GUERNSEY HISTORY 

Guernsey History – By category

Here's every post in the Guernsey History category organised by category Want to search by month instead? Click the links in the sidebar.

accident

A boy scout fell 250ft over a Torteval Cliff
A Guernsey funeral takes place in Cornwall
A plane crashed on Crevichon
Air UK Fokker overshoots Guernsey runway
An Islander aircraft crashed in Guernsey
Car plane air crash caused airport fireball
Channel Express Airways plane crashes on Guernsey
Guernsey lifeboat performs a chemical tanker rescue
Guernsey shipwreck results in starvation
Guernsey steamship SS Rossgull is wrecked
Guernsey-built prototype plane crashes
Jethou tenant was rescued from an up-turned boat
Jethou’s tenant fell off his own cliff
MV Prosperity is wrecked at Perelle
Point Law runs aground off Alderney
Radiant Med sinks with loss of life
Sark’s Stocks Hotel was damaged by fire
Schoolboys and teacher went missing off Sark
St Sampson pensioner was buried in a landslide
Trident VI ran aground on its return from Herm
Two cargo ships collide on their way to Guernsey

aircraft

A plane crashed on Crevichon
A Trislander ate itself between Jersey and Guernsey
Air UK Fokker overshoots Guernsey runway
An Islander aircraft crashed in Guernsey
G-JOEY completes his last flight
Guernsey to Jersey plane crashed into the sea
Guernsey-built prototype plane crashes

airline

Blue Islands takes to the skies

airport

A plane hit a car while landing at Guernsey Airport
Air UK Fokker overshoots Guernsey runway
Aurigny Air Services founded
Building work starts on Guernsey Airport
Channel Express Airways plane crashes on Guernsey
Dead man appointed to run Guernsey Airport
First arrests were made at Guernsey Airport
G-COBO has a bumpy flight
Guernsey Airport opened for business
Guernsey Airport’s new terminal opened for business
The RAF bombed Guernsey Airport
The States of Guernsey bought Aurigny
The States of Guernsey proposes a new airport

alderney

Alderney arrest sparks a “riot”
Alderney debated in the House of Commons
Alderney elects its first president
Alderney gets its first full-time radio station
Alderney is occupied by German forces
Alderney was liberated at the end of the second world war
Alderney’s evacuees return to their island
Wombles author Liza Beresford dies

animals

Guernsey was invaded by Colorado beetles

archaeology

Archaeologist Crystal Bennet was born
Archaeologists found a porpoise grave
Asterix is discovered in St Peter Port harbour

architect

Death of Thomas Fiott de Havilland

architecture

The Saumarez Memorial foundation stone was laid
Work started on the Victoria Tower

army

Death of Thomas Fiott de Havilland
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry fights at Ypres
Two deserters were shot after landing on Guernsey

art

Birth of concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard
First publication of Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea
Guernsey poet and painter Denys Corbet was born
Horticultural painter William Caparne was born
Naftel’s paintings go on display
Renoir arrived on Guernsey to paint
The Guernsey Tapestry is completed
Victor Hugo statue is unveiled in Candie Gardens

artist

Birth of concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard
Horticultural painter William Caparne was born
Renoir arrived on Guernsey to paint

arts

Sark featured in the music charts
Sarnia Theatre celebrated its most successful year

associations

Guernsey Society celebrates its 70th anniversary

astronomy

Sark is awarded Dark-Sky status

aurigny

Aurigny Air Services founded
The States of Guernsey bought Aurigny

author

Author Mary Ann Shaffer is born
Birth of Sark-based writer Mervyn Peake

aviation

G-COBO has a bumpy flight

banking

Guernsey’s first banker dies

bomb

Police found a bomb in Bluebell Wood
Second World War bomb detonated

book

The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is published

books

The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is published

brecqhou

Brecqhou was put up for sale

broadcasting

BBC made its first ever Channel Islands broadcast
BBC Radio Guernsey takes to the air
Channel 4 gameshow Treasure Hunt comes to Guernsey
Channel Television disappears
Channel Television saw off a rival broadcaster
Channel Television took to the air
Dame Sibyl Hathaway chose her Desert Island Discs
Island FM brings commercial radio to Guernsey
Radio station Contact 94 went off the air
Songs of Praise comes from Guernsey
The BBC broadcasts from Sark for the first time

broadcating

Spotlight was broadcast for the first time

buildings

Guernsey bought Fort Grey from the War Office
Hauteville House is bequeathed to the City of Paris
Work started on the Victoria Tower

