-
400
Germanic people arrive in England
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410
Germans settle Britain, use West German dialects
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Jan 1, 600
Rise of Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex
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Jan 1, 700
English religious texts emerge
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Jan 1, 700
Beowulf's writing emerges
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Jan 1, 800
Charlemagne becomes Roman Emperor
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Jan 1, 840
Viking incursions worsen
-
Jan 1, 878
England split between Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians
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Jan 1, 925
Athelstan reconquers York, Scotland, & Wales
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Jan 1, 925
Danes & English become indistinguishable
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Jan 1, 994
Cnut becomes King of England
Encourages Anglo-Saxon literature -
Jan 1, 1066
King Edward dies without child
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Jan 1, 1066
The Norman Invasion Begins
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Jan 1, 1075
English becomes language of lower class
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Jan 1, 1075
Anglo-Saxons begin writing in French
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Jan 1, 1204
English lose duchy of Normandy to French Kings
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Jan 1, 1205
First book in English appears
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Jan 1, 1258
First royal proclamation becomes issued in English
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Jan 1, 1300
French teach children English
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Jan 1, 1337
Hundred Years' War begins between England & France
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Jan 1, 1362
English becomes official language of courts of law
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Jan 1, 1380
Chaucer writes Canterbury Tales in Middle English
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Jan 1, 1380
London dialect recognized as standard English
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Jan 1, 1474
William Caxton brings printing press from Germany to England
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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus supposedly discovers North America
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Jan 1, 1500
Great Vowel Shift begins
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King James Bible is published
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William Shakespeare dies
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Shakespeare's First Folio is published
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Classical period of English begins
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Sciences are developing
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English purists on the rise
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Frist Industrial Revolution takes place
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American Revolution begins
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British imperialism on the rise
-
Establishment of English in different countries
Australia, South Africa, India, Singapore, other British outposts. -
End of First Industrial Revolution
-
Scientific and Industrial Revolutions take place
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American governmental supremacy
Economic, political, and military supremacy -
2nd Industrial Revolution dies down
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Second edition of Oxford English Dictionary is published
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Internet popularity changes personal communication
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British & American media influence English around the world
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Pop music gains popularity & forms English slang
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Immigration to U.S. increases
Increase in linguistic diversity where they settle, but repeat English patterns, and their first language is usually lost in 1-2 generations. -
American culture remains majority monolingual
