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476
The Fall of Roman Empire
The fall of Rome marks the beginning of the Middle Ages. In 476 AD emperor, Romulus Augustulus, is desposed by the barbarian general Odoacer. This event marks the end of one period, and the beginning of the other. -
542
The Bubonic Plague
The bubonic plague mainly came from rodents, but fleas from the ridents can transmit the disease to people. Once people are infected, they infect others very rapidly. Plague causes fever and a painful swelling of the lymph glands called buboes, which is how it gets its name. The disease also causes spots on the skin that are red at first and then turn black. -
552
Byzantines completely conquer Italy
The Normans had come from the Duchy of Normandy in West Francia, which in 911 had been granted to the Viking Rollo in the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte by the French king Charles the Simple. The Normans and their new land took the name of these "Northmen". During the time that the Normans had conquered southern Italy, the Byzantine Empire was in a state of internal decay; the administration of the Empire had been wrecked, the efficient government institutions that provided Basil II with a quart -
Jun 8, 632
The death of Prophet Muhammad
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, died in Medina on June 8th 632 AD from a high-fever. Muhammad fell ill, suffering from head pains and a high fever and eventually succumbed to this illness, dying in his wife, Aisha’s, arms. He instructed his wife to donate his last Earthly goods, a mere seven coins, to the poor. -
May 15, 711
Muslims Invade Spain
Muslim forces invaded and in seven years conquered the Iberian peninsula. It became one of the great Muslim civilisations; reaching its summit with the Umayyad caliphate of Cordovain the tenth century. Muslim rule declined after that and ended in 1492 when Granada was conquered. -
Oct 10, 732
Franks Defeat Muslims (Battle Of Tours)
During the battle, the Franks defeated the Islamic army and Emir Abd er Rahman was killed. This battle stopped the northward advance of Islam from the Iberian peninsula, and is considered by most historians to be of macrohistorical importance. Christianity was preserved as the controlling faith in Europe, during a period in which Islam was overrunning the remains of the old Roman and Persian Empires. -
Jun 16, 1013
England receives Danish King in the form of Canute the Great
Swein and Canute had invaded England in 1013 taking control of Northumbria and the North before moving south to take control of the whole country. Aethelred, the king of England, had to flee in exile to Normandy with his wife Emma and two sons Alfred and Edward the Confessor). Swein was declared king of England in early 1014 but died in February. -
Dec 19, 1077
Construction of Tower of London commences
The History of the site of Tower of London covers hundreds of years and many different reigns. This comprehensive Tower of London Timeline has been developed to show the major events which occurred during the various rule of each of the Kings and Queens of England. The Tower of London Timeline is simple to follow and the dates of each of the reigns and the names of the relevant Kings and Queens are highlighted for ease of reference. -
Dec 19, 1100
Medieval Warm Period
Despite substantial uncertainties, especially for the period prior to 1600 for which data are scarce, the warmest period of the last 2,000 years prior to the 20th century very likely occurred between 950 and 1100, but temperatures were probably between 0.1 °C and 0.2 °C below the 1961 to 1990 mean and significantly below the level shown by instrumental data after 1980. Proxy records from different regions show peak warmth at different times during the Medieval Warm Period, indicating the heterog -
Dec 19, 1135
England is submerged in The Anarchy
When King Henry I died in 1135, Stephen - grandson of William the Conqueror - grabbed the throne from Henry's daughter Matilda leading to an extended period of civil war, chaos and anarchy in England. As a consequence of this struggle for power, a period of lawlessness descended upon the countryside, endangering the safety of peasant and noble alike. This lasted almost twenty years ending only with the death of Stephen and the rise of Henry II to the throne. -
Dec 19, 1272
The period of Ninth Crusade
It was decided that Edward along with Louis' brother Charles of Anjou would take their forces onward to Acre, capital of the remnant of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the final objective of Baibars' campaign. The army of Edward and Charles arrived in 1271, just as Baibars was besieging Tripoli, which as the last remaining territory of the County of Tripoli was full of tens of thousands of Christian refugees. From their bases in Cyprus and Acre, Edward and Charles managed to attack Baibars' interio -
Dec 19, 1412
The Hundred Years War
The war, fought entirely on French soil, raged off and on for more than 100 years. English victories were followed by French victories, then a period of stalemate would ensue, until the conflicts again rose to the surface. During periods of truce, English and French soldiers -- most of whom were mercenaries would roam the French countryside killing and stealing. After the battle of Agincourt in 1415, won by the English under Henry V, the English controlled most of northern France. It appeared -
Dec 19, 1429
Period of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc, a peasant girl living in medieval France, believed that God had chosen her to lead France to victory in its long-running war with England. With no military training, Joan convinced the embattled crown prince Charles of Valois to allow her to lead a French army to the besieged city of Orléans, where it achieved a momentous victory over the English and their French allies, the Burgundians. After seeing the prince crowned King Charles VII, Joan was captured by Anglo-Burgundian forces, -
Dec 19, 1453
Ottoman Turks take over Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire, an empire which had lasted for over 1,100 years, and was a massive blow for Christendom. After the conquest Mehmed made Constantinople the Ottoman Empire's new capital. Several Greek and non-Greek intellectuals fled the city before and after the siege, migrating particularly to Italy. It is argued that they helped fuel the Renaissance. Some mark the end of the Middle Ages by the fall of the city and empire -
Dec 19, 1485
Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field, (Aug. 22, 1485), battle in the English Wars of the Roses, fought 12 miles (19 km) west of Leicester and 3 miles (5 km) south of Market Bosworth, between the forces of the Yorkist King Richard III and the Lancastrian contender for the crown, Henry Tudor (the future Henry VII). -
Sep 6, 1492
Christopher Columbus lands in America
Columbus led his three ships - the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria - out of the Spanish port of Palos on August 3, 1492. His objective was to sail west until he reached Asia (the Indies) where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited. His first stop was the Canary Islands where the lack of wind left his expedition becalmed until September 6. -
Jan 9, 1500
The Renaissance Begins
The Renaissance period begins in Europe in the early 1500's. It marks the end of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance was a term coined by Petrarch which means a rebirth of classical Greek and Roman ideals. -
The Frankish Tribe
The Franks began as a number of Germanic tribes that migrated from northern Europe into Gaul. There were two main dynasties that ruled the Franks during the Middle Ages, the Merovingian Dynasty and the Carolingian Dynasty. -
Vikings Of Scandinavian Islands.
The Vikings explored the northern islands and coasts of the North Atlantic, ventured south to North Africa and east to Russia, Constantinople, and the Middle East.They raided and pillaged, but also engaged in trade, settled wide-ranging colonies, and acted as mercenaries. -
Alfred The Great Defeats The Vikings
By stopping the Viking advance and consolidating his territorial gains, Alfred had started the process by which his successors eventually extended their power over the other Anglo-Saxon kings.
