January

1st January 1973 — The UK, Denmark and Ireland entered the EEC.

2 January 1974 — Museums and Galleries began charging admission for the first time, as provided by The Museums and Galleries Admission Charges Act 1972.

3 January 1984 — The FTSE 100 was launched. This is an index of 100 leading shares listed on the London Stock Exchange.

4 January 2022 — New and Improved National Security and Investment Act came into effect. It gave the UK government the ability to scrutinise and intervene in investments & acquisitions that could pose risks to national security.

5 January 1941 — The Ford Motor Company announced the 8-hour workday and minimum daily wage of $5. This will later influence labour laws in the UK.

6 January 1066 — The Coronation of the last Anglo Saxon King of England. He lasted 10 months and died at the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror won and became the first Norman King.

7 January 1927 — A telephone service began operating between London and New York. A 3 minute call cost £15( £780 today). Regardless, 31 different people made a call on the first day. Some of them were definitely lawyers.

8 January 2001 — The High Court ruled that the identities of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, would be kept secret for the rest of their lives. For context, both 10 year olds brutally murdered a toddler in 1993.

9 January 1799 — Income Act 1799 was passed, introducing a tax on all annual incomes exceeding £200 at a flat rate of 10%. Incomes falling between £60 and £200 were subject to a graduated tax rate, starting at slightly less than 1% and going up to 10%.

10 January 1839 — Indian tea was auctioned in Britain for the first time. Only tea from China was available prior to this, and it was expensive. Once Indian tea was introduced, it became so affordable that it was made the national drink.

11 January 1569 — The first state lottery is held in England. The funds were meant to be used to improve the shipping industry. It would would take another 129 years before the first Statute of Lotteries Act would be enacted in 1698. The act declared all lotteries illegal, apart those authorised by Parliament.

12 January 1784 — the Continental Congress, representing the Thirteen American Colonies, ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the American Revolutionary War with Great Britain.

13 January 2020 — Same-Sex marriage becomes legal in Northern Ireland through the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019

14 January 2023 — The UK Government confirmed that England will introduce a ban on single-use plastic items. This came into effect in October 2023.

15 January 1559 — Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England.

16 January 1707 —  The Act of Union 1707 was passed, merging the English and Scottish parliaments and paving the way for the new country of Great Britain.

17 January 1706 — Benjamin Franklin was born. He helped draft the US Declaration of Independence

18 January 1884 — Dr. William Price was arrested for cremating the body of his infant son, Iesu Grist (the Welsh for Jesus Christ). He was arrested and put on trial by those who believed that cremation was illegal in Britain. However, he successfully argued that there was no legislation that specifically outlawed it, which paved the way for the Cremation Act of 1902.

19 January 1983— Apple announced the first personal computer with a graphical user interface and a computer mouse. This marked a turning point in how technology was used and eventually led to legal discussions and legislation regarding software patents, copyright and digital rights.

20 January 1265 — England’s First Parliament holds a meeting at Westminster Hall in London.

21 January 1976 — The first commercial Concorde flight.

22 January 1972 — The Brussels Treaty of Accession was signed, paving the way for the UK to accede to the EU on 1.1.1973

23 January 1899 — Lord Denning was born. He developed the doctrine of Promissory Estoppel and other famous judgements.

24 January 2006 — Disney announced the purchase of Pixar Animation Studios. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom represented Disney in the all-stock deal with Pixar.

25 January 1533 — Henry VIII married his 2nd wife, Anne Boleyn, in a secret ceremony.  One year later, the Act of Supremacy 1534 was passed which declared him Supreme Head of The Church of England, effectively breaking away from the authority of the Pope.

26 January 1861 — Hong Kong was proclaimed British sovereign territory.

27 January 1880 — Thomas Edison registers a patent for an “Electric Lamp” . See the patent here

28 January 1958 — A patent was filed for a toy building block that became hugely popular around the world. The name of the toy? Lego.

29 January 1966 — The Road Safety Bill was announced to come into effect the following year. It set a limit of permitted alcohol and it became an offence to drive when over this limit.

30 January 1649 — Charles I was executed. His trial began 10 days prior, with 68 judges in attendance. It is arguably the most famous trial in history. Charles I did not defend himself during the trial, as he believed in the divine rights of kings and did not recognise the court’s authority to try him.

31 January 2020 — The United Kingdom left the European Union.