1660..... U.K ..... Samuel Pepys FIRST began his famous diaries 

1781 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST iron bridge in Britain and the FIRST wholly iron structure of its kind in the world opened to traffic across the River Severn - see Abraham Darby and Ironbridge

1785 ..... U.K ..... The Times’ Court Circular, which gave the engagements of the British monarch and his family, appeared for the FIRST time 

1801 ..... Italy ..... Italian Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the FIRST asteroid, Ceres, at the Palermo Observatory in Sicily

 

1806 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST use of gas for street lighting in the world was when the Lee and Phillips factory and a portion of Chapel Street, Salford (UK) were lit

1858 ..... U.K ..... the Divorce Courts of the Civil Judiciary were FIRST established under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1837 which came into effect on this day and for the FIRST time divorce was brought within the means of the middle classes. A Private Act of Parliament had to be obtained to annul the marriage prior to this act and the cost was between £700 and £800. Before long over 300 cases were waiting to be heard. When legal Aid was introduced in 1949 the cost of a divorce became a reality for all 

1863 ..... U.S.A ..... the FIRST homestead was filed in America followed by the settlement of the Western Prairies and Great Plains

1876 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST Plimsoll Line was marked on the FIRST British ship registered after this date ..... and ….. the FIRST British registered trade mark - for Bass Pale Ale - was introduced 

1881..... U.K ..... the FIRST postal order was issued 

1891..... Germany ..... the FIRST Old Age Pensions were introduced in Germany by Bismarck under the Old Age Insurance Act of June 1889. The pension was payable to persons at the age of 70 years after premiums had been paid for a minimum of 30 years

1894 ..... U.K ..... Salford - the “Big Ditch”, the Manchester Ship Canal, was FIRST opened to traffic when the steam yacht Norseman belonging to Samuel Platt carried company directors and led a procession of 71 ships from Latchford to the terminal docks. On this FIRST day, the Pioneer, a steamer owned by the Cooperative Wholesale Society unloaded a cargo of sugar 

1901..... Australia ..... Edmund Barton became the FIRST Prime Minister of Australia and held the post until his resignation in 1903 due to ill-health 

1904..... U.K ..... the FIRST motor vehicle registration plate in Britain “ A1 “ was secured by Earl Russell for his ‘Napier’ 

1905 ..... Belgium ..... Henri Oedenkoven from Belgium founded the world’s FIRST vegetarian organisation 

1909 ..... U.K. ..... the FIRST old-age pensions were paid to Britons over 70 years of age. The amount was five shillings 

1910 ..... U.S.A ..... the FIRST wireless broadcast of opera was made from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York when Enrico Caruso sang  

1915 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST awards of the Military Cross were made 

1927..... U.K ..... the Adoption of Children Act FIRST came into force. The legal adoption of children had not been recognized before this time. Because of the Act an adopted child would be put into almost the same position as a legitimate child. A register of Adopted Children is kept at Somerset House, London and every adoption order is automatically recorded in it ..... and ..... the British Broadcasting Corporation (formerly Company) broadcast its FIRST programme 

1940 ..... U.K ..... Joan Hughes was among the FIRST eight women pilots to sign a contract with the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) 

1951 ….. U.S.A ..... the FIRST  public test of 'phonevision' or 'pay-as-you-look' tv. The trial was carried out among 300 families in the US representing a cross-section of the public. They were offered three movies a day for $1 per film.  The curtain went up at 4pm with this new idea with the musical April Showers, starring Jack Larson and Ann Sothern