business

Aurigny Air Services founded
Channel Islands Securities Exchange founded
Famed printer Thomas de la Rue born
Guernsey adopts Sterling currency
Guernsey optician Specsavers was founded
Guernsey Post Office is established
Guernsey Railway Company runs its first services
Guernsey’s first banker dies
Major Guernsey employer Tektronix went public
Specsavers’ Mary Perkins was born
The first ever Guernsey stamp is issued

cars

Guernsey number plate sold for £240,000

castle

Soldiers staged a mutiny at Fort George

celebrities

Oliver Reed was jailed in Guernsey

celebrity

TV’s Jeeves is rushed to hospital on Guernsey

charity

A Guernsey retiree’s £1m offer attracts 57,000 requests
A Guernseyman cycled to Herm

church

Death of the Vicar General of the Channel Islands
Guernsey’s first Methodist minister arrives
St Martin’s parish church consecrated
St Sampson was ordained a bishop
The original Torteval church was consecrated

cinema

Guernsey number plate sold for £240,000
Guernsey-set film The Sea Devils hits cinemas
The Devil’s Rock had its opening night
The Story of Adele H opened in cinemas

clubs

Guernsey Society celebrates its 70th anniversary

coastguard

Guernsey emergency services prepare for a disaster

collision

A tomato ship and a tanker collided

comedy

Channel 4 broadcasts Sark-based Mr Pye

communication

A Guernsey man posted himself to Sark
Alderney to Guernsey radio connection established
BBC made its first ever Channel Islands broadcast
Channel Television took to the air
First ever broadcast of Puffin’s Pla(i)ce
Guernsey Post Office is established
Guernsey Post Office was established
Guernsey to UK telephone connection inaugurated
Guernsey’s telephone wars broke out
GUNS writer Joseph John Gillingham was deported
Island FM brings commercial radio to Guernsey
Occupying forces confiscated Guernsey’s radios
Radio station Contact 94 went off the air
Spotlight was broadcast for the first time
States Telephone Department was established
The BBC broadcasts from Sark for the first time
The Channel Islands were cut off from the outside world
The last issue of GUNS was distributed
The Star received some “grave” news
The Star was published for the first time
The States of Guernsey registers the gov.gg domain

communications

Channel Television disappears
Debut of Guernsey-set comedy This is Jinsy
Express & Star bought Guernsey Press
Guernsey gets its first postbox
Guernsey Press registers its domain
Telex, phones and telegram cables go quiet
The BBC broadcasts from Sark for the first time

concert

The Rolling Stones played St Peter Port

construction

John Doyle was appointed Lieutenant-Governor
Work begins on the Val des Terres

craft

Queen Mary executed while wearing Guernsey stockings
The Guernsey Tapestry is completed

crash

An Islander aircraft crashed in Guernsey

creativity

Victor Hugo statue is unveiled in Candie Gardens

crevichon

A plane crashed on Crevichon

crime

“Overdose” verdict in Guernsey farmer’s death inquiry
A French fisherman is arrested and escorted to St Peter Port
A hospital worker stood accused of murder
A hotel porter goes on trial for murder
A mainland murder with a Guernsey connection
A man “disappeared” from a Guernsey ferry
A royal visit… of sorts
Alderney arrest sparks a “riot”
First arrests were made at Guernsey Airport
Guernsey abolishes the death penalty for murder
Guernsey bigamist got married for the second time
Guernsey court escapee was caught again
Guernsey Police makes the world’s first underwater arrest
Guernsey voted to legalise local abortions
Guernsey watchmaker helps Stone of Scone manhunt
Guernsey’s entire police force is arrested
Guernsey’s first female murderer goes on trial
Guernsey’s first paid constables were hired
Guernsey’s island-wide police force is established
Guernsey’s last duel
Guernsey’s last execution didn’t go according to plan
Head of Guernsey CID is shot in St Peter Port
Human remains were found on Lihou
Missing girl, Jetta, was found on Guernsey
Murder suspects steal visitor’s boat from St Peter Port
Murderer Peter Robin sentenced to death
Murderer sentenced to death in three hours
Oliver Reed was jailed in Guernsey
Royal theft inquiry heads to Guernsey
Sark’s vineyards were vandalised
St Peter Port inundated with fish
The court considered a Guernsey porn dealer’s testimony
The papers were excited by a Guernsey execution

culture

Benefactor Osmond de Beauvoir Priaulx dies
Guernsey Language Commission formed
Guernsey poet and painter Denys Corbet was born
Guernsey poet George Métivier is born
Guille and Alles open their library
Hauteville House is bequeathed to the City of Paris
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is published

currency

Guernsey issues banknotes featuring famous locals

death

A minister was found dead at Icart Point

defence

Alderney debated in the House of Commons

defences

John Doyle was appointed Lieutenant-Governor

disaster

A Guernsey funeral takes place in Cornwall
Alderney residents lined the coast to watch Titanic pass
Guernsey steamship SS Rossgull is wrecked
Oil rig stranded at Grandes Rocques
Point Law runs aground off Alderney
President Garcia is re-floated in Saints Bay
Two cargo ships collide on their way to Guernsey

