1908 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1908 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

*Monarch - Edward VII of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Liberal (until 3 April), H. H. Asquith, Liberal

Events

* 1 January
** Nimrod Expedition: Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the "Nimrod" for Antarctica.
** Harry Bensley leaves for his would-be trip around the world pushing a pram and wearing an iron mask, beginning from Trafalgar Square in London.
* 24 January - Robert Baden-Powell begins the Boy Scout movement.
* 1 April - The Territorial Army is founded.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 340-341|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 7 April - Campbell-Bannerman resigns as Prime Minister, on the grounds of health; replaced by Asquith.
* 8 April - David Lloyd George becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer, while Winston Churchill enters the cabinet for the first time, as President of the Board of Trade.
* 27 April–31 October
** 1908 Summer Olympics held in London.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
** The Great Britain and Ireland team win 56 gold, 51 silver and 39 bronze medals at the London Olympics.
* 11 May - the foundation of the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool laid.
* 21 June - First large suffragette rally, in London.
* August - Queen's University, Belfast established.
* 16 October - Samuel Cody makes the first aeroplane flight in Britain, taking off from Farnborough, Hampshire.
* 14 November - Elizabeth Garrett Anderson is the first woman in England to be elected as a mayor (of Aldeburgh).
* 10 December - The National Farmers Union founded.

Undated

* First Ideal Home Exhibition held.

Publications

* "The Children's Encyclopedia" is first published.
* G. K. Chesterton's novel "The Man Who Was Thursday" and his book "Orthodoxy".
* W. H. Davies' autobiography "The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp".
* E. M. Forster's novel "A Room with a View".
* Kenneth Grahame's children's novel "The Wind in the Willows".
* Robert Baden-Powell's book "Scouting for Boys".

Births

* 8 January - William Hartnell, actor (died 1975)
* 5 February - Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twin actresses (died 1969)
* 11 February - Vivian Ernest Fuchs, geologist and explorer (died 1999)
* 22 February - John Mills, actor (died 2005)
* 5 March - Rex Harrison, actor (died 1990)
* 20 March - Michael Redgrave, actor (died 1985)
* 25 March - David Lean, film director (died 1991)
* 28 May - Ian Fleming, writer (died 1964)
* 30 June - Winston Graham, writer (died 2003)
* 25 July - Bill Bowes, cricketer (died 1987)
* 21 August - M. M. Kaye,writer (died 2004)
* 23 August - Hannah Frank, artist and sculptor
* 6 September - Louis Essen, physicist (died 1997)
* 19 October - Sydney MacEwan, singer (died 1990)
* 2 November - Fred Bakewell, cricketer (died 1983)
* 20 November - Alistair Cooke, journalist (died 2004)
* 26 November - Charles Forte, businessman
* "date unknown" - George Rodger, photojournalist (died 1995)

Deaths

* 25 January - Ouida, writer (born 1839)
* 20 April - Henry Chadwick, baseball writer and historian (born 1824)
* 22 April - Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Prime Minister (born 1836)
* 22 July - William Randal Cremer, politician and pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (born 1828)

References

ee also