United Kingdom

Flag of Ceylon

Ceylon gains independence from Great Britain

Following the Second World War, public pressure for independence increased in the British-ruled Colony of Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. Independence was formally granted under the Ceylon Independence Act 1947 and full independence was finally achieved independence on 4 February 1948, with an amended constitution taking effect on the same date.

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The sun up close

Arthur Eddington publishes The Internal Constitution of the Stars correctly speculating about the existence of nuclear fusion

At that time, the source of stellar energy was a complete mystery; Eddington correctly speculated that the source was fusion of hydrogen into helium, liberating enormous energy according to Einstein’s equation E = mc2.

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More details Countess Constance Markiewicz

Constance Markievicz becomes first woman elected to U.K.’s House of Commons

Constance Georgine Markievicz was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, and the first woman elected to the Westminster Parliament. On 28 December 1918, she was the first woman elected to the UK House of Commons, though, being in Holloway Prison at the time and in accordance with party policy, she did not take her seat. She was also one of the first women in the world to hold a cabinet position, as Ireland’s Minister for Labour from 1919 to 1922.

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