State

British Empire

overseas possessions of England and later the United Kingdom (1607–1997)

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This boundary
1583–1945
Founded
1583
Ended
1997
Capital
London
Government
constitutional monarchy
Languages
English
Preceded by
English overseas possession

Overview

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and colonisation attempts by Scotland during the 17th century. At its height in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was the largest empire in history and, for a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913 the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23 per cent of the world population at the time, and by 1920 it covered 35.5 million km2 (13.7 million sq mi), 24 per cent of the Earth's total land area. The British Parliament was the supreme law-making authority for all the British possessions which made up the Empire. As a result, its constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread. It was described as "the empire on which the sun never sets", as the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories.

Excerpt from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Records (155)

  1. 1675 — Battle of Bloody BrookBattle
  2. 1689–1815 — Second Hundred Years' WarWar
  3. 1745 — Battle of AnguillaNaval battle
  4. 1748 — Treaty of Aix-la-ChapelleTreaty
  5. 1755 — Battle of BeausejourBattle · United Kingdom, Massachussetts ▸ France
  6. 1756 — Battle of MinorcaBattle · France ▸ United Kingdom
  7. 1756 — Battle of Port MahonBattle · France ▸ United Kingdom
  8. 1762 — Battle of HavanaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Spain
  9. 1762 — Battle of MartiniqueBattle · United Kingdom ▸ France
  10. 1763 — Battle of Devils HoleBattle · Seneca Indians ▸ United Kingdom
  11. 1775–1782 — First Anglo-Maratha WarWar
  12. 1779–1783 — Anglo-Spanish WarWar
  13. 1779 — Capture of Cayo CocinaNaval battle
  14. 1779 — Battle of GrenadaBattle · France ▸ United Kingdom
  15. 1780 — Action of 30 September 1780Naval battle
  16. 1782 — Capture of Demerara and EssequiboNaval battle
  17. 1782 — Capture of MontserratNaval battle
  18. 1783 — Treaty of Paris (1783)Treaty
  19. 1794 — Jay's TreatyTreaty
  20. 1794–1899 — Australian frontier warsWar
  21. 1794 — Battle of BastiaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ France
  22. 1794 — Battle of MartiniqueBattle · United Kingdom ▸ France
  23. 1796 — Battle of ColomboBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Netherlands
  24. 1796 — Battle of GrenadaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ France, French Settlers
  25. 1796 — Battle of Saldanha BayBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Netherlands
  26. 1802 — Treaty of AmiensTreaty
  27. 1802 — Battle of SundaysBattle · Boers ▸ Xhosa
  28. 1803 — Battle of KandyBattle · Kingdom of Kandy ▸ United Kingdom
  29. 1806 — Battle of BluebergBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Netherlands
  30. 1807–1809 — Anglo-Turkish WarWar
  31. 1807 — Battle of MontevideoBattle · United Kingdom ▸ France, Spain
  32. 1809 — Battle of MartiniqueBattle · United Kingdom ▸ France
  33. 1813–1814 — Chesapeake campaignCampaign
  34. 1817–1818 — Third Anglo-Maratha WarWar
  35. 1818 — Quintuple AllianceTreaty
  36. 1818 — Battle of AshtiBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Marathas
  37. 1819 — Battle of GrahamstownBattle
  38. 1820–1832 — Black WarWar
  39. 1824–1826 — First Anglo-Burmese WarWar
  40. 1827 — Battle of NavarinoNaval battle
  41. 1830 — London Protocol of 1830Treaty
  42. 1831–1832 — Barra WarWar
  43. 1841 — Battle of BemaruBattle · Afghanistan ▸ United Kingdom
  44. 1845–1872 — New Zealand WarsWar
  45. 1845 — Battle of Vuelta de ObligadoNaval battle
  46. 1846 — Battle of QuebrachoBattle
  47. 1846 — Battle of San LorenzoBattle
  48. 1846 — Battle of Orange WalkBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Mayans
  49. 1850–1856 — Soninke-Marabout WarWar
  50. 1852 — Second Anglo-Burmese WarWar
  51. 1852 — Battle of BereaBattle
  52. 1853–1856 — Crimean WarWar
  53. 1855 — Attack on Burtons CampBattle
  54. 1857–1858 — Indian Mutiny of 1857Rebellion
  55. 1858 — Ansei TreatiesTreaty
  56. 1860 — Battle of WairekaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Maori
  57. 1860 — Battle of WaitaraBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Ngatiawa Maoris
  58. 1863 — Battle of KatikaraBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Maori
  59. 1863 — Battle of PoutokoBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Maoris
  60. 1864 — Battle of KaitakeBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Maoris
  61. 1864 — Battle of Sentry HillBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Hauhau
  62. 1868 — Battle of MoturoaBattle · Hauhau Maori ▸ United Kingdom
  63. 1870–1887 — Anglo-Opobo WarWar
  64. 1873–1874 — Third Anglo–Asante WarWar
  65. 1874 — Battle of AmoafulBattle
  66. 1878–1880 — Second Anglo-Afghan WarWar
  67. 1878 — Battle of Ali MasjidBattle
