Crisis for beef industry follows, with mass slaughtering of animals, collapse of markets and export bans. Video, Telling the tales of the northwest Highlands, Thousands set for overseas holidays as rules ease, 'Don't blow it, Britain' as nations 'open up', UK plastic waste being dumped in Turkey - report, Campaign launched to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Drivers flagged down by police searching for teen, India's Covid crisis hits vaccine-sharing scheme, Four arrested in anti-Semitism video investigation, Drift off to sleep soundly tonight. About sharing. Builder Craig Phillips … Thousands set for overseas holidays as rules ease1, 'Don't blow it, Britain' as nations 'open up'2, Hugs and foreign holidays resume as lockdown eases3, UK plastic waste being dumped in Turkey - report4, Campaign launched to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee5, Drivers flagged down by police searching for teen6, India's Covid crisis hits vaccine-sharing scheme7, Missing Houston tiger handed into police8, Four arrested in anti-Semitism video investigation9, Gaza says Sunday was 'deadliest day' so far10, "It's so easy to get addicted" Audio"It's so easy to get addicted", Crime, dominance and deception. © 2021 BBC. 2007 June - Gordon Brown succeeds Tony Blair as prime minister and Labour leader. 2016 June - Political crisis after voters in a referendum opt to quit the European Union. 1999 - UK forces take part in the air war against Yugoslavia and the consequent multinational force in Kosovo. 2012 October - British and Scottish governments agree on terms for a Scottish referendum on independence in autumn 2014. 1982 - Argentina invades the Falklands Islands in the South Atlantic. Jan 15, 2008 U.S. gives the OK to producing and marketing cloned animals "Extensive" research primarily from 2006 has not identified any health risks involved, giving way to the authorization in 2008 2019 December - Boris Johnson wins convincing majority at snap general election after succeeding Theresa May as prime minister in July. 1997 May - Labour Party under Tony Blair wins landslide election victory. 1945 - The UK becomes a permanent member of the UN Security Council. 1936 - King Edward VIII abdicates over relationship with an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. 1997 September - Referendums in Scotland and Wales back the creation of separate assemblies, which are inaugurated in 1999. close. Share page. British forces take part in air strikes on targets in Afghanistan. Read about our approach to external linking. A chronology of key events in the history of Jordan, from the time that it was under British supervision. Ar 1904 - Entente Cordiale with France marks Britain's return to European security treaties. 1975 - EEC membership is endorsed in a referendum. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 3. So those are 10 of many memorable moments from 2008 that'll be recorded in the annals of history. 1926 - General Strike arising from coal dispute. The UK dispatches a task force, which re-takes them. 2017 May-June - Islamist attacks in Manchester and London leave a total of 30 people dead. $700 Billion Bailout. 1939 - Germany invades Poland. 1918 - War ends in November with armistice. Population of the United Kingdom at 26 million (France 36 million). 2013 May - A soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby, is hacked to death in south London by two Islamic extremists. 2018 July - Two key ministers, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, resign in protest at government's plans for a free trade area with the European Union. Millions are unemployed. 6000 - The British Isles are formed as water levels rise separating them from mainland Europe. Scottish National Party wins all but three seats in Scotland, becoming third largest party in parliament and dealing heavy blow to opposition Labour Party. 2008 October - The government part-nationalises three leading UK banks with a 37 billion pound rescue package. The National Health Service, established by the … 1931 - Economic crisis. Insurers estimate the cost of the damage at more than £200m. Crisis for beef industry follows, with mass slaughtering of animals, collapse of markets and export bans. 2000 May - UK forces intervene in Sierra Leone to protect and evacuate foreign citizens caught up in the civil war. Gazan officials say 42 were killed, as the UN head calls for an end to "utterly appalling" violence. 1939 - Germany invades Poland. 1880s - Devolved government for Ireland becomes a major political issue, splitting Liberal Party and reviving a violent Irish separatist movement. • January 3 – Joe Biden drops out of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. 2007 June - Gordon Brown succeeds Tony Blair as prime minister and Labour leader. 1947 - The former colony of India becomes independence. 1996 - Government announces that BSE, or 'mad cow disease', can be transmitted to humans. 2007 May - Leaders of Northern Ireland Assembly sworn in, ending five years of direct rule from London. 