Life In The UK CheatSheet
Use the below Cheatsheet for your Life In The UK Exam Preparation. This should be your exam day read. We’ve put all the important information in tabular form below.
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Cheatsheet on Important Date:
- 1215: Magna Carta (reduced rights of the king and laid out basic rights of the people)
- 1500s: Act for the Government of Wales (united England and Wales)
- 1679: Habeas Corpus Act (forbids unlawful imprisonment)
- 1689: Bill of Rights (confirmed the rights of Parliament and the limits of the king’s power)
- 1707: Act of Union (united kingdoms of England and Scotland and created the Kingdom of Great Britain)
- 1832: Reform Act (abolished pocket and rotten boroughs and gave more parliamentary seats to towns and cities. Increased the number of (male) voters)
- 1833: Emancipation Act (abolished slavery throughout the British Empire)
- 1918: Women’s suffrage (vote at 30+ yrs)
- 1928: Women’s suffrage (vote at 21 yrs, same as men)
- 1942: Beveridge Report (set out ideas that led to the foundation of the modern welfare state)
- 1944: Education Act (Free secondary education and clear distinction between primary and secondary education)
- 1945-1950: NHS and social security system established
- 1947: 9 colonies gained independence, including India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka
- 1973: UK joined the European Economic Community (EEC)
- 1998: Good Friday Agreement led to the establishment of the Northern Irish parliament
- 1999: Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly established
Cheatsheet on Middle Age Events:
- Norman Conquest of England in 1066
- The Crusades between 1096 and 1270
- Gothic architecture emerged in the 12th century
- Magna Carta signed in 1215
- The Hundred Years’ War between England and France began in 1337
- Black Death pandemic in Europe in the mid-14th century
- Joan of Arc’s military campaigns in France in the early 15th century
- War of the Roses in England between 1455 and 1485
- Gutenberg’s printing press invented in the mid-15th century
Cheatsheet on Important Characters:
- David Weir: Paralympian, wheelchair athlete, 6-time gold medalist at the Paralympic Games, 6-time winner of the London Marathon
- Bradley Wiggins: Cyclist, winner of the Tour de France, and 7-time Olympic medalist including three golds
- Mo Farah: Distance runner, 4-time Olympic medalist, including double gold for 5,000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 Olympics
- Jessica Ennis: Heptathlete, Olympic gold medalist, holds a number of British athletics records
- Andy Murray: Tennis player, winner of multiple Grand Slam titles including the US Open and Wimbledon, 2-time Olympic gold medalist
- Ellie Simmonds: Paralympian, swimmer, winner of multiple gold medals at the Paralympic Games, holds world records
- Sir Roger Bannister: Runner, the first person to run a sub-4 minute mile
- Sir Jackie Stewart: Racing driver, three-time Formula 1 world championship winner
- Bobby Moore: Football player, captain of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team
- Sir Ian Botham: Cricketer, holds multiple English Test cricket records and was captain of the England cricket team
- Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean: Ice dancers, Olympic gold medalists, and four-time world champions
- Sir Steve Redgrave: Rower, won gold medals in five consecutive Olympic Games
- Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson: Paralympian, wheelchair athlete, won 16 Paralympic medals including 11 golds over five Games, 6-time winner of the London Marathon
- Dame Kelly Holmes: Runner, double Olympic gold medalist
- Dame Ellen MacArthur: Yachtswoman, set the record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe
- Sir Chris Hoy: Cyclist, 6-time Olympic gold medalist and 11-time world champion
- Sir Robert Walpole: First Prime Minister of the UK (1721-1742)
- Oliver Cromwell: Titled Lord Protector and led Britain during the 1640s-1650s while it was without a monarch
- King Alfred the Great: United the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and defeated the Vikings
- Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Engineer (bridges, trains, tunnels, ships)
- Dylan Thomas: Welsh poet (“Under Milk Wood” & “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”)
- Robert Burns: Scottish poet (“The Bard”), Auld Lang Syne
- Richard Arkwright: Efficient and profitable factory owner during the Industrial Revolution
- Sake Dean Mahomet: Set up the first curry house in Britain and introduced shampooing
- Florence Nightingale: Founder of modern nursing
- Emmeline Pankhurst: Suffrage leader
- Rudyard Kipling: Indian-born author and poet. Work reflected the idea that the British Empire was a force for good
