Timeline
1800 1900 2000
BEF 1800 : Birth date of Robert COOPER
1800 : Witton House, Blackburn, built by Henry Fielden
1800 : bread ordered by Blackburn Council not to be sold until 24 hours old to reduce its consumption at a time of high wheat prices
1801 : population of Blackburn is 11,980
1803 : The Hotel, King Street, Blackburn built
1810 : the Leeds and Liverpool Canal construction reaches Blackburn
1811 : population of Blackburn is 15,083
1812 : Luddite riots, machine wrecking and murders in Lancashire and Yorkshire
1814 : Birth date of John COOPER
1815 : celebration banquet held for the victory at Waterloo in the Assembly Room, King Street, Blackburn
1816 : Leeds and Liverpool Canal opens and allows access for Blackburn to overseas markets for textiles
1816 : the Theatre Royal, Ainsworth Street, Blackburn built
1818 : John Kay, part-time butcher becomes Blackburn's only full-time police constable
1818 : Old Canal Mill, Eanam is the first mill on the canal in Blackburn
AFT 1818 : Birth date of Hannah or Ann MORTON
Saturday 7 November 1818 : Rev. Thomas Dunham Whitaker appointed Vicar of Blackburn
1819 : Grammar School rebuilt near St Peter's Church, Blackburn
1819 : Gas Works established at Jubilee Street, Blackburn
Saturday 2 September 1820 : first stone laid for the rebuilt Parish Church, Blackburn by Rev. Thomas Dunham Whitaker
1821 : population of Blackburn is 21,940
Wednesday 25 April 1821 : hundreds of houses flooded in Blackburn
Thursday 19 July 1821 : roast beef and plum pudding served to Blackburn schoolchildren to celebrate the Coronation of George IV
Saturday 16 February 1822 : John William Wittaker appointed Vicar of Blackburn
May 1824 : Act of Parliament obtained for building a new road from Blackburn to Preston
Sunday 26 December 1824 : a medical dispensary established in Blackburn
1825 : Birth date of Ellen BULLEN
1826 : riots and power loom breaking in Blackburn
1826 : Blackburn Parish church rebuilding completed
Friday 31 March 1826 : Preston New Road opens
June 1826 : St Albans RC church opens
1827 : wealthy cotton merchant, Henry Sudell of Woodfold Park near Blackburn declared bankrupt
1829 : St James's church, Lower Darwen erected
1830 : John Pickup, Blackburn spirit merchant builds Galligreaves 'Brandy' Hall
1831 : population of Blackburn is 27,091 living in 4,594 houses
1832 : Blackburn empowered to send two Members to the House of Commons and return William Fielden and William Turner
1832 : cholera epidemic in Blackburn
Monday 6 August 1832 : The 'Blackburn Alfred' newspaper first published
Tuesday 26 November 1833 : St Stephen's church, Tockholes consecrated
1834 : a number of old houses demolished to connect King William Street and Church Street, Blackburn
1836 : 4,256 power-looms are reported as working in Blackburn
1838 : Over Darwen Gas Works established
Monday 7 January 1839 : very strong winds damage Blackburn Parish Church and several mill chimneys
Monday 1 April 1839 : Marriage date of John COOPER = Hannah or Ann MORTON
Thursday 12 December 1839 : Richmond Terrace, Blackburn completed
1840 : County Police supercede the old Blackburn Parish Constables, 225 men in Blackburn
1841 : population of Blackburn is 36,629
1841 : riots in Blackburn and the Old Bull nearly gutted
1842 : 'Plug Drawing Riots' in Blackburn stop a numbers of cotton mills. Many rioters imprisoned
1843 : great economic hardship for many cotton workers in Blackburn
1845 : Blackburn Water Works Company established
Saturday 14 March 1846 : Marriage date of William STANDING = Ellen BULLEN
Monday 1 June 1846 : the Blackburn & Preston Railway opened to Preston
1847 : great economic hardship for many cotton workers in Blackburn
1848 : Birth date of Joseph COOPER
1848 : Blackburn Market Hall built
Monday 5 June 1848 : reservoir embankment bursts at Over Darwen drowning twelve people
1849 : Birth date of Robert BALDWIN
1850 : Birth date of Mary Alice COOPER
1850 : death of Sir Robert Peel, the Blackburn born Statesman
1850 : Birth date of Mary STANDING
Saturday 22 June 1850 : the Bolton, Blackburn & Clitheroe Railway opens to Chatburn
1851 : Blackburn granted Charter of Incorporation, William Henry Hornby becomes the first Mayor
1851 : population of Blackburn is 46,536 living in 7,917 houses
1852 : the Arms of the Borough of Blackburn adopted
1852 : Blackburn Borough Police formed
1852 : William Eccles, Liberal, elected MP for Blackburn but was unseated on bribery and corruption charges
1853 : riots broke out following an extraordinary election held in Blackburn which returned the new Liberal candidate M J Fielden