2019 December - Boris Johnson wins convincing majority at snap general election after succeeding Theresa May as prime minister in July. Britain leaves the European Union the following month. Homes and buildings destroyed in Israel and Gaza. 1929 - World stock market crash. In 2008, the global economy faced its most dangerous monetary crisis … Read about our approach to external linking. Apple Computers was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. 1944 - Allied troops invade France from Britain on D-Day (6th June) and begin to fight their way towards Germany. National Health Service is established. 1997 August - Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed in a car crash in Paris. Many beef farmers face financial ruin. 2018 March - Diplomatic row breaks out with Russia over poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, for which Britain blames the Kremlin. 2004 January - Lord Hutton delivers findings of inquiry into suicide of government scientist David Kelly, who had expressed concern about UK intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programme to the BBC. 2005 July - Irish Republican Army (IRA) announces formal end to its armed campaign. 1880: War with Transvaal. Here are five ways to make it safer, Five ways to stay Covid safe as lockdown lifts, The cost of calling out a 'rape joke' VideoThe cost of calling out a 'rape joke', Telling the tales of the northwest Highlands. Thousands set for overseas travel as rules change, Gaza says Sunday was 'deadliest day' so far, Post lockdown socialising without breaking the bank, It's hug time! Gruelling trench warfare in Belgium and France. 2016 June - Political crisis after voters in a referendum opt to quit the European Union. 1924 - First government led by the Labour Party under Ramsay MacDonald. Pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) becomes the largest party in the Scottish Parliament following elections. Here are some of the most important milestones in a Great Recession timeline of the financial crisis—also known as the 2008 recession—which lasted in … Labour leader Clement Atlee wins landslide election victory. From an overdue apology to generations of Aborigine children and a massively flailing global economy to new insights about one of the world's oldest mysteries, the year has been packed with news-making events. Northern Ireland remains part of the UK. 1984 - The IRA attempts to assassinate Margaret Thatcher in her hotel in Brighton. 2017 March - Islamist Khalid Masood kills five people, including a police officer, in a rampage that ends in a thwarted attempt to force entry into parliament. 1940 - Winston Churchill becomes prime minister. 2011 March-September - Britain plays a prominent part in the international intervention in the conflict in Libya. 1914 - Outbreak of First World War. 2017 May-June - Islamist attacks in Manchester and London leave a total of 30 people dead. Unemployment begins to rise in UK. They subsequently stay on to help train the government army. She begins to introduce free-market policies. Compulsory school attendance in Great Britain. BNP Paribas freeze three of their funds, indicating that they have no way of valuing the complex assets inside them known as collateralised debt obligations (CDOs), or packages of sub-prime loans. Historical events from year 2008 (Part 2). What should you eat to improve your gut bacteria? 1997 September - Referendums in Scotland and Wales back the creation of separate assemblies, which are inaugurated in 1999. - The French bank Societe Generale admits that a single securities trader lost it almost five billion euros (seven billion dollars). 2012 October - British and Scottish governments agree on terms for a Scottish referendum on independence in autumn 2014. 1906 - Liberal government lays foundations for later welfare state with pensions, work and sickness insurance and the expansion of secondary education. 2013 August - The House of Commons votes to block UK military involvement in Syria in a political embarrassment for the government. Apple Corps was created in 1968 by the members of the Beatles as a multimedia and record company. Read about our approach to external linking. 2001 September/November - Following September 11 attacks on targets in the US, PM Tony Blair offers strong support for US-led campaign against international terrorism. How do we know if it's healthy, and how does our lifestyle affect it? David Cameron resigns, succeeded as prime minister by his home secretary, Theresa May. 1904 - Entente Cordiale with France marks Britain's return to European security treaties. • 17 January – The number of people affected by norovirus stomach bug in the UK reached an estimated 3 million. The cost of calling out a 'rape joke' Video, Telling the tales of the northwest Highlands. 2005 7 July - 52 people are killed and around 700 are injured in four Islamist suicide bomb attacks on London's transport network. Share. 