-
55 BCE
Julius Caesar conquers the Celts
About 50 years before the birth of Christ, 55 B.C., and Britain became the westernmost province of the Roman Empire, Julius Caesar defeated the Celts. -
871
Alfred the Great
In 871 Alfred took the throne in Wessex at the age of 24. He was loved by his people for his wisdom and proficiency as a hunter. By 878 he had complete victory over the Viking invaders. Alfred's accomplishments earned him the title, 'Alfred the Great'. As the first great king of England, he obliged all able-bodied men to serve in the army. he promoted learning and made Englishmen aware of their common history through the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. -
1016
Canute the Dane
In 1016, Canute the Dane became king of England. He ruled England, Denmark, and Norway as a great empire. This Danish king grow surprisingly popular with most Englishmen. -
1066
Battle of Hastings
William, duke of Normandy, sailed to England with an army of 10,000 or more men and met Harold, king of England, at the Battle at Hastings. There, William defeated Harold's infantry. -
1086
Domesday Book
King William truly acted as if everything in England belonged to him. He ordered his men to take a census. The results were entered into the Domesday Book. It was completed in 1086 -
Period: 1337 to 1453
Hundred's Year War
English kings longed for the land in France that King John had lost, while French kings determined to keep what they had taken and take more of the French lands claimed by English kings. A dispute over the French throne provided an excuse for war, thus the Hundred's Year War began. It lasted from 1337-1453 with few interruptions. -
Period: 1455 to 1485
War of the Roses
The Yorks and the Lancasters fought each other for power in England. They later began what is known as the War of the Roses. Named because the Yorks used a white rose as their emblem and Lancasters used a red rose for theirs. The War of the Roses ended in 1485 with the Battle of Bosworth Field, when Henry Tudor (Lancaster) defeated Richard III (York) and became Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England. -
Period: 1485 to 1509
Henry VII
Henry VII was the first Tudor king of England. He reigned from 1485 to 1509. During his reign, great geographical discoveries were made, such as: Columbus discovered America in 1492, Vasco da Game found a sea route to the East Indies in 1497, and in the same year John Cabot claimed territory in North America for England. -
Period: 1509 to 1547
Henry VIII
Henry VIII reigned from 1509-1547. He took the throne when he was only eighteen. Eight years after Henry's ascent to the throne, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five theses to the four of the Wittenberg Church. Henry, being a devout member of the Roman church, attacked Luther's doctrines in 1520 by writing a book called Defense of other Seven Sacraments. Pope Leo X rewarded him with the title "Defender of the Faith". -
1531
Convocation
In 1531, Henry forced the English clergy assembled in the Convocation to recognize him as "the single protector, the only supreme lord, and as far as permitted by the use of Christ even supreme head" of the English church. -
1542
Edward VI
Making the future Edward VI of England also the future king of Scotland. -
1542
Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Stuart was only a week old when her father's death made her queen of Scotland in 1542. She was destined to be Queen of the Scots. -
1553
Mary I
Upon the death of Edward VI in 1552, Mary, the first daughter of Henry VIII, became queen of England. Catholic like her mother, Mary firmly resolved to return to the Roman Church. About 300 people died when they refused to switch their religion. Mary I reigned from 1553-1558. -
1558
Elizabeth I
When Bloody Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth, another one of Henry VIII's daughters, became queen of England at age 25. She acquired the name the The Virgin Queen. She won the acclaim of her country and earned the name Good Queen Bess. -
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
By May 1588, Philip had prepared a fleet, called the Spanish Armada. It consisted of 130 ships, 2,500 guns, and more than 30,000 men. After 10 days of fighting, the English completely defeated the Armada and destroyed many of the Spanish ships. -
James I
James I reigned from 1603-1625. When Elizabeth I, the last of the Tudors, died in 1603 without an heir; it was decided that King James VI of Scotland, the only son of Mary Queen of Scots, would unite the crowns of Scotland and England as James I. -
Charles I
Charles I reigned from 1625-1649. He inherited from his father a contempt for Parliament and a stubborn belief in divine right of kings. -
The English Civil War
Conflict between king and Parliament continued to grow, each side prepared for a civil war. Those against the king were called Roundheads and those in favor of the king were called Cavaliers. The war officially began on August 22, 1642, when the king raised his banner in the town of Nottingham. -
Return of the Monarchy
By 1662, the monarchy was fully restored. -
The Plague
Beginning in the East and spreading rapidly over the continent of Europe, the Plague left in its wake the burden of grief and the stench of infection and death. In London 1665, it killed over half the population. Trade ceased and travel declined so much that grass grew in the streets. About 100,000 people perished in London alone. In winter the Plague finally subsided. -
The Great Fire of London
The Plague had hardly ceased when in, 1666, a great fire broke out in London. For 3 days the fire raged uncontrollably. Thousands of people were driven in the open fields barely escaping with their lives. Despite the efforts of King Charles II, London was reduced to ruins. -
Glorious Revolution of 1688
William III and his wife Mary II became King and Queen of England and ruled, as all English monarchs after them, under the strict limitations of the English Bill of Rights. The Glorious Revolution of 1688, also known as the Bloodless Revolution, established once and for all in England the principle of government by consent.
