Convention
Hong Kong is ceded to Britain at the Convention of Chuanbi
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1841 in Great Britain
Explore 81 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1841.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1841
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 81 unique records.
81Unique records
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36Named events on this page
11Named people on this page
14Places on this page
January
Convention
Hong Kong is ceded to Britain at the Convention of Chuanbi
Rule of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is ceded to Britain at the Convention of Chuanbi
Rule of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is ceded to Britain at the Convention of Chuanbi
Capture of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is ceded to Britain by China
Birth of Henry Morton Stanley
Birth of Henry Morton Stanley
Great Ice Barrier
Encounters the Great Ice Barrier, later known as the Ross Ice Shelf, while exploring the Ross Sea
March
Knighthood
Queen Victoria knights Marc Isambard Brunel in recognition of his engineering work and the approaching completion of the Thames Tunnel.
April
Box Tunnel
The opposing tunnel workings meet with an alignment error of less than two inches and construction is completed.
June
Saint Chad's Cathedral
Saint Chad's is consecrated as a major Roman Catholic church in Birmingham.
Box Tunnel
Box Tunnel opens as the longest railway tunnel in the world at the time.
Great Western Railway
The complete Great Western Railway route between London and Bristol opens for through services.
London-Bristol Through Journey Established
Completion of the main line allows continuous railway travel between London and Bristol in about four hours.
September
Home Secretary of Great Britain
Appointed Home Secretary
Election
The Conservatives win their highest gains in the English Counties. The Conservatives win a majority for the 1st time, winning by 80 seats
Free Trade
Stanley resigns over Peels Free Trade Policy, Peels only casualty. Campaigns on the issue of Free Trade to become Prime Minister. Believes without free trade there could be civil disorder
Prime Minister of Great Britain
Appointed Prime MInister of Great Britain
Resignation of Edward Stanley
Stanley resigns over Peels Free Trade Policy, Peels only casualty
November
Birth of Edward VII
Birth of Edward VII, 2nd child & eldest son of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert
Birth of Edward VII
Birth of Edward VII, eldest son & 3rd child of Victoria & Albert
Thames Tunnel
Excavation reaches the Wapping side and the main tunnelling work beneath the Thames is completed.
December
Investiture
Invested as the Prince of Wales
Other events (month unknown)
Avon Railway Crossing Carries Through Traffic
The new route's masonry structures supported regular broad gauge passenger and goods trains through the Avon valley.
Bath London Through Services Established
Completion of the remaining main line made uninterrupted railway journeys possible between Bath and London.
Bath Railway Footbridge
The structure becomes a surviving element of Brunel's original railway.
Bath Spa Rail Connectivity Expands
The fully connected Great Western route improved Bath's access to London and Bristol by rail.
Bath Stone Railway Engineering Showcased
Masonry work on the railway integrated bridges and station buildings with the region's Bath stone architectural tradition.
Bath To Chippenham Railway Connection Opens
The completion of the eastern section established a continuous railway journey from Bath toward Chippenham.
Bath Tunnel Approaches Enter Service
The railway approaches toward Box Tunnel carried trains eastward from Bath on the completed main line.
Box Tunnel Links Bath To East
Opening the Box Tunnel completed the route through the hills east of Bath and connected the Avon valley to Chippenham.
Box Tunnel West Portal Architecture Completed
The western entrance is finished with a more elaborate architectural treatment than the simpler eastern portal.
Box Tunnel Workforce Expanded
Brunel pushes the main contractor to increase the Box Tunnel workforce from about twelve hundred to four thousand men.
British Cantonments Become Isolated
Elphinstone's force is increasingly exposed as Afghan fighters cut communications and supplies around Kabul.
Chippenham Avon Viaduct Carries Trains
The viaduct carried regular railway traffic once the completed Great Western route opened through the town.
Chippenham Becomes Intermediate Railway Station
The town ceased to be a temporary terminus and became a through station on the London to Bristol main line.
Chippenham Box Tunnel Link Established
Opening the long Box Tunnel connected Chippenham by rail with Bath and the Bristol section beyond.
Chippenham Bristol Through Route Opens
Passengers could travel directly from Chippenham to Bristol following completion of the main line.
Chippenham GWR Crossing
The viaduct opens with the completed Great Western route.
Chippenham London Through Route Established
The completed Great Western line enabled a continuous railway journey between Chippenham and Paddington.
Chippenham Rail Bridge Clearances Established
The route's bridges and structures reflected the generous clearances adopted for Brunel's broad gauge trains.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.