1, 1853, to be vaccinated against smallpox.

24, 1853: The Vaccination Act makes it mandatory for children born after Aug. Though controversial at the time, Victoria’s embrace of anesthesia quickly popularized the medical advancement.ĭec. Six million visitors attend what would become the first world’s fair before it closes in October.Īpril 7, 1853: Queen Victoria uses chloroform as an anesthetic during the delivery of her eighth child, Leopold. May 1, 1851: The brainchild of Prince Albert, the Great Exhibition opens in London’s Crystal Palace, with 10,000-plus exhibitors displaying the world’s technological wonders-from false teeth to farm machinery to telescopes. September 1845: Ireland’s potato crop begins to fail from a widespread mold infestation, causing the Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Hunger, that leads to 1 million deaths and caused 1 to 2 million people to emigrate from the country, landing in various cities throughout North America and Great Britain. Other works from the author during this period-many featuring protests against class and economic inequality-include Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield and Nicholas Nickleby. 19, 1843: Charles Dickens, one of the era’s greatest writers, publishes A Christmas Carol. May 8, 1838: The People’s Charter, the result of the Chartism protest movement, calls for a more democratic system including six points: the right to vote for men age 21 and older no property qualification to run for Parliament annual elections equal representation payment for members of Parliament and vote by secret ballot.Įnglish novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870).ĭec. July 25, 1837: The first electric telegraph is sent between English inventor William Fothergill Cooke and scientist Charles Wheatstone, who went on to found The Electric Telegraph Company. An estimated 400,000 people thronged the streets of London for her coronation in Westminster Abbey. The granddaughter of King George III, her father died when she was just 8 months old, and her three uncles also died, putting her first in line as heir to the throne. June 20, 1837: Queen Victoria takes the crown at the age of 18. The government provides compensation to slave owners, but nothing to formerly enslaved people. 1, 1834: The British empire abolishes slavery, and more than 800,000 formerly enslaved people in the British Caribbean are eventually set free. As a royal princess, she is recognized as a potential heir to the throne of Great Britain.Īug. May 24, 1819: Alexandrina Victoria is born in Kensington Palace. Here’s a timeline of innovations and events that helped define the Victorian Era. How Department Stores Liberated Victorian-Era Women

Queen victoria 1800 family tree chart