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Jane Austen

Jane Austen

Jane Austen (December 16, 1775 – July 18, 1817) was a prominent English novelist whose work is considered part of the Western canon. Her insights into women's lives and her mastery of form and irony made her arguably the most noted and influential novelist of her era.

Life

Western canon Jane Austen was born at the rectory in Steventon, Hampshire, to the Rev. George Austen (1731–1805) and his wife Cassandra (née Leigh) (1739–1827). She lived for most of her life in the area and never married. She had six brothers and one older sister, Cassandra, to whom she was very close. The only undisputed portrait of Jane Austen is a coloured sketch done by Cassandra which resides in the National Portrait Gallery in London. However, a full-length painting owned by a family member, traditionally held to be of Jane as a teenager, is now increasingly considered authentic by authorities. Her brothers Frank and Charles went to sea, eventually becoming admirals. In 1783, she was educated briefly by a relative in Oxford then Southampton. In 1785–1786, she was educated at the Reading Ladies boarding school in the Abbey gatehouse in Reading, Berkshire. In general, she received an education superior to that generally given to girls of her time, and took early to writing, her first tale being begun in 1789. Austen's life was a singularly uneventful one and, but for a disappointment in love, tranquil and happy. In 1801 the family moved to Bath, the scene of many episodes in her writings. In 1802 Austen received a marriage proposal from a wealthy young man named Harris Bigg-Wither, whom she accepted, then refused the next day, presumably because she did not love him. Having refused this offer of marriage, Austen never subsequently married. After the death of her father in 1805, Austen, her sister, and her mother lived with her brother Frank and his family for several years until they moved in 1809 to Chawton. Here her wealthy brother Edward had an estate with a cottage, which he turned over to his mother and sisters. (Their house today is open to the public.) Austen continued to live in relative seclusion and began to suffer ill-health. It is now thought she may have suffered from Addison's disease, the cause of which was then unknown. She travelled to Winchester to seek medical attention, but so rapid was the progress of her malady that she died there two months later and was buried in the cathedral.

Work

Adhering to contemporary convention for female authors, Austen published her novels anonymously. Her novels achieved a measure of popular success and esteem yet her anonymity kept her out of leading literary circles. Although all her works are love stories and although her career coincided with the Romantic movement in English literature, Jane Austen was no Romantic. Passionate emotion usually carries danger in an Austen novel and the young woman who exercises rational moderation is more likely to find real happiness than one who elopes with a lover. Her artistic values had more in common with David Hume and John Locke than with her contemporaries William Wordsworth or Lord Byron. Three of Austen's favorite influences were Samuel Johnson, William Cowper and Fanny Burney. Her posthumously published novel Northanger Abbey satirizes the Gothic novels of Ann Radcliffe, but Austen is most famous for her mature works, which took the form of socially astute comedies of manners. These, especially Emma, are often cited for their perfection of form, while modern critics continue to unearth new perspectives on Austen's keen commentary regarding the predicament of unmarried genteel English women in the early 1800s. Inheritance law and custom usually directed the bulk of a family's fortune to male heirs. Her novels were fairly received when they were published, with Sir Walter Scott in particular praising her work: :That young lady has a talent for describing the involvements of feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with. Austen also earned the admiration of Macaulay (who thought that in the world there were no compositions which approached nearer to perfection), Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, Sydney Smith, and Edward FitzGerald. Nonetheless, she was a somewhat overlooked author for several decades following her life. Interest in her work revived during the late nineteenth century. Twentieth century scholars rated her among the greatest talents in English letters, sometimes even comparing her to Shakespeare. Lionel Trilling and Edward Said were important Austen critics. Negative views of Austen have been notable. Charlotte Brontë criticized the narrow scope of Austen's fiction. Mark Twain's reaction approached revulsion: :Jane Austen? Why I go so far as to say that any library is a good library that does not contain a volume by Jane Austen. Even if it contains no other book. Austen's literary strength lies in the delineation of character, especially of women, by delicate touches arising out of the most natural and everyday incidents in the life of the middle and upper classes, from which her subjects are generally taken. Her characters, though of quite ordinary types, are drawn with such firmness and precision, and with such significant detail as to retain their individuality intact through their entire development, and they are uncoloured by her own personality. Her view of life seems largely genial, with a strong dash of gentle but keen irony. Some contemporary readers may find the world she describes, in which people's chief concern is obtaining advantageous marriages, to be unliberated and disquieting. Options were limited in this era and both women and men often married for money. Female writers worked within the similarly narrow genre of romance. Part of Austen's prominent reputation rests on how well she integrates observations on the human condition within a convincing love story. Much of the tension in her novels arises from balancing financial necessity against other concerns: love, friendship, and morals.

Bibliography

Novels


- Sense and Sensibility (published 1811)
- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
- Mansfield Park (1814)
- Emma (1815)
- Northanger Abbey (1818) posthumous
- Persuasion (1818) posthumous

Shorter works


- Lady Susan
- The Watsons (incomplete novel)
- Sanditon (incomplete novel)

Juvenilia


- Henry and Eliza
- The Three Sisters
- Love and Freindship [sic]
- The History of England
- Catharine, or the Bower
- The Beautifull Cassandra [sic]

Jane Austen today

Austen's work is today considered an important part of the English literary canon. It is taught in universities and is the subject of a massive body of scholarly and critical work. The novels are also widely read by ordinary people, simply for pleasure. Some of her unfinished works were published but only for the family members that were still alive.

Filmography

In popular culture, Austen's novels have been adapted in a great number of film and television series, varying greatly in their faithfulness to the originals. Pride and Prejudice has been the most reproduced of her works, with six films, the most recent being the 2005 adaptation directed by Joe Wright, starring Keira Knightley, Donald Sutherland, Matthew MacFadyen, and Dame Judi Dench, as well as the 2004 Bollywood adaptation Bride & Prejudice, and five television series produced by the BBC. The 2001 film Bridget Jones's Diary was also based on the novel. Emma has been adapted to film at least three times including in 1932 with Marie Dressler and Jean Hersholt, the 1995 teen film Clueless, and in 1996 with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam; Sense and Sensibility four films, and Persuasion has been adapted into two television series and one feature film. Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey have both been made into films. The 1980 film Jane Austen in Manhattan about rival film companies who wish to produce a film based on the only complete Austen play Sir Charles Grandison which was first discovered in 1980.