disease

Guernsey was declared free of cholera
Spanish flu arrived on Guernsey

dispute

Guernsey’s stone crackers demanded a pay rise

drama

Channel 4 broadcasts Sark-based Mr Pye
Doctor Who travels to Guernsey

earthquake

Guernsey struck by an earthquake

education

Elizabeth College is founded in St Peter Port
Elizabeth College’s foundation stone was laid
Guernsey exchange student goes missing in Virginia
Guernsey heads call for an end to the Eleven-plus
Guernsey Ladies’ College opened
Guille and Alles lease the Assembly Rooms

emergency

Guernsey emergency services prepare for a disaster

engineer

Death of Thomas Fiott de Havilland

entertainment

Alderney gets its first full-time radio station
BBC Radio Guernsey takes to the air
Channel 4 gameshow Treasure Hunt comes to Guernsey
Channel Television saw off a rival broadcaster
Dad’s Army actor John le Mesurier died
Dame Sibyl Hathaway chose her Desert Island Discs
Debut of Guernsey-set comedy This is Jinsy
Doctor Who travels to Guernsey
Enemy at the Door comes to the end of its run
First ever broadcast of Puffin’s Pla(i)ce
First Guernsey competitor took part in Miss World
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie film opened
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was published
Guernsey Monopoly board game went on sale
Guernsey Zoo is sold as a going concern
Island FM brings commercial radio to Guernsey
ITV broadcasts first episode of Island at War
The Beatles played at Candie Gardens
The Little Theatre was reprieved… for a while
The Rolling Stones played St Peter Port

environment

Guernsey suffers its worst storm in 35 years
Torrey Canyon spills oil on Guernsey’s beaches

europe

A Guernsey planning dispute headed to Europe
Victor Hugo plants his United States of Europe oak

execution

Guernsey’s last execution didn’t go according to plan

exploration

Explorer Edmund Kennedy is speared to death
Guernseyman Edward Tupper killed by cannibals

family

Guernsey aimed for equal adoption rights

ferries

Isle of Guernsey delivered to its new owners

ferry

Isle of Guernsey delivered to its new owners

fiction

Doctor Who travels to Guernsey
First publication of Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is published

film

Game of Thrones actor Roy Dotrice was born
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie film opened
Guernsey-set film The Sea Devils hits cinemas
The Devil’s Rock had its opening night
The Story of Adele H opened in cinemas

finance

Channel Islands Securities Exchange founded
Guernsey’s first banker dies
New coins are minted for Guernsey

fishing

A French fisherman is arrested and escorted to St Peter Port
French fishing boats prepare to invade
HMS Guernsey launched in Aberdeen

flag

Guernsey gets its own flag

flight

A Trislander ate itself between Jersey and Guernsey

football

Guernsey joined the Football Association
The first Muratti football match takes place

games

Guernsey Monopoly board game went on sale

gay

Guernsey votes for equal age of consent

geography

Braye du Valle was gifted by the crown

geology

Mapmaking geologist John MacCulloch died

government

Lieutenant Governor, Lord Ruthven, died in Bath
Seigneur of Sark, Michael Beaumont, dies aged 88

governor

Guernsey’s first governor, Edmund Weston, is appointed

health

Coronavirus returns to Guernsey
Guernsey bans smoking in public places
Guernsey holidaymakers head home itching
Guernsey nurses go on hunger strike
HD Ferries makes its last crossing
Princess Elizabeth opened Guernsey’s hospital
Spanish flu arrived on Guernsey
St Johns undertook its first Guernsey rescue
Typhoid suspect holidaymaker flies home

healthcare

Guernsey nurse Elizabeth Lincoln elected to the States

heritage

Priaulx Library opens for the first time

herm

Guernsey bought Herm from the mainland
Herm bribery case comes to court
Herm goes back on the market
Herm tenant Major Peter Wood died
Trident VI ran aground on its return from Herm

holiday

Norfolk pupils spend a week in Guernsey

holidays

Norfolk pupils spend a week in Guernsey

hotel

The Imperial Hotel opened for the first time

identity

Guernsey gets its own flag

india

Death of Thomas Fiott de Havilland

industry

A French fisherman is arrested and escorted to St Peter Port
Famed printer Thomas de la Rue born
Guernsey adopts Sterling currency
Guernsey coffee trader William Le Lacheur died
Guernsey gets its first postbox
Guernsey’s stone crackers demanded a pay rise
HMS Guernsey launched in Aberdeen
Oil rig stranded at Grandes Rocques
Plans for St Sampson power station approved
States Telephone Department was established
The desalination plant opened
The first mines were dug on Sark
Trudy, Guernsey’s biggest ever import, was installed