1853 : Birth date of Betty Alice LIVESEY
1854 : typhus epidemic in Blackburn
Saturday 2 June 1855 : Blackburn Weekly Times newspaper starts up
Monday 10 September 1855 : rejoicing in Blackburn for several days following the fall of Sebastopol in the Crimea
Thursday 10 April 1856 : James Pickup, Blackburn spirit merchant dies aged 75
Thursday 30 October 1856 : Blackburn Town Hall opened
Monday 22 June 1857 : arrival in Blackburn of two Russian cannons captured in the Crimea
Wednesday 1 July 1857 : new cemetery in Blackburn opened
Thursday 22 October 1857 : Blackburn Corporation Park opened
Sunday 23 May 1858 : Birth date of Thomas Henry COOPER
Monday 24 May 1858 : building of the Blackburn Infirmary begun
1862 : Blackburn Free Public Library opens
1862 : Blackburn devastated by the Cotton Famine caused by the US Civil War, soup kitchen opened in Blackburn to relieve the poor unemployed
1863 : Blackburn Cotton Exchange built
1864 : Union Workhouse built by inmates, overlooking Blackburn from Whinny Heights
1864 : Birth date of Rosannah COOPER
AFT 1864 : Death date of William STANDING
Saturday 7 May 1864 : Birth date of Nancy Jane STANDING
1865 : Thomas Lund, Secretary to the Blackburn Co-Operative Spinning & Weaving Co. transported for 10 years penal servitude for forgery
1866 : Richard Sourbutts and his wife appointed Master and Matron of the Blackburn Workhouse
1867 : Elizabeth Marsden of Tockholes drowns herself and two year old daughter in a pit at Tockholes
1871 : Marriage date of Joseph COOPER = Betty Alice LIVESEY
1872 : Birth date of John COOPER
1874 : Birth date of Margaret COOPER
1874 : Birth date of Isabella BALDWIN
Saturday 11 December 1875 : Blackburn Rovers play first match, a tie 1-1 against the Church Club
1877 : Birth date of Harry BALDWIN
Thursday 3 July 1879 : Birth date of Herbert C. RATCLIFFE
1880 : Birth date of Clara BALDWIN
1881 : Birth date of Elizabeth Ann COOPER
1882 : Blackburn Rovers become the first non-public school team to reach the FA Cup Final
Wednesday 6 September 1882 : Marriage date of Thomas Henry COOPER = Nancy Jane STANDING
1883 : Thwaites's Arcade built Church Street, Blackburn
1883 : Blackburn Olympic football club wins the FA Cup
Tuesday 13 February 1883 : Birth date of Ellen COOPER
1884 : Blackburn Rovers win the FA Cup
1887 : Birth date of Joseph COOPER
1888 : Blackburn Rovers become a founder member of the Football League
1888 : Blackburn Technical College built
1890 : Birth date of Rose COOPER
AFT 1892 : Death date of Hannah or Ann MORTON
1896 : Lyceum Theatre, Market Street Lane becomes the first place in Blackburn to exhibit moving pictures
1898 : Birth date of Bertha COOPER
1898 : Birth date of Alice COOPER
1899 : first electic trams in Blackburn
1899 : 41,400 people, 38 percent of Blackburn's workforce, employed in 129 cotton mills
1900 : Birth date of Annie COOPER
Monday 1 January 1900 : Blackburn mill whistles and the corporation gun signal the arrival of the new century
BEF 1901 : Death date of John COOPER
1901 : last steam tram in Blackburn withdrawn from service
Tuesday 22 January 1901 : Queen Victoria dies, public subscription in Blackburn raises £10,000 for a fitting monument
Friday 26 July 1901 : Birth date of Thomas COOPER
1902 : Houdini appears at the Palace Theatre, Boulevard, Blackburn, riots break out when he takes two hours to escape his bonds
Saturday 7 June 1902 : celebrations in Blackburn for end of Boer War
Sunday 17 August 1902 : Birth date of Constance Martha ELLIOT
1903 : Charlie Chaplin makes an early career appearance at the Theatre Royal, Blackburn
1903 : banana plants introduced at the Blackburn Corporation Park conservatory
1904 : James Pitts, Victoria Cross winner returns to Blackburn from the Boer War to a civic welcome
1904 : Blackburn experiences a slump in the cotton industry
Saturday 16 January 1904 : Birth date of Jessie COOPER
Saturday 30 September 1905 : Princess Louise unveils the statue of Queen Victoria on the Boulevard, Blackburn
1906 : erection of the grandstand at Ewood Park, Blackburn, begins
Saturday 20 January 1906 : Philip Snowden elected as Blackburn's first Labour MP
Thursday 13 September 1906 : Birth date of Robert COOPER
1907 : General Post Office, Darwen Street, Blackburn opens
1907 : Blackburn's first permenant cinema opens at the Victoria Hall, Eanam
1908 : foundations of the YMCA, Limbrick, Blackburn, laid
1908 : first pension papers distributed to all people in Blackburn over 70
