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Period: Jan 1, 700 to Dec 31, 1250
Early Middle Ages
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Nov 1, 751
Pippen III becomes King of the Franks
Pippen III became the first King of the Carolingian dynasty. He became King of the Franks in 751 by forcing the old king off throne. Pippen III won many battles and captured new lands for the Franks. -
Jan 28, 1001
Lief Ericson discovers North America
Lief Ericson becomes the first European to discover North America. He found land and named it Greenland (even though it wasn't green) to attract more Europeans. -
Oct 14, 1066
The Battle of Hastings (William the Conquerer)
William the Conquerer defeated the combined English forces and declared all of the land of England his own personal property, making himself king. Therefore, he was the King of England and the Duke of Normandy. -
Dec 1, 1085
The Domesday Book
The Domesday Book was written by William the Conqueror and government officials. It was a record book and it was the first census of England. It recorded anything that someone could be taxed on and it was used so that the lords from each area could enact appropriate taxes. -
Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta is Signed
The Magna Carta was signed, stating that the king cannot impose ridiculous taxes and cannot abuse the rights of the lords. It was created to help balance power and slightly restrict the king. -
Charlemagne takes throne
When Pippen III died in 768, he passed the Kingdom on to Charlemagne. Charlemagne eventually became the King of the Lombards and the Emperor of Rome. -
Charlemagne's Death
When Charlemagne died, the Empire fell apart. He didn't build a strong enough government to last without him, but his grandsons still fought for the throne. -
Division of the Empire
Three of Charlemagne's grandsons agreed to divide the empire into three parts --- a western, a middle, and an eastern kingdom. The empire was crumbling and invaders began to attack. -
Vikings Settle in Iceland
Culture and society in Iceland lasted centuries longer than anywhere else in the world, including Scandonavia. It was here that the Vikings created a functional government (Counsil of the Althing). -
Otto the Great Succeeds his Father
Otto the Great took care of things in Italy for the Pope. In return he is named Emporer of Rome in 962, and over time the territories he controlled became known as the Holy Roman Empire. It was called the Holy Roman Empire because it had the Pope's and the Church's support.