injury

A boy scout fell 250ft over a Torteval Cliff

inquest

A minister was found dead at Icart Point

inventions

Sir Isaac Newton has his say on a mysterious Guernsey invention

itv

First ever broadcast of Puffin’s Pla(i)ce

jethou

Death of Sir Charles Hayward
Jethou tenant was rescued from an up-turned boat
Jethou was put on the market
Jethou’s tenant fell off his own cliff
Sir Charles Hayward buys Jethou for £91,000
William Hedley Cliff buys Jethou

justice

Guernsey abolishes the death penalty for murder

landmarks

Guernsey Monopoly board game went on sale

language

Guernesiais linguist Marie de Garis died
Guernsey Language Commission formed

law

A Guernsey planning dispute headed to Europe
Guernsey bans smoking in public places
Guernsey declared a State of Emergency
Guernsey voted to legalise local abortions
Guernsey votes for equal age of consent
Guernsey’s first paid constables were hired
Guernsey’s island-wide police force is established
Guernsey’s new population law comes into force
Guernsey’s Reform Law was enacted
Guernsey’s Royal Court sits for the first time
Herm bribery case comes to court
Sark women get the right to inherit

legal

Guernsey’s Royal Court sits for the first time
Philip de Saumarez was discharged as a Jurat

legislation

Guernsey bans smoking in public places

leisure

Beau Sejour opens for business

lgbt

Guernsey votes for equal age of consent

liberation

Alderney was liberated at the end of the second world war

lighthouse

Hanois Lighthouse’s foundation stone was laid

literature

Author Mary Ann Shaffer is born
Ebenezer Le Page author GB Edwards dies
Guernsey guidebook pioneer Henry Inglis dies
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was published
Guernsey poet and painter Denys Corbet was born
Hauteville House is bequeathed to the City of Paris
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is published
Wombles author Liza Beresford dies

mail

Guernsey gets its first postbox

map

Mapmaking geologist John MacCulloch died

maps

Mapmaking geologist John MacCulloch died

marine

The first lighthouses were built on the Casquets

maritime

A Guernsey funeral takes place in Cornwall
Asterix is discovered in St Peter Port harbour
French fishing boats prepare to invade
Guernsey Fisher makes its maiden voyage
Guernsey lifeboat performs a chemical tanker rescue
Guernsey lifeboat saved a Swedish schooner
Guernsey passengers are battered by storms
Guernsey Police makes the world’s first underwater arrest
Guernsey shipwreck results in starvation
Guernsey steamship SS Rossgull is wrecked
Hanois Lighthouse is cut off by the weather
MV Prosperity is wrecked at Perelle
Radiant Med sinks with loss of life
The first lighthouses were built on the Casquets
Two cargo ships collide on their way to Guernsey

marriage

Release of Reverend Harry Samuel

media

Alderney gets its first full-time radio station
BBC Radio Guernsey takes to the air
Birth of Stone de Croze, the original Guernseyman
Channel 4 broadcasts Sark-based Mr Pye
Channel 4 gameshow Treasure Hunt comes to Guernsey
Channel Television disappears
Channel Television saw off a rival broadcaster
Channel Television took to the air
Doctor Who travels to Guernsey
Enemy at the Door comes to the end of its run
Express & Star bought Guernsey Press
Final issue of Deutsche Guernsey-Zeitung was published
First ever broadcast of Puffin’s Pla(i)ce
Game of Thrones actor Roy Dotrice was born
Guernsey and Jersey newspapers agree to merge
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie film opened
Guernsey Press registers its domain
Guernsey-set film The Sea Devils hits cinemas
GUNS writer Joseph John Gillingham was deported
Jeeves actor died in Guernsey
Occupying forces confiscated Guernsey’s radios
Radio station Contact 94 went off the air
Songs of Praise comes from Guernsey
Spotlight was broadcast for the first time
The Devil’s Rock had its opening night
The last issue of GUNS was distributed
The Star was published for the first time

medical

Guernsey nurse Elizabeth Lincoln elected to the States
Guernsey nurses go on hunger strike
St Johns undertook its first Guernsey rescue

memorial

The Saumarez Memorial foundation stone was laid

meteorology

Alderney experienced a total eclipse of the sun

methodist

Guernsey’s first Methodist minister arrives

military

6th Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment fought at the Somme
A Guernsey recruit regretted signing up
Admiral Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin died
Death of Thomas Fiott de Havilland
Guernsey recruits caused concern in Parliament
Guernsey’s last duel
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry Museum opens
Two deserters were shot after landing on Guernsey

