1805Master Betty (William Betty) played Hamlet on the London stage, aged just 14. He was such a success that the House of Commons was adjourned to enable members to watch his performance. His success was short-lived and, not long afterwards, he was hissed off the stage.
1864English explorer Samuel Baker was the first European to see the lake he named Lake Albert after the recently deceased Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria.
1873The Insurance Institute of Manchester was born, the first insurance institute in the world.1885The Mikado, a light opera by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, had its first public performance in London.
1891HMTS Monarch laid a telephone cable along the English Channel bed to prepare for the first telephone links across the Channel. Monarch was launched
Winston Churchill’s career took a significant turn on March 14, 1912, when he was appointed as the First Lord of the Admiralty. This position placed Churchill at the head of the British Royal Navy, a powerful institution with considerable influence on global affairs.
One of the most crucial legislative changes in British history occurred on March 14, 1918, with the Introduction of the Education Act of 1918, also known as the Fisher Act. The act raised the school-leaving age from 12 to 14 and required all children to attend school. The act was a critical step in the expansion of education in Britain, making education more accessible and standardized.
On March 14th 1966, St Teilo's Church at Llandeilo Tal-y-Bont, near Pontarddulais, was designated as a Cadw listed building. The church is thought to date to the late 12th century on the site of a 6th-century Christian church.
It was almost certainly a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to St David’s, before they made the difficult crossing of the River Loughor to continue their journey. It is dedicated to Teilo (born c.500), an evangelising Christian who may well have been active in the area in the period following the Roman's withdrawal from Britain. Teilo was reputed to be a cousin, friend and disciple of Saint David.
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1964: The Beatles became the first act to occupy the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with “I Want To Hold Your Hand” at #1, “She Loves You” at #2, and “Please Please Me” at #3. They also had four additional songs on the chart and Billboard magazine reported that sales of Beatles records make up 60% of the entire singles market. Three weeks later, the band held each of the top five spots on the chart and had an additional ten songs on the Hot 100.
1966: “Eight Miles High” by The Byrds was released. The single was banned in several US states due to allegations that the lyrics advocated drug use, but it nonetheless reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Influenced by the music of sitar player Ravi Shankar and jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, the song was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelia and raga rock, and many critics cite “Eight Miles High” as the first psychedelic rock song.
