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Period: 400 to 1100
Old English
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476
End of Western Roman Empire
After being divided and widespread for too long the Western Roman Empire fell to its enemies. -
700
Suspected Date of Beowulf's Writing
One of the most important works of Old English literature, it is unknown who wrote Beowulf or when. -
1000
Leif Erickson Sails to America
Leif Erickson was a Norse explorer and the first known European to set foot in America. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
An invasion of England by French soldiers. -
1096
First Crusade
A military expedition called on by Pope Urban II that resulted in the conquest of the Holy Land. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
Middle English
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1271
Marco Polo Expeditions
Marco Polo was an Italian merchant, explorer, and writer who was the first to record a detailed account of the Chinese culture. -
1348
The Black Death
The Bubonic Plague was one of the most devastating pandemics in history and killed an estimated 200 million people across Eurasia. -
1375
Firearms Common in Europe
Despite how common they were, the muzzleloaders of this time period were dangerous to the person attempting to fire it since the firing mechanism was yet to be perfected. -
1387
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
A collection of 24 stories that are known as Geoffrey Chaucer's most famous work. -
1440
The Invention of the Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg is known as the inventor of the printing press which enabled the mass production of books and knowledge. -
1492
The Discovery of North America
Christopher Columbus has long been credited as the first European explorer to discover the Americas although new evidence has come to light that states the Vikings may have gotten there first. -
Period: 1500 to
Modern English
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Galileo Discovers Satellites of Jupiter
The Galilean moons are named after Galileo Galilei and are the four largest moons of Jupiter. -
Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
This collection of William Shakespeare's plays is considered one of the most influential books ever published. -
The American Revolution
A colonial revolt that ended in the independence of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain. -
Penicillin Discovered
Penicillin was discovered in 1928 by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming, but it was not being used as an antibiotic until 1941. -
United States Manned Space Flights
Alan Shepard became the first American in space using the Freedom 7 space capsule.
