1888 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1888 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

*Monarch - Victoria of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative

Events

* 26 January - The Lawn Tennis Association is founded. [http://www.sportsknowhow.com/tennis/rules/lawn-tennis-association.html Sports Knowh-How on LTA] ]
* 13 February - The first issue of the "Financial Times" goes on sale.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 314-315|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 22 March - The Football League is formed.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* June - Annie Besant organises the London matchgirls strike.
* 7 August - The body of Martha Tabram was found, a possible murder victim of Jack the Ripper.
* 9 August - The Local Government Act 1888 establishes county councils in England and Wales, redraws some county borders, and gives women the vote in local elections.
* 31 August - Mary Ann Nichols is murdered. She was perhaps the first of Jack the Ripper's victims.
* 6 September - Charles Turner becomes the first cricket bowler (a sport) to take 250 wickets in an English season, a feat since accomplished only by Tom Richardson (twice), J.T. Hearne, Wilfred Rhodes (twice) and Tich Freeman (six times).
* 8 September
** In London, the dead body of Annie Chapman is found. She is considered to be the second victim of Jack the Ripper.
** In England, the first six Football League matches were played.
* 27 September - the Dear Boss letter signed Jack the Ripper, the first time the name is used, received by London's Central News Agency.
* 30 September - In London, the bodies of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes are found. They are generally considered Jack the Ripper's third and fourth victim respectively.
* 2 October - The Whitehall Mystery: a body is discovered during the construction of New Scotland Yard.
* 14 October - The first recorded film, Roundhay Garden Scene, is made in Roundhay in Leeds. The film is two seconds and 18 frames in length.
* 9 November - In London, the dead body of Mary Jane Kelly is found. She is considered to be the fifth, and last, of Jack the Ripper's victims. A number of similar murders in England follows, but the police attribute them to copy-cat killers.
* 7 December - John Boyd Dunlop patents the pneumatic bicycle tyre.
* 17 December - The Lyric Theatre in London opens.

Undated

* Prosecution of Edward King, Anglican bishop of Lincoln for using ritualistic practices begins.
* Sarawak and Borneo become British protectorates.
* Camborne School of Mines founded in Cornwall.

Publications

* Richard Francis Burton's English translation of "One Thousand and One Nights".
* Thomas Hardy's short story collection "Wessex Tales".
* Henry James' novella "The Aspern Papers".
* Rudyard Kipling's short story collection "Plain Tales from the Hills".
* Oscar Wilde's collection of children's fairy stories "The Happy Prince and Other Tales".

Births

* 18 January - Thomas Sopwith, aviation pioneer and yachtsman (died 1989)
* 8 February - Edith Evans, actress (died 1976)
* 1 March - Ewart Astill, cricketer (Leicestershire) (died 1948)
* 17 May - Tich Freeman, cricketer (died 1965)
* 25 May - Miles Malleson, actor (died 1969)
* 9 July - Simon Marks, 1st Baron Marks of Broughton, businessman (died 1964)
* 14 August - John Logie Baird, inventor (died 1946)
* 16 August - T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") liaison officer during the Arab Revolt, writer, and academic (died 1935)
* 6 December - Will Hay, actor and comedian (died 1949}
* 7 December - Joyce Cary, author (died 1957)
* 22 December - J. Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank, film magnare (died 1972)
* 25 December - Michael Sadleir, novelist (died 1957)

Deaths

* 29 January - Edward Lear, artist and writer (born 1812)
* 3 February - Henry Maine, jurist (born 1822)
* 15 April - Matthew Arnold, poet (born 1822)
* 23 August - Philip Henry Gosse, scientist (born 1810)

References

ee also