Having recently observed Armistice Day 2025, many of us have just participated in the ritual that defines our collective remembrance: the two-minute silence, initiated by King George V in 1919.
However, a recent story highlights a town in Surrey that observed a silence three years earlier – right in the middle of the conflict.
According to a recent BBC article, the market town of Farnham held what is thought to be the world’s first two-minute silence on 10 May 1916.
Documents from the National Archives reveal that the event took place on Castle Street during an agricultural fair organised to raise funds for the British Red Cross.
Local historian Maurice Hewins described the scene as "happy chaos" which came to a sudden halt. At 11am, a boys’ bugle band played, and the crowd paused to honour the fallen, the wounded, prisoners of war and those currently serving at the front.
The article notes that press reports from the time found the moment deeply moving, observing that "nothing could be heard except some cattle and the occasional movement of a motor car".
Lauren Wayland, manager at the Museum of Farnham, suggests that by 1916 – with conscription introduced and heavy losses sustained at battles such as Ypres – the local mood had shifted. The community felt a need to acknowledge the gravity of the situation amidst the fundraising activities.
While King George V’s proclamation in 1919 standardised the tribute across the empire, it appears the residents of Farnham were pioneers in using silence as a tool for communal remembrance. A plaque now stands on Castle Street to mark the location of this historic moment.
Read more: The town which held the first two-minute silence (BBC News)