1949 - The UK becomes a founder member of Nato. Several killed and injured by a bomb blast, but the prime minister escapes unhurt. 2012 August-September - Britain hosts the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics to widespread international acclaim. ... Timeline. Learn about 364 famous, scandalous and important events that happened in 2008 or search by date or keyword. PARIS - A timeline of world events in 2008: JANUARY - Israel imposes a complete blockade on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip. Dec. 22: Guinea's despotic president, Lansana Conte, dies after 24 years in power. 1998 - Good Friday Agreement on a political settlement for Northern Ireland is approved by voters in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. 2011 December - Prime Minister David Cameron blocks proposed changes to the EU's Lisbon Treaty aimed at addressing the crisis in the eurozone, over threats to the independence of the City of London as a financial centre. Industry on a three-day week because of strike by power workers and miners. 1993 - Downing Street declaration on Northern Ireland - a peace proposal issued jointly with the Irish government. Industry on a three-day week because of strike by power workers and miners. Liberal Democrat coalition partners lose all but eight seats. UK Independence Party wins nearly four million votes, but retains only one of two seats won at by-elections. United Kingdom Timeline BCE. While 2008 has turned out to be quite an eventful year in tech, there were 20 key events that stood out and got people talking for days if not weeks after the moment had passed. Share page. 2011 August - The killing of a 29-year old man by police sparks widespread riots and looting in poorer areas of London, as well as in several other English cities. Gaza says Sunday was 'deadliest day' so far. 2007 May - Leaders of Northern Ireland Assembly sworn in, ending five years of direct rule from London. Adam Applegarth (right), Northern Rock's chief executive, later says that it was "the day the world changed" Larry Elliott, economics editor, said:"As far as the financial markets are concerned, 5 July 1948. VideoLebanon: A country in free-fall, Why Nigeria has failed to defeat Boko Haram, The words that reveal if you are an extrovert or an introvert, Telling the tales of the northwest Highlands. 2014 May - Support for the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) surges in local and European elections. 1982 - Argentina invades the Falklands Islands in the South Atlantic. 2014 September - Voters in a referendum in Scotland reject independence, with 55% opting to remain part of the United Kingdom and 45% favouring independence. Gruelling trench warfare in Belgium and France. 2010 May - General election: Conservative Party wins most seats but fails to gain an absolute majority. 1997 August - Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed in a car crash in Paris. ... 2008 August - King Abdullah visits Iraq. 1830s - Electoral reform acts begin steady move towards primacy of House of Commons and universal suffrage. Two weeks later, more would-be bombers fail to detonate four devices on same network. 1918 - War ends in November with armistice. London and other cities badly damaged in German bombing raids. 1997 May - Labour Party under Tony Blair wins landslide election victory. The biggest event of the year was the Beijing Summer Olympics — and despite fears that it would be marred by delayed construction, poor organization and high levels of pollution, it was a very successful Games. 14th February » Northern Illinois University shooting: a gunman opened fire in a lecture hall of the … Calendars – online and print friendly – for any year and month UK enters hostilities against Germany. A chronology of key events in the history of Somalia from first Arab sultanate in the seventh century to the present day. Formal negotiations begin to end Britain's membership of the European Union. 13 October 2008: UK GOVERNMENT RESCUES RBS AND LLOYDS-HBOS Two of the UK's major banks, RBS and HBOS, are in major trouble as financial markets collapse. 2009 March - Pope Benedict celebrates mass in front of more than a million people in Luanda. The UK economy comes out of recession, after figures show it grew by 0.1% in the last quarter of 2009, following six consecutive quarters of economic contraction - the longest such period since quarterly figures were first recorded in 1955. 1938 - Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain meets the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, in Munich. 1944 - Allied troops invade France from Britain on D-Day (6th June) and begin to fight their way towards Germany. John Major becomes prime minister. 2011 December - Prime Minister David Cameron blocks proposed changes to the EU's Lisbon Treaty aimed at addressing the crisis in the eurozone, over threats to the independence of the City of London as a financial centre. AudioDrift off to sleep soundly tonight, Taking time to digital detox. What happens to your body in extreme heat? North Sea oil begins to be pumped ashore. National Government coalition formed. UK declares war on Germany. North Sea oil begins to be pumped ashore. 