U.S.In 1955 he led the Montgomery bus boycott, which lasted 382 days, and ended segregation on buses. Between 1957... Read more →

Published 17th January, 2022 · 1 min read

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

The 2nd December marks International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, it is a yearly event organised by the United Nations General Assembly. Slavery has existed in all societies across history, however, it has manifested itself differently. The most well-known... Read more →

Published 2nd December, 2021 · 2 min read

34th Black History Month (UK)

October 2021 marks the 34th Black History Month in the United Kingdom. Black History Month is an annual observance that originated in the United States in 1970. However, as a result of local community activism it was also brought to... Read more →

Published 12th October, 2021 · 3 min read

Human Rights Day

Today (10/12/2021) is Human Rights Day“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home -- so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. [...] Unless these rights... Read more →

Published 10th October, 2021 · 3 min read