money

Guernsey adopts Sterling currency
Guernsey issues banknotes featuring famous locals
New coins are minted for Guernsey

monument

The Saumarez Memorial foundation stone was laid

murder

A hospital worker stood accused of murder
A hotel porter goes on trial for murder
A mainland murder with a Guernsey connection
A royal visit… of sorts
Guernsey’s first female murderer goes on trial
Human remains were found on Lihou
Murder inquiry ends with suicide
St Peter Port inundated with fish

music

Sark featured in the music charts
The Beatles played at Candie Gardens
The Rolling Stones played St Peter Port

nature

Archaeologists found a porpoise grave
Castle Cornet is struck by lightning
Guernsey struck by an earthquake
Victor Hugo plants his United States of Europe oak

navy

Admiral Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin died
HMS Guernsey launched in Aberdeen

news

The Star was published for the first time

newspaper

Birth of Stone de Croze, the original Guernseyman
Guernsey and Jersey newspapers agree to merge
The Star was published for the first time

newspapers

Birth of Stone de Croze, the original Guernseyman
The Star was published for the first time

novel

First publication of Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea
The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is published

occupation

“Let em starve,” said Churchill
Albert Lamy appointed Guernsey Police Chief Officer
Alderney is occupied by German forces
Alderney’s evacuees return to their island
Battery Mirus was test fired for the first time
British papers reported Dame of Sark’s deportation
Death of occupation resister Marie Ozanne
Enemy at the Door comes to the end of its run
First Commando raid of the Second World War
First meeting of Guernsey’s Controlling Committee
German forces confiscated Guernsey’s radios
Guernsey Controlling Committee’s Sir John Leale died
Guernsey opens its wartime files
Guernsey suffered its first and only air raid
Guernsey switched to Reichsmarks
Guernsey was liberated from German occupation
Guernsey’s entire police force is arrested
Guernsey’s school children were evacuated
GUNS founder Charles Machon died
GUNS writer Joseph John Gillingham was deported
Hitler ordered the Channel Islands’ fortification
Occupation president Ambrose Sherwill died
Occupation resister Winifred Green was deported
Occupation stories occupy the mainland papers
Occupying forces mount a desperate raid on Granville
Operation Hardtack targets the Channel Islands
Sark was the target of Operation Basalt
The Channel Islands were demilitarised
The post-Occupation military government was disbanded
The RAF bombed Guernsey Airport
The Red Cross saves Guernsey from starvation
Three Jewish women are deported from Guernsey

people

“Twink” goes missing on its way to Guernsey
A Guernsey retiree’s £1m offer attracts 57,000 requests
Admiral Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin died
Antiquarian William Collings Lukis was born
Aurigny founder Derrick Bailey died
Bailiff John Guille died in Plymouth
Bailiff Sir Peter de Havilland was born
Benefactor Osmond de Beauvoir Priaulx dies
Birth of concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard
Birth of Generaloberst Friedrich Dollmann
Birth of Sark-based writer Mervyn Peake
British papers reported Dame of Sark’s deportation
Charlie Chaplin played in St Peter Port
Cricketer Charles Grieve died in Shropshire
Dad’s Army actor John le Mesurier died
Dame Sibyl became a dame again
Dame Sibyl Hathaway chose her Desert Island Discs
Death of the Vicar General of the Channel Islands
Ebenezer Le Page author GB Edwards dies
Famed printer Thomas de la Rue born
Footballer Matt Le Tissier was born
Game of Thrones actor Roy Dotrice was born
Guernesiais linguist Marie de Garis died
Guernsey bigamist got married for the second time
Guernsey celebrated Queen Victoria’s jubilee
Guernsey coffee trader William Le Lacheur died
Guernsey commando Hubert Nicolle died
Guernsey deportee, nurse Gladys Skillett was born
Guernsey guidebook pioneer Henry Inglis dies
Guernsey Mormon Sampson Avard dies in Illinois
Guernsey poet and painter Denys Corbet was born
Guernsey poet George Métivier is born
Guernsey steam tramway is granted its concession
Guernsey woman advised to leave for her safety
Guernsey’s last witch trial takes place
Guernsey’s oldest resident dies, aged 110
Herm tenant Major Peter Wood died
Horticultural painter William Caparne was born
Jethou’s tenant fell off his own cliff
John Doyle was appointed Lieutenant-Governor
Lieutenant Governor, Lord Ruthven, died in Bath
Major General Sir Isaac Brock died
Missing girl, Jetta, was found on Guernsey
Occupation president Ambrose Sherwill died
Oliver Reed was jailed in Guernsey
Pollet guest house fire claimed its third victim
Priaulx Library opens for the first time
Princess Elizabeth opened Guernsey’s hospital
Queen Mary executed while wearing Guernsey stockings
Renoir arrived on Guernsey to paint
Role of Chief Minister of Guernsey abolished
Ship sinks in St Sampson harbour
Sibyl Hathaway, Dame of Sark, is born
Specsavers’ Mary Perkins was born
The king and queen celebrated Guernsey’s liberation
The melon king died… long live the melon king
The Star received some “grave” news
The title Baron de Saumarez was created
Three Jewish women are deported from Guernsey
TV’s Jeeves is rushed to hospital on Guernsey
Victor Hugo’s house is opened to the public
Wartime diplomat Wilfred Gallienne born in Guernsey

