Medieval Timeline

William the Conqueror invades England

Sep 28, 1066

William argued that Edward had previously promised the throne to him, and that Harold had sworn to support William's claim. William built a large fleet and invaded England in September 1066, decisively defeating and killing Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066.

1150 paper is first mass-produced in Spain

Sep 28, 1150

Four hundred years went by before Europeans picked up paper making from the Arabs. The first Western paper-mill was built in Spain in 1150 A.D. by the Moors, the second was built in Italy in 1276.

Magna Carta

Sep 28, 1215

Magna Carta is a charter agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215.[b] First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons.

End of the Crusades

Sep 28, 1270

The last major crusade aimed at the Holy Land, and an failure that well symbolizes the end of the crusades. In the previous twenty years, the remaining crusader states had become increasingly powerless pawns while tides of Mongol and then Mameluke conquests swept across the area. After the crusade was over, the future Edward I of England arrived, and finding the crusade over, journeyed on himself to the Holy Land.

The Plague

Sep 28, 1348

The Black Death or Black Plague was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 million people and peaking in Europe in the years 1346–53. Analysis of DNA from victims in northern and southern Europe published in 2010 and 2011 indicates that the pathogen responsible was the Yersinia pestis bacterium, probably causing several forms of plague.

First appearance of Robin Hood in literature

Sep 28, 1378

Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw in English folklore who, according to legend, was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. Traditionally depicted as being dressed in Lincoln green, he is often portrayed as "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor" alongside his band of Merry Men. Robin Hood became a popular folk figure in the late-medieval period, and continues to be widely represented in literature, films and television.

1387 Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales

Sep 28, 1387

Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales start in Europe. is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century.

1455-1485-War of the Roses

Sep 28, 1455

The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (whose heraldic symbols were the "red" and the "white" rose, respectively) for the throne of England.

First printing of Le Morte d’Arthur

Sep 27, 1485

1485 first printing of Le Morte d’Arthur.is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table

1485 King Henry Tudor

Sep 28, 1485

nry VII, known before accession as Henry Tudor, was King of England after seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death, the first monarch of the House of Tudor.