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Celebrating 125 years of achievement

1900-2025: 125 years of University of Birmingham

Welcome to 125 years of the University of Birmingham.

This milestone anniversary marks a legacy of driving change and shaping society ever since Queen Victoria granted our Royal Charter in 1900. Through our ambitious and progressive approach to education and research, we are proud to have fostered a global community of leaders and problem-solvers.

Our unbound approach to research has enabled us to consistently push boundaries to address global challenges, build a thriving planet, advance life-changing technologies, connect cultures, improve global health and foster a fairer world.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to redefining what is possible and to changing how the world works.

Upcoming events

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125 Anniversary stories

Throughout our anniversary year, we will feature stories that celebrate the people, events and achievements from the last 125 years, and highlight those that are fuelling our success today.

View all 125 stories >

  • A Peregrine Falcon perched on a high ledge with Old Joe in the background

    A towering tradition: the falcons that return each Easter

    A pair of Peregrine Falcons have nested in Old Joe’s tower every spring since 2013. But how did they come to be here?

    Read about our feathered guests
  • The Salinity Solutions team standing in front of branded equipment

    A 125-year journey from innovation to entrepreneurship

    The University of Birmingham has always been a home to exciting innovations. A university of firsts. But developing a ‘blue sky’ idea into a commercial prospect is no easy task.

    Learn about start-ups & spin-outs
  • The Barber family wearing graduation gowns and mortarboards in Aston Web's whispering gallery

    Keeping Birmingham in the family

    Meet some of our alumni who were inspired to study here by members of their own family.

    Read more about this story

Our Promise to the City

Exactly 125 years ago, on 24 March 1900, Queen Victoria gave royal approval to England’s first civic university, turning one man’s ‘radical’ vision into a hugely impactful turning point for our country’s education system. The University of Birmingham has decided to mark its milestone anniversary by revisiting its roots and renewing our civic commitment to the city, reaffirming and reigniting a promise to serve Birmingham and beyond.
Read about our civic pledge
  • Two male student entrepreneurs sitting outside a modern building smiling and chatting. One has a laptop open on his knee

    Entrepreneurial spirit, Elevated

    Students are rethinking their future career paths and demanding more business and freelance opportunities. The University of Birmingham’s B-Enterprising team and Elevate programme are providing the catalyst for entrepreneurial success.

    Read how we support entrepreneurs
  • A segment of the stained glass south window in the Great Hall showing the University of Birmingham crest

    A Window into our Civic Past

    This June, a new exhibition in the Aston Webb building will unveil the stories of the people behind the University of Birmingham.

    Learn about the Great Hall window
  • The heraldic shield of the University of Birmingham's mining department

    From minerals to the moon - mining the future at Birmingham

    Among the earliest subjects taught on campus in Edgbaston, Mining set the standard for innovation and civic good through teaching and research at the University of Birmingham.

    Read about the Mining Department

Marie Curie

In 1913, Marie Sklodowska Curie was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Birmingham. The physicist was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1902, alongside her husband. She was awarded it again in 1911 for her work in the field of chemistry and was the first person to ever win two Nobel Prizes in separate fields. During her award at Birmingham, the principal of the university, Sir Oliver Lodge, called Marie Curie “the greatest woman of science of all time”. Her research into radiation has paved the way for radiology, which still saves lives today.
  • A black and portrait of Dame Hilda Lloyd

    Life-saving legacy of obstetric ‘flying squad’ pioneer

    Dame Hilda Lloyd was a pioneer in many senses. After becoming the first female professor at the University of Birmingham in 1944, she rose to become the first President of any Royal Medical College: the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1949. One of her many accomplishments was introducing the use of obstetric ‘flying squads’ in Birmingham, which saved the lives of countless mothers and babies.

    Learn more about Dame Hilda Lloyd
  • The front page of Redbrick newspaper from 1976 alongside some enlarged images of a student protest

    How activists changed the course of queer history at Birmingham

    History and Politics student Ophelia White explores how students took part in the gay liberation movement that swept across the country in the Seventies.

    Read more about this story
  • Bryony and Matt's wedding portrait. Bryony is holding a bouquet and is wearing a floral headpiece

    Finding love on campus

    We hear from four couples who met while studying, taking part in student societies, and working at the University of Birmingham.

    Read our couples' stories

125 years in images

As part of our anniversary celebrations, the Cadbury Research Library is sharing a digital and physical exhibition of previously unseen (or less well-known), archival images from our research and teaching, campus, and people and community. They say a picture paints a thousand words, and these images tell important stories about the University and the city of Birmingham, its people, and how it has and continues to evolve over a century and a quarter.
Read the stories behind the images
Students working in the University's new microcomputer laboratory in the early 1980s
Male and female members of Professor Percy Frankland’s research team, taken outside the Mason Science College buildings
  • A group of 125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs academics standing with Professor Rachel O'Reilly

    125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs

    We welcome the latest cohort of researchers joining us as 125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs. Discover who will be driving our ambitions to become a global top 50 university.

    Meet our researchers
  • Members of staff chatting together in the sunshine while sitting at an outdoor table

    Tell us your 125 stories

    Help us celebrate our 125 anniversary by sharing your story! Whether it’s a cherished memory, a favourite spot, or a moment that made this University special to you, your story is a part of Birmingham’s history.

    Submit your story