The Gregorian Calendar Is Adopted in Ireland and Britain

On this date, Ireland and Britain officially adopted the Gregorian calendar, replacing the outdated Julian calendar. To correct the accumulated drift between calendar dates and the solar year, 11 days were dropped from the calendar — September 2, 1752, was followed immediately by September 14, 1752.

This adjustment sparked confusion and unrest. Some people famously protested in the streets with slogans like “Give us back our eleven days!” believing their lives had been shortened. Despite resistance, the change aligned Britain and Ireland with most of Western Europe, which had already adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1582.