1908 : approval given for a school and swimming baths at Blakey Moor, Blackburn
1909 : the Blackburn, Olympia and Witton roller skating rinks opens
1910 : Star and Empire cinemas open in Blackburn
1910 : Blackburn's first Labour Exchange opens
1911 : Blakey Moor Higher Elementary School opens in Blackburn
Wednesday 22 February 1911 : Birth date of Elsie COOPER
Friday 24 March 1911 : Birth date of Daisy WOOD
1912 : plans to improve Blackburn town centre announced
1912 : opening of Police Station in Northgate, Blackburn
1912 : statue of William Henry Hornby unveiled in Limbrick, Blackburn
1912 : Blackburn Rovers win their first Football League Championship
1912 : death of Blackburn street entertainer Robert Renolds known as 'Owd Chipper'
Monday 15 April 1912 : Titanic sinks, two men from Blackburn perish
EST 1913 : Death date of Bernard? RATCLIFFE
EST 1913 : Birth date of Bernard? RATCLIFFE
ABT 1913 : Birth date of George PEEK
1913 : Suffragettes attempt to burn down the Nuttall Street stand at Ewood Park, Blackburn
1913 : Marriage date of Herbert C. RATCLIFFE = Ellen COOPER
Thursday 10 July 1913 : King George V and Queen Mary tour Roe Lee Mill and lay foundation stone of the new public assembly halls, Northgate, Blackburn
1914 : Blackburn Electricity Committee secures 60 acres of land at Whitebirk
1914 : Suffragettes "Wake Up Blackburn!" by firing an ornamental cannon at Corporation Park
1914 : Blackburn Rovers win first division league championships
Sunday 2 August 1914 : outrage as Germany invades Belgium on the second day of the annual Blackburn Holidays
Tuesday 4 August 1914 : message posted in the window of the Northern Daily Telegraph offices, Blackburn 'Great Britain at War with Germany'
Saturday 12 September 1914 : Blackburn's Territorials depart for foreign service
Saturday 24 October 1914 : men from Blackburn in the 4th Battalion East Lancs Regiment arrives in Egypt
Saturday 31 October 1914 : first wounded soldiers from the Front return to Blackburn
Tuesday 24 November 1914 : Birth date of Elizabeth Mabel RATCLIFFE
1915 : Lusitania sunk, Blackburn man among fatalities
1915 : Longshaw Mill begins production, tne last weaving mill to be built in Blackburn
1915 : recruiting office set up in Preston New Road for Blackburn's Pals Battalions
Saturday 6 February 1915 : Blackburn's Territorials in battle against Turks near Suez Canal
1916 : 2,000 cotton looms idle due to labour shortages in Blackburn
1916 : Union Workhouse at Queens Park, Blackburn requisitioned as a Military Hospital
Saturday 1 July 1916 : Battle of the Somme. deaths devastate many Blackburn families
1917 : Stars and Stripes flown from every flagstaff in Blackburn as USA enters the war
Thursday 16 August 1917 : Blackburn soldier William Grimbaldeston awarded the Victoria Cross and the French Croix de Guerre
Tuesday 6 November 1917 : Death date of Thomas Henry COOPER
1918 : Lt.Cdr.Percy Thompson Dean RN of Blackburn awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in the Naval raid of Zeebrugge
1918 : 2nd Lt. John Schofield of Blackburn posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
1918 : Spanish Flu pandemic hits Blackburn, 90 deaths in a week
1918 : 26,000 women in Blackburn vote for the first time in the General Election
1918 : Capt. Alexander Macklin of Whalley and Blackburn receives the Polar Medal for his part in the Shackleton Expedition
1918 : death of Fred Kempster, the 'Blackburn Giant'
Monday 11 November 1918 : Great War ends with much celebration in Blackburn
1919 : Blackburn Labour MP Philip Snowden loses seat to VC winner Percy Dean
Saturday 5 April 1919 : Birth date of Herbert Cooper RATCLIFFE
1920 : fire at the Blackburn Fish Market causes £50,000 of damage
1921 : Blackburn adopts the devastated French towns of Peronne and Maricourt
1921 : purchase of 58 acres of land at Pleasington, Blackburn, from Major Fielden for recreation grounds
Saturday 19 March 1921 : 29,000 unemployed in Blackburn, mostly textile workers
Saturday 22 October 1921 : Blackburn's King George's Hall and Whitebirk electricity generating station opened by Lord Derby
1922 : £20,000 raised in Blackburn to rebuild a bridge at Peronne
1923 : Little Harwood Memorial Clock unveiled
1923 : Sir Robert Baden Powell attends a Boy Scout rally at Witton Park, Blackburn
1923 : approval given to build arterial road from Brownhill to Whalley Old Road, Blackburn
Saturday 14 July 1923 : Garden of Remembrance, Corporation Park, Blackburn, formally opened
1924 : Royal Assent given for the formation of the new Bishopric of Blackburn
