Historical eventDecember 211844

Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers

The Rochdale Pioneers opened their store (pictured) in Rochdale, England, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement.

Everything on December 21Original source

In context

When
Saturday, December 21 1844182 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1840s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: 1844 – 1991.

Place: Lancashire, United Kingdom.

Type: consumer cooperative and organization.

What happened

History Thirteen of the surviving Rochdale Pioneers, photographed in 1865. As the mechanisation of the Industrial Revolution was forcing more and more skilled workers into poverty, a group of tradesmen decided to band together to open their own store selling food items they could not otherwise afford. With lessons from prior failed attempts at co-operation in mind, they designed the now famous Rochdale Principles , and over a period of four months raised £10 to rent premises in Toad Lane, Rochdale ,

The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, founded in 1844, was an early consumers' co-operative, and one of the first to pay a patronage dividend, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement. Although other co-operatives preceded it, the Rochdale Pioneers co-operative became the prototype for societies in Great Britain. The Rochdale Pioneers are most famous for designing the Rochdale Principles, a set of principles of co-operation,

December 21 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1844Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers
  2. 1995Bethlehem
  3. 1999Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216
  4. 1999Civil Guard (Spain)
  5. 2004Iraq War
  6. 2012Maya civilization
  7. 20122012 phenomenon
  8. 2018Special Boat Service
  9. 2020Great conjunction
  10. 2022Vega C
  11. 20232023 Prague shootings

Also in 1844

  • September 16Felix MendelssohnFelix Mendelssohn completed the score of his Violin Concerto, his final concerto.
  • August 10Friedrich Wilhelm BesselFrom measurements of its motion, German astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel deduced that Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, had…
  • June 26Julia Gardiner TylerJulia Gardiner (pictured) married U.S. President John Tyler at the Church of the Ascension in New York, becoming the first lady.
  • May 22ShirazIn Shiraz, Iran, the Báb declared himself to be a messenger of God to Mullá Husayn, leading to the foundation of Bábism, considered to be…
  • June 3Great aukThe last known pair of great auks (one pictured), the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus of flightless birds, were killed on Elde…
  • March 21Baháʼí calendarThe Baháʼí calendar, used in the Baháʼí Faith, began.

Everything we record for 1844 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/rochdale-society-of-equitable-pioneers-1844-december-21, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers happen?

December 21 1844 — 182 years ago, on a Saturday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.