English Timeline

  • William the Conqueror invades England
    Jul 1, 1066

    William the Conqueror invades England

    Claiming his right to the English throne, William, duke of Normandy, invades England at Pevensey on Britain's southeast coast. William became duke of Normandy at age seven. Rebellions were epidemic during the early years of his reign, and on several occasions the young duke narrowly escaped death
  • Magna Carta
    Jan 1, 1215

    Magna Carta

    Magna Carta, also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, is an English charter, originally issued in Latin, translated into vernacular-French. Magna Carta was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges.
  • End of crusades
    Jan 1, 1270

    End of crusades

    With Louis' death, the Crusades died out with a whimper and not a bang. Continued military failure was a principal reason for their end. Foremost among the effects of the Crusades was the final fatal weakening of the Byzantine Empire.
  • The Plague
    Jan 1, 1348

    The Plague

    The Black Death is the name given to a disease called the bubonic plague which was rampant during the Fourteenth Century. In fact, the bubonic plague affected England more than once in that century but its impact on English society from 1348 to 1350 was terrible. No amount of medical knowledge could help England when the bubonic plague struck. It was also to have a major impact on England’s social structure which lead to the Peasants Revolt of 1381.
  • First appearance of Robin Hood in literature
    Jan 1, 1378

    First appearance of Robin Hood in literature

    Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in folklore.A highly skilled archer and swordsmen. He is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor",
  • 1150 paper is first mass- produced in Spain
    Jan 1, 1378

    1150 paper is first mass- produced in Spain

    Paper was invented by the Chinese during the Han Dynasty and spread slowly to the west via Samarkand and Baghdad.
  • Chaucer writes the Canterbury Tales
    Jan 1, 1387

    Chaucer writes the Canterbury Tales

    The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century.
  • War of the Roses
    Jan 1, 1455

    War of the Roses

    The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet. They were fought in several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1485, although there was related fighting both before and after this period.
  • First printing of Le Morte d'Arthur
    Jan 1, 1485

    First printing of Le Morte d'Arthur

    First published in 1485 by William Caxton, Le Morte d'Arthur is perhaps the best-known work of English-language Arthurian literature today.
  • First Tudor king, Henry VII, is crowned.
    Jan 1, 1485

    First Tudor king, Henry VII, is crowned.

    Being the first Tudor King of England, establishing the Tudor Dynasty. His victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field overthrew Richard III and effectively put an end to the Wars of the Roses. Henry is also known for his extreme frugality and his ability as an administrator.