Historical Milestones
| 1791 | The foundation of The Veterinary College, London, which later becomes known as The Royal Veterinary College. |
| 1792 | January 1st. The first four pupils begin their three-year course under the direction of a Frenchman, Professor Charles Vial de St. Bel. |
| 1796 | John Shipp is the first qualified veterinary surgeon to join the British Army. |
| 1844 | The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is awarded its Royal Charter. |
| 1865 | RVC Professor James Beart Simonds is appointed as the first Chief Inspector and Veterinary Advisor to the Privy council, with particular regard to cattle plague. |
| 1875 | The RVC is granted the first Royal Charter. To this day the RVC remains the only veterinary college in the UK to have its own Royal Charter. |
| 1879 | Establishment of the Cheap Practice Clinic, later known as the Poor People's Out-Patients Clinic. Some veterinary surgeons are concerned that the College was threatening their livelihoods. The College argues that poor people can afford neither the RVC's annual subscription, nor the normal veterinary fees, therefore their animals will go untreated if the Clinic is to be closed. |
| 1891 | RVC centenary. Foundation of the Students' Union. The first issue of the journal, The Student, is published on November 29th; the second issue, December 11th, is renamed The Students' Record. |
| 1895 | The RVC acquires its first X-ray machine. |
| 1907 | Major renovation of the College horse boxes, which have fund-raisers' commemorative shields hung at their doorways. |
| 1925 | Opening of the Research Institute in Animal Pathology, which is headed by Professor John McFadyean. |
| 1927 | RVC buildings are officially declared dangerous structures. Nationwide fund-raising for the total rebuilding of the College begins under the new Principal, Professor Frederick Hobday. |
| 1932 | The Beaumont Animals' Hospital (now The Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital) opens. |
| 1937 | New RVC buildings are officially opened by King George VI, accompanied by Queen Elizabeth, the present Queen Mother, on November 9th. |
| 1940 | The RVC evacuated to Streatley, Berkshire. However, the Beaumont Animals' Hospital remains open at Camden Town throughout the war years. |
| 1949 | The RVC becomes a school of the University of London. |
| 1958 | The Hawkshead field station is officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. |
| 1982 | The Animal Care Trust is launched with the Queen Mother as patron. |
| 1986 | The Queen Mother Hospital for Small Animals is opened at Hawkshead by the Queen Mother. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal and Chancellor of the University of London, open the surgical wing of the Sefton Equine Referral Hospital. |
| 1991 | RVC bicentenary. The skeleton of the famous racehorse Eclipse, dissected in 1789 by St. Bel is once more the property of the RVC and is on display in the Museum at Hawkshead. |
| 2001 | The London Bioscience Innovation Centre is opened. |
| 2003 | The Learning Resource Centre (Eclipse Building) is officially opened at Hawkshead by Her Majesty the Queen in October 2003 |
| 2003 | The Large Animal Clinical Centre is officially opened by HRH, Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh in October 2003. |
| 2005 | The Duchess of Cornwall visits the Hawkshead Campus as new Patron of the Royal Veterinary College Animal Care Trust |
| 2007 | The LIVE Centre at Hawkshead is officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in February 2007 |
| 2011 | The Teaching and Research Centre (TaRC) is officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in December 2011 |
The Royal Veterinary College
Established in 1791, the RVC is the UK’s longest-standing veterinary college—with a proud heritage of innovation in veterinary science, clinical practice and education.