Notes

#BBC News. 2004. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/dorset/3560029.stm Rare Austen manuscript unveiled]

Further reading

Knox-Shaw, Peter. Jane Austen and the Enlightenment ISBN-10 0521843464

External links


-
- [http://www.classicistranieri.com/dblog/articolo.asp?id=2088 Works by Jane Austen] in [http://www.classicistranieri.com Classici Stranieri]
- [http://romance-books.classic-literature.co.uk/jane-austen/ Jane Austen] – e-books in easy to read HTML format.
- [http://www.janeaustenmuseum.org.uk/ The Jane Austen Museum]
- [http://www.quotesandpoem.com/literature/ListofLiteraryWorks/Austen__Jane Jane Austen’s Works and Quotes in searchable format]
- [http://books.guardian.co.uk/authors/author/0,5917,-12,00.html Guardian Books "Author Page"], with profile and links to further articles.
- [http://www.pemberley.com The Republic of Pemberley], the largest Jane Austen site on the web.
  - [http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html Jane Austen Information Page]
  - [http://www.pemberley.com/filmography/filmography.html Filmography of Jane Austen Adaptations]
- [http://www.hants.gov.uk/austen Hampshire, inspirational home of Jane Austen]
- [http://www.jasna.org The Jane Austen Society of North America]
- [http://www.jasa.net.au/index.html The Jane Austen Society of Australia]
- [http://pia-frauss.de/fonts/ja.htm Jane Austen font]
- [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/ 2005 film adaptation]
- [http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5167 Literary Encyclopedia entry]
- [http://www.britishtours.com/360/jane_austen.html Jane Austen's home at Chawton, Quicktime VR image] Austen, Jane Austen, Jane Austen, Jane Austen, Jane Austen, Jane Austen, Jane Austen, Jane Austen, Jane ja:ジェーン・オースティン simple:Jane Austen th:เจน ออสเตน

1775

1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar).

Events

February-March


- February 9 - American Revolutionary War: British Parliament declares Massachusetts in rebellion
- March 23 - American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his speech - "give me liberty or give me death" in Williamsburg, Virginia.

May-June


- May 10 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress meets, elects John Hancock president, raises the Continental army under George Washington as commander and authorizes the colonies to adopt their own constitutions.
- May 10 - American Revolutionary War: Fort Ticonderoga is taken by a small force called the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont, led by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen.
- May 17 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress bans trade with Canada.
- June 12 - American Revolutionary War: The British forces offered a pardon to all colonists who would lay down their arms. With two exceptions Samuel Adams and John

July


- [[July 3]] - American Revolutionary War: George Washington takes command of the 17,000-man Continental Army at Cambridge.
- [[July 5 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress sends the Olive Branch Petition, hoping for a reconciliation.
- August 23 - American Revolutionary War: Refusing to even look at the Olive Branch Petition, King George issues a Declaration of Rebellion against the American colonies.
- July 6 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress issues Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which contains the words: "Our cause is just. Our union is perfect... being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves...".
- July 26 - The Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin to be the first Postmaster General of what would later become the United States Post Office Department.

August-September


- August 29 - September 12 - "Independence Hurricane" from South Carolina to Nova Scotia kills 4170, mostly fishermen and sailors.

October-December


- October 13 - American Revolutionary War: The United States Continental Congress orders the establishment of the Continental Navy (later renamed the United States Navy).
- November 10 - The United States Marine Corps was born in Tun Tavern, Philidelphia. American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress passes a resolution creating the Continental Marines (later renamed the United States Marine Corps) to serve as landing troops for the recently created Continental Navy (the Marines were disbanded at end of war in April of 1783 but were reformed on July 11, 1798).
- November 10 - Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia founded. Continues today as one of three all men's colleges left in the United States.
- November 13 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Montreal - Patriot revolutionary forces under Col. Ethan Allen capture Montreal from British General Guy Carleton.
- November 28 - The United States Navy is established by the Continental Congress.
- December 31 - American Revolutionary War: British forces repulse an attack by Continental Army generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold at Quebec.

Unknown date


- Smallpox epidemic begins in New England
- Last official execution for witchcraft in Germany
- French decide to ignore plans for perpetuum mobiles in the future
- James Watt's first steam engine prototype
- Austria forces the Ottoman Empire to cede Bukovina

Births


- January 22 - André-Marie Ampère, French physicist (d. 1836)
- January 27 - Friedrich Schelling, German physicist (d. 1854)
- February 10 Charles Lamb, English writer (d. 1834)
- February 12 - Louisa Adams, First Lady, wife of President John Quincy Adams (d. 1852)
- June 12 - Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (b. 1851)
- June 13 - Antoni Radziwiłł, Polish politician (d. 1833)
- July 23 - Eugène François Vidocq, French criminal and private detective agency (d. 1857)
- September 1 - Honoré Charles Reille, Marshal of France (d. 1860)
- December 14 - Philander Chase, American university founder (d. 1852)
- December 14 - Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, British admiral (d. 1860)
- December 16 - Jane Austen, English novelist (d. 1817)
- December 16 - François-Adrien Boieldieu, French composer (d. 1834)
- Ninian Edwards, Governor of Illinois and Senator from Illinois (d. 1833)
- Amadou Lobbo, Fulani Muslim leader in West Africa

Deaths


- January 8 - John Baskerville, English printer (b. 1706)
- January 13 - Johann Georg Walch, German theologian (b. 1693)
- February 5 - Eusebius Amort, German Catholic theologian (b. 1692)
- February 6 - William Dowdeswell, English politician (b. 1721)
- February 15 - Peter Dens, Belgian Catholic theologian (b. 1690)
- June 17 - Major John Pitcairn, British marine (killed in battle) (b. 1722)
- June 23 - Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von Pöllnitz, German adventurer and writer (b. 1692)
- July 11 - Simon Boerum, American Continental Congressman (b. 1724)
- September 16 - Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst, English privy councillor (b. 1684)
- October 2 - Chiyo-ni, Japanese poet (b. 1703)
- October 18 - Christian August Crusius, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1715)
- October 21 - Peyton Randolph, American president of the Continental Congress (b. 1721)
- November 21 - John Hill, English writer
- November 24 - Lorenzo Ricci, Italian Jesuit leader (b. 1703)
- December 7 - Charles Saunders, British admiral Category:1775 ko:1775년 ms:1775

1817

1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar).

