London, June 24 (RHC)-- Britain has shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union, becoming the first major country to leave the regional bloc.  The Guardian called the decision a "turning point in British history to rank alongside the two world wars of the 20th century."

Other voices were raised in reaction to the surprising outcome of the vote.  European Council President Donald Tusk warned that Britain leaving the European Union could seriously threaten "Western political civilization."

On Friday morning, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation after leading the campaign to keep Britain in the European Union.  He told reporters in front of Number 10, Downing Street that he will step down in October. 

The majority of Britons voted to leave the 28-member bloc after 43 years of membership.  Some 51.90 percent of British voters opted to leave the EU, while roughly 48.10 percent of people voted to stay in the union.  Translated into numbers, about 17.4 million Britons said the country should leave the bloc, and just over 16.14 million favored remaining in the EU.

The vote results sent the British pound into a tailspin on Friday, as the UK’s national money sank to its lowest in more than three decades.  UK stock futures also point to a sharp fall at the market opening.  The British stock market plunged 7.7% while German index fell 10% after the UK vote.  In Asia, Tokyo stocks dived more than 8% on the Brexit shock as the Hong Kong index plunged over 5% on the news.