phone

Guernsey to UK telephone connection inaugurated

poet

Birth of concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard

poetry

Birth of concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard

police

Albert Lamy appointed Guernsey Police Chief Officer
Alderney arrest sparks a “riot”
Guernsey emergency services prepare for a disaster
Guernsey Police makes the world’s first underwater arrest
Guernsey Police moves to its new headquarters
Guernsey Police Service appoints its first inspector
Guernsey’s entire police force is arrested
Guernsey’s first paid constables were hired
Guernsey’s island-wide police force is established
Head of Guernsey CID is shot in St Peter Port

politics

A French fisherman is arrested and escorted to St Peter Port
A Guernsey planning dispute headed to Europe
Alderney debated in the House of Commons
Alderney elects its first president
Bailiff Sir Peter de Havilland was born
Castle Cornet surrenders to Guernsey
Earl Grey was appointed Governor of Guernsey
Guernsey aimed for equal adoption rights
Guernsey and Jersey considered merging
Guernsey chose England over France
Guernsey heads call for an end to the Eleven-plus
Guernsey Language Commission formed
Guernsey nurse Elizabeth Lincoln elected to the States
Guernsey recruits caused concern in Parliament
Guernsey’s first governor, Edmund Weston, is appointed
Guernsey’s Reform Law was enacted
Guernsey’s Royal Court sits for the first time
Herm goes back on the market
Human remains were found on Lihou
Major General Sir Isaac Brock died
Occupation president Ambrose Sherwill died
Philip de Saumarez was discharged as a Jurat
Role of Chief Minister of Guernsey abolished
Sark holds its first election
Sark voted for democracy
Sark women get the right to inherit
States of Guernsey hired its first independent vet
States of Guernsey voted to lower the voting age
Wartime diplomat Wilfred Gallienne born in Guernsey
Winston Churchill visited Guernsey with his wife

pollution

Guernsey and France tackle the Amoco Cadiz oil spill

post

Guernsey gets its first postbox
The first ever Guernsey stamp is issued

press

Guernsey and Jersey newspapers agree to merge

publishing

Birth of Stone de Croze, the original Guernseyman
Guernsey guidebook pioneer Henry Inglis dies

radio

Alderney gets its first full-time radio station
BBC Radio Guernsey takes to the air
Island FM brings commercial radio to Guernsey

religion

A minister was found dead at Icart Point
Antiquarian William Collings Lukis was born
Birth of concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard
Death of occupation resister Marie Ozanne
Death of the Vicar General of the Channel Islands
Guernsey Mormon Sampson Avard dies in Illinois
Guernsey’s first Methodist minister arrives
Guillaume de Beauvoir appointed dean of English Church in Geneva
Release of Reverend Harry Samuel
St Martin’s parish church consecrated
St Sampson was ordained a bishop
The Guernsey Martyrs were burned at the stake
The original Torteval church was consecrated
Three Jewish women are deported from Guernsey
Wesleyans celebrated 100 years on Guernsey

rescue

Guernsey lifeboat saved a Swedish schooner
Oil rig stranded at Grandes Rocques

rgli

Royal Guernsey Light Infantry fights at Ypres

rights

Guernsey aimed for equal adoption rights

roman

Asterix is discovered in St Peter Port harbour

royal

Guernsey celebrated Queen Victoria’s jubilee
Princess Elizabeth opened Guernsey’s hospital

royalty

Braye du Valle was gifted by the crown
Castle Cornet surrenders to Guernsey
Guernsey celebrated Queen Victoria’s jubilee
Guernsey watchmaker helps Stone of Scone manhunt
Guernsey’s first governor, Edmund Weston, is appointed
Prince Charles and Camilla visit Guernsey
Princess Elizabeth opened Guernsey’s hospital
Queen Mary executed while wearing Guernsey stockings
Queen Victoria visited Guernsey
Royal theft inquiry heads to Guernsey
The Channel Islands’ king set sail for England
The Duke of Connaught visited Guernsey
The king and queen celebrated Guernsey’s liberation
Val des Terres was first opened for traffic

