History of Great Britain

1588 – The invasion of Britain by Spain was thwarted by the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
1603 – Union of English and Scottish crowns. James VI of Scotland became James I of England, the first of the Stuart rulers.
1642 – Outbreak of English Civil War.
1649 – Charles I was beheaded, and a republic was declared. Oliver Cromwell’s ruthless supression of Irish rebellion culminated in the slaughter of an Irish garrison at Drogheda.
1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolved Parliament and became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, a position he retained until his death in 1659.
1660 – Restoration of the Stuart monarchy under Charles II.
1707 – Scotland was annexed to England > Great Britain
1801 – An Act of Union took effect which incorporated Ireland into Great Britain.
1837 – 1901 – the reign of Queen Victoria, 1876 – creation of India colony
1914-1918 – Great Britain and the other Allies fought the Central Powers during World War I. Although the Allies won, the war had shattering economic and social effects on the kingdom.
1921 – The Irish Free State was created. The British kingdom was renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
1940 – Victory in the air during the Battle of Britain prevented a German invasion.
1947 – The British colonies of India and Pakistan became independent nations. Many other British colonies became independent in the following years.
1982 – Great Britain defeated Argentine forces after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands.
1979-1990 – Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister and was replaced by fellow Conservative John Major.
1991 – Large numbers of the armed forces took part in the Gulf War.