-
1066
The Norman conquest
under William the Conqueror -
1086
“Domesday Book” compiled
William invented this to increase the taxes for paying his army -
1100
London becomes de facto capital of England
They also imposed a new language, literature and traditions -
1150
Manuscripts in Middle English
The oldest date from this period -
1154
"The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” discontinued
-
1154
Eleanor of Aquitaine,
French wife of Henry II, becomes Queen Consort of England -
1167
Oxford University was established
-
1180
The “Ormulum” text of the monk Orm completed
-
1204
King John
loses the province of Normandy to France -
1209
Cambridge University was established
-
1349
The Black Death
killed one third of the British population -
1362
The Statute of Pleading replaces French with English as the language of law (although records continue to be kept in Latin)
Replaced French with English as the language of law -
1362
English
English is used in English Parliament for the first time -
1370
William Langland writes “Piers Plowman”
-
1384
John Wycliffe publishes his English translation of “The Bible”
Publishes his English translation of “The Bible” -
1385
English replaces Latin as main language...
in schools (except Universities of Oxford and Cambridge) -
1388
Chaucer begins “The Canterbury Tales”
-
1399
Henry IV becomes first English-speaking...
monarch since before the Conquest -
1450
The Great Vowel Shift begins
-
1476
William Caxton
Establishes the first English printing press -
1500
Start of English Renaissance