ARTICLE: HISTORICAL ANNIVERSARIES IN 2025

As part of this blog series, we are featuring a range of significant historical anniversaries coming up this year and in 2025. If you didn’t get chance to read Part 1 of our blog series highlighting 2024 historical anniversaries, take a look and read the full blog here.   
 
Part 2 of our blog series showcases a selection of some of the pivotal historical anniversaries coming up next year. Some are moments to celebrate and champion, whilst others give an opportunity to pause and reflect upon. From historic World War battles, Political moments in time and technological achievements, archive footage takes us back to glance through and be transported back in time. We have shared a few samples of footage from our collection to offer a glimpse in to just some of these historic moments in time.  
 
If you are interested in finding more clips like these or would like us to help you find footage for your upcoming projects, we'd love to help. Contact us so we can discuss. 

12th January 2010: 15 years since the Haiti Earthquake 
Two weeks later, troops still looking for bodies in rubble
Major earthquake hits Haiti, hundreds feared dead
People gather in streets and hills after earthquake 

24th January 1965: 60 years since Sir Winston Churchill dies aged 90  
Personal Tributes to Churchill, State Funeral Rehearsal and Rail Engine ‘Winston Churchill’  
Sir Winston Churchill Obituary 
Various Winston Churchill footage 

2nd February 2015: 10 years marking London's population hitting a record high of 8,600,000  
Over the Thames and through Oxford Street, London basks in summer sun 
From sunrise to sunset, drone video shows sunny London at its best

7th February 2005:  20 years marking Ellen MacArthur acheiving solo around the world sailing record 
Round the World Sailing Solo Champion Ellen MacArthur prepares for Solo Transatlantic World Record 
Various Ellen MacArthur clips 

11th February 1975: 50 years since Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath to become the Conservative’s first female leader.  
Various Margaret Thatcher clips

1st March 2005: 20 years of The New Forest becoming England's twelfth national park 
Domestic pigs roam in the New Forest during pannage season 
Pigs roam free in the New Forest

4th March 1975: Actor Charlie Chaplin, 85, was knighted by the Queen 
Various Charlie Chaplin clips

23rd March 1965: 60 years since NASA sent first manned space capsule in to space (Gemini Project) 
Various clips of NASA’s Gemini Project 
 
9th April 2005: 20th Wedding Anniversary of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles
Various Press Coverage of the announcement of Prince Charles and Camilla’s Wedding
Reactions around the world of the wedding
Various clips of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles

8th May 1945: 80th Anniversary of VE Day 
VE Day in London
Royal Family celebrates VE Day
King George VI speaks on VE Day
 
26th May 1940: 85th Anniversary Battle of Dunkirk
British and French soldiers rescued from Dunkirk
Evacuation of B.E.F. from Dunkirk

7th July 2005: 20th Anniversary of London Terrorist Attacks 
Transport scenes in London, morning after Terrorist bomb attacks  
London Restaurants, Cinemas and theatres close following Terrorist Attacks 

16th July 1945: 80 years since the first atomic bomb test in the USA 
1945-Atomic Bomb Testing / New Mexico / 1945 
Various Atomic Bomb clips

5th August 2010: 15 years since the San Jose mining accident in Chile and miners trap 
First rescue drill reaches trapped miners
Oldest trapped miner becomes ninth person to be rescued

13th August 1940: 85th Anniversary of Battle of Britain 
Battle of Britain / Second World War / 1940
World War Two Battle of Britain RAF pilots in action 
 
2nd October, 1925: 100 years since John Logie Baird successfully transmits the first television pictures with a greyscale image 
John Logie Baird demonstrates Television
John Baird describes first television apparatus at Kensington Museum
 
8th October 1965: 60th Anniversary of The Post Office Tower opening in London 
New Post Office tower in London
Prime Minister Wilson opens Britains Tallest Building
 
22nd November 2005: 20 years since Angela Merkel was elected 
Angela Merkel elected Germany's first female chancellor 
Various Clips of Angela Merkel

10th December 2015: 15 years since British astronaut Tim Peake becomes first Briton to board International Space Station 
British astronaut Tim Peake would return to space station "in a heartbeat"
ESA scientists watch first Briton taking off from Baikonur to ISS
 
28th December 1895: 130 years Generally thought of the birth of cinema   
The Lumière brothers used the Cinématograph to show ten short films they had made to a paying audience at the Grand Café in Paris. Cinematograph Exhibitors in conference in Blackpool