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The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha reigned from 1904 until its name was changed to the house of Windsor in 1917.

Edward VII, 1901-1910
George V, 1910-1917
Renamed as The House of Windsor
George V Continues, 1917-1936
Edward VIII, 1936
George VI, 1936-1952
Elizabeth II, 1952-

The Early 20th Century

A doctor examines his patient, Sir William Leisham and Sir Almroth Wright continued pioneering work in vaccination against typhoid which proved a success in World War One. And Sir David Bruce improved on the Tetanus serum which again rid armies of disease. Industrial England benefited from the development of artificial silk which in turn led to the creation of cellophane. The use of synthetic resins led to the expansion of the plastics industry. In this period Britain was the home to the second largest chemical works in the world. The shipping industry gave up steam power for oil - companies like William Robertson, the Tyne Tees Shipping Company and the London Shipping company were major investors in the combustion engine. Meanwhile the Army saw the value of aircraft and in 1912 the Royal Flying Corps came into existence to serve both Army and Navy. Although the aircraft factory at Farnborough had begun to build aeroplanes in 1912 it was war in 1914 that brought an urgency to their work. Sir John Alcock and Sir A Whitton Brown used a military aircraft to make the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic. And ex-bombers were converted and used for the first commercial services from London to the Continent. Electric power transformed homes, factories and vehicles throughout England at this time and led to the creation of the Central Electricity Board. The Electricity Supply Acts of 1919 and 1926 concerned themselves primarily with the supply of adequate power to industry after the war's end



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