1911: Parliament Act
Removed the House of Lords’ right to refuse a Bill passed in the Commons — except those that proposed to extend the life of Parliament.
1918: Fourth Reform Act and Representation of the People Act
Gave the vote to men over 21 and women over 30 — increasing the electorate from 8 million to 21 million.
1919: First female MP
Viscountess Nancy Astor is the first woman to take her seat as an MP (Countess Constance Markiewicz was elected in 1918 but as a Sinn Fein member did not take her seat).
1920: Government of Ireland Act
Southern Irish MPs no longer attend UK Parliament.
1928: Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act
Reduced voting age for women to 21.
1941: World War II bombing
Commons chamber destroyed by enemy action on 10 May.
1949: Parliament Act
Reduced the Lords ability to delay a Bill passed in the Commons from two years to one year.
1950: New Commons chamber
Re-built after 1941 bombing; used for the first time on 26 October.
1958: Life Peerages Act
Permitted creation of peerages for life to persons of either sex, with no limit on numbers. First female life peer — Baroness Wootton of Abinger — is created.
1963: Peerage Act
Allowed hereditary peerages to be disowned for life, hereditary peeresses to be members of the House of Lords and all Scottish peers to sit. First female hereditary peer: Baroness Strange of Knokin.
1978: Radio broadcasts
Broadcasts of proceedings in Parliament begin on a permanent basis.
1985: Lords televised
Proceedings in the Lords televised for first time.
1989: Commons televised
Commons proceedings televised for first time.
1997: Parliament website launched
1999: UK devolution
Devolution of powers to Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly.
1999: House of Lords Act
Removed the right of all but 92 hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords.
1999: Westminster Hall sittings
MPs sit for the first time in a parallel chamber, held in Westminster Hall.
2002: Parliament webcasts
Webcasts of Parliament proceedings begins.
2005: Constitutional Reform Act
Separates judiciary from the legislature (a term for Parliament) with the creation of a Supreme Court (from 2009) when the judicial function of the House of Lords will cease.
2006: First Lord Speaker
Baroness Hayman elected as the first Lord Speaker.