- George and Robert Stevenson: Famous pioneers of railway engines
- St Columba & St Augustine: Led missionaries from Rome
- Sir Francis Drake: Elizabethan sailor who helped defeat the Spanish Armada and later sailed around the world
- Margaret Thatcher: First female Prime Minister and the longest-serving PM of the 20th century
- Alexander Fleming: Scottish doctor who discovered penicillin (1928)
- Clement Attlee: Churchill’s Deputy PM. Became PM in 1945. Nationalized major industries and created the NHS
- Mary Peters: Olympic athlete who promoted sport and tourism in Northern Ireland
- Roald Dahl: Welsh author (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” & “George’s Marvellous Medicine”)
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Scottish author (“Sherlock Holmes”)
Cheatsheet on British History:
- The Romans ruled Britain from 43-410 AD
- The Middle Ages (1066-1485) was a period of war, including the Crusades and the Hundred Years’ War
- Magna Carta (1215) laid out the basic rights of the people and reduced the king’s rights
- Act for the Government of Wales (under King Henry VII, 1500s) united England and Wales
- Habeas Corpus Act (1679) forbids unlawful imprisonment
- Bill of Rights (1689) confirmed the rights of Parliament and the limits of the king’s power
- Act of Union (1707) united the kingdoms of England and Scotland and created the Kingdom of Great Britain
- Reform Act (1832) abolished pocket and rotten boroughs and gave more parliamentary seats to towns and cities. Increased the number of (male) voters
- Emancipation Act (1833) abolished slavery in the British Empire, led by abolitionist William Wilberforce
- Women’s suffrage – 1918 (vote at 30+ yrs) and 1928 (vote at 21 yrs, same as men)
- Home Rule was proposed in Ireland in 1913 with the idea of a self-governing Ireland with its own parliament still part of the UK. However, Irish nationalists didn’t want to wait, and the Easter Rising against the British in Dublin took place in 1916
- The peace treaty signed in 1921 divided Ireland into two
Cheatsheet on Government and Democracy:
- The UK is a parliamentary democracy with the monarch as head of state
- The UK is divided into parliamentary constituencies, and voters in each constituency elect their Member of Parliament (MP) in a General Election
- All elected MPs form the House of Commons, and the party with the majority of MPs forms the government
- If no party wins a majority, two parties can join together to form a coalition
- The UK’s international role is explained through the Commonwealth, EU, and others
- Minimum Voting age: 18
- People are appointed to the two Houses of Parliament, and specific roles like Speaker selected by MPs and Cabinet are formed by the Prime Minister with 20 members
- Devolved administrations can be found in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
- Common laws, fundamental rights, policing, and the courts of the UK exist, and taxation, driving, and community activity are important aspects of UK governance
Cheatsheet on Rights and Responsibilities:
- Swearing or affirming loyalty to the King is a part of the citizenship ceremony
- The UK values freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the press
- Respect for the rule of law and the rights of individuals is important
- The UK values personal and social responsibility, with people expected to contribute to and participate in their community
Cheatsheet on UK Society:
- The UK is a multicultural country
- Major cities in the UK include London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds
- Religious and ethnic diversity is significant in the UK, and the main festivals need to be understood
- British culture includes notable authors, poets, artists, and architects like Shakespeare, Austen, Keats, Turner, and Wren
- Sport plays a significant role in the UK, with the Olympics being a recent highlight
- Poems, films, books, and famous landmarks are all integral parts of British culture
Cheatsheet on UK Geography:
- England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland form the UK
- Major cities in the UK include London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds
- The UK is an island country in Europe with a varied landscape and contains mountain ranges, rivers, forests, and beaches
- The Thames is the longest river in England, while the River Severn is the longest river in the UK
- Scotland includes the Highlands and Islands, while Wales is famous for its castles and rugged coastline, and Northern Ireland is home to the Giant’s Causeway
- Important landmarks in the UK include Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Stonehenge, and Hadrian’s Wall
- Walking and using public transport can help protect the environment
