History of English Language

By TheDrT
  • Period: 450 to Jan 1, 1100

    Old English

  • Period: 450 to

    Earliest Old English inscriptions

  • Period: Jan 1, 700 to Jan 1, 1010

    Beowulf written

    Old English epic poem of 3182 alliterative long lines; written by an unknown, anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet
  • Oct 14, 1066

    Battle of Hastings

    Battle of Hastings
    Culminates the Norman invasion of England by William the Conquerer (who defeats Harold to become William I); depicted visually in the Bayeux Tapestry
  • Period: Jan 2, 1100 to Jan 1, 1500

    Middle English

  • Jun 15, 1215

    Magna Carta

    Magna Carta
    Latin for "The Great Charter"; also called "Magna Carta Libertatum" (Latin for "The Great Charter of the Liberties").
  • Jan 1, 1348

    English in Schools

    English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most schools.
  • Jan 1, 1362

    Statute of Pleading

    Statute of Pleading
    English replaces French as the language of the law; English is used in the Parliament for the first time.
  • Jan 1, 1375

    Gawain & the Green Knight

    Gawain & the Green Knight
    Approximate date of writing - Late 14th Century
  • Jan 1, 1400

    The Great Vowel Shift begins

  • Jan 1, 1475

    Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"

    Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"
    Collection of over 20 stories written in Middle English
  • Jan 1, 1476

    First English Printing Press

    First English Printing Press
    William Caxton established the first English printing press
  • Period: Jan 2, 1500 to

    Early Modern English

  • Table Alphabeticall published

    Table Alphabeticall published
    The First English Dictionary?

  • King James Bible

    King James Bible
    English Translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England
  • Period: to

    Age of Enlightenment

  • Shakespeare's First Folio published

    Shakespeare's First Folio published
    Titled: "Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies" (commonly referred to as "The First Folio"); Contained 36 plays; prepared by Shakespeare's colleagues John Heminges & Henry Condell

  • First English-language Newspaper

    "The Daily Courant" - first English-language newspaper - is published in London.

  • Samuel Johnson's "Dictionary of the English Language"

    Samuel Johnson's "Dictionary of the English Language"
    British Library - 1755 - Johnson's Dictionary Took 8 years to complete; Listed 40,000 words; Features over 114,000 quotations
  • Period: to

    Industrial Revolution

  • Period: to

    Late Modern English

  • Oxford English Dictionary Published

    Oxford English Dictionary Published
  • Period: to

    King Alfred

    Writes and communicates in early form of English instead of Latin.