As we celebrate the Lancashire Post’s 140th birthday, we thought it was only right to celebrate some of the biggest news stories from across the county’s history too.
For our next ‘Lancashire best’ gallery, we’ve therefore taken a look at 14 of the most significant historical moments in Lancashire’s past.
Some of them are celebratory, others are tragic, but they all helped shape Lancashire into the county it is today.
The Lancashire Post may not have been founded until 1886, but we’ve decided to look further back than that- in fact we explore the very beginnings of Lancashire itself but more on that later.
So, from world-changing inventions and historic battles to remarkable achievements and moments of tragedy, take a look at the 14 moments we think deserve a place in Lancashire’s history books.
So far in our Lancashire Post 140th celebration galleries we’ve looked at the legendary Lancastrians who made history over the years, the famous faces who keep our county’s name in lights today, the famous brands that began life in Lancashire, the best restaurants in Lancashire, the best vegan restaurants in Lancashire, the best performing secondary schools in Lancashire and the best performing primary schools.

5. The Pendle Witch Trials (1612)
Arguably the most famous and well-documented witch trails in English history, they resulted in the ganing of 10 people from the rural area surrounding Pendle Hill | various

6. The Battle of Preston (1648)
This 3-day battle ended in a victory for Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentary forces against a Scottish Royalist army. The battle helped bring the Second English Civil War to an end and is considered one of the most important military events ever fought on Lancashire soil. Pictured: Oliver Cromwell.

7. The Spinning Jenny transforms the cotton industry (1764)
James Hargreaves from Oswaldtwistle invented the 'Spinning Jenny' which enabled one person to spin several threads at once. This revolutionary invention helped transform Lancashire from a region of domestic textile production into an industrial powerhouse. | Getty Images

8. Preston North End’s incredible year of football (1888-1889 season)
Preston North End was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and went on to win both the first ever league championship and FA Cup in the 1888-89 season, earning them the nickname ‘The Invincibles’. | National World


