18 Sep 1879: Blackpool illuminations switched on for first time
2
1880
1880: Education Act: schooling compulsory for 5-10 year olds
1880: Mosquito found to be the carrier of malaria
2 Aug 1880: Greenwich Mean Time adopted throughout UK
3
1881
1881: Postal Orders introduced
1881: Flogging abolished in Army and Royal Navy
Sep 1881: Godalming in Surrey became the first town in England to have a public electricity
supply installed (but in 1884 it reverted to gas lighting until 1904)