Five Interesting Facts about Manchester

Manchester is one of the biggest bustling cities in the UK. Located in the North of England, it has the fifth largest population in the United Kingdom and is noted for its celebrity exports such as Marcus Rashford and the Gallagher brothers. With such a rich cultural history, Manchester has long been many people’s favourite UK city – and it’s not hard to see why. Here are five of my favourite interesting facts about Manchester.

Manchester’s contribution to science has been groundbreaking

While some of the country’s most famous musicians and sportsmen come from Manchester, what many people don’t know is that the contribution to science that the University of Manchester has made, was actually so groundbreaking that it changed everything that scientists of the time thought they knew to be true. In 1917, a lecturer at the University of Manchester named Ernest Rutherford was able to split the atom for the first time – revolutionising scientific progress in the 20th century and opening the way for scientific methods such as radiotherapy and nuclear energy. 

Mancunians are programmers too

Not content with their scientific contributions, the University of Manchester is also famed for making a huge contribution to the world of programming too. A little known fact about Manchester is that in 1948, the first-ever Small-Scale Experimental Machine called Baby was created by Mancunian researchers, which laid the groundwork for the creation of the modern electronic computer.

You’ve seen Manchester more than you know

You might think you’ve seen Manchester in all kinds of British tv shows and films, but it has actually been used as a filming location for Hollywood, too! Captain America was filmed in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, as well as some scenes being filmed in Liverpool, both chosen for their resemblance to the New York City of the 1940s. They also have skateparks that have been featured on film, so why not grab a skateboard and go experience the best of Manchester? 

Manchester changed the political world

There are a number of ways that Manchester has been involved in politics and social sciences, but perhaps the biggest difference to politics in the last 100 years has been the enfranchisement of women, which is why it is especially notable that the Suffrage movement was actually started in Manchester. Emmeline Pankhurst has been described as one of the most influential people in British history, and it was in Manchester in 1903 that she began the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), a radical feminist group who took action by using “deeds, not words”

Manchester’s impact on LGBTQ+ history

Not only is Manchester known in the 21st Century for its infamous Gay Village, but Manc’s The New Union Pub is one of the oldest gay bars in the whole world. This is just another way that Manchester has proven that it is the home of some of the most forward-thinking and groundbreaking people in the 20th century, as it offered a safe space for gay people to meet when other cities offered nothing. 

 

Have you ever been to Manchester? Or are you a Mancunian and full of pride for your city? Let me know some of your favourite facts about Manchester in the comments!