-
500
Old English Begins
Hello = Wes hāl
\ Goodnight = Gōde nihte -
550
European Silk Industry
Around this time silk worms were brought in heavily to Europe from China. -
870
Norse in Iceland
In 870 Norse ships landed on the coast of Iceland and the country was relatively quickly colonized by the settlers. -
904
Gunpowder in Weaponry
References on certain pages were found dating the first use of Fire Arrows in warfare by China to 904. -
975
Beowulf's Writing
Beowulf is one of the earliest epic poems consisting of over 3000 lines of text. -
999
Discovery of North America
Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot on continental North America on which he established a Norse settlement. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
This was an invasion and occupation of England which caused two different speaking cultures to clash, this created a drastic language divide between upper and lower classes. -
1067
Middle English Begins
I swear! = So moot I gon / Shut up! = Stynt thy Clappe! -
1168
Oxford Founded
This university dates back teaching in the 12th century making it one of if not the oldest in the English speaking world. -
1215
Magna Carta
This was a document that a group of barons forced King John of England to sign which granted them trial by jury and prevented arbitrary acts from the king. -
1337
Hundred Year War
On this year the war began which started when Philip VI contested the European claim on Normandy. -
1387
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
The tales consist of over 24 stories written over 17,000 lines all in Middle English. -
1439
Invention of the Printing Press
It was originally invented in South Korea in 1439 but only a year later Johannes Gutenberg of England independently created a similar system which started a language revolution. -
1500
Modern English Begins
"I can no more" - (Hamlet V.ii.312) / "What makes he heere?" (Othello I.ii.59) -
1543
On the Revolution of Heavenly Bodies
This piece of literature published in 1543 by Nicolaus Copernicus in which he gives his theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun. -
Jamestown, Virginia
In 1607 Jamestown was established as the first permanent English colony on American mainland. -
Mayflower Expedition
After a 3 month voyage pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock and begin exploration and interacting with Native Americans. -
American Revolution
Members of the 13 colonies revolted against their British rulers and successfully gained independence with help from France. -
Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
His First Folio is also known as Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies is considered one of the most influential book published in English.