safety

The first lighthouses were built on the Casquets

sark

A Lancaster bomber crashed on Sark
Brecqhou was put up for sale
British papers reported Dame of Sark’s deportation
Dame Sibyl became a dame again
Dame Sibyl Hathaway chose her Desert Island Discs
Sark featured in the music charts
Sark holds its first election
Sark is awarded Dark-Sky status
Sark voted for democracy
Sark was the target of Operation Basalt
Sark women get the right to inherit
Sark’s Stocks Hotel was damaged by fire
Sark’s vineyards were vandalised
Schoolboys and teacher went missing off Sark
Seigneur of Sark, Michael Beaumont, dies aged 88
Sibyl Beaumont married Robert Hathaway
Sibyl Hathaway, Dame of Sark, is born
The first mines were dug on Sark

school

Guernsey heads call for an end to the Eleven-plus

science

Sark is awarded Dark-Sky status
Sir Isaac Newton has his say on a mysterious Guernsey invention

sea

Hanois Lighthouse’s foundation stone was laid

ship

HMS Guernsey launched in Aberdeen
Mail ship wrecked on Black Rock

shipping

A tomato ship and a tanker collided
Hanois Lighthouse’s foundation stone was laid
HMS Boreas sank at Hanois

ships

Guernsey Fisher makes its maiden voyage

showbiz

Charlie Chaplin played in St Peter Port

societies

Guernsey Society celebrates its 70th anniversary

sport

A Guernseyman cycled to Herm
A liberation celebration ended in disaster
Beau Sejour opens for business
Cricketer Charles Grieve died in Shropshire
Death of Guernsey-born footballer Len Duquemin
Footballer Matt Le Tissier was born
Guernsey held its first full marathon
Guernsey hosted the Island Games 2003 closing ceremony
Guernsey hosted the second Island Games
Guernsey hosts its first Parkrun at Pembroke
Guernsey joined the Football Association
Guernsey players set darts record
Guernsey plays Tottenham Hotspur
Guernsey wins gold at the Commonwealth Games
Guernsey won double-silver at the Commonwealth Games
Horse racing returns to L’Ancresse race course
Jersey swimmers set a round-Guernsey record
Laura Kennington kicks off Channel Islands triathlon
Racing yacht Westward is blown up off Guernsey
The first Muratti football match takes place

storm

Guernsey suffers its worst storm in 35 years

suicide

A mainland murder with a Guernsey connection
Murder inquiry ends with suicide

supernatural

Aurigny pilot Ray Bowyer spots a UFO near Alderney

superstition

Guernsey’s last witch trial takes place

technology

Guernsey Press registers its domain
Telex, phones and telegram cables go quiet
The Channel Islands were cut off from the outside world
The States of Guernsey registers the gov.gg domain

telephone

Guernsey to UK telephone connection inaugurated

television

Channel 4 broadcasts Sark-based Mr Pye
Channel 4 gameshow Treasure Hunt comes to Guernsey
Channel Television disappears
Channel Television saw off a rival broadcaster
Channel Television took to the air
Debut of Guernsey-set comedy This is Jinsy
Enemy at the Door comes to the end of its run
Howards’ Way came to Guernsey
ITV broadcasts first episode of Island at War
Songs of Praise comes from Guernsey
Spotlight was broadcast for the first time
TV’s Jeeves is rushed to hospital on Guernsey

tenant

Death of Sir Charles Hayward

theatre

Game of Thrones actor Roy Dotrice was born
Sarnia Theatre celebrated its most successful year
The Little Theatre was reprieved… for a while

tourism

Guernsey Zoo is sold as a going concern
Pollet guest house fire claimed its third victim
The Imperial Hotel opened for the first time

trade

Guernsey coffee trader William Le Lacheur died

train

Guernsey Railway Company runs its first services

tram

Guernsey Railway Company runs its first services

transport

“Twink” goes missing on its way to Guernsey
A plane hit a car while landing at Guernsey Airport
A Trislander ate itself between Jersey and Guernsey
Alderney residents lined the coast to watch Titanic pass
An Islander aircraft crashed in Guernsey
Aurigny Air Services founded
Aurigny pilot Ray Bowyer spots a UFO near Alderney
Blue Islands takes to the skies
Building work starts on Guernsey Airport
Car plane air crash caused airport fireball
Channel Express Airways plane crashes on Guernsey
Condor Liberation enters service
Dead man appointed to run Guernsey Airport
G-COBO has a bumpy flight
G-JOEY completes his last flight
Guernsey Airport opened for business
Guernsey Airport’s new terminal opened for business
Guernsey emergency services prepare for a disaster
Guernsey passengers are battered by storms
Guernsey passengers stage a ferry sit-in
Guernsey Railway company ceased operations
Guernsey Railway Company runs its first services
Guernsey Steam Tramway stops running
Guernsey to Jersey plane crashed into the sea
Guernsey welcomed its first steam ship
Hydrofoil Condor 1 completed its final sea trials
Isle of Guernsey delivered to its new owners
Mail ship wrecked on Black Rock
The first lighthouses were built on the Casquets
The States of Guernsey bought Aurigny
The States of Guernsey proposes a new airport
Val des Terres was first opened for traffic
Work begins on the Val des Terres

