Key moments in Birkbeck's history
- 1776: Birth of George Birkbeck.
- 1823: Birkbeck is founded as the London Mechanics' Institute.
- 1825: The Institute moves to the Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane.
- 1830: Women are admitted as members.
- 1841: Death of George Birkbeck.
- 1866: The Mechanics’ Institute changes its name to the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution.
- 1885: Birkbeck moves to the Breams Building, Fetter Lane (though the building was finished in 1884).
- 1891: Birkbeck is one of three institutions to form the federal City polytechnic.
- 1907: The Institution is renamed Birkbeck College, although the name started appearing on documents in 1903.
- 1913: Lord Haldane's Royal Commission recommends Birkbeck becomes London's evening university.
- 1914-18: One in four Birkbeck staff and students who enlist in the First World War are killed in action.
- 1920: Birkbeck becomes part of the University of London.
- 1926: Birkbeck receives its Royal Charter.
- 1939-45: Birkbeck is the only university in London to stay open during the Blitz.
- 1944: On 19 July at 3:07am a V1 rocket destroys Birkbeck's library and a large part of Breams Buildings.
- 1950: Britain’s third computer is developed at Birkbeck by Professor Andrew D. Booth.
- 1952: Birkbeck moves to the new Malet Street building, which is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
- 1960s and 1970s: Several new departments are opened, including Economics, Organizational Psychology, Applied Linguistics, and Politics.
- 1983-89: Betty Lockwood (Baroness) becomes the College's first female President.
- 1986: A campaign by Birkbeck's staff and students, backed in Parliament and The Times, overturns a cut of £2million to its government funding.
- 1987-1997: Tessa Blackstone (Baroness) becomes the College's first female Master.
- 1995: The College is authorised to confer degrees of the University of London on its students and to appoint, and confer titles of professor, reader and teacher of the University.
- 2003: Birkbeck wins the TV quiz show University Challenge. The Malet Street building is extensively redeveloped and reopened by the Chancellor of the University of London, HRH Princess Anne.
- 2005: In the first ever National Student Survey, Birkbeck comes joint top in the country for teaching and is rated seventh in the country overall.
- 2007: Birkbeck begins to offer courses to students in Stratford, East London.
- 2010: Professor David Latchman, Master of Birkbeck, is awarded a CBE in the Queen's birthday honours, for services to Higher Education.
- 2016: The College introduces the Compass Project to support asylum seekers into education.
- 2021: Opened 373 Euston Road (Cambridge House) to students.
- 2021: David Latchman becomes the first Vice-Chancellor of the College.
- 2021: Birkbeck launches Vision 2021-26, its five-year corporate strategy.
- 2022: Birkbeck Central, next to the Malet Street campus, is opened creating an integrated campus running along Torrington Square, bounded on the other side by the Clore building, Toddlerlab and Babylab.
- 2023: Birkbeck celebrates its 200th anniversary.
