1914 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1914 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

* Monarch - George V of the United Kingdom
* Prime Minister - H. H. Asquith, Liberal

Events

* 10 March - Suffragette Mary Richardson damages the Diego Velázquez painting "Rokeby Venus" in the National Gallery, London with a meat chopper.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/timeline/1910.shtml|title=BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour - Women's History Timeline: 1910 - 1919|accessdate=2007-09-25]
* 29 March - Katherine Routledge and her husband arrive in Easter Island to make the first true study of it (departs August 1915).
* 9 April - Showing of the first colour film in Britain — "The World, the Flesh and the Devil".cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 11 April - first British performance of George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion" in London.
* 9 May - J.T. Hearne becomes the first bowler to take 3000 first-class wickets.
* 25 May - The United Kingdom's House of Commons passes Irish Home Rule.
* 23 June
** the Royal Naval Air Service established.
** Kiel Canal reopened (having been deepened) by the Kaiser; Visit of the British Fleet under Sir G. Warrender: Kaiser inspects the Dreadnought HMS "King George V".
* 14 July - Government of Ireland Amending Bill passed by House of Lords.
* 4 August - World War I: German troops invade neutral Belgium. Britain declares war on Germany after the latter fails to respect Belgian neutrality.
* 9 August
** The HMS Birmingham sinks the German submarine Unterseeboot 15, the first by the Royal Navy.
** Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: Ernest Shackleton sets sail on the "Endurance" in an attempt to cross Antarctica.
* 23 August - World War I: In the first major action for the British Expeditionary Force, they defeat the German forces at the Battle of Mons.
* 28 August - The Battle of Heligoland - British cruisers under admiral Beatty sink three German cruisers.
* 5 September - London Agreement: no member of Triple Entente (Britain, France, or Russia) may seek a separate peace with Central Powers.
* 5 September–12 September - First Battle of the Marne begins: Northeast of Paris, the British Expeditionary Force and the French 6th Army under General Maunoury attack German forces nearing Paris. Over 2 million fight (500,000 killed/wounded) in the Allied victory.
* 13 September–28 September - The First Battle of the Aisne involving British, French forces against German Empire.
* 18 September– The Third Irish Home Rule Bill becomes law, giving Home Rule to the whole of Ireland, but is suspended until the end of the War.
* 19 October–22 November - World War I: The First Battle of Ypres fought between British, French and German forces in Ypres in Belgium.
* 1 November - World War I: Battle of Coronel fought - A Royal Navy squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock is met and defeated by the superior German forces led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee. This is the first British naval defeat of the war.
* 5 November - Britain annexes Cyprus and declares war on the Ottoman Empire.
* 8 December - World War I: The Battle of the Falkland Islands results in a decisive British victory over the German fleet. [cite book |title= The Hutchinson Factfinder |publisher= Helicon |year= 1999 |isbn= 1-85986-000-1|pages=483]
* 9 December - Britain's first aircraft carrier, "HMS Ark Royal", commissioned.
* 24 December
** World War I: British and German soldiers interrupted World War I to celebrate Christmas, beginning the Christmas truce.
** World War I: Britain is bombed for the first time when a German aircraft drops a bomb over Dover.

Publications

* "The Times Literary Supplement" published as a separate publication for the first time.
* James Joyce's anthology "Dubliners".

Births

* 13 January - Ted Willis, television dramatist and author (died 1992)
* 15 January - Hugh Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton, historian (died 2003)
* 4 February - Ida Lupino, actress, director, and writer (died 1995)
* 5 February - Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (died 1998)
* 20 February - Peter Rogers, film producer
* 14 March - Bill Owen, actor (died 1999)
* 2 April - Alec Guinness, actor (died 2000)
* 13 May - Phil Drabble, author and TV personality (died 2007)
* 28 May - W. G. G. Duncan Smith, World War II pilot (died 1996)
* 13 June - Freddie Franklin, ballet dancer and choreographer
* 26 June - Laurie Lee, poet and author (died 1997)
* 10 July - Charles Donnelly, poet (died 1937)
* 15 July - Hammond Innes, author (died 1998)
* 10 August - Ken Annakin, film director
* 20 August - Colin MacInnes, novelist (died 1976)
* 5 September - Stuart Freeborn, make-up artist
* 11 September - Sidney Hart, trade unionist and religious administrator (died 2005)
* 12 September - Desmond Llewelyn, actor (died 1999)
* 18 September - Jack Cardiff, cinematographer, director and photographer
* 20 September - Kenneth More, actor (died 1982)
* 23 September - Bethsabée de Rothschild, philanthropist and patron of dance (died 1999)
* 27 October - Dylan Thomas, poet and author (died 1953)
* 28 October - Richard Laurence Millington Synge, chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1994)
* 12 December - Patrick O'Brian, writer (died 2000)

Deaths

* 1 March - Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto (born 1845)
* 2 May - John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, husband of Princess Louise of the United Kingdom (born 1845)
* 19 June - Brandon Thomas, actor and playwright (born 1850)
* 2 July - Joseph Chamberlain, politician (born 1836)
* 7 August - Charles Davis Lucas, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1834)
* 11 November - A. E. J. Collins, cricketer and soldier (born 1885)
* 14 November - Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar, field marshal (born 1832)

References

ee also