1876 Victoria named Empress of India. Gaza says Sunday was 'deadliest day' so far1, India's Covid crisis hits vaccine-sharing scheme3, Australian cricketers caught by India ban fly home4, Hugs and foreign holidays resume as lockdown eases5, AT&T 'nearing $150bn media merger' with Discovery6, UK plastic waste being dumped in Turkey - report7, Missing Houston tiger handed into police8, Sputnik V becomes third vaccine approved in India9, Long working hours 'killing 745,000 people a year'10. 1945 - The UK becomes a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The two websites projectbritain.com and primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk are the new homes for the Woodlands Resources. Conservative leader David Cameron heads first post-war coalition with the third-placed Liberal Democrats. The number of UK war dead runs to several hundred thousand. Labour leader Clement Atlee wins landslide election victory. 2000 May - UK forces intervene in Sierra Leone to protect and evacuate foreign citizens caught up in the civil war. Fighter pilots repel German air attacks in the Battle of Britain. A chronology of key events: ... 2008 October - … 1815 - Role in defeating Napoleon's French Empire leads to Britain becoming pre-eminent imperial power. 1975 - EEC membership is endorsed in a referendum. Yearly calendar showing months for the year 2008. 4. 2009 November - Britain withdraws bulk of its remaining troops in southern Iraq, leaving only a small force tasked with training the Iraqi military. 1973 - The UK joins the European Economic Community. 2. His report exonerates the government, heavily criticises the BBC. 1973 - The UK joins the European Economic Community. 2007 July - Diplomatic row with Russia over Britain's bid to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, an ex-KGB agent accused of killing Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko in London with radioactive polonium. They subsequently stay on to help train the government army. 2015 May - Conservative Party confounds polls by winning majority in general election for first time since 1992. VideoLebanon: A country in free-fall, The app that lets you pay to control another person's life, Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock explores racism in the music industry. 2001 September/November - Following September 11 attacks on targets in the US, PM Tony Blair offers strong support for US-led campaign against international terrorism. 1926 - General Strike arising from coal dispute. 1877: Transvaal annexed. It also pumps billions into the UK financial system after record stock market falls precipitated by the global "credit crunch". Northern Ireland remains part of the UK. 1840s - British industrial power harnessing technological change and boosts free trade and investment worldwide, reaching its peak in the second half of the 19th century. National Government coalition formed. 1979 - The Conservative politician Margaret Thatcher becomes prime minister. 2010 October - Coalition announces large-scale public spending cuts aimed at reducing UK's budget deficit, with an average 19% four-year cut in budgets of government departments. 2011 March-September - Britain plays a prominent part in the international intervention in the conflict in Libya. Liberal Democrat coalition partners lose all but eight seats. The most intense phase of the credit crisis was in September 2008… David Cameron resigns, succeeded as prime minister by his home secretary, Theresa May. 1906 - Liberal government lays foundations for later welfare state with pensions, work and sickness insurance and the expansion of secondary education. Homes and buildings destroyed in Israel and Gaza. British forces take part in air strikes on targets in Afghanistan. 2017 March - Islamist Khalid Masood kills five people, including a police officer, in a rampage that ends in a thwarted attempt to force entry into parliament. Sport > World > Timeline > 2008. 2010 May - General election: Conservative Party wins most seats but fails to gain an absolute majority. Insurers estimate the cost of the damage at more than £200m. 2010 October - Coalition announces large-scale public spending cuts aimed at reducing UK's budget deficit, with an average 19% four-year cut in budgets of government departments. 2003 March - UK joins US-led military campaign against Iraq after UN-based diplomatic efforts to ensure Baghdad has no weapons of mass destruction are perceived to have failed. 2012 August-September - Britain hosts the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics to widespread international acclaim. 1990 - Mrs Thatcher resigns as prime minister after she fails to defeat a challenge to her leadership of the Conservative party. 