Events


- March 4 - James Monroe succeeds James Madison as the President of the United States of America
- April - Earthquake in Palermo, Italy
- April 3 - Princess Caraboo appears in Almondsbury in Gloucestershire, England
- May - The General Convention of the Episcopal Church founded General Theological Seminary while meeting in New York City.
- July 4 - At Rome, New York, construction on the Erie Canal begins.
- June 5 - First Great Lakes steamer, the Frontenac, is launched.
- June 25 - Large prison riot in Copenhagen prison - army is sent for to quell it
- August 22 - City of Araraquara, Brazil founded.
- August 23 - Earthquake near the site of the ancient Greek city of Helike. 65 deaths.
- December 10 - Mississippi is admitted as the 20th U.S. state.

Unknown dates


- Elgin Marbles displayed in British Museum
- Emperor Ninko ascends to the throne of Japan
- Battle of Maipú
- John Kidd extracts naphthalene from coal tar

Births


- January 8 - Sir Theophilus Shepstone British South African statesman (d. June 23 1893)
- February 19 - King William III of the Netherlands (d. 1890)
- February 22 - Carl Wilhelm Borchardt, German mathematician (d. 1880)
- March 6 - Clémentine of Orléans, daughter of King Louis-Philippe of France and mother of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (d. 1907)
- March 22 - Braxton Bragg, American Confederate general (d. 1876)
- May 15 - Debendranath Tagore, Indian philosopher (d. 1905)
- June 30 - Joseph Dalton Hooker, English botanist (d. 1911)
- July 12 - Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher (d. 1862)
- July 24 - Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (d. 1905)
- August 3 - Archduke Albert, Austrian general (d. 1895)
- August 24 - Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Russian writer (d. 1875)
- November 3 - Leonard Jerome, American entrepreneur and grandfather of Sir Winston Churchill (d. 1891)
- November 12 - Bahá'u'lláh, Persian founder of the Bahá'í Faith (d. 1894)
- November 17 - Benjamin Champney, Founder of the White Mountain school of painters (d. 1907)
- November 30 - Theodor Mommsen, German writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1903)

Deaths


- January 12 - Juan Andres, Spanish Jesuit (b. 1740)
- January 16 - Alexander J. Dallas, American statesman and financier (b. 1759)
- April 4 - André Masséna, French marshal (b. 1758)
- June 24 - Thomas McKean, American lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1734)
- July 14 - Anne Louise Germaine de Staël, French writer (b. 1766)
- July 18 - Jane Austen, English novelist (b. 1775)

Literature


- Samuel Taylor Coleridge publishes Biographia Literaria Category:1817 ko:1817년 ms:1817 simple:1817

Western canon

The Western canon is a canon of books and art (and specifically one with very loose boundaries) that is thought by many to have been highly influential in shaping Western culture. The selection of a canon is important to the theory of educational perennialism. Examples of canonical lists include:
- The Harvard Classics
- Great Books of the Western World
- [http://web.archive.org/web/20040717050657/http://www.literarycritic.com/bloom.htm Harold Bloom's canon] University reading lists are also good indicators of what is considered to be in the Western canon:
- St. John's College reading list

Origins

The process of listmaking—defining the boundaries of the canon—is endless. One of the notable attempts in the English-speaking world was the Great Books of the Western World program. This program, developed in the middle third of the 20th century, grew out of the curriculum at the University of Chicago. University president Robert Hutchins and his collaborator Mortimer Adler developed a program that offered reading lists, books, and organizational strategies for reading clubs to the general public. An earlier attempt, the Harvard Classics (1909) was promulgated by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot, whose thesis was the same as Carlyle's: :... The greatest university of all is a collection of books. --Thomas Carlyle

Debate

There has been an ongoing, intensely political debate over the nature and status of the canon since at least the 1960s. In the USA, in particular, it has been attacked as a compendium of books written mainly by "dead white European males", that thus do not represent the viewpoints of many others in contemporary societies around the world. Others, notably Allan Bloom in his 1987 book The Closing of the American Mind, have fought back vigorously. Authors such as Yale Professor of Humanities Harold Bloom (no relation) have also spoken strongly in favor of the canon, and in general the canon remains as a represented idea in most institutions, though its implications continue to be debated heavily. Defenders maintain that those who undermine the canon do so out of primarily political interests, and that the measure of quality represented by the works of the canon is of an aesthetic rather than political nature. Thus, any political objections aimed at the canon are ultimately irrelevant. One of the main objections to a canon of literature is the question of authority—who should enjoy the power to determine what works are worth reading and teaching?

Works

Works which are commonly included in the canon include works of fiction such as epic poems, poetry, music, drama, novels, and other assorted forms of literature from the many, diverse Western (and more recently non-Western) cultures. Many non-fiction works are also listed, primarily from the areas of religion, science, philosophy, economics, politics, and history. Works which directly address the canon (both for and against):
- The History of Western Literature by Otto Maria Carpeaux
- Shakespeare by Harold Bloom
- The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages by Harold Bloom
- The Dead Father by Donald Barthelme

See also


- history
- literature
- university
- seminal work
- relativism
- string quartet repertory
- Mortimer Adler
- Stringfellow Barr
- Allan Bloom
- Harold Bloom
- Scott Buchanan
- Robert Hutchins

External links


- [http://home.comcast.net/~dwtaylor1/theocraticcanon.html "Harold Bloom's canon"]
- [http://www.centerforbookculture.org/context/no7/white.html All That You Know Not to Be Is Utterly Real, Part I by Curtis White]
- [http://www.thegreatideas.org/ "Great Ideas" Website]
- [http://books.mirror.org/gb.home.html A "Great Books" Website]
- [http://westerncanon.com Western Canon Great Books University] Category:Books Category:Literature

Steventon, Hampshire

Steventon is a small village in north Hampshire, United Kingdom. In the 2001 census it had a population of 219. It is situated just north-west of the town of Basingstoke, close to the villages of Overton, Oakley and North Waltham, and to Junction 7 of the M3. Steventon is best known as the birth place of author Jane Austen, who went on to live in the nearby village of Chawton. Sadly the rectory in which she wrote Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Sense & Sensibility was destroyed in 1823. All that is left is an old pump in a field next to a lime tree that is believed to have been planted by James Austen, Jane's eldest brother. The 12th century Steventon Church, where Jane Austen worshipped, stands almost unchanged from those days. In the church are memorial tablets to James Austen, who took over the parish from her father, his two wives and some of his relations. Their graves are in the churchyard.