1924 : "Le Pont de Blackburn", Peronne, opened in the presence of the Mayor of Blackburn
1924 : the Exchange Hall reopens as the Majestic Cinema in Blackburn
1925 : trials of first covered double-deck trams in Blackburn
1925 : death of James Kenyon, cinema pioneer from Blackburn
1925 : Blackburn Rovers celebrate Golden Jubilee
1925 : white lines painted on roads throughout Blackburn
1926 : Blackburn branch of the Communist Party established
1926 : opening of F W Woolworth's "3d & 6d Store" in Church Street, Blackburn
1926 : Centenary of the Parish Church and news that it is to become Blackburn Cathederal
Tuesday 4 May 1926 : Start of Blackburn brought to a standstill during the General Strike
Wednesday 12 May 1926 : End of Blackburn brought to a standstill during the General Strike
Saturday 17 July 1926 : Marriage date of Thomas COOPER = Constance Martha ELLIOT
1927 : Scapa Dryers moves into the former Witton Roller Skating Rink, Blackburn
1927 : Matthew Brown & Co of Preston take over the Lion Brewery, Little Harwood
1927 : enthronement of the first Bishop of Blackburn
1928 : Blackburn Rovers win the FA Cup for the sixth time beating Huddersfield 3-1 at Wembley
1928 : slump in the cotton industry renders 35 mills in Blackburn idle
1928 : Swan Brewery, Larkhill, Blackburn, bought by Dutton's
1929 : Roll of Honour for Great War dead unveiled in Blackburn town hall
Friday 20 September 1929 : Birth date of Fred PICKUP
Thursday 24 October 1929 : Wall Street Crash, unemployment in Blackburn rises to 9,200
1930 : Kathleen Ferrier, from Blackburn, wins gold medal at Liverpool Music Festival
1930 : Co-operative Emporium opens on Northgate, Blackburn
1930 : foundations of St Mary's College laid on former site of Blackburn Olympic Football Ground, Shear Brow
Saturday 14 June 1930 : unemployment in Blackburn rises to 30,000 and 100 mills are idle
Wednesday 25 June 1930 : Birth date of Constance Margaret COOPER
Monday 28 July 1930 : Christening date of Constance Margaret COOPER
1931 : 1878 seat Rialto Luxury Cinema (Odeon) opens on Penny Street, Blackburn
Monday 26 October 1931 : Birth date of Joan HOWARTH
1932 : plan approved to remove Blackburn's one o'clock gun
1933 : new church of St Gabriel, Brownhill, Blackburn, consecrated
1933 : new telephone system introduced in Blackburn with 53 boxes
1934 : buses replace trams on Audley/Queen's Park route, Blackburn
1934 : smallpox outbreak in Blackburn
Monday 12 November 1934 : Birth date of Reginald Thomas COOPER
1935 : King George V and Queen Mary visit Blackburn
Tuesday 23 July 1935 : Birth date of Jean WEBB
1936 : New Empress Ballroom, Town Hall Street, Blackburn, opens
1936 : relegation of Blackburn Rovers to second division
Friday 6 November 1936 : Birth date of Nora MCGREW
1937 : death of Phillip Snowden, Blackburn's first Labour MP
1937 : Philips Electrical purchase land at Little Harwood
1937 : celebrations in Blackburn mark the coronation of King George VI
Thursday 25 February 1937 : Birth date of Houghton CROSS
Friday 6 August 1937 : Birth date of Audrey WEBB
1938 : visit to Blackburn by George VI and Queen Elizabeth
1938 : Lewis's Textile Museum opened on Exchange Street, Blackburn
1938 : plan approved to convert the grounds of Pleasington Hall, Blackburn, to a cemetery
1938 : construction of new Woolworths store underway in Blackburn
Saturday 19 February 1938 : Marriage date of Robert COOPER = Daisy WOOD
Thursday 29 September 1938 : 114,000 gas masks distributed from the ARP HQ at the Old Bull Hotel, Blackburn
Thursday 20 October 1938 : Birth date of Fred SUTTON
1939 : PM Neville Chamberlain addresses meeting at King George's Hall, Blackburn
1939 : St Peters and St Hildas C of E schools, Blackburn, opened
1939 : withdrawal of Blackburn trams on the Cherry Tree route
1939 : Blackburn Rovers promoted to Division 1
Monday 20 March 1939 : death of Percy Thompson Dean, former Blackburn MP and VC holder
Friday 1 September 1939 : 1,300 children evacuated from Manchester to Blackburn
Sunday 3 September 1939 : Chamberlain broadcast to nation, Declaration of war heard in Blackburn
1940 : introduction of the Home Guard in Blackburn
1940 : Blackburn Rovers beaten 1-0 in Wartime Cup Final
1940 : death of Blackburn Rovers manager and former player Bob Crompton
1940 : removal of ornamental railings throughout Blackburn for war use
1940 : influenza epidemic hits Blackburn, 50 deaths
1940 : bomb drops in Ainsworth Street, Blackburn killing two
Friday 27 September 1940 : Start of heavy snowfall in Blackburn
Sunday 29 September 1940 : End of heavy snowfall in Blackburn
