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Jun 15, 1215
The signing of the Magna Carta
The monarchy (King John) was forced by the Church and the nobles to reduce its power and guarantee rights to the nobility. The first time the idea of rule of law was proposed. -
1346
The Plague (Black Death)
Over a quarter of the English population died. The impact of this event on society was later seen in wage increases, but also in the end of serfdom. -
Period: 1455 to 1485
The wars of the roses
The Lancastrians (red rose) and the Yorkists (white rose) fought for power, resulting in the merging of the two houses into the House of Tudor due to the marriage union of Henry VII and Elizabeth. This marks the Renaissance of England. -
1527
The English Reformation (16th century)
King Henry VIII, frustrated by not having a male heir, divorced his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and married Anne Boleyn, which was not approved by the Church and led to the Crown and the Catholic Church parting ways. Finally leading to Elizabeth as the Queen of England. -
Jamestown
The first successful British colony in America marked the beginning of the British Empire's expansion. -
The Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon's defeat finally ended his quest for power over the European nations. -
Period: to
WWI and the Treaty of Versailles
The expansion continued due to the Treaty of Versailles because they received even more territory after the WWI. -
Period: to
WWII
It marks the end of the British Empire due to the anti-colonial sentiment that emerged after the war. It also left Britain practically bankrupt. -
The invention of the World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee invented the WWW, as a system to manage infomration, which has been revolutionary to this day. -
Brexit
In an effort to reclaim sovereignty and reinforced by anti-immigrant sentiment, the UK made the decision to leave the EU, which has impacted the British economy and society gravely.