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Period: 400 to 1066
Old English
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500
The Settlement in Britain of Jutes, Saxons, and Angles
These people split apart and settled in different parts of the country. The Jutes settled in Kent and the Isle of Wight, the Angles in East Anglia, and the Saxons in southern England. -
597
Arrival of St. Augustine
St Augustine was a Christian from Rome, and in 597 he traveled to Europe on what was known as the Gregorian Mission. By the 7th century Europe was what he called Christianized. -
700
Suspected Date of Beowulf's Writing
Many believe that this event happened in the 700's, but definitely not after 1000 AD. This is because this piece was already around by then -
865
The Viking Invasions
In the 9th century, Vikings started mass invasion known as the Great Heathen Army. Europe was not the only place they raided. They even went as far as Canada and Northern Africa. -
Period: 1065 to 1450
Middle English
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1066
The Norman Invasion
This invasion was the military operation of England by Willian Duke of Normandy. It all started because Edward the Confessor pledged his throne to other people instead of William. -
1171
King Henry II
At around this time Henry II declared himself the overlord/master/king of Ireland. This was about the same time that one of the most famous universities was founded, the University of Oxford. -
1209
Universities are being Founded
Oxford was formed long before anyone realizes. Yet, the same scholars that formed that prestigious university formed the University of Cambridge. -
1362
Statue of Pleading
This was an act of the Parliament in England that made the language of the law English. It is also known as the Pleading in English Act of 1362. -
Jan 14, 1400
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
These stories are Middle English Tales. There are 24 stories in total. -
1440
Invention of the Printing Press
First discovered in Germany, a gold smith a typing press, which in turn started the Printing Revolution. -
1492
The Discovery of the Americas
Although there are several people who the discovery of the Americas can be attributed to, Christopher Columbus led Spanish explorers to Central and Southern American. -
Period: 1500 to
Modern English
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Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies is a collection of plays that are referred to as his first folio. -
The American Revolution
This war is known for its rebellion. It was the political movement where the original thirteen colonies fought in a war for their independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
While this was a great year for Americans it was also a sad one. Americans went into war for their independence against Britain. America was one of the very first countries to have English as the principal language for the country. -
Telegraph Invention
Samuel Morse invented the telegraph. This invention made fast communication all possible. This is one of the major causes and influencers of the growth of English across the world and the country. -
Telephone Invention
Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone. It made private communications so much easier than before. Making rapid improvements on English growth, the telephone made a call a few easy clicks away, no matter how far the distance. -
World War 2
WW2 is known as the biggest and most deadly war in all of global history. In 1939, when the Nazis invaded Poland, the war started there and went on for six brutal and miserable years. It was the Allies and the Axis powers fighting against each other.