1941 : Wartime FA Cup Final between Preston North End and Arsenal played at Ewood Park, Blackburn
1941 : Darwen tram overturns at Ewood
1941 : visit to Blackburn by George VI and Queen Elizabeth
1941 : removal of bandstands at both Corporation and Queens Parks, Blackburn
Thursday 29 May 1941 : Birth date of Dorothy COOPER
1942 : George Formby visits Blackburn to promote a paper salvage campaign
1942 : bells of Blackburn Cathedral ring in celebration of Allied victory in Egypt
1943 : new Pleasington Cemetery, Blackburn, opens
1943 : first prisoners of war return home to Blackburn
Tuesday 13 April 1943 : Death date of Nancy Jane STANDING
Monday 19 April 1943 : Burial date of Nancy Jane STANDING
Wednesday 22 December 1943 : Death date of Herbert C. RATCLIFFE
Monday 27 December 1943 : Burial date of Herbert C. RATCLIFFE
1944 : death of Mjr JHG Fielden, Lord of the Manor of Blackburn
1944 : cab man's shelter on the Boulevard, Blackburn, removed
1944 : American GI's arrive in Blackburn
1944 : proposed new Blackburn town centre plans published
Tuesday 27 June 1944 : first batch of wounded soldiers arrive in Blackburn following D-Day Invasion
1945 : visit to Blackburn by PM Winston Churchill
1945 : death of Blackburn itinerant performer 'Strong Dick' alias Richard Thompson, aged 77
1945 : recomendation of demolition of properties in anticipation of Blackburn town centre redevelopment
1945 : £2 million extension of Whitebirk power station, Blackburn, completed
1945 : John Edwards and Barbara Castle returned as Labour MP's for Blackburn
Tuesday 8 May 1945 : VE Day celebrations throughout Blackburn
1946 : rivers Darwen and Blakewater burst their banks in Blackburn with much flooding
1946 : consecration of St Albans church, Blackburn
1946 : buses replace trams on the Preston New Road, Blackburn, route
1946 : civic welcome in Blackburn for returning Far East POWs
1946 : Blackburn town council acquire the house and estate of the late JHG Fielden for £64,000
Friday 21 June 1946 : official Blackburn civic victory celebrations
Saturday 13 July 1946 : Marriage date of Eric SEED = Edith HARGREAVES
1947 : coal shortages cause power cuts and schools and mills to close in Blackburn
1947 : marriage of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Blackburn sends locally made textile as a gift
1948 : Blackburn Rovers relegated to Division 2
1948 : Queen Elizabeth visits Haston Lee Mill, Blackburn
1948 : visit of Gracie Fields to King George's Hall, Blackburn
1948 : Freedom of Borough of Blackburn cohferred on East Lancs Regiment
1949 : last Blackburn tram runs from Boulevard to Intack depot
1949 : buses replace trams on the Blackburn to Darwen route
1950 : Barbara Castle retains Blackburn seat in General Election
1950 : demolition of Old Bull Hotel in Church Street, Blackburn
1950 : death of former Blackburn Rovers player William Townley, who in 1890 was first to score a hat-trick in a FA Cup Final
Tuesday 6 June 1950 : Birth date of Alison Jayne SAWYER
1951 : Holme Moss TV transmitter brings BBC TV to Blackburn
1951 : population of Blackburn shown to have fallen by 16,000 over 20 years
Tuesday 28 August 1951 : Centenary of the granting of Charter of Incorporation creating the Borough of Blackburn
1952 : death of Blackburn film pioneer Sagar J Mitchell
Friday 8 February 1952 : proclamation of new Queen, Elizabeth II read from the steps of the town hall by Mayor, Alderman Hare
1953 : death of Blackburn born singer Kathleen Ferrier aged 41
1953 : reports of two flying saucers over Blackburn
1953 : Kathleen Ferrier from Blackburn receives MBE
1953 : Mayor opens the towns first 3D cinema at the renamed New Majestic, King William Street, Blackburn
1953 : death of former Blackburn MP, Walter D Smiles
Saturday 6 June 1953 : Marriage date of Fred PICKUP = Constance Margaret COOPER
1954 : flooding in the Salford area, Blackburn
1954 : 'Blue Bird' built at Samlesbury for Donald Campbell's attempt on the water speed record
1954 : demolition of Witton House, Blackburn
1955 : Majestic Cinema, Blackburn sold to Essoldo
1955 : removal of Gladstone statue from the Boulevard to Blakey Moor, Blackburn
1955 : unveiling of the Blackburn town centre redevelopment scheme
1955 : visit to Blackburn by Queen Elizabeth II
1955 : Centenary of Blackburn Times
Friday 18 February 1955 : death of Blackburn VC holder James Pitts aged 77
1956 : opening of the crematorium at Pleasington Cemetery, Blackburn
1956 : Winter Hill TV transmitter brings ITV to Blackburn
