The People's Timeline
1512
Henry VIII gives John Blanke a wedding gift
John Blanke is the only black Tudor for whom we have an identifiable image.
14 JANUARY 1512
1900
The start of the First Pan-African Conference
On 23rd – 25th July 1900, London held the first ever Pan-African Conference, which was organised by a barrister named Henry Sylvester Williams, of Trinidadian descent. It took place in Westminster Town Hall, now Caxton Hall. The conference was attended by a total of 37 delegates and approximately 10 other participants and observers from Africa, the West Indies, the US and UK.
23 JULY 1900 · Caxton Hall, 10 Caxton Street, Victoria, City of Westminster, SW1H 0AQ
1941
Una Marson begins working at the BBC
Una Marson joined the BBC full-time in March 1941 as a Programme Assistant in the BBC Empire Service, making her the first Black woman employed by the corporation. 1942, she became the BBC's first Black woman producer.
3 MARCH 1941 · BBC Studios, 101 Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, Greater London, W12 7QT
1948
The HMT Empire Windrush arrives at Tilbury Docks
The Windrush wasn't the first ship to bring passengers from across the Caribbean, but it is the most remembered, in part due to its arrival being capture by high-profile newsreel companies like British Pathé.
22 JUNE 1948 · Tilbury Docks, Tilbury, Essex
1963
Bristol Bus Boycott comes to aned
The 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott was a landmark event for British civil and legal rights. It came to an end on August 28, 1963, after the Bristol Omnibus Company and the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) lifted their discriminatory "colour bar" against Black and South Asian bus crews.
28 AUGUST 1963 · Bristol
1967
The first Leeds West Indian Carnival was held
The Leeds West Indian Carnival, first held on 7th August 1967, was the first time in Europe that all the key components of Caribbean carnival were combined.
7 AUGUST 1967 · Leeds, England
1985
Bernie Grant becomes Europe's first Black local authority leader
Bernie Grant was first elected as a Haringey councillor in 1978 and served as deputy leader before becoming leader in 1985. He stepped down as council leader in 1987 when he was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Tottenham, becoming one of Britain's first Black MPs.
30 APRIL 1985
1990
Choice FM goes live
Choice FM, Britain's first-ever licensed radio station playing music of black origin 24 hours a day, arrived on air.
31 MARCH 1990 · Trinity Gardens, Brixton, Greater London, England
1992
Brian Deane scores the first goal in the Premier League
Brian made football history when he netted the first-ever goal in the newly-formed Premier League against Manchester United, while playing for Sheffield United.
15 AUGUST 1992 · Bramall Lane, Highfield, Sheffield, S2 4SE
1996
The inaugural MOBO awards takes place
Established in 1996, the MOBO Awards became the first major platform dedicated to recognising and celebrating music of Black origin in the UK. MOBO has played a huge part in elevating the careers of an endless number of homegrown, black musicians here in the UK.
19 NOVEMBER 1996 · Great Queen Street, Holborn, Greater London, WC2B 5BB
“My pink Motorola flip phone that I had in secondary school. But it got stolen from my locker in year 7 :(”
— LDC
2008
Unveiling of the Gilt of Cain
The sculpture commemorates the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1807, which began the process of the emancipation of enslaved people throughout the British Empire.
4 SEPTEMBER 2008 · Fen Court, Monument, City of London, England
2019
Dina Asher-Smith becomes the first British woman to claim a global sprint
Storming to victory in 21.88s, she became the first British woman in history to win a major global short-sprint title.
2 OCTOBER 2019
2021
Black to Front Day airs on Channel 4
Channel 4 Black To Front day was a groundbreaking 24-hour diversity initiative broadcast on September 10, 2021, where the entire programming schedule, advertisements, and digital content were led and fronted by Black talent on and off screen.
10 SEPTEMBER 2021 · Greater London, England