2003 March - UK joins US-led military campaign against Iraq after UN-based diplomatic efforts to ensure Baghdad has no weapons of mass destruction are perceived to have failed. Cost of Living 2008 How Much things cost in 2008 Average Cost of new house $238,880.00 Average Income per year $40,523.00 Average Cost for house rent $800.00 Average New Car: $27,958.00 Cost of a gallon of Gas $3.39 US Postage Stamp 42 cents Chamberlain says he has averted war with Germany. Historical events from year 2008. 2013 July - The Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to a son George, who is third in line to the throne after the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge. She begins to introduce free-market policies. Video, Homes and buildings destroyed in Israel and Gaza, The cost of calling out a 'rape joke' Video, Telling the tales of the northwest Highlands. AudioTaking time to digital detox. 1984 - The IRA attempts to assassinate Margaret Thatcher in her hotel in Brighton. 1999 - UK forces take part in the air war against Yugoslavia and the consequent multinational force in Kosovo. 1879 Somerville and Lady Margaret Colleges (for women) founded at Oxford. 1992 - John Major re-elected as prime minister. 1981 - Government begins programme of privatisation of state-run industries, followed by deregulation of financial markets. On October 3, the Senate passed the $700 billion bailout bill, now called the … UK declares war on Germany. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-pop-culture-moments-of-2008 1830s - Electoral reform acts begin steady move towards primacy of House of Commons and universal suffrage. Here are the sporting highlights of the world of sport in 2008. close. Chamberlain says he has averted war with Germany. 2008 October - The government part-nationalises three leading UK banks with a 37 billion pound rescue package. The event included two spectacular evening performances on St George’s Plateau and was one of the main events of 2008’s street animation programme. Pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) becomes the largest party in the Scottish Parliament following elections. Sep.16 : New York : World markets continue to slide In the first hour of trading on Wall Street, the Dow was down 41.85, or 0.38%, to 10,875.66.It fell as much as 175 in the opening minutes; Sep.17 United Kingdom: Barclays agrees $1.75B Lehman deal Learn about 364 famous, scandalous and important events that happened in 2008 or search by date or keyword. Read about our approach to external linking. His report exonerates the government, heavily criticises the BBC. 1948 - National Health Service is established. VideoTelling the tales of the northwest Highlands. 1991 - UK takes part in US-led military campaign to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. The UK economy comes out of recession, after figures show it grew by 0.1% in the last quarter of 2009, following six consecutive quarters of economic contraction - the longest such period since quarterly figures were first recorded in 1955. 2007 July - Diplomatic row with Russia over Britain's bid to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, an ex-KGB agent accused of killing Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko in London with radioactive polonium. 1956 - UK intervenes in Suez Canal Zone, but withdraws under pressure from the US. Hugs and foreign holidays resume as lockdown eases. 1929 - World stock market crash. 1840s - British industrial power harnessing technological change and boosts free trade and investment worldwide, reaching its peak in the second half of the 19th century. 2013 January - Prime Minister David Cameron proposes a referendum on whether to leave the European Union after the next election. 1969 - British troops sent to quell unrest in Northern Ireland. Copy link. 1969 - British troops sent to quell unrest in Northern Ireland. 1940 - Winston Churchill becomes prime minister. 1815 - Role in defeating Napoleon's French Empire leads to Britain becoming pre-eminent imperial power. 2009 November - Britain withdraws bulk of its remaining troops in southern Iraq, leaving only a small force tasked with training the Iraqi military. 2018 March - Diplomatic row breaks out with Russia over poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, for which Britain blames the Kremlin. 1924 - First government led by the Labour Party under Ramsay MacDonald. People must remain cautious, the PM says, as lockdowns ease in England, Wales and most of Scotland. 1881 2008 July - Church of England votes by 2-1 majority to allow the ordination of women bishops. 1936 - King Edward VIII abdicates over relationship with an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. UK Independence Party wins nearly four million votes, but retains only one of two seats won at by-elections. 