  68. 1878 — Battle of CentaneBattle
  69. 1879 — Anglo-Zulu WarWar
  70. 1879 — Battle of Rorke's DriftBattle
  71. 1879 — Treaty of GandamakTreaty
  72. 1879 — Battle of HlobaneBattle · Zulu Kingdom ▸ United Kingdom
  73. 1879 — Battle of KhambulaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Zulu Kingdom
  74. 1880–1881 — First Boer WarWar
  75. 1880 — Battle of MaiwandBattle
  76. 1881–1899 — Mahdist WarWar
  77. 1881 — Battle of Laings NekBattle · Transvaal ▸ United Kingdom
  78. 1882 — Anglo-Egyptian WarWar
  79. 1885 — Third Anglo-Burmese WarWar
  80. 1885 — Battle of Abu KleaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  81. 1885 — Battle of Abu KruBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  82. 1885 — Battle of GinnissBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  83. 1885 — Battle of HashinBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  84. 1885 — Battle of KirkebanBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Mahdists
  85. 1885 — Battle of TofrekBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  86. 1888 — Battle of GemaizehBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  87. 1888 — Battle of HandoubBattle · United Kingdom, Sudanese forces ▸ the Mahdiyya
  88. 1889 — Battle of ToskiBattle · United Kingdom, Egypt ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  89. 1890 — Heligoland–Zanzibar TreatyTreaty
  90. 1891 — Battle of TokarBattle · United Kingdom, Egypt ▸ Sudanese Mahdists
  91. 1898 — Battle of AtbaraBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Mahdists
  92. 1899–1901 — Boxer RebellionRebellion
  93. 1899–1902 — Second Boer WarWar
  94. 1899 — Boer WarsWar
  95. 1900 — War of the Golden StoolWar
  96. 1900 — Battle of Elands RiverBattle
  97. 1900 — Battle of DwarsvleiBattle
  98. 1900 — Battle of SilkaatsnekBattle
  99. 1900 — Battle of AboasaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Ashanti Rebels
  100. 1900 — Battle of AshantiBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Ashanti
  101. 1900 — Battle of StadtBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Transvaal
  102. 1902 — Anglo-Japanese AllianceTreaty
  103. 1902 — Battle of EregoBattle
  104. 1903 — Battle of KanoBattle
  105. 1903 — Battle of KwatarkwashiBattle
  106. 1903 — Battle of AgaarweyneBattle
  107. 1903 — Battle of BurmiBattle
  108. 1903 — Battle of SokotoBattle
  109. 1906 — Bambatha RebellionRebellion
  110. 1906 — Battle of Mome GorgeBattle
  111. 1913 — Battle of Dul MadobaBattle
  112. 1914 — Battle of KilimanjaroBattle
  113. 1914 — Invasion of Cheikh SaidInvasion
  114. 1914–1918 — Portuguese campaign in MozambiqueCampaign
  115. 1914 — Battle of Lake MalawiNaval battle
  116. 1915–1916 — Gallipoli CampaignCampaign
  117. 1915 — naval operations in the Dardanelles CampaignNaval battle
  118. 1915 — Battle of Hill 60Battle
  119. 1916 — Battle of the SommeBattle
  120. 1916 — Battle of Delville WoodBattle
  121. 1916 — Battle of HannaBattle
  122. 1917 — Battle of ArrasBattle
  123. 1917 — Battle of BeershebaBattle
  124. 1917 — Anglo-French Convention of 1917Treaty
  125. 1917 — Battle of Gaza (1st)Battle · Turkey, Germany ▸ United Kingdom
  126. 1917 — Battle of Gaza (2nd)Battle · Germany, Turkey ▸ United Kingdom
  127. 1917 — Battle of SheriaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Ottoman Empire
  128. 1918 — Battle of AmiensBattle
  129. 1918 — Battle of the LysBattle
  130. 1918 — Second Battle of the SommeBattle
  131. 1918 — Capture of DamascusBattle
  132. 1918 — Battle of SharqatBattle
  133. 1918 — Battle of the ScarpeBattle
  134. 1919 — Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919Treaty
  135. 1920 — Treaty of SèvresTreaty
  136. 1922 — Nine-Power TreatyTreaty
  137. 1923 — Treaty of LausanneTreaty
  138. 1925 — Locarno TreatiesTreaty
  139. 1925 — Shakee MassacreMassacre
  140. 1936–1939 — Waziristan campaign (1936–1939)Campaign
  141. 1936 — Battle of Al-KhaderBattle
  142. 1940–1948 — 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory PalestineWar
  143. 1941 — Battle of Hong KongBattle
  144. 1941 — Battle of Addis AbabaBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Italy
  145. 1941 — Battle of Amba AlagiBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Italy
  146. 1941 — Battle of Debra TaborBattle · United Kingdom, Ethiopia ▸ Italy
  147. 1941 — Battle of DessieBattle · South Africa ▸ Italy
  148. 1941 — Battle of KowloonBattle · Japan ▸ United Kingdom
  149. 1941 — Battle of Wolchefit PassBattle · United Kingdom ▸ Italy
  150. 1942 — Battle of LashioBattle
  151. 1942 — The Anglo-Soviet-Iranian Treaty (1942)Treaty
  152. 1942 — Battle of ColomboBattle · Japan ▸ United Kingdom
  153. 1943 — Battle of Empress Augusta BayBattle · United States ▸ Japan
  154. 1945–1949 — Indonesian National RevolutionWar
  155. 1945 — Sheikh Bashir rebellionRebellion

Facts from Wikidata (CC0), HCED (CC0) and Cliopatria (CC BY 4.0); overview excerpted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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