When was the first public film screening held in the UK?

The late 19th century was a period of incredible technological advancement, and one of the most exciting inventions was the motion picture. While the very first motion picture experiments happened earlier, 1896 marks a pivotal moment in British cinema history because that's when the first public film screening was held. This event took place at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London. Think about it - this was a time before television, before the internet, so the idea of seeing moving images projected onto a screen was absolutely revolutionary! It captured the public's imagination and paved the way for the booming film industry that would follow. While 1899, 1902, and 1904 might seem plausible as early dates, they are slightly too late; the initial spark of public cinema viewing had already been lit in 1896.