Events of 1916 back to top

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As war drags on with heavy losses conscription is introduced with the Military Service Act. Conscientious objectors who refused to fight were compelled to do non-military war work, and some were jailed.British Summer Time is introduced, putting the clocks forward an hour during the summer in order to capitalise on daylight hours.C. Hubert H. Parry sets William Blake's poem,, to music popularising the poem and tune as a patriotic English anthem. On hearing Edward Elgar's orchestrated version in 1922, King George V suggested that it replaceas the National Anthem.The Irish Citizen Army starts a Nationalist rebellion in Dublin: The Easter Rising.Massive losses are suffered on the Western Front at the battles of the Somme and Verdun.The Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire (1916-18) led by Prince Faisal is assisted by T.E. Lawrence, who became known as Lawrence of Arabia.