1912—1912: Irish Home Rule crisis grows in Britain
1912—1912: Britain nationalises the telephone system
1912—1912: Discovery of the 'Piltdown Man' - hoax, exposed in 1953
18 Jan 1912—18 Jan 1912: Captain Scott's last expedition - he and his team reach the south pole on Jan
18th; all die on the way back, their bodies found in November
14 Apr 1912—14 Apr 1912: The 'unsinkable' Titanic sinks on maiden voyage - loss of 1,513 lives
4 Aug 1914—4 Aug 1914: Britain declares war on Germany, citing Belgian neutrality as reason
5 Aug 1914—5 Aug 1914: British cableship Telconia cut through all five of Germany's undersea telegraph
links to the outside world
15 Aug 1914—15 Aug 1914: Panama Canal opened, the Canal cement boat 'Ancon' making the first official
transit (plans for a grand opening were cancelled due to the start of WW1)
Oct 1914—Oct 1914: Battle of Ypres - beginning of trench warfare on western front
27 Nov 1914—27 Nov 1914: First policewoman goes on duty in Britain
16 Dec 1914—16 Dec 1914: German battleships bombard Hartlepool and Scarborough