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500 BCE
Celts Migrations
Celts inhabited much of Europe and started to colonize the British Isles. This group of people was tied by a similar language, religion, and cultural expression. Very few people could read or write in Britain. Instead, information was usually passed from person to person by word of mouth. -
1 BCE
Middle of the first millennium
Before the Anglo-Saxon invasion, the language or languages spoken by the native inhabitants of the British Isles belong the Celtic family introduced by the people who had come to the islands around the middle of the first millennium BC. -
5
Celts
Celts arrived to what is now, known as England, Celts inhabit much of Europe, and beginning to colonize the British Isles. -
43
Julius Caesar
Romans arrived in England first Roman raids on Britain under Julius Caesar. -
55
Roman Emperor Claudius
Roman occupation of Britain under Emperor Claudius (beginning of Roman rule of Britain) -
410
The Romans Leaves Britania
Roman Army leaves Britain to help defend their Empire in Europe. PS: When Rome left its province of Britannia, after nearly four centuries of imperial rule, the native population had little protection against intruders. Between the time of Rome's conquest (in 43 A.D.), and its departure (in 410), the empire's forces were responsible for maintaining law and order. Rome's legions left. Who would rule? Whose troops would defend the people and their land? -
420
Scots and Pits attack Britain
Scots and Pits attack Britain. Venerable Bede began the letter asking for help, written to the Roman consul by some of the Celtic people who had survived the ferocious invasion. Rome denied help. -
449
King Vortigern
King Vortigern call over for help to the Saxon nation, the nation of the angles or Saxons arrived in Britain, with three long ships. -
455
Hengist and Horsa
Hengist and Horsa fought against King Vortigern at a place which is called Agaelesprep (Aylesford), and his brother Horsa was slain. And after that Hengist succeeded to the kingdom and Aesc, his son. -
457
Hengist and Aesc, fought against the Britons
Hengist and Aesc, fought against the Britons at a place known as Crecganford (Crayford, Kent) four thousand Britons were slew the Britons fled to London in great terror. -
465
Hengist and Aesc fought against the Welsh
Hengist and Aesc fought against the Welsh near Wippedesfleot and there slew twelve Welsh nobles; and one of their thanes, whose name was Wipped, was slain there. -
473
Hengist and Horsa capture and kill Welsh
Hengist and Horsa capture and kill Welsh, and the Welsh abandon Britain. -
477
The Saxons
The Saxon establish in areas of southern and south-eastern Britain. -
485
Aelle
In this year Aelle fought against the Welsh near the bank of the stream Mearcraedesburna. -
488
Aesc
In this year Aesc succeeded to the kingdom and was king of the people of Kent twenty-four years. -
547
Jutish and saxons establish in Britain
Jutish Brothers Hengist and Horsa establish in the areas known as Kent.
The Angles establish in areas known as Northumbria -
550
End of the 5th Century
By the end of the 5th Century, the foundation was established for the Emergence of the English Language.
The Northumbrian monk, Bede or Beade, known in history as the Venerable Bede. Born at Monkton on Tyne was taken to the new monastery at Wearmouth, by then moving in 682 to the sister monastery at Jarrow, where he worked as a writer and teacher. Venerable Bede wrote in Latin “Historia Ecclesiastical Gentis Anglorum” translated to English as “Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation”. -
792
Vikings
Viking raids of Britain begin -
800
Beowulf
Old English epic poem “Beowulf” composed -
865
Danish Invasion
The Danes launch full-scale invasion and occupy Northumbria -
871
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great becomes king of Wessex, encourages English prose and translation of Latin works -
871
Chronicle
“The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” is begun -
878
Britain Gets Divided
Danelaw established, dividing Britain into Anglo-Saxon south and Danish north -
911
Charles II of France
Charles II of France grants Normandy to the Viking chief Hrolf the Ganger (the beginning of Norman French) -
1066
The Norman conquest
The Norman conquest under William the Conqueror -
1150
Middle English
The oldest surviving manuscripts in Middle English date from this period -
1362
English in the Parliament
English is used in the English Parliament for the first time -
1362
The Statute of Pleading
The Statute of Pleading replaces French with English as the language of law (although records continue to be kept in Latin) -
1370
William Langland
William Langland writes “Piers Plowman” William Langland is the presumed author of a work of Middle English alliterative verse generally known as Piers Plowman, an allegory with a complex variety of religious themes. The poem translated the language and concepts of the cloister into symbols and images that could be understood by a layman. -
1384
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe publishes his English translation of “The Bible” -
1385
English replaces Latin
English replaces Latin as main language in schools (except Universities of Oxford and Cambridge) -
1388
Chaucer
Chaucer begins “The Canterbury Tales” -
1399
Henry IV
Henry IV becomes first English-speaking monarch since before the Conquest -
1450
The Great Vowel
The Great Vowel Shift begins -
1500
Renaissance
Start of English Renaissance -
1526
William Tyndale
William Tyndale prints his English translation of the New Testament of “The Bible” -
1539
The Great Bible
“The Great Bible” published -
1549
The Book of Common Prayer
First version of “The Book of Common Prayer” published -
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare writes his first plays -
Robert Cawdrey
Robert Cawdrey publishes the first English dictionary, “A Table Alphabeticall” -
King James Version
The Authorized, or King James Version, of “The Bible” is published -
William Shakespeare Dies
Death of William Shakespeare -
The First English-language newspaper
Publication of the first English-language newspaper, the “Courante” or “Weekly News” -
Shakespeare’s Plays are Published
First Folio of Shakespeare’s works is published -
“The Daily Courant”, in London
Publication of the first daily English-language newspaper, “The Daily Courant”, in London -
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson publishes his “Dictionary of the English Language” -
William Wordsworth
Literary Voice - 1770-1850 -
Walter Scott
Literary Voice – 1771-1832 -
Speaker of the Celtic language dies
Last native speaker of the Celtic Cornish language dies -
“The Times” newspaper in London
First publication of “The Times” newspaper in London -
Noah Webster
Noah Webster publishes “The American Spelling Book” -
William Makepeace Thackeray
Literary Voice – 1811-1863 -
Noah Webster
Noah Webster publishes his “The American Dictionary of the English Language” -
Thomas Hardy
Literary Voice – 1840-1928 -
BBC
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) founded -
Oxford English Dictionary 1st Edition
First edition of the “Oxford English Dictionary” is published -
Oxford English Dictionary 2 Edition
It traces the usage of words through 2.4 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources. The quotations are drawn from a huge variety of sources worldwide - literary, scholarly, technical, and popular - and represent authors as disparate as Geoffrey Chaucer and Erica Jong, William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin, and Isabella Beeton.
