May 1: The UK Forms, an 8-Hour Work Day and the Invention of Matches

On This Day in History May 1, 2020 Historical Events 1707  Acts of Union comes into force, uniting England and Scotland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain 1753  Publication of Species Plantarum by Carolus Linnaeus, and the formal start date of plant taxonomy adopted by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature 1841  First emigrant wagon train leaves Independence, Missouri, for California 1886  US general strike for 8-hour working day begins 1931  Empire State Building opens in New York City More Historical Events Famous Birthdays Arthur Wellesley (1769 - 1852) Calamity Jane (1852 - 1903) Jodhi May 45th Birthday Kamehameha I (1738 - 1819) More Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths Ayrton Senna (1960 - 1994) David Livingstone (1813 - 1873) More Famous Deaths May 1: Strike A Light! I've Created Flames John Walker liked to experiment with the chemicals in his pharmacy. To his surprise, one mixture he scraped up burst into flames – and the match was born. Read the Article You Might Like Take Our Weekly Quiz You received this email because you opted in at our website, OnThisDay.com Update Your Preferences | Unsubscribe © 2020 OnThisDay.com 2 Acacia Place, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand