-
2000 BCE
Iberians
The Iberians, which were pre-Celtic people, had already settled in Great Britain. They probably came from Spain, and they lived during the Bronze age and the Iron age. They lived in wooden huts and were artisans, and they were also farmers. They built Stonehenge in the south of England, on Salisbury plain, a group of huge blue stone slabs placed in concentric circles. -
Period: 2000 BCE to 700 BCE
2000 B.C
Iberians settle in Great Britain -
700 BCE
Celts
Around 700 B.C. the blond-haired Celts began to arrive from Northern Europe (Germany). The Gaelic of the Highlands of Scotland and the Welsh [gallese o cimbrico] of Wales comes from their language. They were organized into tribes. They worshipped the natural elements and the Druids were their priests; their temples were groves in the forest. At times, they performed human sacrifices. They believed in the immortality and in the transmigration of the soul from one person to another. -
Period: 700 BCE to 55 BCE
700 B.C
Celts -
55 BCE
Romans
Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C., but this first expedition was not successful as his army was too small. Then he returned next year in 54 B.C. The country was actually conquered by the romans in 43 A.D., under Emperor Claudius. In 121 A.D., the Emperor Hadrian built a wall from Solway to the mouth of the tyne to defend Roman Britain. -
Period: 55 BCE to 410
55 B.C.
Romans -
410
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxon age lasted from around 410 A.D. to 1066. They were a mix of tribes from Germany, Denmark and the
Netherlands. The three biggest tribes were the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. The land they settled in was 'Angle-land', or England. -
Period: 410 to 1066
410 A.D.
Anglo-Saxon age -
1000
Vikings
At the end of the year one thousand a new wave of Vikings (Danes) attacked Britain under the leadership of Canute the Great. King Alfred beat the Viking army in battle but wasn't able to drive the Vikings out of Britain. After years of fighting the Vikings and Alfred made a peace settlement. -
Period: 1000 to 1066
1000
Vikings -
1066
Normans
After the death of Edward the Confessor, William, duke of
Normandy claimed the throne of England on the basis of a promise made by the late. On October 14 1066 William attacked and defeated Harold of Wessex (the last of the Anglo-Saxon Kings) during what's known as the Battle of Hastings. -
Period: 1066 to 1154
1066
Normans -
1154
Plantagenets
The Plantagenets were a huge powerful family not just in
England but throughout Europe and ruled England and half of France from 1154 to 1485. The dynasty produced such varied characters as the energetic Henry II (Thomas A. Becket’s murder) his legendary son, Richard the
Lionheart, who led the Third Crusade against Saladin
into the Holy Land. -
Period: 1154 to 1485
1154
Plantagenets -
1455
War of the Roses
For thirty years, a bitter struggle for the English throne was waged between two branches on the same family, the House of York and the House of Lancaster, both descended from Edward III. Each house was represented by a rose. The House of York used a white rose. The House of Lancaster used a red rose. The War of the Roses ended when Henry Tudor (Henry VII of England and Wales), a Lancastrian, defeated King Richard III, a Yorkist at the battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485. -
Period: 1455 to 1485
1455
War of the Roses -
1485
Tudors
The Tudor ruled England from 1485 to 1603. They
marked the end of the medieval system and the rise of
the modern age. The two most famous Tudor monarch
were Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Edward, his only living
son, became King after Henry died. When Edward died, Mary I became Queen and tried to convert the country back to the Catholic Church, killing many people who refused. She was married to the Spanish King
Philip the Second. After Mary died, Elizabeth I became Queen of England. -
Period: 1485 to
1485
Tudors -
Stuarts
When Elizabeth I died, James I became King of
England. He was the son of Elizabeth's cousin, Mary
Stuart. This started the Stuart dynasty. He tried to force
Catholics to go to Protestant churches. A group of
Catholics planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament
when James was there (on 5th November 1605): this was
known as the Gunpowder Plot. But the plan was
discovered and one of the group called Guy Fawkes was
caught and burnt alive. -
Period: to
1603
Stuarts -
Georgian Era
For over 100 years (from 1714 until 1830) all of the kings
were called George: George I, George II, George
III and George IV. This is known as the Georgian
period. During this time the Parliament in
Westminster became increasingly powerful. The
role of Prime Minister was established. The first
and longest serving Prime Minister was Walpole.
The two main political parties during the Georgian
period were the Tories and the Whigs. It was the time of the industrial revolution and colonization. -
Period: to
1714
Georgian Era -
Victorian Period
Victoria became Queen in 1837 when she was 18 years old, and married a German prince called Albert three years later. Albert introduced into Britain the German custom of putting up and decorating Christmas trees. He was a great administrator and organized the Great Exhibition in 1851, a festival of science and industry in Hyde Park which attracted millions of visitors. There were many advances in science during the Victorian period. The British empire grew. -
Period: to
1837
Victorian Period -
Windsor
The House of Windsor has produced four British
sovereigns, George V (1910-1936), his son Edward
VIII (1936), and then George VI (1936-52). After George VI died, the role of monarch was passed on to Queen Elizabeth II. After a historic 70 years on the throne as
Britain's longest-serving monarch, she died at the age of 96, at her home at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, on Sept. 8, 2022. Immediately upon her passing, her eldest son, Prince Charles, became the new king. -
Period: to
1910
Windsors