# Irish potato famine begins (1845)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1845-irish-potato-famine-begins
Categories: main-event

Potato blight devastated the crop on which millions in Ireland depended. Within the broader Victorian Britain period, industrial society, mass politics, public-health reform, global empire and the Irish question dominated public life. This event is placed at 1845 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. Mass death and emigration transformed Ireland and deeply damaged confidence in British governance.

## Why it matters
Mass death and emigration transformed Ireland and deeply damaged confidence in British governance.

Ruler at the time: [Victoria](https://english-history.com/rulers/victoria)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Irish potato famine begins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Irish+potato+famine+begins&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Irish potato famine begins](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Irish+potato+famine+begins)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281800%E2%80%931899%29)
- [The National Archives — Victorian resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)