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2000 BCE
Iberians settling
Around 2000 B.C., the Iberians, a pre-Celtic people, had established settlements in Great Britain, believed to have originated from Spain. They were skilled artisans and farmers who lived in wooden huts and had dark hair and strong physiques. One of their remarkable achievements was the construction of Stonehenge, a collection of massive blue stone slabs arranged in concentric circles located in the southern part of England on Salisbury plain. -
700 BCE
Celtic invasion
Around 700 B.C., the Celts migrated from Germany and settled in Great Britain, with the Gaels in the North and the Brythons in the South-West and West. Their language, which included Gaelic and Welsh, shaped the region's culture. The Celts were organized into tribes, worshipped nature, and had Druid priests who used forest groves as their temples. They believed in the transmigration of souls and immortality and occasionally performed human sacrifices. -
55 BCE
Julius Caesar in Britain
In 55 B.C., Julius Caesar invaded Britain, but his small army didn’t manage to settle in Britain. He returned the next year in 54 B.C. in order to obtain tributes and slaves to reinforce his position in Rome. -
43
Emperor Claudious in Britain
Under Emperor Claudius, the Romans conquered Britain in 43 A.D, defeating Wales but failing to conquer Scotland. -
121
Emperor Hadrian in Britain
Emperor Hadrian built a wall in 121 A.D extending from Solway to the mouth of the Tyne to defend Roman Britain for the foreign inhabitants. -
Period: 410 to 1066
The Anglo-Saxon age
From 410 to 1066 Germans, Danishes and Dutch tribes invaded Britain. They were the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, determining the Anglo-Saxon age. Their settlement became known as 'Angle-land' or England. The Saxons were of German-Dutch origin, while the Angles and Jutes were of Danish origin. Important Anglo-Saxon kings included Alfred the Great, Edward the Confessor, and Harold. -
900
The Viking invasion
Britain was attacked by the Danes, known as Vikings, led by Canute the Great, in the late 10th century. King Alfred won a battle against them but couldn't get rid of them. After years of fighting, they made a peace agreement. The Anglo-Saxon lands were to the west, and the Viking lands, known as the Danelaw, were to the east. -
1066
The Norman Conquest of England
In 1066, William, duke of Normandy, claimed the English throne after a promise made by the late king. He defeated Harold of Wessex near Hastings and became king. The Normans introduced the feudal system and the Domesday Book. William's wife made the Bayeux Tapestry to tell the story of his success. -
Period: 1154 to 1485
The Plantagenets in Britain
The Plantagenet family ruled England and half of France from 1154 to 1485. Key members included Henry II, who murdered Thomas à Becket, his son Richard the Lionheart, who led the Third Crusade, and King John, who signed the Magna Charta. Edward I conquered Wales but failed to subdue Scotland. -
Period: 1455 to 1485
War of the Roses 1455 – 1485.
The War of the Roses was a thirty-year conflict between the House of York and the House of Lancaster for the English throne. Each house was symbolized by a rose - white for York and red for Lancaster. The war ended when Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Henry Tudor became King Henry VII of England and Wales. -
Period: 1485 to
The Tudor Monarchy
The Tudors ruled England from 1485 to 1603, ending the medieval system and ushering in the modern age. Henry VIII's desire for a son led to the creation of the Church of England after the Pope refused to grant him a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. He went on to marry five more times, with only his son Edward succeeding him. Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, was one of the most famous and successful rulers in English history. -
After Edward's death
After Edward's death, Mary I became Queen and attempted to restore Catholicism, executing many who refused. Elizabeth I succeeded Mary and reinstated Protestantism, establishing the Church of England. In an attempt to invade England, Philip II of Spain sent a fleet of ships known as the Spanish Armada, which was ultimately defeated. -
James I
James I became King of England in 1603 after the death of his cousin, Mary Stuart. He enforced Protestantism and attempted to convert Catholics. The Gunpowder Plot, a plan by Catholics to blow up the Houses of Parliament while James was present, was foiled on November 5, 1605. Guy Fawkes, a member of the group, was captured and executed. Annually on this date, people celebrate the plot's failure by burning a straw effigy, known as a Guy, and displaying fireworks. -
The Georgian era
Queen Anne had 17 children who all died young. George of the House of Hanover became her successor, initiating the Georgian era from 1714 to 1830. The Parliament gained power, the Prime Minister's role was established, and two main political parties emerged: the Tories and the Whigs. The Georgian period coincided with industrialization, colonization, and the establishment of 13 colonies in America. -
Queen Victoria
At 18, Victoria became Queen in 1837 and married Albert, a German prince, three years later. He introduced the German Christmas tree custom. Albert was a skilled administrator and organized the 1851 Great Exhibition, showcasing science and industry in a vast glass house, the Crystal Palace, attracting millions of visitors. Scientific advances and the growth of the British Empire marked the Victorian era. -
The House of Windsor
The House of Windsor produced four British monarchs, including George V (1910-1936), Edward VIII (1936), who abdicated to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, and George VI (1936-1952), succeeded by the current queen, Elizabeth II (1926-2022). After 70 years on the throne as Britain's longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8, 2022. Her eldest son, Prince Charles, immediately became the new king.