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Sep 24, 1066
William the Conqueror invades England
The Norman Invasion started when William, Duke of Normandy's 7,000 soldiers landed at Pevensey on the morning of the 28th September 1066. -
Sep 23, 1150
paper is first mass-produced in Spain
spread slowly to the west via the Silk Road. Papermaking and manufacturing in Europe was started by Muslims living on the Iberian Peninsula. -
Sep 24, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is a document that King John of England was forced into signing. King John was forced into signing the charter because it greatly reduced the power he held as the King of England and allowed for the formation of a powerful parliament. The Magna Carta became the basis for English citizen's rights -
Sep 24, 1217
end of the Crusades
The crusading movement came to an end by the close of the thirteenth century. The emperor Frederick II for a short time recovered Jerusalem by a treaty, but in 1244 A.D. the Holy City became again a possession of the Moslems -
Sep 24, 1348
The Plague
The Black Death was caused by fleas carried by rats that were very common in towns and cities. The fleas bit into their victims literally injecting them with the disease. Death could be very quick for the weaker victims -
Sep 24, 1378
first appearance of Robin Hood in literature
The first mention of a quasi-historical Robin Hood is given in Andrew of Wyntoun's Orygynale Chronicle, written in about 1420. -
Sep 24, 1387
Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales
One of the reasons Chaucer is so important is that he made the decision to write in English and not French. Chaucer began the tales in 1387 and continued until his death in 1400. It is the story of a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury. -
Sep 24, 1455
War of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars for the throne of England. They were fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet, the houses of Lancaster and York. -
Sep 24, 1485
first printing of Le Morte d’ArthurPolitical and Social Events
the first printed edition of Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur was published by William Caxton, the man who brought the printing press to England. The book was immensely successful. -
Sep 24, 1485
First Tudor king, Henry VII, is crowned
Henry was able to negotiate alliances with this opposition, and, together with his own Lancastrian forces and French mercenaries, he invaded England. His defeat of Richard at Bosworth Field gave him the crown