The History of the English Language Timeline

By rollz
  • Period: 400 to 1066

    Old English Era

  • 410

    Fall of the Roman Empire in Britain

    Fall of the Roman Empire in Britain
    Marks the end of Roman control and the beginning of Anglo-Saxon influence.
  • 450

    Arrival of Anglo-Saxons in Britain

    Arrival of Anglo-Saxons in Britain
    The beginning of Old English, as Anglo-Saxon tribes settle in Britain.
  • 700

    The Writing of Beowulf

    The Writing of Beowulf
    One of the most famous Old English works, possibly written around this time.
  • 1066

    The Norman Invasion

    The Norman Invasion
    The invasion of England by William the Conqueror, bringing Norman French influence on English.
  • Period: 1066 to 1500

    Middle English Era

  • 1215

    Magna Carta Signed

    Magna Carta Signed
    Landmark document in English legal history that was written in Latin but influenced the development of English legal terms.
  • Period: 1347 to 1351

    The Black Death

    The plague that decimated the population, leading to changes in society and language.
  • 1387

    Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

    Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
    A key literary work that marks the rise of English in literature, written in Middle English.
  • 1440

    The Invention of the Printing Press

    The Invention of the Printing Press
    The invention by Gutenberg, which greatly influenced the spread of written English.
  • 1492

    Discovery of the Americas

    Discovery of the Americas
    The European exploration led to the introduction of new vocabulary and linguistic exchange.
  • Period: 1500 to

    Modern English Era

  • Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio

    Publication of Shakespeare's First Folio
    The publication of Shakespeare's collected works, which helped standardize English spelling and grammar.
  • Period: to

    The American Revolution

    The war that led to the independence of the United States, influencing English vocabulary.
  • Period: to

    World War II

    The impact of WWII on global English, spreading English as an international language.