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Period: 400 to 1066
Old English Era
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410
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
The beginning of Old English, as Anglo-Saxon tribes settle in Britain. -
700
The Writing of Beowulf
One of the most famous Old English works, possibly written around this time. -
1066
The Norman Invasion
The invasion of England by William the Conqueror, bringing Norman French influence on English. -
Period: 1066 to 1500
Middle English Era
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1215
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
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 by Gutenberg, which greatly influenced the spread of written English. -
1492
Discovery of the Americas
The European exploration led to the introduction of new vocabulary and linguistic exchange. -
Period: 1500 to
Modern English Era
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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.