1497 ..... U.S.A ..... John Cabot (1450-1498) Italian navigator, arrived at Cape Breton Island thus becoming the FIRST European to reach the North American mainland, although he thought he was in NE Asia

1752 ….. U.K ..... Manchester's FIRST infirmary opened on Garden Street. It was one of only three outside London and was set up by Joseph Bancroft and his wealthy friends to treat those who could not afford medical treatment. During the first year 75 in-patients and 249 out-patients were treated. In 1755 a new infirmary was built to  accommodate 40 patients at Piccadilly on land called Daub Hole Field. It belonged to Sir Oswald Mosley, Lord Mayor of Manchester, and was famous for dipping patients in baths of sulphurous water

1880 .....  U.K ..... the FIRST military use of a man-carrying balloon in Britain was by a balloon detachment during military manoeuvres at Aldershot. In 1884 a balloon detachment accompanied the British military expedition to Bechuanaland and in 1885 to the Sudan

1904 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST meeting of the International Salvation Army Congress was held

1948 ..... U.K ..... Lillian Penson became the FIRST woman Vice-Chancellor of London University

 1981 ..... U.K ..... the Humber Estuary Bridge was FIRST opened to traffic. It was the longest single span structure in the world and was officially opened by the Queen on July 17th

1988 ..... JAPAN ..... Tankai Nakajima and Chikoh Komatsu became the FIRST women promoted to the highest rank of priesthood in the Tendai-Sect of Buddhism

1990 ..... U.K ..... Irene Templeton and Kathleen Young became the FIRST women priests in the Anglican Church in Ireland - St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast

1997 ….. U.K ..... Carlton-Granada Consortium were awarded the licence to run Britain's FIRST digital tv network

1998 ….. U.S.A .....  the FIRST large-scale human test of an Aids vaccine began with a  3-year trial of Vaxgen (?). 5000 volunteers in the US took part

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