1956 : closure of Blackburn's last theatre, the Grand, Jubilee Street
Sunday 15 April 1956 : Martyn Pickup born Queens Park Hospital, Blackburn
Sunday 15 April 1956 : Birth date of Martyn David PICKUP
Saturday 23 June 1956 : Marriage date of Houghton CROSS = Jean WEBB
1957 : closure of the Olympia, Savoy and Palace cinemas, Blackburn
1957 : Birth date of Lorraine HOWARTH
1957 : Centenary of the laying of Corporation Park, Blackburn
1957 : Asian Flu epidemic sweeps through Blackburn
1958 : introduction of the first smokeless zones in Blackburn
1958 : Death date of Bertha COOPER
1958 : £25,000 floodlights turned on at Ewood Park, Blackburn
1958 : demolition of the Golden Lion public house in Church Street, Blackburn
1958 : Blackburn Rovers promoted to 1st Division
1958 : Witton Park athletic track opened, Blackburn
Saturday 28 June 1958 : Marriage date of Reginald Thomas COOPER = Nora MCGREW
1959 : Mecca-Locarno Dance Hall opens, St Peter Street, Blackburn
1959 : permanent closure of 17 mills in 12 months in Blackburn
Thursday 13 August 1959 : death of William Grimbaldeston, last of Blackburn's VC holders
1960 : Blackburn Rovers beaten 3-0 by Wolves in FA Cup Final, Maurice Woods scores an own goal
Tuesday 28 June 1960 : Birth date of Duncan Elliot PICKUP
Monday 5 September 1960 : Death date of Ellen COOPER
1961 : massives scheme to culvert the River Blakewater in Blackburn begins
1961 : Witton Park Girls School, Blackburn, opens
Sunday 4 June 1961 : Birth date of Dawn Alison COOPER
Saturday 16 September 1961 : Birth date of Adam Elliot Howard JACKSON
1962 : redecorated Assembly Hall at King George's Hall reopens as Windsor Hall, Blackburn
1962 : Influenza epidemic hits Blackburn
1962 : closure of Ewood and Primrose Mills, Blackburn
Saturday 1 September 1962 : Marriage date of Fred SUTTON = Dorothy COOPER
1963 : coldest winter since 1947 strikes Blackburn
1964 : new market and pedestrian subways opened at Salford, Blackburn
1964 : Barbara Castle returned as MP for Blackburn East
1964 : Blackburn group 'The Four Pennies' hit number one with their song 'Juliet'
1964 : Dutton's the brewers in Blackburn are taken over by Whitbread
1964 : last Easter Fair opens on Market Place, Blackburn
1964 : STD dialing codes arrives with new telephone exchange on Jubilee Street, Blackburn
1964 : Blackburn brewer, Thwaites announce plan to rebuild brewery
Saturday 25 January 1964 : Birth date of Ian SUTTON
Wednesday 12 August 1964 : Birth date of Andrea May COOPER
Saturday 7 November 1964 : last open market in Blackburn held
Sunday 13 December 1964 : Birth date of Simon CROSS
Wednesday 30 December 1964 : old Blackburn Market Hall and clock tower demolished
1965 : Blackburn's Easter Fair sited at Birley Street, Larkhill
1965 : mass vaccination campaign in Blackburn to prevent spread of polio
1966 : demolition of Victoria Buildings, King William Street, Blackburn
1966 : Blackburn's Easter Fair moves to Ewood Car Park
1966 : 'Coronation Street' star Madge Hindle becomes Mayoress of Blackburn
1966 : Christening date of John Edward PEARL
Sunday 6 February 1966 : Birth date of Neil SUTTON
Sunday 21 August 1966 : Birth date of John Edward PEARL
Wednesday 31 August 1966 : Birth date of Andrew CROSS
1967 : new YMCA opened at Shear Bank Road, Blackburn
1967 : 400th Anniversary of the founding of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn
1967 : nationwide outbreak of foot and mouth disease strikes at Hodern Farm near Feniscowles
1967 : St Augustine's RC School opens on Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn
Wednesday 12 April 1967 : Birth date of Stephen FARRAN
Thursday 18 May 1967 : Birth date of Janet LAMBERT
Friday 6 October 1967 : Birth date of James MATTHEWS
1968 : death of Rev. Percy Mark Herbert, the first Bishop of Blackburn
1968 : visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Blackburn
1968 : last British Rail stream train leaves Blackburn
1968 : Blackburn town hall stonework cleaned
1968 : the Cavendish Club in Blackburn is opened by Radio 1 DJ Simon Dee
1968 : Larkhill Health Centre, Blackburn opens
Saturday 22 June 1968 : Birth date of Lisa SUTTON
Wednesday 31 July 1968 : Birth date of Jane GRIFFIN
Friday 13 September 1968 : Death date of Robert COOPER
1969 : Blackburn's 'Locarno Dance Hall' renamed 'The Golden Palms'
1969 : Blackburn Town Hall tower block officially opened
1969 : a branch of the Samaritans opens in Blackburn, the organisation founded by ex-Trinity church vicar Chad Varah
1969 : Blackburn Borough Police Force amalgamated with the Lancashire Constabulary