transportation

Building work starts on Guernsey Airport
Guernsey to Jersey plane crashed into the sea
Guernsey welcomed its first steam ship
Val des Terres was first opened for traffic

travel

Aurigny Air Services founded
Building work starts on Guernsey Airport
Dead man appointed to run Guernsey Airport
Guernsey Airport opened for business

tv

Channel 4 broadcasts Sark-based Mr Pye
Debut of Guernsey-set comedy This is Jinsy
Howards’ Way came to Guernsey
ITV broadcasts first episode of Island at War
TV’s Jeeves is rushed to hospital on Guernsey

unexplained

Aurigny pilot Ray Bowyer spots a UFO near Alderney

utilities

The desalination plant opened

war

“Let em starve,” said Churchill
6th Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment fought at the Somme
A Lancaster bomber crashed on Sark
A plane crashed on Crevichon
Albert Lamy appointed Guernsey Police Chief Officer
Alderney debated in the House of Commons
Alderney is occupied by German forces
Alderney was liberated at the end of the second world war
Alderney’s evacuees return to their island
An occupation-era minefield is discovered at L’Ancresse
Battery Mirus was test fired for the first time
Birth of Baron James de Saumarez
Birth of Generaloberst Friedrich Dollmann
British papers reported Dame of Sark’s deportation
Castle Cornet surrenders to Guernsey
Enemy at the Door comes to the end of its run
First Commando raid of the Second World War
First meeting of Guernsey’s Controlling Committee
German forces confiscated Guernsey’s radios
Guernsey chose England over France
Guernsey commando Hubert Nicolle died
Guernsey Controlling Committee’s Sir John Leale died
Guernsey deportee, nurse Gladys Skillett was born
Guernsey opens its wartime files
Guernsey recruits caused concern in Parliament
Guernsey suffered its first and only air raid
Guernsey switched to Reichsmarks
Guernsey was liberated from German occupation
Guernsey woman advised to leave for her safety
Guernsey’s entire police force is arrested
Guernsey’s school children were evacuated
Guernseyman Herbert Le Patourel wrongly thought killed
GUNS founder Charles Machon died
GUNS writer Joseph John Gillingham was deported
Hitler ordered the Channel Islands’ fortification
John Doyle was appointed Lieutenant-Governor
Occupation president Ambrose Sherwill died
Occupation resister Winifred Green was deported
Occupation stories occupy the mainland papers
Occupying forces confiscated Guernsey’s radios
Occupying forces mount a desperate raid on Granville
Operation Hardtack targets the Channel Islands
Police found a bomb in Bluebell Wood
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry fights at Ypres
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry memorial was unveiled
Royal Guernsey Light Infantry Museum opens
Sark was the target of Operation Basalt
Second World War bomb detonated
Soldiers staged a mutiny at Fort George
The Channel Islands were demilitarised
The king and queen celebrated Guernsey’s liberation
The last issue of GUNS was distributed
The post-Occupation military government was disbanded
The RAF bombed Guernsey Airport
The Red Cross saves Guernsey from starvation
Three Jewish women are deported from Guernsey
Wartime diplomat Wilfred Gallienne born in Guernsey

weapons

An occupation-era minefield is discovered at L’Ancresse
Battery Mirus was test fired for the first time

weather

Guernsey clears up after heaviest snow in years
Guernsey declared a State of Emergency
Guernsey suffers its worst storm in 35 years
Guernsey was struck by a hurricane

wreck

A tomato ship and a tanker collided
Guernsey and France tackle the Amoco Cadiz oil spill
Guernsey shipwreck results in starvation
HMS Boreas sank at Hanois
Mail ship wrecked on Black Rock
MV Prosperity is wrecked at Perelle
Point Law runs aground off Alderney
President Garcia is re-floated in Saints Bay
Radiant Med sinks with loss of life
Torrey Canyon spills oil on Guernsey’s beaches

writer

Birth of Sark-based writer Mervyn Peake

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Check out The Sarnian’s email newsletter for Guernsey history, features, puzzles and pictures. It’s also the first place where you’ll find out about the Sarnian series of books, including sneak previews and discounts.

We will never sell your data to third parties, and there’s an unsubscribe link in every email, so you can leave whenever you like.

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