External links


- Steventon

Hampshire

Hampshire (abbr. Hants) is a county on the south coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county borders (clockwise from West), Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex. The county is 1,455 square miles (3,769 km²) in size and at its widest points is approximately 55 miles (90 km) east-west and 40 miles (65 km) north-south. The county town is Winchester situated at . The 2001 census gave the population of the administrative county as 1.24 million; the ceremonial county also includes the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton, which are administratively independent, and has a total population of 1.6 million. Hampshire is a popular holiday area, with tourist attractions including its many seaside resorts, the maritime area in Portsmouth, and the motor museum at Beaulieu. The New Forest National Park lies within the borders, as does a large area of the South Downs, which is also scheduled to become a National Park. Hampshire has a long maritime history and two of England's largest ports lie on its coast. The county is famed as home of the writers Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

Physical geography

Hampshire's geology falls into two categories. In the south, along the coast is the "Hampshire Basin", an area of relatively non-resistant Eocene and Oligocene clays and gravels which are protected from sea erosion by the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, and the Isle of Wight. These low, flat lands support heathland and woodland habitats, a large area of which form part of the New Forest. The New Forest has a mosaic of heathland, grassland, coniferous and deciduous woodland habitats that host diverse wildlife. The forest is protected as a national park, limiting development and agricultural use to protect the landscape and wildlife. Large areas of the New Forest are open common lands kept as a grassland plagioclimax by grazing animals, including domesticated cattle, pigs and horses, and several wild deer species. Erosion of the weak rock and sea level change flooding the low land has carved several large estuaries and rias, notably the 12 mile (19 km) long Southampton Water and the large convoluted Portsmouth Harbour. The Isle of Wight lies off the coast of Hampshire where the non-resistant rock has been eroded away forming the Solent. In the north and centre of the county the substrate is the Southern England Chalk Formation of Salisbury Plain and the South Downs. These are high hills with steep slopes where they border the clays to the south. The hills dip steeply forming a scarp onto the Thames valley to the north, and dip gently to the south. The highest point in the county is Pilot Hill, which reaches the height of 286 m (938 ft). The downland supports a calcareous grassland habitat, important for wild flowers and insects. In the past Hampshire had little arable agriculture, but in the early 20th century the demand for food led to the establishment of farms on the downs. A large area of the downs are now protected from further agricultural damage by the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The Itchen and Test are trout rivers that flow from the chalk through wooded valleys into Southampton Water. Hampshire has a milder climate than most areas of the British Isles, being in the far south with the climate stabilising effect of the sea, but protected against the more extreme weather of the Atlantic coast. Hampshire has a higher average annual temperature than the UK average at 10.2 °C to 12 °C , average rainfall at 741–1060 mm per year , and higher than average sunshine at over 1541 hours per year .

History

The chalk downland of the South Downs and southern edges of Salisbury Plain were settled in the neolithic, and these settlers built hill forts and may have farmed the valleys of Hampshire. Hampshire was part of an area named Gwent or Y Went by the Celts, which also covered areas of Somerset and Wiltshire. In the Roman invasion of Britain, Hampshire was one of the first areas to fall to the invading forces. The county was occupied by Jutish tribes until Saxon times. Hampshire was one of the first Saxon shires, recorded in 755, but for two centuries represented the western end of Saxon England, as advances into Dorset and Somerset were fought off by the Britons. After the Saxons advanced west Hampshire became the centre of the Kingdom of Wessex, and many Saxon kings are buried at Winchester. A statue in Winchester celebrates the powerful King Alfred, who stabilised the region in the 9th century. 9th century After the Norman Conquest the county was favoured by Norman kings who established the New Forest as a hunting forest. The county was recorded in the Domesday Book divided into 44 hundreds. From the 12th century the ports grew in importance, fuelled by trade with the continent, wool and cloth manufacture in the county, and the fishing industry, and a shipbuilding industry was established. Over several centuries a series of castles and forts were constructed along the coast of the Solent to defend the harbours at Southampton and Portsmouth. These include the Norman Portchester Castle which overlooks Portsmouth Harbour, and a serious of forts built by Henry VIII including Hurst Castle, situated on a sand spit at the mouth of the Solent, Calshot Castle on another spit at the mouth of Southampton Water, and Netley Castle. Southampton and Portsmouth remained important harbours when rivals, such as Poole and Bristol declined, as they are amongst the few locations that combine shelter with deep water. Southampton has been host to many famous ships, including the Mayflower and the Titanic, the latter being staffed largely by Hampshire natives. Hampshire played a large role in World War II due to its large Royal Navy harbour at Portsmouth, the army camp at Aldershot and the military Netley Hospital on Southampton Water, as well as its proximity to the army training ranges on Salisbury Plain and Purbeck. Supermarine, the designers of the Spitfire and other military aircraft, were based in Southampton, which led to severe bombing of the city. Aldershot remains one of the British Army's main permanent camps. British Army The county has in the past been called "Southamptonshire" and appears as such on some Victorian maps. Its name was officially changed from 'County of Southampton' to 'County of Hampshire' on April 1, 1959. The short form of the name, often used in postal addresses, is Hants. The Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands have traditionally been treated as part of Hampshire for some purposes, but have been administratively independent for over a century, with the Isle of Wight obtaining a county council of its own in 1890. The Isle of Wight became a full ceremonial county in 1974. Apart from a shared police force there are now no formal administrative links between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, though many organisations still combine Hampshire, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands. The towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch also fall within the traditional county of Hampshire, but were ceded to Dorset in the local government reorganisation of 1974.