1970 : approval of plan to set up BBC Radio Blackburn
1970 : Barbara Castle re-elected as MP for Blackburn
1970 : visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Blackburn
Wednesday 28 January 1970 : Birth date of Hannah CROSS
1971 : fall in export of looms causes 50 jobs to go at Northrop in Blackburn
1971 : demolition of Thwaites Arcade, Blackburn
1971 : Blackburn Rovers relegated to 3rd Division
1972 : Cavendish Club, Blackburn, burns down
1972 : visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Pleckgate School, Blackburn
1972 : National Front win council seat, St Matthews Ward, Blackburn
1972 : closure of John Forbes outfitters, Northgate, Blackburn
1972 : Empire Cinema, Blackburn, bought by Asian businessman to show Asian films
1973 : 1971 Census results show Blackburn population is falling faster than any other town in the country
1973 : closure of Foster Yates & Thoms Canal Foundry, Eanam, Blackburn
Monday 16 July 1973 : Birth date of Ann HOPKINS
1974 : Barbara Castle returned as Labour MP for Blackburn
1974 : demolition of St Peters and St Philips churches, Blackburn
1974 : 3-day week hits Blackburn's industries
1974 : Blackburn Rovers finish 73/74 season in their lowest ever placing in 3rd Division
1974 : Saxon Inn, Blackburn destroyed by fire
1975 : Blackburn Rovers celebrate Centenary by winning 3rd Division Championship
1975 : Blackburn's new Central Library opened by PM Harold Wilson in the former Co-op, Northgate
Sunday 30 March 1975 : Death date of Herbert Cooper RATCLIFFE
1976 : Miss Blackburn, Beverley Isherwood becomes Miss England
1976 : two National Front candidates win Blackburn council elections
1977 : unofficial strikes by power workers result in power cuts in Blackburn
1977 : fire at Ewood Park, Blackburn destroys 200 seats
1977 : second Blackburn bid for city status ends in failure
1978 : Blackburn Councillor Tom Taylor made life peer in recognition of his work in education
1978 : closure of pubs and shops in Blackburn centre due to National Front rally
1978 : introduction of a new free weekly newspaper 'The Blackburn Citizen'
1979 : Barbara Castle becomes Euro-MP for Manchester North and Jack Straw becomes MP for Blackburn
1979 : Cavendish Club, Blackburn renamed 'Romeo & Juliet's'
1979 : approval of plan to demolish the chimneys at Whitebirk Power Station, Blackburn
1979 : Blackburn Rovers relegated to the 3rd Division
1979 : Debenham's store opens in Blackburn shopping precinct
1979 : freedom of the Borough of Blackburn conferred on Barbara Castle
1980 : closure of Imperial Mill, Blackburn
1980 : Blackburn Rovers win promotion to 2nd Division
1980 : closure of Blackburn's last spinning plant at Cicely Bridge Cotton Works
1981 : closure of Court School of Dancing, TownHall Street, Blackburn
1981 : Blackburn population is 106,501, highest since 1914
1981 : Radio Blackburn renamed Radio Lancashire
1981 : Easter Pleasure and Pot Fair held on Ewood Car Park for the last time
Friday 17 July 1981 : Marriage date of Martyn David PICKUP = Alison Jayne SAWYER
Friday 21 August 1981 : Death date of Constance Martha ELLIOT
1982 : Annual Easter Fair banned by Blackburn Council
1982 : Blackburn unemloyment reaches 8,000
1982 : Blackburn Times ceases production after 127 years
1982 : Mullard's closes its radio valve division in Blackburn
1982 : Unit 4 (Star) Cinema, Little Harwood closes
1982 : Thwaites Brewery, Blackburn celebrates 175th anniversary
1983 : Easter Fair returns to Blackburn on site off Barton Street
1983 : Whitebirk Power Station, Blackburn, cooling towers demolished
1983 : crowd violence at Ewood Park, Blackburn, following league tie with Burnley
Friday 12 August 1983 : Death date of Thomas COOPER
1984 : approval given for retail park on site of Whitebirk Power Station, Blackburn
1984 : closure of Palace Cinema and demolion of Lancashire Evening Telegraph printing offices, Blackburn
1984 : Pickup Bank Pop Festival is held, near Darwen
1985 : Tesco supermarket opens on site of Blackburn's greyhound stadium
1985 : one third of Blackburn births reported to be from women born abroad
January 1985 : Death date of Bob LEE
1985 : Blackburn's Easter Fair gets new home at Witton Park
1985 : closure of 70 year-old Riverside stand at Ewood Park, Blackburn
1985 : Tommy Balls the cut price shoe retailer is Blackburn's biggest tourist attraction
1985 : Blackburn's snooker professional, Denis Taylor wins World Snooker Final
Saturday 14 December 1985 : Death date of Elizabeth Mabel RATCLIFFE
1986 : brewers Scottish & Newcastle gain contol of Matthew Brown Brewery, Blackburn
