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Period: 450 to Jan 22, 1150
Old English
This was the earlist time period for the english Language
Old English here is a sample from that period from http://fajardo-acosta.com/worldlit/language/english-samples.htm Her for se here of East Englum ofer Humbremuþan to Eoforwicceastre on Norþhymbre, ond þær wæs micel ungeþuærnes þære þeode betweox him selfum, ond hie hæfdun hiera cyning aworpenne Osbryht, ond ungecyndne cyning underfengon Ællan (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 867 A.D.) -
Jan 22, 1000
Suspected date of Beowulf
THis is one of the earliest peices of english writing we have. It is thought to be written between the 700's and the early 1000's .It is about a man Beowulf who helps the King of the Danes and thus begins an adventure. -
Jan 22, 1008
World's First Novel Written
The Tale of Genji was written in this year by Murasaki Shikibu. Shikikibu was a japanese Lady in Waiting. This book was not pubished for a very long time. It is considered the first novel. -
Jan 22, 1009
Holy sepulchre in Jerusalem Destryoed.
Muslims destryoed the holy sepulchre. This building was torn down to its bedrock. Real restoration didn't happen for decades. -
Jan 22, 1066
The Norman invasion
This was an occupation led by the normans and french into England. It brought about many changes in the way the people there lived; like the way they spoke. -
Jan 22, 1150
Angkor Wat is Completed
The temple Angkor Wat in Southeaast Asia, Cambodia, is Completed. -
Period: Jan 22, 1150 to Jan 22, 1470
Middle English
This time was when the English language was radically changing and taking a more solid form, this was mainly due to the printing press. Here is a sample from Chaucer copied from this website http://fajardo-acosta.com/worldlit/language/english-samples.htm Middle English Whan that aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour -
Jan 22, 1169
Aristotle's work starts being translated
Ibn Rushd, a famous Philosopher, first started to translate the works of Aristotle at thsi time. -
Jun 15, 1215
King John forced to sign Magna Carta
Barons of the time forced King johnof England to signn the Magna Carta ( or Great Charter) limiting his Royal Power. -
Jan 22, 1347
The bubonic plague starts.
The black death in Europe lasted around five years and in that time killed over 25 million people. -
Jan 22, 1420
Construction begins on the Duomo in Florence.
The Duomo in Florence is starting to take shape thanks to Brunelleschi. -
Jan 22, 1440
Invention of the printing press
This was done by Johannes Gutenberg. He was a German in the Holy Roman Empire. This invention is though to be the most influential of the time. -
Period: Jan 22, 1470 to
Modern English
This time is where we see the english language as we know it today!
Here is an early example from shakespeare's Hamlet t To be, or not to be, that is the Question:
Whether 'tis Nobler in the minde to suffer
The Slings and Arrowes of outragious Fortune,
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to dye, to sleepe
No more; and by a sleepe, to say we end
The Heart-ake, and the thousand Naturall shockes
That Flesh is heyre too? -
Oct 12, 1492
The discovery of the Americas
Even though people had been to and known about the America's before Christopher Columbus , he was the first person to bring it to the Europeans at the time. -
Shakespeares First Folio
This was a published folio of 36 of Shakespeares great Plays. -
American Revolution
This was the war fought to declare and obtain American soverenty. -
William Blake Dies
William Blake famous poet died on Aug 12 1827. He wrote many famous poems like: The Tyger. -
The first Oxford English Dictionary
The first Oxford English Dictionary was published. At first this was done in leaflet form! Also they published in 1884 but started working on it almost 35 years early. -
Man walks on the moon
The first words spoken on a foreign body in space were in English. In 1969 the USA landed Apollo 11 on the moon and Neil Armstrong took the first steps and said "That's one small step for [ man, one giant leap for mankind"
