Chairman
Appointed Chairman of the Labour Party, 1st term
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1908 in Great Britain — Page 2
Explore 83 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1908.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1908
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 83 unique records.
83Unique records
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40Named events on this page
27Named people on this page
16Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer
Critical Essays and Reviews
Strachey continued publishing reviews of literature and contemporary culture.
Discovery of Cepheid Stars
A relationship between the period and luminosity for classical Cepheids is discovered in 1908 by Henrietta Swan Leavitt in an investigation of thousands of variable stars in the Magellanic Clouds
Discovery of South Pole
Comes within 97 miles of reaching the South Pole, forced back by starvation
Exploration Withdrawal Considered
The syndicate comes close to abandoning Persian exploration as costs mount and success remains uncertain.
First and Last Things
Publication of "The War In The Air". Publication of "New Worlds for Old". Publication of "First and Last Things"
Government Report
A Parliamentary Committee publishes a report favorable to Wage Bords
Greenwich Time Signal
Greenwich timekeeping remains central to public time distribution.
Half-Pay Period Begins
After promotion to rear admiral, Carden spends roughly two years on half-pay before returning to a fleet appointment.
Independent Labour Party
Joins the Independent Labour Party
Ismay Commits White Star to Olympic Programme
Joseph Bruce Ismay backed the construction programme that placed comfort and carrying capacity at the centre of White Star's competitive strategy.
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower
The university completes its prominent clock tower, commonly known as Old Joe.
Member of Parliament
Elected Member of Parliament for Bewdley, succeeds his father in the seat
Minister of Education
Appointed Minister of Education
Nationalization
Supports nationalization of the railways
New Worlds
Publication of "The War In The Air". Publication of "New Worlds for Old". Publication of "First and Last Things"
New Worlds for Old
Publication of "The War In The Air". Publication of "New Worlds for Old". Publication of "First and Last Things"
Nobel Prize
Receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for investigations into the disintegration of the elements and the chemistry of radioactive substances.
North Sea Fleet Concentration Advanced
Fisher continues shifting the Navy's strategic centre toward the North Sea and modern home-water forces.
Olympic Class Building Programme
Supports the decision to build Olympic-class liners, including Titanic, for White Star Line's North Atlantic service.
Olympic Keel Laid at Harland Wolff
William James Pirrie's yard laid the keel of Olympic, the first ship in White Star's new class of large ocean liners.
Pasiphae Identified as Jovian Satellite
Identifies Pasiphae, a distant retrograde satellite moving around Jupiter.
Persian Gulf Export Plans Begin
Begins planning pipelines, refining and export facilities needed to commercialize the new Persian oil discovery.
Pirrie Expands Belfast Building Facilities
William James Pirrie oversaw investment in larger building berths and gantry facilities so Harland and Wolff could construct the ships.
Pirrie Receives Irish Knighthood
Pirrie received the honour of Knight of Saint Patrick during his career as an industrial and political figure.
Rear Admiral
Appointed Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral Promotion Confirmed
Carden is promoted to rear admiral after his service in major battleship commands.
Reform of Parliament
A Parliamentary Committee publishes a report favorable to Wage Bords
Room With A View
Publication of "Room With A View"
Royal Visit Marked By Bridge Lanterns
The chains of the Clifton Suspension Bridge are decorated with coloured lanterns to commemorate the visit of King Edward VII to Bristol in 1908.
Savitri
Composes, "Savitri"
Secretary of State for India
Appointed Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Appointed Secretary of State for War. continues in position under Asquith
Social Reform Policy Arguments
As President of the Board of Trade, Churchill promoted labor and welfare reforms that influenced his political writings.
South Magnetic Pole
Joins Edgeworth David and Douglas Mawson on the northern party that reaches the region of the South Magnetic Pole
Speech
Ridicules the idea of Anglo-German conflict & calls for a reduction of naval building
Strike
Helps settle the strike, accepting wage cuts & arbitration for the future
The War In The Air
Publication of "The War In The Air". Publication of "New Worlds for Old". Publication of "First and Last Things"
The Wind in the Willows
Publication of "The Wind in the Willows"
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.