Medieval Timeline

William the Conqueror invades England

Sep 28, 1066

William set sail with his army on 27 September, landing at Pevensey on the English south coast on 28 September, by December 25 1066 William was crowned king of England, becoming the first Norman king of England. William, who had a claim to the English throne because he was related to Edward the Confessor decided to challenge Harold Godwinson, Edward’s brother-in-law, who had taken the throne after Edward’s death.

Paper is Mass-produced in Spain

Sep 28, 1150

Both Span and Italy claim to have brought paper to Europe, Muslims conquering Spain brought papermaking to Europe.

Magna Carta

Sep 28, 1215

Magna Carta Libertatum, commonly called Magna Carta, is a charter agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. 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.

End of the crusades

Sep 28, 1270

Through the end of the 13th century, groups of Crusaders sought to gain ground in the Holy Land through short-lived raids that proved little more than an annoyance to Muslim rulers in the region. The Seventh Crusade (1239-41), led by Thibault IV of Champagne, briefly recaptured Jerusalem, though it was lost again in 1244 to Khwarazmian forces enlisted by the sultan of Egypt.

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.

Robin Hood in literature

Sep 28, 1378

Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw who helped the poor by stealing from the rich. He was a archer and also carried a sword, and dressed in a green outfit. He has been in stories such as Piers Plowman, Robin Hood and the Monk, and many more.

Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales

Sep 28, 1387

Chaucer contributed to English literature by writing The Canterbury Tales in English. The stories were so popular that others started writing in English as well. Canterbury Tales was over 17,000 lines long and consisted of 24 tales from pilgrims on a journey to the shrine of St. Thomas of Becket.

War of the Roses

Sep 7, 1455

The Wars of the Roses were a series of battles fought in medieval England from 1455 to 1485 between the House of Lancaster and the House of York a battle for the throne.

First printing of Le Morte d'Arthur

Sep 28, 1485

Le Morte d'Arthur (originally spelled Le Morte Darthur, Middle French for “the death of Arthur”. It is a reworking of traditional tales by Sir Thomas Malory about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. Malory interprets existing French and English stories about these figures and adds original material

First Tudor king, Henry VII, is crowned

Sep 28, 1485

nry won the throne when his forces defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Roses. Henry was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle. He cemented his claim by marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and niece of Richard III. Henry was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the civil war