1874 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1874 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

*Monarch - Victoria of the United Kingdom
*Prime Minister - William Gladstone, Liberal (until 17 February), Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative

Events

* 23 January - Marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, to Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, only daughter of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.
* 31 January - British defeat the Ashanti at Battle of Amoafo.cite book |last=Palmer |first=Alan & Veronica |year=1992 |title= The Chronology of British History|publisher= Century Ltd|location=London|pages= 296-297|isbn= 0-7126-5616-2]
* 20 February to 10 August - Agricultural workers go on strike.
* 23 February - Walter Clopton Wingfield patents a game called "sphairistike" which is more commonly called lawn tennis.cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006]
* 5 March - Conservative Party under Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield win the general election despite polling fewer votes than the Liberal Party under William Ewart Gladstone.
* 14 March - Peace treaty with the Ashanti gives freedom of movement for British Gold Coast traders, and a promise to end human sacrifice.
* 13 May - Tsar Alexander II of Russia makes a state visit to Britain. [cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/23/nputin123.xml|title="Tsar Alexander swept in to visit Victoria with entourage of 70", The Telegraph|date=2003-06-22|accessdate=2008-02-14]
* 7 August - Public Worship Regulation Act bans ritualistic practices in the Church of England.
* 30 August - Factory Act establishes 56-hour working week and prevents children from being used as chimney sweeps.

Undated

* Scottish football team Heart of Midlothian F.C. founded.

Publications

* Thomas Hardy's novel "Far from the Madding Crowd".

Births

* 20 January - Steve Bloomer, footballer, cricketer and baseball player (died 1938)
* 25 January - William Somerset Maugham, author (died 1965)
* 11 February - Fritz Bennicke Hart, composer (died 1949)
* 15 February - Ernest Shackleton, explorer (died 1922)
* 9 May
** Lilian Baylis, theatrical producer (died 1937)
** Howard Carter, archaeologist (died 1939)
* 19 May - Gilbert Jessop, cricketer (died 1955)
* 29 May - Gilbert Keith Chesterton, author (died 1936)
* 21 September - Gustav Holst, composer (died 1934)
* 15 October - Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (died 1899)
* 26 October - Martin Lowry, chemist (died 1936)
* 30 November - Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (died 1965)

Deaths

* 24 April - John Phillips, geologist (born 1800)
* 21 November - William Jardine, naturalist (born 1800)

References

ee also