Battle of Laings Nek
Fails to break through Boer positions at Laings Nek.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1881 in Great Britain
Explore 48 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1881.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1881
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 48 unique records.
48Unique records
1 of 2Page
35Named events on this page
15Named people on this page
13Places on this page
January
British Defeat at Laing's Nek
British forces suffer a serious reverse while attempting to enter Transvaal.
Laing's Nek Assault
Leads an unsuccessful assault on Boer positions at Laing's Nek.
February
Battle of Ingogo
Fights Boer forces at Schuinshoogte during another attempted advance.
Battle of Schuinshoogte
Smit leads a Boer force which inflicts serious losses under a force led by Colley
Battle of Schuinshoogte
Suffers another reverse against Boer marksmen.
British Reverse at Schuinshoogte
The engagement leaves the British column with heavy casualties.
Battle of Majuba
Colley is killed as the Boer victory at Majuba secures Transvaal autonomy.
Battle of Majuba Hill
Is killed during the Boer victory at Majuba.
Death of George Pomeroy Colley
His death ends his command during the First Boer War.
Majuba Hill Defeat
Is killed during the disastrous British defeat at Majuba Hill.
March
Armistice
Signs the armistice ending the main First Boer War fighting.
Armistice
Agrees an armistice with Joubert after Majuba.
First Boer War Armistice
Agrees an armistice with Boer commander Piet Joubert.
O'Neill's Cottage Armistice
The agreement halts the principal fighting after Majuba.
Preliminary Peace Settlement
Accepts a peace settlement restoring Transvaal self-government.
Pretoria Convention
Boer leaders sign the Pretoria Convention restoring Transvaal self-government.
Transvaal Self-Government Accepted
British policy shifts from renewed war toward negotiated autonomy.
Peace Negotiations
Accepts self-government for the Transvaal after British defeats.
July
Induction Balance Tested
Tests an induction balance in an attempt to locate Garfield's bullet.
Search for Garfield Bullet
Develops an early metal detector for the wounded president.
August
Alexander Fleming Born
The future discoverer of penicillin is born in Ayrshire.
Birth of Alexander Fleming
Alexander Fleming is born at Lochfield Farm in Scotland.
September
Birth of Henry Maitland Wilson
Birth of Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson
October
Patience at the Savoy Theatre
Patience transfers to the newly opened Savoy Theatre.
Savoy Opera Transfer
Sullivan's opera helps inaugurate D'Oyly Carte's new electric-lit theatre.
Arrest of Charles Stewart Parnell
Convicted on charge of obstructing the operation of the new land act. Campaigns for Irish tenants not to pay rent, retaliation for outlawing the Land League
Arrest of Charles Stewart Parnell
Arrested for treasonable practices and sent to Kilmainham Gaol; issued No Rent Manifesto
Manifesto
Arrested for treasonable practices and sent to Kilmainham Gaol; issued No Rent Manifesto
Other events (month unknown)
Birth of Alexander Fleming
Birth of Alexander Fleming
Birth of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood
Birth of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 4th son of Charles the 2nd Viscount Halifax
Burial
Buried at Hughenden
Christie Succeeds Airy At Greenwich
William Henry Mahoney Christie became Astronomer Royal and supervised continued observatory modernisation. This made positional observations more useful to navigators.
Death of Victoria
Her fovoured & trusted Prime Minister dies
Electric Lighting of University House
Creates one of the first houses in the world to be fully lit by electricity on the university campus.
Evolution and Ethics
Publication of "Evolution & Ethics", an exposition of scientific humanism
Evolution and Ethics", an exposition of scientific humanism
Publication of "Evolution & Ethics", an exposition of scientific humanism
Land League
Campaigns for Irish tenants not to pay rent, retaliation for outlawing the Land League
Land League
Campaigns for tennants not to pay rent in retaliation for outlawing the Land League
Law Courts Branch Opens
Henry Grenfell serves as Governor when the Bank of England opens a branch serving the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
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.