World Events Date Herbert Events
1712
1726
England's first indoor swimming pool opens in London. Entrance fee is one guinea.
 1742
1750
1758
1760
Wood business established
1765
Cook reaches Australia April 9th
 1770
United States Declaration of Independence, July 4th
 1776
The British Gazette and Sunday Monitor, the first Sunday newspaper in Britain, is published
 1780
1782
First aerial crossing of the Channel in a balloon January 7th
 1785
A penal settlement is established in Botany Bay, Australia, and the first convicts arrive on 26th January
 1788
Prime Minister William Pitt (the Younger) introduces income tax at two shillings in the pound to raise funds for the Napoleonic Wars
 1799
1808
1811
1816
1819
1820
1823
1829
1833
The Tolpuddle Martyrs who fought the decline of agricultural wages, are sentenced to seven years' transportation to Tasmania
 1834
Isaac Pitman's stenographic sound-hand, the first shorthand system, is published, price 4d
Queen Victoria moves into Buckingham Palace, the first monarch to live there
 1837
Queen Victoria crowned on June 28th
 1838
1840
1842
1846
Waterloo Station opens July 11th
W H Smith opens its first railway bookstall at Euston Station, London, the start of multiple retailing in Britain
 1848
1851
Smithfield Market Removal Act passed
 1852
1857
Purchase of G. Birch, 37 Chichester Place
Big Ben's First Strike July 11th
 1859
1860
1862
1863
The process of pasteurization of liquids is developed by Louis Pasteur
John Lewis opens his first shop in Oxford Street
 1864
1866
1867
Sainsbury's founded by John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann
 1869
First FA Cup Final March 16th
 1872
Alexander Graham Bell makes first telephone call March 10th
 1876
The first England v Wales football international is played at Kennington Oval in London, England winning 2-1
 1879
1881
Marks & Spencer founded by Michael Marks when he sets up his stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market
 1884
Queen Victoria's Jubilee
 1887
1888
New Weights & Measures Act brings in stamping of weighing equipment before use
 1889
1893
The speed limit for horseless carriages is raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph
 1896
1897
Wm Morrison starts from a stall in Bradford Market
 1899
The first transatlantic wireless message is sent 1,800 miles from Cornwall to St. John's, Newfoundland, where it is received by Marconi
 1901
1902
Herbert & Sons' telephone numbers were 11977 CENTRAL (West Smithfield) and 10400 CENTRAL (King's Cross)
1904
London County Council sets up the first motorised ambulance service for traffic accident victims
 1905
The magnetic South Pole is found by Ernest Shackleton
 1909
Britain declares war on Germany August 4th
 1914
1915
Armistice between the Allies and Germany signed November 11th
 1918
Jack Cohen founded Tesco
 1919
The British Broadcasting Company begins daily transmissions. At 6pm the news was read by Arthur Burrows, once at normal speed and once at slow speed.
 1922
1932
Arthur Stephens Herbert arrives back in UK from Australia, with son Jim Herbert
1934
1938
1939
1947
1948
1952
Fitz and Arthur Herbert retire
1955
1959
1960
Purchase of Swift Scale Co. Ltd.
1962
Sale of the Butchers Sundries business to Glenhurst Ltd
1964
Patent filed for computer mouse
 1967
1968
Board of Trade Approval for UK's first retail digital scale
Decimalisation of UK currency from £sd to £p completed on Monday 15th February
 1971
The world's first mobile phone call made in April
 1973
1975
Launch of Lion 2000 and investment by E.S. Schwab & Co.
1981
1982
Agreement signed with Teraoka Seiko Co. Ltd.
1985
Opening of St. Georges House, Haverhill
1986
The company history has invoked a '25 year rule', not publishing history after 1985
The first text message is sent
 1992