History

King George V ascends the throne on the death of his father.

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, archduke of Austria-Hungary precipitated the outbreak of war between the principle military powers of Europe. The war would continue for four years.

In the Rethondes Clearing in the Compiègne Forest near Paris, the World War I Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918 by the Allies and the German plenipotentiaries sat inside this train carriage to sign the armistice, marking the end of World War I.

The Treaty of Versailles signed, setting out the reparations due by Germany following the First World War.
It also established of The League of Nations.

Tomb KV62 in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings was discovered by archaeologist Howard Carter. To raise money to pay for the complex process of excavation, preservation and cataloguing the tomb’s riches, Lord Carnarvon who sponsored the dig signed an exclusive deal with The Times newspaper, giving it sole rights to supply the world’s press with news and photographs. The financial support and continued media interest this generated was vital to enable the costly decade of excavation.

First electric refrigerator purchased by The Penn Club

Biologist Alexander Fleming isolated a mould of the Penicillium genus having witnessed its efficacy to kill bacteria.

Pilgrimage by motorcoach for no more than 100 people to mark the 250th anniversary of the Sailing of William Penn for Pennsylvania, visiting various sites and buildings related to W. Penn across Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire Chilterns. Organised by The Penn Club & the Friends Historical Society.

A dinner organised to celebrate the first fifteen years of The Club was arranged, and a group photograph taken, annotated with the names of each member.

Edward VIII ascends the throne. His affair with Wallis Simpson had begun in 1934, and he spent the first months as King trying to persuade the establishment to an arrangement whereby he could marry her, but to no avail. The relationship had been kept out of the British press but was announced on 3 December, and a week later he submitted his abdication of the throne.

Due to the landlord’s intention to redevelop the buildings in Tavistock Square that The Penn Club occupied, the Club had to find new premises. Following a long search and weighing up of options, the club took a long lease of the vacated Alexandra Hotel at 21-23 Bedford Place.

Food rationing was introduced across Britain, aimed to ensure fair shares for all at a time of shortage. Overseen by the Ministry of Food, basic foodstuffs such as sugar, meat, fats, bacon and cheese were rationed and available with the requisite coupons. Other items such as tinned and dried goods were allocated according to points, but their availability fluctuated.

The ‘Blitz’ – from the German term Blitzkrieg (‘lightning war’) – was the sustained campaign of aerial bombing attacks on British towns and cities carried out by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) from September 1940 until May 1941. London was then bombed for 57 consecutive nights, during which time German bombers dropped 711 tons of high explosive and 2,393 incendiaries. 1,436 civilians were killed.

The first V1 ‘Doodle bug’ flying bombs fell on London. The intense bombing of London dropped significantly by the end of September, with the final bomb falling in Suffolk in March 1945. During this time, more than 2700 Vergeltungswaffen-1 (Vengeance Weapon 1) fell causing death, injury and psychological misery from the distinct noise, as well as great destruction of Britain’s cities.

HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex carrying hundreds of people from the Caribbean, enticed to travel by promises of job opportunities in the UK’s post-war labour shortage.

The Penn Club purchases its first television set so residents can watch the Queen’s Coronation.

At an athletics meeting between British AAA and Oxford University, Roger Bannister ran one mile in 3:59.4, the first man recorded to cover this distance in under four minutes.

Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space when his Vostok 1 spacecraft was launched at and orbited Earth once in 1 hour 29 minutes.

Britain’s tallest building opens: Post Office Tower in central London was commissioned by the General Post Office to support microwave aerials carrying telecommunications transmissions from London to the rest of the country.

England win the World Cup, beating Germany in the final 4-2.

The first Boeing 747 commercial flight took place, taking passengers from New York to London.

Britain joins the European Economic Community.

The Queen officially opens the National Theatre’s dedicated building on the South Bank, London. Comprised of three theatres, the Olivier and the Lyttleton opened in 1976, with the third, the Cottlesloe, opening the following year.

Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s first woman prime minister.

The Great Storm of 1987, infamously downplayed by BBC weatherman Michael Fish, caused severe damage across the country, bringing down trees, powerlines and damage to homes.
In the gardens behind the Penn Club, a large tree was brought down, damaging the rear of The Club.

Having served 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela is released.

Channel Tunnel opens.

The 75th and final Annual General Meeting of the Penn Club as an unincorporated body, and its first Annual General Meeting as a company limited by guarantee.

Labour win the General Election; Tony Blair becomes prime minister.

Four suicide bombers attacked central London. 52 people were killed, and hundred more injured. The attacks were spread across the city, including the bombing of a bus in Russell Square.

Catherine Middleton marries Prince William.

A referendum held, asking citizens to vote if they wanted Britain to remain in the European Union.