Economy

Dorset Hampshire is a relatively affluent county, with a Gross domestic product (GDP) of £22.9 billion (£16.3 billion when excluding Southampton and Portsmouth). This makes it the sixth largest economy in England, and is equal in size to the economy of Northern Ireland, making up 2% each of the economy of the UK as a whole. In terms of GDP per head Hampshire is just above the national average at 105% (37th highest in England), rising to 122% when including Southampton and Portsmouth. The highest GDP per head is Portsmouth at 144% of the national average . Portsmouth and Winchester have the highest job densities in the county, and there is therefore a high level of commuting into the cities. Southampton has the highest number of total jobs and commuting both into and out of the city is high. The county has a lower level of unemployment than the national average, at 1.9% when the national rate was 3.3%, and as of March 2005 has fallen to 1.1%. 39% are employed by large firms, compared to a national average of 42%. Hampshire has a considerably higher than national average employment in high-tech industries, but average levels in knowledge based industry. 25.21% of the population work in the public sector . Many rural areas of Hampshire have traditionally been reliant on agriculture, though the county was less agricultural than most surrounding counties, and was mostly concentrated on dairy farming. The significance of agriculture as an employer and wealth creator has declined since the first half of the 20th century and agriculture currently employs 1.32% of the population. The New Forest area is a National Park, and tourism is a significant economic segment in this area. The cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are both significant ports, with Southampton handling a large proportion of the national container freight and Portsmouth housing a large Royal Navy base. The docks have traditionally been large employers in these cities, though again mechanisation has forced diversification of the economy.

Demographics

Royal Navy At the Census 2001 the ceremonial county recorded a population of 1,644,249, of which 1,240,103 were in the administrative county, 217,445 were in the unitary authority of Southampton, and 186,701 were in Portsmouth. The population of the administrative county grew 5.6% from the 1991 census, Southampton grew 6.2% while Portsmouth remained unchanged, compared with 2.6% for England and Wales as a whole. Eastleigh and Winchester grew fastest at 9% each. The age structure of the population is similar to the national average. 96.73% of residents were indigenous, falling to 92.37% in Southampton. The significant ethnic minorities are Asian at 1.34% and mixed race at 0.84%. 0.75% of residents were migrants from outside the UK. 73.86% stated their religion as Christianity and 16.86% were not religious. Significant minority religions were Islam (0.76%) and Hinduism (0.33%).

Politics

Hampshire is divided into seventeen parliamentary constituencies. Ten of these are represented by Conservative MPs, four by the Liberal Democrats and three by Labour. Labour represent the large cities, including both Southampton constituencies (Test and Itchen) and Portsmouth North. The Conservatives represent the most rural constituencies, Aldershot, New Forest West, New Forest East, Hampshire North West, Basingstoke, Hampshire North East, Hampshire East, Havant, Gosport and Fareham. The Liberal Democrats represent Winchester, Romsey, Portsmouth South and Eastleigh, all centred around towns. At the 2005 local elections for Hampshire County Council the Conservative Party had a 43.69% share of the votes, the Liberal Democrats had 36.01% and Labour 16.08%. Therefore 46 Conservatives, 28 Liberal Democrats and four Labour councillors sit on the County Council . Southampton City Council, which is entirely independent, has 18 Liberal Democrat, 15 Labour and 15 Conservative councillors . Portsmouth City Council, also independent, has 20 Liberal Democrat, 18 Conservative, seven Labour and one independent councillor .

Cities, towns, and villages

Eastleigh Hampshire's county town is Winchester, a historic city that was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex. The port cities of Southampton and Portsmouth were split off as independent unitary authorities in 1997, although they are still included in Hampshire for ceremonial purposes. Fareham, Gosport and Havant have grown into a conurbation that stretches along the coast between the two main cities. The three cities are all university cities, Southampton being home to the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University (formerly Southampton Institute), Portsmouth to the University of Portsmouth, and Winchester to the University of Winchester (formerly known as University College Winchester; King Alfred's College). Hampshire lies outside the green belt area of restricted development around London, but has good railway and motorway links to the capital, and in common with the rest of the south-east has seen the growth of dormitory towns since the 1960s. Basingstoke, in the north of the county, has grown from a country town into a business and finance centre. Aldershot, Portsmouth, and Farnborough have strong military associations with the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force respectively. The county also includes several market towns; Andover, Bishop's Waltham, Lymington, Petersfield, Ringwood, Romsey, and Whitchurch. Towns by population size: (2004 est.)
- Southampton - 221,100
- Portsmouth - 188,700
- Havant - 116,300
- Fareham - 107,977
- Winchester - 35,200 For the complete list of settlements see List of places in Hampshire.

Culture, arts and sport

List of places in Hampshire Hampshire has literary connections, being the birthplace of authors including Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Charles Kingsley. Austen lived most of her life in Hampshire, where her father was rector of Steventon, and wrote all of her novels in the county. Hampshire also has many visual art connections, claiming the painter John Everett Millais as a native, and the cities and countryside have been the subject of paintings by L. S. Lowry and J. M. W. Turner. Hampshire's relatively safe waters have allowed the county to develop as one of the busiest sailing areas in the country, with many yacht clubs and several manufacturers on the Solent. The sport cricket was largely developed in south-east England, with one of the first teams forming at Hambledon in 1750. Hampshire County Cricket Club today is a successful first-class team, captained by Shane Warne. Hampshire has several association football teams, the most successful being Premier League Portsmouth F.C. and Championship side Southampton F.C., which have traditionally been fierce rivals.

Transport

There is an international airport with its own rail station situated between Southampton and Eastleigh, Southampton Airport, and cross-channel ferries link the city to the Isle of Wight and European continent. The South Western Main Line railway from London to Weymouth runs through Winchester and Southampton, and the Wessex Main Line from Bristol to Portsmouth also runs through the county. The M3 motorway connects the county to London. The construction of the Twyford Down cutting near Winchester caused major controversy by cutting through a series of ancient trackways (the Dongas) and other features of archeeological significance. The M27 motorway serves a bypass for the major conurbations and as a link to other settlements on the south coast. Other important roads include the A3, A31 and A36. The county has a high level of car ownership, with 15.7% having no access to a private car compared to 26.8% for England and Wales. The county has a lower than average use of trains (3.2% compared to 4.1% for commuting) and buses (3.2% to 7.4%) but a higher than average use of bicycles (3.5% to 2.7%) and cars (63.5% to 55.3%) .

See also


- List of places of interest in Hampshire
- List of Parliamentary constituencies in Hampshire
- List of images of Hampshire
- Business in Hampshire

External links


- [http://www.thisishampshire.net Thisishampshire] Local news, sport & information
- [http://www.hampshire.gov.uk Hampshire County Council]
- [http://www.bbc.co.uk/hampshire BBC Hampshire]
- [http://www.steinsky.me.uk/hampshire.php Photographs of Hampshire]
- [http://www.hantsphere.org.uk/ Hantsphere local history]
- West, Ian, 2005. "[http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/ Geology of the Wessex coast and Southern England]", Southampton University.
- [http://www.hampshireonline.co.uk Hampshire news and information]
- [http://www.hampshire-hotels.info Directory of hotels in Hampshire]

Notes

# Met Office, 2000. [http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/17.gif Annual average temperature for the United Kingdom]. # Met Office, 2000. [http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/averages/19712000/rr/17.gif Annual average rainfall for the United Kingdom]. # Met Office, 2000. [http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ss/17.gif Annual average sunshine for the United Kingdom]. # Hampshire County Council, 2002. [http://www.hants.gov.uk/profile/2002/profiles-21.html Economic factors]. # Hampshire County Council, 2004. [http://www.hants.gov.uk/factsandfigures/profileofhampshire-index.html Profile of Hampshire]. # Office for National Statistics & Hampshire County Council, 2003. [http://www.hants.gov.uk/census/ Census 2001 data] # Hampshire County Council, 2005. [http://election.hants.gov.uk/hwstate.aspx Local election results]. # Southampton City Council, 2005. [http://www.southampton.gov.uk/council/councillors/default.asp#0 Local election results]. # Portsmouth City Council, 2005. [http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/yourcouncil/1121.html List of councillors]. # Hampshire County Council, 2005. [http://www.hants.gov.uk/factsandfigures/ Facts and Figures website].

References

# Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911. "[http://59.1911encyclopedia.org/H/HA/HAMPSHIRE.htm Hampshire]". # Draper, Jo. 1990. Hampshire. Wimborne: Dovecote Press. ISBN 0946159823 # Pigot & Co's Atlas of the Counties of England, 1840. London: J Pigot & Co.


1731

Events


- Downing Streetbecomes the official residence of the United Kingdom's Prime Minister when Robert Walpolemoves in.

Births


- February - Charles Churchill, English poet (d. 1764)
- May 8 - Beilby Porteus, Bishop of London and abolitionist (d. 1809)
- June 21 - Martha Washington, First Lady of the United States (d. 1802)
- October 10 - Henry Cavendish, English scientist (d. 1810)
- November 9 -Benjamin Banneker, American surveyor of the District of Columbia (d. 1806)
- November 15 - William Cowper, English poet (d. 1800)
- December 12 - Erasmus Darwin, English scientist and grandfather of Charles Darwin (d. 1802)

Deaths


- January 6 - Étienne François Geoffroy, French chemist (b. 1672)
- January 21 - Thomas Woolston, English theologian (b. 1669)
- January 27 - Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian maker of musical instruments (b. 1655)
- February 22 - Frederik Ruysch, Dutch physician and anatomist (b. 1638)
- March 8 - Ferdinand Brokoff, Czech sculptor (b. 1688)
- April 24 - Daniel Defoe, English writer (b. 1660)
- May 1 - Johann Ludwig Bach, German composer (b. 1677)
- December 26 - Antoine Houdar de la Motte, French writer (b. 1672)
- December 29 - Brook Taylor, English mathematician (b. 1685) Category:1731 ko:1731년

1739

Events


- January 1 - Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier.
- March 20 - Nadir Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks the city stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne, including the Koh-i-Noor
- September 9 - Stono Rebellion erupts near Charleston
- September 18 - Treaty of Belgrade signed
- October 3 - Treaty of Nissa signed
- October 23 - Great Britain declares war on Spain. This becomes known as the War of Jenkins' Ear
- November 21 - The British capture the South American silver exporting town of Porto Bello from the Spanish

Births


- January 25 - Charles François Dumouriez, French general (d. 1823)
- February 15 - Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect (d. 1813)
- July 26 - George Clinton, American soldier and politician (d. 1812)
- November 2 - Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, Austrian composer (d. 1799)
- November 20 - Jean-François de la Harpe, French critic (d. 1803)
- Johann Augustus Eberhard, German theologian and philosopher (d. 1809)
- Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, French politician (d. 1817)

Deaths


- April 7 - Dick Turpin, English highwayman (hanged) (b. 1705)
- April 9 - Nicolas Saunderson, English scientist and mathematician (b. 1682)
- July 24 - Benedetto Marcello, Italian composer (b. 1686)
- September 8 - Yuri Troubetzkoy, Governor of Belgorod (b. 1668)
- October 18 - Antônio José da Silva, Brazilian-born dramatist (b. 1705) Category:1739 ko:1739년

1827

1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar).

Events


- February 20 - Battle of Huzaingo
- February 28 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is incorporated, becoming the first railroad in America offering commercial transportation of both people and freight.
- March 1 St David's College, now the University of Wales, Lampeter opens its doors to its first students.
- March 7 – Ellen Turner is abducted – The Shrigley Abduction case begins
- March 15 - The University of Toronto is chartered
- April – Husain Dei of Algeria slaps the French consul Decalina on the face – France ends up declaring war
- April 10 - George Canning succeeds Lord Liverpool as British Prime Minister
- May 14 – Culprits of the Shrigley Abduction are sentenced for three years each
- May 21 - Launch of the Standard newspaper of London, which later became the Evening Standard.
- June - Nicéphore Niépce makes a true photograph.
- July 6 - Treaty of London between France, Britain, and Russia, to demand that the Turks agree to an armistice in Greece.
- July 14 - The first Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the Hawaiian Islands by Fathers Abraham Armand and Alexis Bachelot of France and Patrick Short of the United Kingdom, members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It would be the foundation of the present-day Diocese of Honolulu.
- August 31 - Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich becomes Prime Minister of the U.K. following the death of Canning
- October 20 - Battle of Navarino. British, French, and Russian Naval Forces destroy the Turko-Egyptian fleet in Greece.
- September 21 - Joseph Smith, Jr. claims that the angel Moroni gave him a record of gold plates, one-third of which is translated into The Book of Mormon
- King Anouvong of Vientiane declares war on Siam and successfully attacks Nakhon Ratchasima, the Siamese later invaded Vientiane and nearly destroyed the whole city.
- Fire in Turku
- Englishman John Walker invents Lucifer matches

Births


- March 8 - Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist (d. 1875)
- April 5- Joseph Lister, English surgeon (d. 1912)
- May 11 - Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, French sculptor and painter (d. 1875)
- May 19 - Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour, French statesman (d. 1896)
- June 12 - Johanna Spyri, Swiss author (d. 1901)
- July 13 - Hugh O'Brien, Mayor of Boston (d. 1895)
- July 17 - Sir Frederick Augustus Abel, British chemist (d. 1902)
- November 26 - Ellen G. White, American religious leader (d. 1915)
- George M. Harding, architect

Deaths


- February 19 - Armand Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt, French general and diplomat (b. 1773)
- March 5 - Pierre-Simon Laplace, French mathematician (b. 1749)
- March 5 - Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist (b. 1745)
- March 26 - Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer (b. 1770)
- May 27 - Melesina Trench, Irish born writer and socialite (b. 1768)
- August 8 - George Canning, British statesman and Prime Minister (b. 1770)
- August 12 - William Blake, English poet and artist (b. 1757)
- Muttusvami Dikshitar, Indian composer
- José Fernando de Abascal, Spanish viceroy of Peru Category:1827 ko:1827년 ms:1827 simple:1827

Francis Austen

Sir Francis Austen (1774–1865) was a British officer who spent most of his long life on active duty in the Royal Navy, rising to the position of Admiral of the Fleet. In October 1805, as commander of the HMS Canopus, a captured French ship of the line, Austen was temporarily detached from Admiral Nelson's fleet for convoy duty in the Mediterranean, and missed fighting in the Battle of Trafalgar. Austen's rapid early promotions were largely due to the patronage of the powerful Warren Hastings, who was a friend of the Austen family and was alleged to be the actual father of Frank's cousin (and later sister-in-law), Eliza de Feuillide. Austen was brother to novelist Jane Austen, and likely the model for the character William Price in the novel Mansfield Park. Austen, Francis Austen, Francis Austen, Francis

1783

1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar).

Events


- February 3 - American Revolutionary War: Spain recognizes United States independence.
- February 4 - American Revolutionary War: Great Britain formally declares that it will cease hostilities with the United States of America.
- February 4 - Earthquake in Calabria, Italy - 50.000 dead
- March 5 - Last celebration of Massacre Day.
- May 18 - Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada- First United Empire Loyalists reach Parrtown.
- June 5 - The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon) in Annonay, France.
- June 8 - The volcano Laki, in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills 9350 people and starts a seven-year famine. Eruption causes deaths of livestock when they eat contaminated grass and also widespread crop failure.
- July 16 - Grants of land in Canada to American loyalists announced.
- August 5 - Mount Asama erupts, causing turmoil in Edo period Japan.
- September 3 - American Revolutionary War ends: Treaty of Paris - A treaty between the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain is signed in Paris, ending the war.
- November 2 - In Rocky Hill, New Jersey, US General George Washington gives his "Farewell Address to the Army".
- November 21 - In Paris, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, marquis d'Arlandes, make the first untethered hot air balloon flight (flight time: 25 minutes, Maximum height: 5
- miles).
- November 25 - American Revolutionary War: The last British troops leave New York City three months after the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
- December 4 - At Fraunces Tavern in New York City, US General George Washington formally bids his officers farewell.
- City of Sevastopol founded;
- United Empire Loyalists flee to Canada from the new United States;
- Treaty of Versailles signed, ending hostilities between the Franco-Spanish Alliance and England.
- Loyalists from New York settle Great Abaco in the Bahamas.

Births


- January 23 - Stendhal, French writer (d. 1842)
- March 8 - Hannah Van Buren, First Lady of the United States (d. 1819)
- April 3 - Washington Irving, American author (d. 1859)
- April 10 - Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland and mother of Napoleon III of France (d. 1837)
- July 24 - Simón Bolívar, Venezuelan patriot, revolutionary leader and statesman (d. 1830).
- September 17 - Samuel Prout, English painter (d. 1852)
- Karl Wilhelm Gottlob Kastner, German chemist

Deaths


- January 7 - William Tans'ur, English hymnist (b. 1700)
- February 6 - Capability Brown, English landscape gardner (b. 1716)
- March 23 - Charles Carroll, American lawyer and delegate to the Continental Congress (b. 1723)
- March 30 - William Hunter, Scottish anatomist (b. 1718)
- March 31 - Nikita Ivanovich Panin, Russian statesman (b. 1718)
- April 16 - Benedict Joseph Labre, French saint (b. 1745)
- April 16 - Christian Mayer, Czech astronomer (b. 1719)
- May 23 - James Otis, American lawyer and patriot (b. 1725)
- September 18 - Leonhard Euler, Swiss mathematician and physicist (b. 1707)
- September 18 - Benjamin Kennicott, English churchman and Hebrew scholar (b. 1718)
- October 29 - Jean le Rond d'Alembert, French mathematician (b. 1717)
- November 22 - John Hanson, American delegate to the Continental Congress (b. 1715)
- November 23 - Yoriyuki Arima, Japanese mathematician (b. 1714)
- December 13 - Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin, Swedish astronomer (b. 1717)
- December 16 - William James, British naval commander (b. 1720) Category:1783 ko:1783년 ms:1783 simple:1783

Southampton

] Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. It is the closest city to the New Forest and lies at the northern-most point of Southampton Water approximately halfway between Portsmouth and Bournemouth. Formerly a County Borough within the county of Hampshire (to which it gives its full name, the County of Southampton) , the city reverted to independent unitary authority status in local government re-organisations on April 1, 1997. This makes Southampton an administrative county in its own right. Within Southampton there are several districts including Woolston, Bitterne, Portswood, Bassett, Shirley, Freemantle, Millbrook and Swaythling. In common with many British towns and cities, such as Coventry and Plymouth, it was heavily bombed during the Second World War. Many historic buildings were lost as a result but the old city walls remain, as does the Bargate, formerly the main gateway to the city at the northern end of the walls (Southampton has England's second-longest stretch of surviving Medieval wall, the longest being in York). The Bargate is often used as a symbol of the city, and is a prominent part of the city council's corporate identity. There are numerous large parks in the city centre. Most of Southampton's municipal services, including the library and the well-endowed art gallery are to be found in the Civic Centre. Civic Centre The city is home to the University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University and West Quay shopping centre. It is also the headquarters of Ordnance Survey, the UK's national mapping agency. The local newspaper for the city is the Southern Daily Echo, a Newsquest publication. Newsquest Southampton has always been strongly connected with maritime history and developments. In particular, it is a primary port for cruise ships, its heyday being the first half of the 20th Century, and in particular the inter-war years, when it handled almost half the passenger traffic of the UK. Today it remains home to many luxury liners, as well as being a very important container port. The outstanding harbour means it is the principal port on the south coast, and one of the largest in the UK. Sailing is a popular sport here. Much of this is centred around the Ocean Village development, a local marina which includes one of the South Coast's major independent cinema complexes, Harbour Lights. Southampton is also home to the Ford Transit van which is built in Southampton. Southampton is graced with many green spaces and parks. The largest of these is Southampton Common, parts of which are used to host the annual summer festival. The Common includes a Wildlife Centre on the former site of Southampton Zoo. Southampton Football Club (a.k.a. the "Saints") is also based here at St Mary's Stadium. It was a Southampton team member, Charles William Miller, who founded Brazil's first football club.

Politics

There are three members of parliament for the city: Rt Hon John Denham (Labour) for Southampton Itchen (constituency for the east of the city), Dr Alan Whitehead (Labour) for Southampton Test (the west of the city), and Sandra Gidley (Liberal Democrat) for Romsey (which includes a portion of the north of the city). The Liberal Democrats also control the City Council.

History

Romsey] Romsey Although Stone Age settlements are known to have existed in the area, the first permanent settlement was established by the Romans. Known as Clausentum, it was an important trading port for the large Roman towns of Winchester and Salisbury. The Anglo-Saxons moved the centre of the town across the River Itchen to its present location, and it remained an important port. At the time, it was centred around what is now the St Mary's area, and the settlement was known as Hamwic. This name was later to evolve into Hamtun, and later still to Hampton. The Viking King Canute the Great is supposed to have defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready here in 1014 and his fabled attempt to "command" the tide to halt may have taken place in Southampton. However, its prosperity was assured following the Norman Conquest in 1066, when it became the major port of transit between Winchester (then the capital of England) and Normandy. By the 13th Century, Southampton had become a leading port, and was particularly involved in the wool trade. The Wool House is Southampton's oldest surviving building, built in 1417, as a warehouse for the medieval wool trade with Flanders and Italy. This building is today used as the Maritime Museum, and can be found near Town Quay. It was sacked in 1338 by the French, including the pirate Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality of Monaco. After this attack, the city walls were built, some of which remain as ruins today. The city walls include God's House Tower, built in 1417, the first purpose-build artillery fortification in England. Today, it is open as the Museum of Archaeology. During the middle ages, shipbuilding became an increasingly important industry, which was to remain for centuries to come. The city became a county corporate in 1447. The Second World War hit Southampton particularly hard, because of its strategic importance as the major industrial area on the South Coast. Pockets of Georgian architecture remain, but much of the city was levelled. The accuracy of the locally-based Ordnance Survey's maps did not go unrecognised by the Luftwaffe: the German bomber pilots used them to bomb Southampton. Southampton was awarded city status in 1964 following a royal charter. Southampton has had a few significant impacts on global history... royal charter] royal charter
- It was the original point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower. A memorial may be found on Town Quay.
- The 12th century Red Lion pub on the High Street below the Bargate within the old walls is where in 1415, immediately prior to King Henry V of England's departure from Southampton to the Battle of Agincourt, the conspirators Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton were tried and found guilty of high treason, before being summarily executed outside the Bargate.
- In common with most of the luxury liners of the time, the Titanic sailed from here, and it is still an important ocean liner port frequented by luxury ships such as the QE2, the Oriana, and most recently the Queen Mary 2. A memorial to the crew of the Titanic may be found in Andrews Park, on Above Bar Street. There is a memorial to the musicians who played on the Titanic just opposite the main memorial.
- The ahead-of-its-time Supermarine Spitfire was developed and initially manufactured in the suburb of Woolston. A memorial plaque to its designer, Reginald Mitchell, may be found in Russell Place in the suburb of Highfield. Mitchell grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, then had a house in the suburb of Portswood near the university. The plane was a direct descendant of experimental aircraft built by Supermarine that competed in the Schneider Trophy in the 1930s. Supermarine was taken over by Vickers in 1928. Mitchell's short life is documented in the film The First of the Few. On Sept 24th 1940, the Woolston factory was bombed, killing 100 workers, though not damaging the factory. Two days later, the factory was heavily damaged by bombing, and thirty more workers died, which interrupted production of the Spitfire for many weeks at a critical time of the UK's survival.
- There were many aircraft companies based around Hamble, to the east of the city, from the 1930s to 1950s, including Folland Aviation, started by Henry P Folland, the former chief designer of Gloster Aircraft. Folland was taken over by Hawker Siddeley in 1960, and later as British Aerospace, the factory built the Hawk and Harrier. The history of the area's contribution to aviation is celebrated at the Southampton Hall of Aviation, near Itchen Bridge, and opposite to where the Woolston Supermarine factory was.
- The city was the birthplace of hymn writer Isaac Watts. The Watts memorial in the city's West Park - also known as the Watts Park - was unveiled in 1861. Just across the road from there, the city's Civic Centre (the first building to bear that name) has a clock which plays a Watts hymn (O God Our Help In Ages Past) every four hours.
- The painter John Everett Millais was born in the city. Southampton Solent University's art gallery is named Millais Gallery [http://millais.solent.ac.uk/] in his honour.
- BOAC had a flying boat base in the docks serving British colonial possessions in Africa and Asia in the 1930s and 1940s. It closed in 1950 when land based aircraft became dominant.
- The city is home to Sir Edwin Lutyens' first permanent cenotaph, a memorial to the city's dead of World War I. When it was unveiled on 6 November 1920, it was 1800 names, later raised to 2008. It can be found in West (Watts) Park, opposite the Titanic memorial.
- Nearby, Calshot Spit was a base for the military flying boat services.
- It was the birthplace of comedian Benny Hill, who lived in the suburb of Shirley, and previously worked as a milkman in nearby Eastleigh.
- Another famous comedian, Tommy Cooper lived here for many y