1986 : closure of Woolworth's after 60 years in Blackburn
1986 : Waves water fun centre opens on Blakey Moor, Blackburn
Sunday 20 April 1986 : Death date of Jessie COOPER
1987 : closure of Kenyon's bakery, Crossfield Street, Blackburn
1987 : visit of Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn
1987 : Blackburn Rovers win Full Members Cup at Wembley
Thursday 30 July 1987 : Birth date of Tara PICKUP
Thursday 20 August 1987 : Marriage date of Andrew CROSS = Jane GRIFFIN
Saturday 7 November 1987 : Marriage date of Simon CROSS = Sarah OSBOURNE
1988 : death of Blackburn born entertainer, Russell Harty
Sunday 10 January 1988 : Christening date of Tara PICKUP
Thursday 4 February 1988 : Birth date of Charlotte CROSS
Monday 16 May 1988 : Death date of Eric SEED
Saturday 6 August 1988 : Marriage date of Ian SUTTON = Janet LAMBERT
Friday 30 December 1988 : Birth date of Holly Sarah PICKUP
1989 : Blackburn becomes known as a centre for illicit 'acid house' parties
Thursday 30 November 1989 : Birth date of Benjamin CROSS
1990 : facelift cladding begins on Blackburn townhall tower block
1990 : closure of Lion Brewery, Little Harwood, Blackburn
1990 : demolition of former Notre Dame Convent and girls school, Blackburn
1990 : Barbara Castle becomes Baroness Blackburn
1990 : demolition of deck access flats, Queens Park, Blackburn
1990 : work begins on new ice rink at Audley, Blackburn
1990 : closure of E H Booth's supermarket ending 106 years in Blackburn
Saturday 1 September 1990 : Marriage date of Stephen FARRAN = Lisa SUTTON
Sunday 9 December 1990 : Birth date of Phillip Neil SUTTON
1991 : Blackburn Rovers end the year at the top of Division 2
1991 : Kenny Dalglish becomes manager of Blackburn Rovers
1991 : death of Blackburn born author and fell walker, Alfred Wainwright
Sunday 2 June 1991 : Death date of Elsie COOPER
Friday 12 July 1991 : Birth date of Jessica CROSS
Monday 23 September 1991 : Birth date of Rachel SUTTON
1992 : Alan Shearer signs for Blackburn Rovers for £3 million
1992 : Blackburn Rovers gain promotion to the new Premier League
1992 : Jack Straw returned as MP for Blackburn for fourth consecutive time
Tuesday 31 March 1992 : Death date of Eddie HOWARTH
Friday 15 May 1992 : Death date of Hilda HOWARTH
Monday 21 September 1992 : Birth date of Paul Robert SUTTON
1993 : go-ahead given for Blackburn Rovers new stadium at Ewood Park
Saturday 17 April 1993 : Birth date of Thomas Michael PICKUP
Monday 15 November 1993 : Birth date of Thomas SUTTON
1994 : Blackburn Rovers finish the season as runners up
1994 : Blackburn man wins £17 million on the National Lottery
1995 : Blackburn Rovers win the Premier League Championship for the first time in 82 years
1995 : Kenny Dalglish resign as manager of Blackburn Rovers
1995 : second Blackburn man wins the National Lottery jackpot
Sunday 16 April 1995 : Birth date of Stephanie FARRAN
1996 : Alan Shearer tranferred from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle for a record £17 million
1996 : reports suggests up to 40 percent of Blackburn's houses are unfit for habitation
1996 : plaque unveiled on former Northgate, Blackburn, premises of cinematography pioneer Sagar J Mitchell
1997 : Jack Straw returned as MP for Blackburn with a 14,000 majority and becomes Home Secretary
Wednesday 3 September 1997 : Death date of Daisy WOOD
Monday 8 September 1997 : Burial date of Daisy WOOD
1998 : Blackburn joins with Darwen to become the 'Borough of Blackburn with Darwen'
1999 : construction begins of a new £5.5 million railway station for Blackburn
1999 : Woolworths store returns to Blackburn
1999 : first Asian, Councillor Salas Kiani, becomes Mayor of the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen
Sunday 9 May 1999 : Birth date of Jordan CROSS
Wednesday 30 June 1999 : the Princess Royal visits Blackburn to mark the rededication of the Cathedral lantern tower
Saturday 1 January 2000 : firework displays in Blackburn marks the new Millenium
Wednesday 9 February 2000 : Death date of George PEEK
Saturday 25 March 2000 : Death date of Alex WALLIS
Saturday 12 August 2000 : Birth date of Gabriel Elliot Cooper JACKSON
2001 : Divorce date of Simon CROSS = Sarah OSBOURNE
Tuesday 18 June 2002 : Marriage date of Simon CROSS = Ann HOPKINS
Monday 12 May 2003 : Marriage date of John Edward PEARL = Andrea May COOPER
2004 : Birth date of Thomas Edward Max PEARL
Sunday 21 November 2004 : Christening date of Thomas Edward Max PEARL
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