2001 January - Libyan intelligence agent Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is found guilty of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland. 2014 September - Voters in a referendum in Scotland reject independence, with 55% opting to remain part of the United Kingdom and 45% favouring independence. History of Britain - Timeline and Facts : Thousands of years ago, Great Britain was joined to Europe and was covered with ice. 2017 June - Early elections, called by Prime Minister Theresa May to strength her hand in negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union, results in a hung parliament and a fragile Conservative minority government, kept in office by an agreement with the main pro-British party in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionists. 302 events took place within 28 sports. UK enters hostilities against Germany. Millions are unemployed. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 1990 - Mrs Thatcher resigns as prime minister after she fails to defeat a challenge to her leadership of the Conservative party. January • Y2K bug fails to happen • BBC's reality tv show 'Castaways' begins recording • White Teeth by Zadie Smith published, goes on to win the Guardian First Book Award February • Flooding in Mozambique kills hundreds and displaces more than a million people. 1921 - UK agrees to the foundation of the Irish Free State after three-years Irish war of independence. All 259 people on board as well as 11 on the ground were killed. 2200 - The construction of Stonehenge is completed. 2014 May - Support for the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) surges in local and European elections. Fighter pilots repel German air attacks in the Battle of Britain. It is the first major bank to acknowledge the risk of exposure to sub-prime mortgage markets. 2013 July - The Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to a son George, who is third in line to the throne after the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge. Financial crisis hits. Unemployment begins to rise in UK. A chronology of key events in the history of Pakistan from Indian partition in 1947 to the present day. 2011 May - Referendum rejects plan to replace first-past-the-post electoral system for House of Commons with alternative vote proportional system. 1938 - Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain meets the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, in Munich. 2001 January - Libyan intelligence agent Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is found guilty of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland. May • Tate Modern opens in the former Bankside power station • Marshall Mathers LP released and sells 1.76 million copies in the first week, making it the fastest-selling solo album ever July • First series of Big Brother airs on Channel 4. 55 - Roman leader Julius Caesar invades Britain, but withdraws. 2008 September - First parliamentary elections for 16 years. 2018 July - Two key ministers, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, resign in protest at government's plans for a free trade area with the European Union. The new record high is close to the inflation-adjusted record of $102.81 set in April 1980. 2013 August - The House of Commons votes to block UK military involvement in Syria in a political embarrassment for the government. Audio. 2013 May - A soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby, is hacked to death in south London by two Islamic extremists. 2013 January - Prime Minister David Cameron proposes a referendum on whether to leave the European Union after the next election. United Kingdom 2008 – Calendar with British holidays. 2011 August - The killing of a 29-year old man by police sparks widespread riots and looting in poorer areas of London, as well as in several other English cities. Video, Telling the tales of the northwest Highlands, Australian cricketers caught by India ban fly home, Hugs and foreign holidays resume as lockdown eases, AT&T 'nearing $150bn media merger' with Discovery, UK plastic waste being dumped in Turkey - report, Sputnik V becomes third vaccine approved in India, Long working hours 'killing 745,000 people a year'. Conservative leader David Cameron heads first post-war coalition with the third-placed Liberal Democrats. Many beef farmers face financial ruin. United Kingdom profile - Timeline. Sporting Highlights for 2008. Aug 25, 2008 Barack Obama Becomes Offical Candidate For The Democratic Party Two weeks later, more would-be bombers fail to detonate four devices on same network. All 259 people on board as well as 11 on the ground were killed. Several killed and injured by a bomb blast, but the prime minister escapes unhurt. 1948 - National Health Service is established. 1. 1801 - United Kingdom formed by union of the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. 1914 - Outbreak of First World War. 2017 June - Early elections, called by Prime Minister Theresa May to strength her hand in negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union, results in a hung parliament and a fragile Conservative minority government, kept in office by an agreement with the main pro-British party in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionists.