1666

THE LORD MAYOR

ASSURES LONDON

THE GREAT FIRE IS NO THREAT

A WOMAN COULD PISS IT OUT. 



1789

OLAUDAH EQUIANO

DESCRIBES SCRUBBING HIS FACE

TRYING TO CHANGE ITS COLOUR

EQUIANO'S PERSONAL ACCOUNT

OF THE SHAME OF SLAVERY

SHAMES LONDON.



1831

MARY PRINCE

FIRST BLACK WOMAN

PUBLISHED IN BRITAIN WRITES:

THIS IS SLAVERY

KNOW THE TRUTH

TWO YEARS LATER

SLAVERY IS ABOLISHED.



1835

JAMES PRATT & JOHN SMITH

ARE THE LAST MEN

HANGED FOR BEING GAY

THE ONLY 'CRIME' WHERE

NO INJURY IS DONE TO ANOTHER.



1871

THOMAS BOULTON & FRED PARK

AKA FANNY & STELLA

THEATRICAL DOUBLE ACT

ARE ARRESTED LEAVING

THE STRAND THEATRE

WEARING WOMEN'S CLOTHES

COURT FAILS TO PROVE

THIS IS IN ANY WAY A CRIME.



1909

MARION WALLACE DUNLOP

FIRST HUNGER STRIKER

OF THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT

INSISTS ON HER STATUS

AS A POLITICAL PRISONER

BY REFUSING FOOD.



1910

MARY JANE CLARKE

FORCE-FED IN HOLLOWAY PRISON

BECOMES THE FIRST WOMAN

TO DIE FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE

EIGHT YEARS LATER

WOMEN VOTE.



1936

FASCIST BLACK SHIRTS

PLAN TO MARCH THROUGH

JEWISH EAST END OF LONDON

TEN THOUSAND EAST ENDERS

BLOCK STREET IN DEFIANCE

FASCISM FAILS IN BRITAIN.



1940

CLINICS OPEN IN LONDON

TO TREAT BLITZ SHOCK

CLINICS CLOSE

DUE TO LACK OF DEMAND.



1945

BARBARA CASTLE

IS REQUIRED TO MARRY

AS A CONDITION OF BEING

SELECTED AS AN MP

CASTLE WILL BE APPOINTED

MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT

THOUGH SHE DOES NOT DRIVE.



1955

RUTH ELLIS

NIGHT CLUB HOSTESS

IS THE LAST WOMEN HANGED

50,000 SIGN A PETITION

CALLING FOR CLEMENCY

TEN YEARS LATER

HANGING IS ABOLISHED.



1968

THE THEATRE ACT

FREES ENGLISH THEATRES

FROM CENSORSHIP

THE NEXT DAY

AMERICAN HIPPY MUSICAL

HAIR OPENS

WITH NUDITY

AND ANTI-WAR MESSAGES

HAIR RUNS FOR 1,997 PERFORMANCES.



1978

ALTAB ALI

A YOUNG BENGALI MECHANIC

IS STABBED TO DEATH

IN A RACIST ATTACK

HIS DEATH UNITES

EAST LONDON BENGALIS

IN MASS ACTION

AGAINST RACISM.



1988

CLAUSE 28 DEMONISES LGBT LIVES

FOUR WOMEN ABSEIL INTO

THE HOUSE OF LORDS CRYING:

LESBIANS ARE OUT!

21 YEARS LATER

MPs ADMIT LAW WAS OFFENSIVE.



1998

JUSTIN FASHANU

THE FIRST BLACK PLAYER

TO TRANSFER FOR £1M

KILLS HIMSELF AGED 37

IPSWICH CROWD CHANTS:

HE'S GAY

HE'S DEAD

HE'S HANGING IN A SHED

FASHANU'S SUICIDE TRIGGERS

CAMPAIGN AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA.



2007

PETER TATCHELL

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

IS BEATEN BY NEO-NAZIS

THE PRICE OF ACTIVISM

IS BRAIN DAMAGE

TATCHELL SAYS:

IT DOESN'T STOP ME.



2013

DOREEN LAWRENCE

MOTHER OF STEPHEN

ENTERS THE HOUSE OF LORDS

AS BARONESS LAWRENCE.

HER WORK FOCUSES ON

RACE AND DIVERSITY

ONE YEAR LATER

SHE TOPS BBC RADIO POWER LIST.



2016

JO COX MP

IS STABBED AND SHOT 3 TIMES.

AS AN ADVOCATE

FOR REFUGEES SHE SAID:

MORE UNITES US

THAN DIVIDES US.



FIRES OF LONDON

MARTIN FIRRELL 2016

PRODUCED BY ARTICHOKE

PART OF GREAT FIRE 350

WITH THANKS TO THE NATIONAL THEATRE